The lost mate

Chapter 148: A Promise

Anne’s brows knitted together as she considered this. Nicky was the type to be upfront, never one to hesitate or hold back. If she had found her mate, there would have been no mystery about it. Perhaps, she thought, some invitations hadn’t gone through as they were supposed to. Her eyes shifted back to Damien, remembering the odd absence of the Thunderbolt Pack.

"Speaking of packs, why didn’t the Thunderbolt Pack arrive?" she asked.

"They were on the guest list, but as it turns out, it seems they were never sent an invitation."

Anne frowned. "Never sent? How could that be possible?"

Damien ran a hand through his hair, exhaling. "My mother may have something to do with it. She’s had her suspicions about Thunderbolt for years now, especially their Alpha. She might have removed them from the list altogether. From what I gather, she sees them as a hostile presence rather than an ally."

Anne’s frown deepened as she tried to process this. "But doesn’t that seem... extreme? Mating ceremonies and balls are neutral zones."

Damien nodded, but his eyes guarded. "Maybe. But my mother has always been calculating about who we let into our affairs. And she’s had her share of run-ins with the Thunderbolt Pack. It’s not a decision she’d make lightly, but she’s always had a way of moving things in silence."

Anne bit her lip, mulling over his words. If the Thunderbolt Pack was hostile, perhaps Liana’s decision had been a protective measure. Still, it felt like a gap, a missing piece that might have shifted the night’s outcome.

"Maybe that’s something we should look into," she murmured to herself, her mind already turning over possible scenarios. "There’s more to this than just an invitation. Nicky’s mate is out there, too... waiting."

"What do you mean ?"

Anne took a breath, glancing back towards the scene they’d left behind before meeting his gaze. "Nicky’s mate is in the Thunderbolt Pack. But Jackson forbade her from going to him."

Damien’s eyes darkened. "And Nicky just... accepted that?"

Anne shook her head. "Not exactly. She was forced to reject him. But a mate bond isn’t something you can ignore. When I found out, I promised her that I would help reunite them—one way or another."

A silence fell between them, Damien’s expression unreadable as he processed what she’d said. At last, he sighed, his voice low. "Jackson was a jerk."

Anne nodded, her resolve firm. "She deserves to be with her mate, Damien. And if there’s any chance of a reunion, I want to help make that happen."

He looked thoughtful, his hand gently squeezing hers. "Then maybe our next step should be reaching out to the Thunderbolt Pack. If there’s hostility, like my mother believes, then maybe there’s a way to address it without cutting ties—or forcing anyone to ignore their bonds."

Anne’s heart lifted at the glimmer of hope in his voice. "Do you think we can convince your mother? She’s set in her ways about Thunderbolt."

Damien’s expression hardened, a new determination sparking in his eyes. "My mother will have to understand that times are changing. This is bigger than her old grudges. If there’s a chance to unite Nicky with her mate and bridge the divide between us and Thunderbolt, we have to take it."

Anne nodded, her heart filled with a mix of anticipation and gratitude. Reuniting Nicky would relieve some of her guilt.

"Thank you," she murmured, her gaze softening. "This means a lot to me. And to Nicky."

Damien wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Lets talk about the club night now."

***********************************

Anne smiled warmly as she watched Ryan dig into his lunch, his little hands eagerly scooping up food with enthusiasm that was all his own. Despite the tension and turmoil in the pack recently, here was Ryan, blissfully unaware, his only concern getting the last piece of fruit from his bowl.

"Slow down, Ryan," she chuckled, gently ruffling his hair. "The food’s not going anywhere."

Ryan looked up, his cheeks full, and grinned. "I’m hungry! We had a long day at school today," he said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Oh really? What was going on?" Anne asked, amused at his wide-eyed excitement.

He swallowed his bite and launched into an animated story. "Well, Mrs. Harding taught us about animals today, and Jimmy said his dad knows all about them ’cause he’s a hunter." Ryan rolled his eyes, imitating his friend. "But then we got to the playground, and Jimmy told everyone that his dad said there was a big fight last night, and that..." He paused, his voice dropping to a whisper, "An Alpha died."

Anne kept her face calm, nodding as she reached over to hand him a napkin. "Oh?"

Ryan nodded seriously, looking up at her with those curious, innocent eyes. "Yeah, he said that, and everyone got real quiet. Then some kids started saying maybe their dads are alphas too, and that maybe there’d be even more fights." He paused, his brows furrowing as he searched her face. "Is that...true?"

Anne took a breath, forcing herself to keep a gentle smile. "That’s a lot to think about, huh?"

He nodded, still watching her with big, serious eyes. She reached over, brushing a strand of hair off his forehead. "Listen, Ryan. You’re still too little to be worrying about those kinds of things. Grown-ups do their best to keep you safe so you can just focus on playing and learning, okay? That’s all you need to think about."

"But what if dad gets hurt?" Ryan’s voice was soft, his little face reflecting the worry of someone far beyond his years.

Anne sighed, gathering him into a gentle hug. "You leave that to the adults, alright? We’re here to protect you, to make sure nothing bad happens. You just keep being the happy, curious kid that you are. That’s the best thing you can do."

He relaxed in her arms, his little arms wrapping around her shoulders. After a moment, he pulled back, his face breaking into a grin as if reassured. "Okay, if you say so." He picked up his spoon, attacking the rest of his lunch with renewed vigour, as if all his worries had disappeared.

Anne watched him, her heart aching a little. Ryan’s world was still so innocent, untouched by the darkness lurking outside. She vowed, in that moment, to do everything she could to protect it.