His Dominion

Chapter 24

[Soren]

Wrapped up in his baby blanket like a warm burrito, Ian squirmed in my arms as I lulled him to sleep. My youngest desperately wanted his mom, just as much as his dad did. 

"Don't worry, daddy will take care of everything. I'll have your mama and little sibling back" I told him and kissed the top of his head. He didn't understand, but I was trying everything to get him to sleep. It was past his bedtime and it wasn't good for him to be up this late. When I bring Peyton home, I want her to see how well I took care of our kids. 

I hope you’re okay, Pey. I love you. Wait for me.  

It wasn't easy to get my other kids to sleep either. My princess cried herself to sleep. Her fingers curled around my shirt until she went off to dream land. Samuel said not a word since we found him, but as his father, I knew he was hurting inside missing his mom. I hated seeing my family so broken up and there was nothing for me to do but wait. 

"Alpha, your pack has arrived." One of Lucca's boys told me. I think his name was Lionel. I've been seeing him a lot lately since that Jerome kid was demoted from his title as Lucca's right-hand-man. 

I thanked him and walked out to face four of my most trusted men. "Daniel, Nathan, Eric, Christian, nice to see you boys here." They grew up with me and would die protecting everything I love and cherish.

"Don't forget us" 

I looked behind them and my eyes widened in surprise. "Derrick, what are you doing here?" 

"Your mate is my dearest cousin. Whatever happens to her, I am involved." He crossed his arms over his chest. Unlike Peyton, he had blond hair and pale skin. His albino features always seem to strike me as intimidating, but once i got to know him he became the friend I never expected him to be. 

He saw Ian whimpering in my arms and he extended his arms to his godson. 

"He hasn't slept." I handed Ian carefully into his arms.

"He misses her." I only nodded. "My uncle is furious." He quickly blurted out. Ian whimpered as Derrick tried to make him comfortable in his arms. 

I groaned. My father-in-law is a force to be carefully dealt with. "Is he coming?" 

"No." His eyes studied my reaction. People knew my father-in-law and I didn't have a friendly relationship. He hated my dad for giving him a miserable childhood and I became the center of his loathe when I claimed his daughter as my mate. "My uncle said he trusts you in taking care of the matter quickly, but he sent me here to report to him daily."

Of course he would. 

Alpha Lucca came out from the corner of the house. "Hello, welcome to my sub-pack house, or part of what's left of it." He waved at his wrecked home.

"Alpha Lucca." My men bowed, except for Derrick. 

Peyton's father, Alpha Ivan, had no sons to pass on his title. Therefore Derrick, his closest male blood relative, was chosen to be his heir. 

"Did you find anyone else?" I asked him with hope hanging on the tip of my tongue. 

Lucca shook his head, a sad shadow dimmed his eyes. "The other secret compartments were empty. We did find one of my men. The one that was injured. He was beaten out cold and thrown into a closet to be left for dead." 

"Is he going to make it?" I asked.

"Just barely." Lucca clenched his fist.

I sighed and held a hand over my face to calm my wolf down. My mate, my unborn child, it was all too much and I couldn't live without Peyton. She was like my safe haven; without her I couldn't reach calm ground. I am going to find her, no matter what it takes. The guilt lays heavy on my shoulders, remembering that this wasn't the first time my wife was taken from me by hunters and the last time I also blamed myself for not taking care of her properly. 

"I suggest we track them." Richard Grant stood next to my men, towering over them. He is a large bulk fellow, a good wolf to have in a pack especially with his knowledge and quick wit. I wanted to question him why he left his pack in the first place, but right now wasn't the time. 

I nodded. "Your men found tire tracks that did not match any of our vehicles.”

Nathan came forward. "I will follow them." Nathan is one of my best trackers. After I was given the Alpha position, he made it his life's work to be the best tracker for my pack.

"Grant, you go with him." Lucca instructed. Grant looked grateful for the order. He is Selene's father after all. 

"Christian, Eric, Daniel. I want you three to do some digging. Find out if the other hunter organizations know anything about this." The three didn't flinch at the command and immediately took action.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Lucca said. "Wouldn't that expose them to danger?"

"They know the risks, but my men are trained by the best. This isn't the first time I've ordered them to do something outrageously stupid. I wouldn't put them up to the task if I knew they can't handle it." 

"We trust our Soren, Alpha Lucca." Nathan told him. He ignored the glare I gave him for addressing me informally in front of people outside our pack. "If he has faith in us; we have faith in his judgment."

I saw understanding dawn in Lucca's face. He was young and a lot yet to learn as Alpha, but I knew he was going to surpass his father someday. He didn't know it, but I could feel it from the tips of my bones. 

Lucca bent his head back as if looking at the sky and groaned. Everyone didn't say anything to give him some a private moment. He was clearing breaking apart inside and the stress was taking a toll on his appearance. He looked so cold and tense, his eyes sinking low from the lack of sleep and dirt dusted all over his hard physique. 

I grabbed him on the shoulder and his head snapped back with a new expression. Determination flashed across his eyes. He returned the same gesture and took hold on my shoulder with the same arm. 

"I don't give a shit about Alpha duties right now. I want to find my mate. Selene is all I have left in this world now. In the end, if I'm Alpha or not, she is the only thing I know is definitely mine. I'm going with Grant and Nathan to follow those tracks." He said surprising me.

"How about your pack." I motioned to the seventy plus men working endlessly to clear the destruction which was once their home. 

"I leave them under your command until I return." 

"They are your responsibility." I reminded him.

"I know that Alpha Soren, but I can't just stand here and--

"You are not the only one suffering Lucca." I growled at his selfishness. "My mate is missing too."

"Yes, but both of us can't just wait here for more bad news! We can't both leave. Neither will you want to leave your children, or bring them along. I can find our mates! I can do something." 

He was talking recklessly, but I would have behaved the same way if my sense of duty wasn't holding me back. The look in his eyes told me he was going no matter what. 

"Lucca you can't be serious?" His beta Richard Grant looked at him with disbelief. "You can't leave your pack! An Alpha never leaves his pack." 

"Alpha Soren will cover for me." I like how he assumes I agreed to this. "When I get back. I will deal with whatever punishment I receive, but I won't rest until I get Selene back!" 

I understood him. It was looking at a reflection of my younger self. My wolf urged me to go with him, but I couldn't, no matter how much I wanted to be there for Peyton. I just couldn't leave. I wasn't just Alpha, but I was the Alpha. Other territories counted on me as there voice of reason. If I die all responsibility will be on Samuel. He was too young--I couldn't take away his childhood. That wasn't fair for him.

 "Go."

Lucca glanced at me and not a second past, he turns towards the direction of his mission. "I'll bring all of them back." 

Grant frowned, but he didn't argue and followed behind him running. 

"Catch you later Soren. We'll find her bro, don't worry." Nathan said before morphing in his wolf and running in front of them.