Chapter 65
Adrian’s POV
The afternoon sun streamed through my office window as my phone chimed with a new message. I smiled seeing Nadia’s name on the screen.
We’ve arrived at the wedding venue. The decorations are surprisingly tasteful for a small–town celebration.
I chuckled at her typical attention to detail. A second message followed quickly.
Our pack hasn’t hosted a wedding in a very long time.
Before I could reply, Skye sent a photo. Three women beamed at the camera Skye with her striking silver hair, Nadia looking uncharacteristically relaxed in a formal dress, and a blonde woman in a wedding gown who must be the bride. Their faces glowed with happiness, and I couldn’t help but smile in response.
For a moment, I allowed myself to imagine Skye in a wedding dress – her silver hair adorned with flowers, green eyes bright with joy, walking toward me… I quickly pushed the thought away. Such fantasies were dangerous territory.
Enjoy yourselves, I texted back. You both deserve a night off.
I set my phone aside and immersed myself in work – budget reports, security protocols, and territory expansion plans. Hours passed, the stack of papers gradually diminishing as night fell over the desert.
By midnight, my eyes burned from staring at spreadsheets. I stretched, reaching for my phone to check the time. No new messages. The wedding reception should have ended by now. On impulse, I dialed Skye’s number, expecting to hear her voice, perhaps slightly giddy from wedding champagne.
Instead, I heard only endless ringing before her voicemail answered. Strange, but not concerning. She was probably still celebrating or had turned in for the night. I tried Nadia instead – our pragmatic Beta always answered her phone, regardless of circumstances.
Her phone rang unanswered as well. Five more attempts to reach either woman over the next hour yielded nothing but growing unease. By one in the morning, my concern had escalated to alarm. This wasn’t normal, especially for Nadia. She’d even set a specific ringtone for my calls – the opening bars of “Who Let the Dogs Out,” her idea of pack humor.
I grabbed my jacket and keys, striding through the silent hallways of my home. Twenty minutes later, I parked outside Garrett’s modest house and pounded on the door until a bleary–eyed figure appeared.
“Alpha Adrian?” Garrett blinked in confusion, his sandy hair sticking up at odd angles. “Is everything okay?”
Without waiting for an invitation, I strode past him into the house. I need you to track Skye and Nadia’s phones. Now.
Garrett snapped to alertness, limping quickly toward his back room–what appeared to be a simple home office but was actually our information hub. The glow of multiple monitors illuminated his face as his fingers flew across the keyboard.
“Both phones are showing up at… Boring town,‘ he said, squinting at the screen. “Right where the wedding is taking place.” He turned to me with a reassuring smile. “They probably can’t hear their phones at the wedding. Or maybe they’re having too much fun to answer.”
The tension in my shoulders eased slightly as I studied the glowing dots on the GPS map. “Are you sure the signals are accurate?”
“Positive.” Garrett nodded confidently. “The last ping was just fifteen minutes ago. They’re definitely there, and the phones are powered on and functioning.”
I exhaled slowly, allowing myself to relax marginally. “Can I get something to drink? It’s been a long night.”
“Beer? Cola? Garrett offered, already heading to the kitchen.
“Cola’s fine,”
I sank into Garrett’s worn leather couch, accepting the ice–cold can he handed me. He settled into the adjacent armchair, nursing a beer, his bad leg propped carefully on a footstool.
After a moment of awkward silence, Garrett cleared his throat. “Alpha Adrian, there’s something I’ve been wondering… if you don’t mind me asking
Chapter 65
I raised an eyebrow. What is it?
“About you and Skye…” Ile hesitated, his fingers fidgeting with the pull tab on his beer can. “Is it true? Are you together?”
The question caught me off guard. “Where did you hear that?”
“Some of the warriors have been talking.” His gaze dropped to his beer. “But she’s not your mate, right?”
Irritation flared within me. “I’m aware of that fact. But I don’t see how it’s any of your concern.”
“It’s not,” Garrett backpedaled quickly. “I just… I hope Nadia doesn’t get hurt in all this.”
“Nadia is my Beta,” I said stiffly. “Why would I hurt her?” Then realization dawned. “Wait, why are you so concerned about Nadia specifically?”
A flush crept up Garrett’s neck, and suddenly everything clicked into place. Nadia had been the one to recruit Garrett to Oasisborn in the first place.
I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You have feelings for her, don’t you?”
“She’s a good woman, he stammered, avoiding my gaze. “Not soft like other women, but strong. Loyal. Good.”
“Then why not pursue her?” I asked, genuinely curious.
A bitter smile twisted Garrett’s lips as he finally looked up at me. “Can’t you see it? Her eyes only ever follow you.”
Discomfort settled in my stomach. I’d always seen Nadia as a sister–in–arms, a fellow warrior. I’d ignored the signs of her deeper feelings, finding it easier to pretend they didn’t exist.
“Nadia and I will never be more than comrades,” I told him firmly. “That’s all we’ve ever been, all we ever will be.”
Glancing at my watch, I noted it was already 1 AM. “I’ll crash on your couch tonight,” I decided, not wanting to return to my empty house with my thoughts still churning. “Keep monitoring their phones, will you?”
“Of course, Alpha, Garrett nodded, a hint of relief in his expression at the change of subject.
Sleep came fitfully, interrupted by dreams of silver hair and danger. Dawn arrived with fingers of golden light stretching through the blinds. I checke phone immediately–no missed calls, no text messages. Garrett was already at his computers, the scent of fresh coffee wafting from the kitchen.
“Any change?” I asked, my voice rough with sleep.
He shook his head, swiveling his chair to face me. “Both phones are still in Boring town, and both women still aren’t answering calls
or
texts.”
My unease returned tenfold. This wasn’t like Nadia. Even if they’d stayed up all night celebrating, she would have at least sent a message acknowledging my calls. Something was very wrong.
I yanked my phone from my pocket, dialing Ryder. He answered on the third ring, voice heavy with sleep.
‘Alpha?
“Meet me at the main gate in fifteen minutes,” I ordered, already heading for the door. “We’re going to Boring. Now.”
