Chapter 17

MALORY P.O.V

When I woke up the next morning, I was greeted by the sight of Mumbles sprawled on the floor. I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my palm when I felt them stinging. I cried myself to sleep last night which is why my eyes were blotchy and puffy. Luckily, there weren’t more tears left.

I took in a deep breath and frowned when I couldn’t sense Connell… fine, for now let it be- Cortez in the house. I scrambled off the bed and dropped the sheets on the bed. My dress lied on the floor and I was still in my undergarments. I walked towards my room and quickly got dressed in a shorts and t-shirt.

Mumbles held my slip-ons in his mouth and wriggled his tail; however, I was in no mood to play with him. I rushed downstairs and looked for Cortez but he wasn’t in the house. My guess was he had gone in the woods for hunting? He had shifted into his wolf last night and maybe he was running all night? I really didn’t know.

I tried connecting with him through our mind link but he had blocked me out. He was still mad at me! I sat on the couch and closed my eyes shut. Why Oh Why did I have to talk to Cortez like that?

Mumbles, still clamping my slip-ons in his mouth, looked at me with big, wide golden eyes. “Mumbles” I said sadly and he immediately dropped the slip-ons from his mouth. He didn’t put any fight because he could sense my mood. I knelt on the ground and Mumbles walked towards me picking up the slip-ons. He dropped it down again and I patted his head. “I love you” I told him and hugged my precious dog. He rested his head on my shoulders and I closed my eyes, relishing his comfort.

“Now stay here like a good boy” I told him and hurried towards the door. I stopped on my way and went to pick up the keys of my two-wheeler.

It was early morning and the sun was just rising. The sky was a shade of pink and orange as I drove towards Brenda’s place. Goosebumps appeared on my skin as I drove ignoring the early morning chill.

I had closed my eyes and inhaled deeply for his scent but Cortez’s scent had faded and I couldn’t sense where he had gone. I doubt he had gone to Brenda’s place. However, I still decided to check there.

As soon as I reached the gate of Brenda’s house, I breathed in. He wasn’t here either. Sighing, I decided to ask Adline.

“Malory, are you okay?” was the first thing Sonya said when she saw me. I knew it was wrong of me to disturb her and Adline so early but I was desperate to find my mate.

“I’m fine” I said smiling softly. “Is Adline here?” I asked her looking behind her shoulders.

“No. Uh… he has gone out early in the morning along with the Alpha” she said perplexedly.

“Conn-Cortez has left?” I asked and my wolf started pacing inside me.

“Yes. He had gone around four in the morning along with some fighters. They were hunting for that pup”

“Konrad” I said and she nodded.

“Yes, him. Cortez didn’t tell you?” she asked me and I shook my head. “May be he didn’t want to wake you up” she reassured but I doubt he had come home the night.

“Oh, I was worried” I told her and she smiled softly. “He had blocked his link”

“Even Adline had done that” she said sadly.

“Do you know where they have gone?”

“Yes. Adline got a call early morning from one of the detectives and they have traced Konrad in Majestic”

“Do they know where he is hiding?” I asked her.

“I suppose it is Blueberry Reserve”

“Okay” I said trying my best to ignore my rapid heartbeat. “I’m really sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning” I said honestly.

“Oh! I was already up ever since Adline left. Come on in, I will make breakfast for us” she said and I nodded.

“Luna” Ellie, Cortez’s third-in-command, Jared’s mate greeted me. She was in the living room along with her three year old daughter Sapphire, who was sleeping on the couch.

“Good morning” I greeted pleasantly.

“Ellie and Sapphire came here as soon as Adline and Jared left” Sonya said closing the door. “Sit down, I’ll get us breakfast”

I sat down on a couch aware of Ellie’s gaze on me. When I looked at her, she blushed. “I’m sorry. I just realized that Alpha has marked you” she said and my cheeks colored.

“He did” I said with a smile. I had met Ellie before because she was close to Sonya and in time I had grown friendly with her.

“When?”

“Last night”

“Oh! You must feel terrible that he left without saying anything then” she said and I shrugged. He hadn’t left because of that. He had left because of what I had said. He had gone without informing me.

“Did Jared block his mind link?” I asked Ellie.

