Despondency

Chapter 39

Ai turned in her twin bed. The Alpha was one room away. If anything attacked her he'd be her first defense. And most likely her last one.
In one swift movement she was out of the bed with a back pack in hand.
Her life was so confusing to her. If she stayed in a place that had so many unmated males, who knew what her lonely self would commit with them. There were too many temptations that she was drawn to. The alpha himself was a light to such a moth as herself.
Aiyana just knew that she would get rejected by such an Adonis like man. She wasn't pretty or smart or even overly kind. She was larger than average and simply not the perfect Luna, or even mistress.
She didn't know why she was in his cabin. She didn't know why she placed under his care by Riley. She didn't understand why she hadn't been hitch hiking and searching the world for Vitally already.
A brown leather bag sat alone in the corner. It had two patches and worn straps. Inside was everything she needed.
She knew what she wanted out of life, now she just had to force herself to reach for it.
She wanted Vitally. Four years later, a few months without that bond pulling her, she still wanted him.
Not because he was just her mate, he had become so much more to her, she needed him since he had been her invisible rope pulling her out of the dark pit of Constantin.
She felt wronged deeply by Alpha Mikhail. Someone had lied.
A new resolution took hold of her will. She grabbed the bag and quietly walked out the door. She would search the coast. She wouldn't stop til she found what she felt.
She froze. What of Sonya? What of her brother? He lost her already. She couldn't do that to them.
What about Mikhail, and Jordan. Didn't she owe them a debt of gratitude? After a moment of guilty thought, she wrote down on some loose leaf paper her troubling thoughts.

Sonya,
My precious friend, I'm grateful to everything you've done for me. I did receive the pictures. They are in safe keeping.
I regret one thing in our friendship. You've asked but I never said his name. I'm going to find my mate. He may not love me, but I'm sure our story was interrupted and that won't be the case in the end. I'm sorry I never trusted you as deeply as I should have. So keep my secret close, his name is Vitally. Omega and all, I held on this far. it won't be long until I have my own pictures to send. Even in this troubling time. There isn't much for me to help here.
Yours truly, Ai

Aiyana glanced fondly at the ultra sound photo next to Sonya and her smiling mate. The moon goddess blessed them even during a war with a healthy baby boy. She shook her mane of hair. Was she serious about leaving? About finding her love with the chance that he might be dead, that most believed he was already dead?
What would she even say to her brother to explain her nearly cruel action?

Riley,
I have one battle left to fight. Don't fear for my safety I still have one heck of a right paw. I'll come straight back when I've found him. When you meet your mate you will understand me perfectly. I've been sitting idle too long.
I know it's unfair to you and the rest of our family that I haven't seen, but I have to do this.
I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but I need to do it alone.
May the moon goddess light both our paths.
Your sister, Ai

Alpha Mikhail.
I owe you debt of gratitude. I know I was placed under your care, and I thank you for that, but right now I must be free. I won't be far but don't send someone to find me.
Comfort Riley when I leave...
Your mate will be lucky. Even happy with a son who wears a top hat and a mate who hates his job. I would.
May the moon goddess help you win the fight.
Maybe one day-
Ai stopped. This was ridiculous. She barely knew him a month. She crumpled up the paper.
Alpha Mikhail.
Thank you, take care of Riley now.
Ai.
She sealed the three letter and wrote the names on the back. She would've wrote Jordan too if her memory of him wasn't so tainted. The day before in forest would have ruined her own hopes for her and her mate.
He would be a different man if he was still alive, right?
She just had to follow her gut and her gut was telling to head south, to were the sea becomes warm.
She paused and grabbed a set of keys out of Mikhail's coat pocket. She'd get caught if she walked, best let the smell of smoke cover her scent.
She climbed up into the cab of the black truck. Everything inside smelled like Mikhail.
A deep woodsy cologne and old leather smell would be her only companion she would have for hours, even days. She turned on the car and sped away, hopefully unnoticed.

Mikhail woke up to a faint engine outside. In a flash of fur, he was a wolf outside of his small cabin, watching his truck carry away his mate. He should have felt something more than annoyance. She took his truck. He should have been upset that his mate was leaving.
He raced after it in spur of the moment, the trees hid him well. No matter how quickly his wolf carried him it wasn't enough.
He only stopped when he felt a sharp twist in his hind leg.
"Fuck!" He shouted as he tumbled to the ground he was miles away from the pack now. He had a meeting at dawn. He could feel Riley at the edge of his head, trying to get his attention, Mikhail was too closed off to be reached.
He watched helplessness as the dark truck disappeared at a corner.
Aiyana was going south. A half an hour later while he was walking back Riley pulled to the side of the road in a dark van.
"Alpha what's going on?"
"Your sister is headed south, I'm getting a car to go get her ass back here."
Riley nodded but got in the passenger seat.
Mikhail caught a flying pair of boxers thrown from his beta with his long snout before Riley shut the door.
The Alpha would drive all day and get her home before tomorrow. He swore it to himself.