The Alpha's Mate ON HOLD TILL JAN 2025

Chapter 70

JOSH

The door closed behind me, while I closed my eyes.

That was intense.

All of them blamed my mate. Even though I was here with her when we came to pick up Leah, I still believed it was the right call on our part, but we could have done it in a different way.

Rogues were roaming and our alpha wanted to protect us from whatever was about to happen. But who would have thought, it would be people within our pack that would do more damage?

My wolf howled. I had to hold him back before he exposed us to the humans, especially when they were talking about Jenny like that.

Shaking my head, I looked over to where the man was staring at Leah. I wouldn't have let her go to her friend's house, but the way he was looking at her I knew I needed to get her away and out of sight. I knew she would be safer there and there was a fat chance of her leaving them any time soon. She needed to be around her friends and support.

Stepping away from the house, I stopped when I got to the edge of the pavement. I mind-linked Lucian what I saw, and he told me he would check it out. Looking over to the forest where the man was, I wondered if there was something else there.

I had a hunch she had left the room. It was too quiet for a while until I heard noises. By the time I got upstairs, she had gone. I bolted toward the window and spotted her leaving.

Anger was there, but there was no point in using it. I couldn't really blame her for leaving. She was stuck with two people that she didn't like, and we didn't even know how long that would be until Carson let us know it was safe to come back.

Letting out a sigh, I walk toward the way where I found Leah and her friend earlier. I walked toward the forest line and sniffed—rotten eggs, which only meant one thing, rogues.

Fuck.

Why were they here?

Stepping into the forest, I followed the scent and walked further in. Opening a mind link to Lucian, he growled. "I can smell rogues," I exclaimed.

"I know," he grunted. "They have been everywhere around here, getting closer to the house. Where are you?"

I told him and he told me to keep going since I wasn't that far from him. I carried on walking while I closed the mind link and spotted him close to a small hut. I walked up and sniffed, which only made my wolf growl.

"What the hell is this place?" I asked, ignoring him.

Lucian was staring at it but looked at me. His wolf was close to the surface since his eyes were shining. "Mate was with you," he mumbled, which only made me roll my eyes at him.

His wolf growled, which I ignored.

"Your mate hates me, your human and sister," I muttered, looking at him. "Let Lucian come forward and let him deal with her."

His wolf stared at me for a moment until he retreated back till Lucian looked back at me. "Thanks."

I said nothing and looked toward the hut.

The place looked abandoned which was odd for where it was placed. Maybe kids come here, remembering some secluded places when I was in my pack when you wanted to hook up with someone, that could be the case here.

"There is nothing in there," Lucian muttered. "But the rogues have been here. This is where they were waiting for Leah."

That was odd.

How would rogues be waiting for her?

Something didn't add up here when it came to the rogues. How would her grandparents know where she was? Jenny never told them about this place.

"Something feels off," I gritted, looking at Lucian. I needed to voice my concerns. I needed someone to be on the same page as me.

"I agree," he murmured, looking at the house. "Why would rogues be here and waiting to attack?"

Feeling slightly better that he was thinking the same as me. I walked toward the hut but stopped. "Who knew where Leah lived?" I asked.

The question is something that has been bothering me for the last twenty-four hours. They knew where she was, who she was.

Shaking my thoughts away, I looked over my shoulder and saw Lucian staring at me. "Me, Jenny, and the alpha," he murmured. "You when we came here with us, but we didn't tell anyone else. Not even Alpha Carson's beta knew at the time."

Looking back at the hut, I roamed over it like it was a picture but there was nothing to it. Just your average-looking hut that you would use to hunt.

Jenny didn't mention they ever had hunters here when she lived here. Hell, not even when I came here. There were humans and that was it, not even rogues. It was a peaceful human town.

What the hell happened when Jenny left?

"I can check over the hut," Lucian said, stepping toward me and stopping. I looked over at him and gave him a nod.

"You can ask Jenny about this place," he said. "Ask is she knows if there was a reason or if it was here when she lived here?"

I said nothing.

"We also have to tell Alpha Carson about it too," he murmured.

That part was true. He would want to know about any threats regarding his mate. Maybe there was something we were missing here.

"I will ask Jenny," I said. "And even tell the Alpha. You check behind the hut and around the back. See if there is anything there. Maybe they were stupid enough to leave something behind or a trail to somewhere."

Lucian nodded, but his face hardened.

"We will have to keep an eye on Leah," he murmured, which made me look at him confused. I turned to face him, but his next words made me tense. "If she is only now got her wolf, she may not have had her first shift."

Her first shift?

Fuck.

That would be hard, especially since the alpha wasn't here.

I needed to talk to her about it. Well, we both did.

My wolf moved closer and sighed. "We will have to help her through it," he murmured. "Her wolf seems to be in control with what happens to her."

That was true. Tala seemed to know more, maybe when she comes back from her friends we talk to her.

Looking at Lucian, I sighed. "One thing at a time."

Lucian nodded while I continued. "First, lets see what is in the hut," I said. "Then we both will talk to her about it. Tala may not have told her about the shift, we will have to, and we both have to step up for her to be there for her."

Lucian stared at me and gave me a knowing look. We both have been through it when we were younger, but we had our family and the pack to support us through it. We had to be with her, no matter what she says.

"I'll go back to the house and wait," I said. "I will mind link Jenny and alpha Carson, then wait for you there. Leah is with her friend and your mate. She will be safe there till you come back. Maybe you could collect her from there, get a look at your mate."

"Sounds like a plan," he said with a grin, stepping toward the hut.

I turned around and left him to it.

Hopefully something will turn up, or we are back to square one or minus zero but whose counting. We need to get a lead and fast. Just hope we have time to get a plan together.