Alpha Niall And His Lost Mate

Chapter 20

I pulled up to my former home's driveway faster than I ever have. I quickly shut the engine off and ran into the house.

"Zoey?" Ashley called in confusion as I ran past her once I was inside. If it were any other circumstance, I would've stopped to talk to her, but I just needed to see Luka.

I bolted to his office, where I knew he spent most of his time. I knew Victoria was out of the hospital, hence why I really hoped that he wasn't in his bedroom with her. I didn't want Victoria to know about what was going on.

Luckily, Luka was in his office when I burst in without knocking. He was stunned by the intrusion as he quickly looked up from his work, but his features soon changed into confusion.

"You left two days ago and you miss us already?" There was a hint of amusement in his tone as he rounded his desk, but I was still catching my breath after running through the huge ass house.

"Luka..I-I need your...I need your silver bullet gun" I rushed out through breaths. His eyes widened a fraction at my request, and that's when he took in my attire. He bit his lip in thought and questioning, so I quickly reassured him of my reasons.

"Please Luka. Niall might be in trouble, and I need to be ready for anything. I'll bring it back as soon as I find him" This seemed to have shocked him even more, but I saw understanding forming behind his eyes.

He regarded me sternly, but I knew he had already made up his mind. "This is a very dangerous weapon Zoey, designed only for large rogue attacks. This will kill any wolf with a single bullet"

"I know. You're the one who taught me all about weapons, remember? I promise to keep it safe, but the one at Niall's pack is in a safe and only his or his dad's fingerprint can open it. I wouldn't have come

this far if it wasn't urgent. Please Luka, you of all people should know what's it's like to worry about losing your mate"

I knew it was low bringing up what happened to his former mate and what nearly happened to Victoria, but I was running out of time and his paternal nature was clouding his judgement.

To my delight, he nodded once and led me to his weapon room. He retrieved the weapon from his own safe, and helped me tuck it safely away in my duty belt. I mumbled a quick 'thanks, love you' and got ready to leave, but he held onto my shoulder before I could go. I glanced back at him, seeing his concern evidently clear.

"If this is as dangerous as it sounds, do you want me to come with you? "

"No Luka I don't want Victoria knowing okay? She's still recovering so the last thing I need is for her worry about me and Niall. If you leave now, you'll have to tell her and I don't want that" I insisted. "And I already have back-up. I have a Gamma blood wolf and Niall's cousin who is also an Alpha helping me. I'm fine okay?" I purposely left out the part about Clarissa being a rogue. Gamma blood or not, Luka would spend a next hour lecturing me about trusting her.

"Just be careful okay?" He pulled me to his chest, gently kissing my forehead before releasing me.

I wasted no time in bolting up the staircase and towards the exit, but at my car door was my nephew, Levi. I sighed, not necessarily annoyed, but frustrated by all the time I was losing.

"Levi you know I love you, but I have to be somewhere really urgent okay bud?" I said as I approached him.

As a kid, he always had a look on his face that made me know something was bothering him and only wanted to talk to me about it. He had that exact same look on his face now.

"I know. I overheard you talking to dad in his office"His voice came out softly, but still with a hint of masculine power to it. He was really growing up fast.

"What's bothering you?" I asked after realising that I couldn't leave when I knew he needed me.

He sighed, looking anywhere but me as he spoke."What does having a mate feel like?" I couldn't help but chuckle at his question. Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

"When you're sixteen in two and a half years, you search for her and you'll know. Besides, your dad will have this talk with you once you're ready okay?"

"No I know, it's just... I don't want you to get hurt. You seemed like you were in such a rush because you want to find your mate, but I think you should take a breather, think about what you're feeling instead of what you think needs to be done. Because if you go head on like this, I think you might get hurt. And well...after almost losing mom.." For the first time since he was a toddler, I saw my nephew's eyes water for something unrelated to his parents.

I grabbed him to my chest in a tight reassuring hug. I even pondered on what he said too, which made a lot of sense. He was right about going in head-on and not knowing the threat could get me hurt, or worse.

But if I try harder to feel Niall rather than worrying, I might just get him back faster than I thought. Brightwater Pack indeed has a bright future knowing that Levi will be ruling it one day. He's a wise one.

"I wont get hurt okay? I promise to be safe so you don't have to worry about me." I told him truthfully. "I think I needed that talk. You might have just saved me"

"You sure you'll come back to us?"

"I promise" I pulled away so that I was looking directly in his eyes. "But don't tell your mom okay?" I smiled as I held up my pinky, at which he sealed it with our special pinky promise.

"Love you Leaves" I called out as I hopped into my car.

"Love you too" He waved as I backed out.

