Mated To The Alpha King

One Step Closer To You

Ryder's POV

"It makes so much more sense now. All of the attacks at the border, how the rogues got the notes to the Castle, how they got to Jade. Someone has been feeding them information about the pack."

Cameron paces back and forth, chewing intensely on his thumbnail. "Shit, shit, shit. How could I not have seen this?" He keeps mumbling to himself and then takes a deep breath. Cameron turns to me, a new look of determination set on his face, "Who do we start with? There are almost 400 members in the Royal Pack and we can't rule out anyone."

I bite on my cheek, trying to narrow down the number of suspects. "It would have to be someone who lives in the Castle or works here. It would have to be someone who would have access to our files and us. How else could anyone know the patrol routes, our training rituals, and that Jade was even in the hospital? We hadn't even announced it to the pack when she was taken."

Evan comes over to my computer and I stand behind him, leaning down over his shoulder. He pulls up the pack register, narrowing down the list per my description. Evan glances up at me, "That still leaves 75 people who could be the mole."

I scan the list, trying to eliminate even more people. "The people who knew Jade went into labor."

Krista walks up and peers over Evan's other shoulder. "That's you, me, Evan, Sean, Mom and Dad, Cameron, Jason, Wyatt, Rachel, Brooke because she helped get Jade ready for the hospital, Aaron, and George." I nod, confirming that they were the only thirteen who would have known that Jade went into labor.

Sean speaks up with, "Well Rachel doesn't live in the pack house, neither does George."

I look around the room, watching everyone's behavior and body movement. "I trust that no one in this room has anything to do with this." Disbelief cries fill the room. "Of course not, genius. We all love Jade." Krista flicks me on the arm and walks over to her mate.

"Cassie and Aaron?" Dad offers up. I shake my head immediately before he can carry on, "No. They are family, I trust them with lives of my children. Cassie is one of Jade's best friends, she would never betray Jade like that."

I glance over the now very short list and my eyes land on one name I didn't even truly consider before. "Brooke James, she's a maid in the Castle. She lives in the pack house Jade designed." I point at the screen and Evan clicks on her name, bringing up her dossier.

"Brooke Leeona James. 13 years of age. Works as a maid for the Castle. Unmated. Not shifted. Born in the Royal Pack. Orphaned at 9 years old when her parents died in a rogue attack, bodies never recovered. Only child. Quiet type, keeps to herself. Good worker."

I frown, "Her parents died in a rogue attack? Did we ever find out which one?" Evan types some things into the computer and knits his eyebrows together. "No, we didn't."

"I bet you I can tell you," Cameron growls. "When I was still there, not too long after the attack on our old pack, I heard the guards talking about an attack they were apart of, but they never said the name. I guess they thought I was too incoherent to hear what they were saying, but it fits the timeline. I always assumed they were talking about Lunar Shadow."

Mom shakes her head, running her hands through her usually kempt hair, "But she's only a child." I clench my jaw and take a deep breath, "Even children have ears to listen and a mouth to speak, Mother. Find her, Cameron, and bring her to me."

Cameron nods his head to me, "Don't have to tell me twice," and then he's gone. Wyatt is not too far behind him. Evan stands up and walks to the map with our plans drawn all over it. I exit out of the dossier and stare at my computer screen.

My screensaver is a picture of Jade and I the day I took her to the carnival, the day before I asked her to be my wife and we mated. Jade is smiling softly, her beautiful aura reaching out to me even through the screen. I'm envious of the past me who held her so tightly in his arms and I question if he really understood what he had before it was taken away.

"Mind link me when you have Brooke." I tell Evan and Sean, before throwing the door open and making my way back upstairs. I open the door to our bedroom and see Aaron stroking Cassie's hair while Brayden sleeps in her arms. The image brings a wave of anguish to my soul and I quickly look away.

"You can go now, I've got them from here. Thank you for helping me, thank you both. I'm forever grateful." I walk over to Atarah and Mattathias's bassinets, both still sleeping peacefully. I hear shuffling behind me and turn.

Aaron is now carrying the sleeping Brayden and Cassie smiles at me, "Really, we're happy to do it. You and Jade took us in when we had nothing and you had no reason to trust us. You saved us. This is the least we could do." Cassie shares a look with Aaron, one filled with heaviness that says everything it needs to between them. Aaron nods in agreement, "She's right, without you both, I don't know where we'd be."

I give them a half hearted smile and nod. Cassie gives me her infamous knowing look and suddenly gives me a hug. I hesitate, but then hug her back. She pats my back comfortingly, like a mother would. Cassie leans to my ear and whispers, "You'll find her, Ryder. You are going to bring her back home and you two are going to raise your beautiful children and you are going to have the most gorgeous wedding and you are going to rule this kingdom like you are destined to." I blink back the tears that have welled up in my eyes as Cassie pulls back.

"Thank you, Cassie." She smiles and pats my shoulder one final time before her and Aaron slip out the door.

I turn to my children and sit on the bed beside them. As I stare at them, I see so much of Jade in them. Now, as I sit alone in the room I share with my mate, no one but my son and daughter to be witnesses...I cry. I cry for the woman I love. I cry for what she might be going through. I cry for her not being her with her children. I cry for my children being without their mother. I cry because I miss her so fucking much that every beat of my heart sends an aching pain through my body.

I lean down and kiss my babies on their foreheads, making them each a promise. I promise that I love you with every fiber in my being. I promise to protect you, no matter the cost. I promise I will bring our Jade back to us.

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Hello, my friends!

I want to say thank you so freaking much. I have been so wonderfully overwhelmed with your positive reviews of this book. Like, I can't even believe it. I appreciate all of you so much.

I feel like there is so much to say, but it's almost four am where I live and I'm tired as frick and it's probably getting really repetitive by now.

Farewell Friends, I'll see you in the next chapter.