“Yes. All Alpha said was they got a location for Konrad” she said with a nasty growl and Sapphire stirred. Ellie immediately relaxed and then slowly patted her daughter’s back.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her.

“Konrad killed my brother” she said and I inhaled sharply. “He was one of the guards” she said and looked away. “I hope they find him today” she said through gritted teeth.

“Do you know the worst part?” Ellie said after sometime, looking at me with blue eyes that were swimming in tears. “Konrad hypnotized Matt and then asked him to kill himself” she said wiping her tears. I froze in my seat and lowered my head. No wonder Cortez is hell bent on killing Konrad. The pup had killed wolves from the pack too and I don’t know how many more blood will be shed by him. He has to be stopped. Suddenly I recalled what Ruben had said yesterday, he could help us in finding Konrad.

However, the problem was I didn’t know where Ruben is and I have no means to contact him either. I sulked for a whole minute before a plan popped into my head.

Cortez can find Ruben with the help of his detectives but before that Cortez must be convinced that Ruben is going to help us. Who can convince Cortez? It’s certainly isn’t me because he was very pissed off with me last night. Brenda? He hasn’t listened to her these years, what will he listen now? He may respect her but he doesn’t include her in any decisions he make. In fact, that is the same way he treats me.

His friends? Adline? He is with Cortez and so is Jared. Most of them are with Cortez and they have blocked their mind link. I bit my bottom lip and began to think. Who is the one, who can convince Cortez to give Ruben a chance or at least compel him to think about it?

Think Malory Think. Who was the one person who Cortez would listen to? For whom Cortez is ready to take this big step. I closed my eyes and many faces popped in my head until one flashed brightly.

Darya.

A smile crept up to my face as I thought about her. Yes, Darya is the only one who can do it. She can if not talk, request Cortez to think about it. He loves the kid a lot and I am sure he is going to do it for her after all; he was ready to forgive Alpha Abraham Rhoades for her sake.

I need to contact Little Bear and ask her to come here with Darya.

“I have to go” I said and stood up. “I’m sorry but I have to go” I said scooting towards the door.

Once I reached our house, I hurried towards my room and searched for my cell phone. I ran my fingers on my hair when I couldn’t find it in the bedside table. Where did I keep it? When did I use it for the last time yesterday?

I then recalled that it was in my bag. I had taken it to the mall yesterday and it was still inside my bag. But where did I keep my shopping bag? I was about to go downstairs and look for the shopping bags when I found it in the white couch of my room.

Sighing, I looked inside my bag and sure enough there it was.

“Lory, I hope you have a really good reason for waking me up so early” Little Bear said groggily as soon as she picked up the call. After I came to know that she is O, I had called her to apologize for being rude to her that day in the parking lot. However, she didn’t mind it at all and instead gave me more information about the rogues and what happened every time when they used to kill an Alpha, which is how I learnt that Cortez was ready to forgive Darya’s biological father.

“Hi... Little Bear did you know Con… Sorry, Cortez has gone hunting for the pup, Konrad?”

“No.” she said and there was seriousness in her tone. “I didn’t. When did Cortez go?” she asked me.

“What’s wrong?” I heard Alpha Duncan asking her.

“Today morning. He is looking for him in the majestic pack.” I replied while Mumbles sat on the floor and stared at me. I could see him staring at me intently.

“So that’s where the pup is hiding” she muttered to herself. “Cortez has gone searching for Konrad” she said to Alpha Duncan.

“Somewhere in Blueberry Reserve, nevertheless I am not so sure about that because Ruben had told me that Konrad is a vagabond” I said panting.

“Oh, then where the hell has Cortez gone?” she asked me and I could literally imagine her frowning. “Wait a minute… who is Ruben?”

“He is Konrad’s brother” I told her and there was silence for few minutes. I heard her tell something to Alpha Duncan and then there was a noise of a door closing shut.

“Lory, Ruben is Konrad’s brother?” she asked me and I nodded before realizing I was talking to her in a phone.

“Yes. But he isn’t like Konrad. In fact, he has told me that he is going to help us in finding Konrad”

“But he is a rogue” Little Bear told me and I sighed. “Konrad is his brother. Why would he go against his own brother?”

“Because he knows Konrad is bad” I reasoned. “Little Bear, I need your help” I told her.

“In what?”