I came to Brightwater for a weapon that I'm sure would've assured me success, but I also left with more than a weapon, but understanding.

My mate doesn't just need a warrior to help him if he's indeed in danger, but he needs his mate too. So while I kick whatever ass that will come between me and him, I'll also use our bond to guarantee us that success.

Whatever it takes.

***

"Tell me again why we have a rogue with us?" Valero asked in a not so subtle tone.

The sun has just gone down, and I picked them up a few miles back where they were staring at each other as if they were about to tear each other's heads off.

That was another thing I didn't think through. I never gave either of them warning about the other, and putting an Alpha and a rogue in the same place to meet me was a bad idea. I could've shown up and see one of them dead.

"She isn't a threat. She is going to help me find Niall; she's a great tracker" I told him loud enough for her to hear, since it was obvious she didn't like him either. I wanted to help them stay focused on what the real goal was.

"But you're his mate. There isn't another wolf on Earth that can find him" He tried to reason, still throwing daggers at her in the back seat with his eyes.

I sighed, rubbing my hand over my face. "My mate-intuition can only do so much. Like how I knew to head north, and thinking to go any other direction gives me this bad feeling in my stomach. But apart from that, I've got nothing."

"Maybe try focusing more and you-"

"Valero!" I snapped a little too loudly and harshly. I took a breath to calm my nerves as I started again. "Valero, do you trust me?"

"Of course I do. It's her I don't trust"

"Well I do, so that is enough. I can't get my mind any more focused and it might take days to sooth my anxiety, and I don't have days. So, Clarissa is going to help me track him. If I take a turn that is not leading me to him, I'll know in my gut and once we're in linking range, Clarissa can go if you make each other uncomfortable. But for now, I need her okay? So please just let me drive" I was aware that my tone was a bit harsh, but I needed his co-operation.

We fell into silence for a while, and we drove for an hour before Clarissa started to shuffle. We seemed to still be on the right path, so I tried to stay focused on the road.

"Zoey?" Clarissa called, causing me to tilt my head as I listened. "I'm going to have to shift now. It's easier to pick up faint scents, prints and trails in wolf form. I'll run ahead of you guys okay?"

"Okay" I mumbled as I pulled over.

Valero kept his eyes out the window as she shrugged off her jacket and stripped from her clothes. Shifting in them would tear them to shreds, after all.

In her place stood a large black wolf like her hair, with eyes more golden than any engagement ring, and teeth as large as tree limbs. If I had any doubts about what she said about her origins, they were gone now. Even Valero seemed shocked. She wasn't as big as an Alpha wolf, but she was quite large. It sorta reminded me of my own wolf, confirming her theory even more.

She offered me a short nod which I returned before gathering her clothes neatly on the back seat then returned to my seat in the front.

"Where did you meet her?" Valero muttered, still in shock.

"It's a looong story" I drawled. In all honesty, it was.

I followed closely behind her as she stopped to sniff trees, darted from road to road to track trails and dug past leaves for signs of tracks.

I knew my car was muddy and covered in marks, since we had to leave the road to drive through forested areas now and then before re-emerging on a different road. My car was small, so I could fit through the small crevices, but it surely suffered a few blows.

My mate-intuition never faltered, indicating that we were going in the right direction, but my stomach felt uneasy as we drove.

'What was Niall even doing this far away from pack lands?', I thought as I watched the moon dance in the sky. We were surely driving for over three hours, and that was a far way from home.

It made me want to find him even more. When he was leaving, he told me that he would be back soon. Why tell me that if he was coming this far?

I was both annoyed and worried. He knew damn well how worried I'd be, yet he left on such a voyage without telling me. Now he was in whatever danger and I had no idea what.

~"Zoey"~ Clarissa pushed through our link, pulling me from my thoughts. ~"Zoey I know where we're going. I know this place. It's where most rogues live"~

~"What?"~ I exclaimed both in our link and out loud, catching Valero's attention.

~"We're heading to Rogue Burg. Your mate was going there, it's the only reason why he'd be going in this direction"~

"But why would Niall come here?" I asked out loud as I eased my foot onto the brake.

"Where is Niall? Who were you linking? Did you find him?" Valero asked, seeming even more confused.

"He's at Rogue Burg" I told him. "I don't know if it was on his own will or by force, but that's the direction Clarissa's trail is leading, and my intuition isn't opposing either " I bit my lip as I thought about it. Even way down in my gut, I felt that it was the right place.

But as soon as I sped up again, I felt a feeling too familiar causing me to gasp in delight, shock, relief and fear all at once.

Our link was in range, which only meant he was close by.

What on Earth were you thinking Niall Wilson?