Page 6 of Fated Alpha Baby

I’d long since lost faith in the Moon Goddess’s decree over my life. Nothing good comes from being happy, and just when I think I am, the rug is always pulled out from under me.

It happened when my parents died long before I was old enough to write my own name. And it happened again, just when I decided to take a leap of faith and entertain the idea of love and happily-ever-afters.

I can’t even force a smile on my face when Alpha Damian walks into the meeting chamber with his pregnant mate. I’m still numb, even when Alpha Heinrich follows with Annika. In fact, seeing the lovers cozying up to each other churns my insides.

Codependency is a weakness. Even if Damian wields water magic and Heinrich wields earth magic, thanks to their respective mates, they’d wither into nothingness if something happened to either Sophie or Annika. It is a curse set upon the bearers of the true mate bond.

And I do not wish to curse myself.

A part of me is thankful that the ritual wasn’t successful. I don’t need to know who my true mate is. I’m better off without one.

The rest of the council and the research team enter the log building, settling onto their seats around the drawing board table. Amos, the head of the research team—a trusted fellow wolf and expert researcher—shuffles forward in his seat and begins the meeting he called.

“Thank you all for meeting on such short notice,” he begins with an apology.

“No need for that, Amos,” Damian returns, glancing at Sophie and giving her hand a firm squeeze. “With all things considered, we expect meetings like this to happen often.”

Heinrich nods. “The demons have not stopped trying to enter our territories. Even with the runes set out across the valley, they’re pushing.”

“It’s only a matter of time before they push hard enough and make it past those runes,” Grandfather grunts. “Have you found another way to trace Conan’s mate, Amos?”

“I think this hardly has anything to do with me not having a mate,” I cut in. “Even if the ritual worked and I found her, mated her, and regained my strength and the pack’s…what then?”

“I saw how strong your true mate is, Conan,” Annika responds. “I saw her at the portal. The one close to—”

“The old sawmill,” I interject bitterly. “Yeah, you’ve told us about your vision many times over the past few weeks, Annika.”

Heinrich growls beside her, glaring at me. “Watch your tone, Conan.”

I shrug. “I didn’t say anything wrong.”

“It was Iron Breath wolves who were with her,” Annika continues. “And they were all at that portal. Whoever she is, she is the key to closing it.”

Amos agrees with a nod. “Even if it’s not directly, it appears she holds the key to locking the portal. Annika is right.”

Grunting under my breath, I lean back against my chair and fold my arms across my chest. “If finding my mate is so important…if she is the key to stopping the demons…then why is it so hard to find her? A name? A face? We still have nothing, except the old sawmill.”

Amos nods slowly, thoughtfully, as he rearranges himself on his chair and begins hitting buttons on a keypad that opens up a holographic screen that floats in the center of the table. It’s a map.

“Marcus Hale has not spoken yet.” Amos refers to the human we captured a few weeks ago, when we took down a human operation of mercenaries who were being possessed by demons.

Armed and dangerous, those humans attempted to infiltrate the valley in a sneak attack, under the command of the demons and Marcus Hale, a previously convicted illegal arms dealer.

The warehouse was destroyed, and the supply line of arms is gone. But Marcus Hale worked for the demons, and we’ve been trying to get him to talk, to tell us where the demon portal is.

But he hasn’t said a word.

If it were up to me, I’d just have him executed. He is in Iron Breath’s dungeon, after all.

The council, however, wants to keep him alive.

“And the methods we have to force him to talk haven’t worked,” Amos continues. “This is why our research led us to another coven of witches in Helena Valley. Augusta, to be exact,” He points to the map. “A coven that can help us extract the information we need from Hale.”

“You’re inviting more witches to the valley?” Elder Mortimer, Heinrich’s father, asks curiously. “That’s not a bad idea.”

Amos shakes his head. “This coven, the August Moon Circle…is not exactly willing to travel to Bitterroot. Coincidentally, they have been experiencing attacks of their own.”

“What kind of attacks?” Damian asks.