Mates

CH 19

Camilla's POV

I groan as I sense bright light under my eyelids. I yawn and stretch my limbs, I open my eyes and see that I woke up to an empty space beside me.

I have never slept that great before, no dreams or nightmares.

I sit up and make my way to my room to get ready. After a few minutes, I'm all ready and make my way to have breakfast. Sensing a pang of anger, I knew that it must have been Matteo. Ever since our occasional intimate interaction, our mate bond must've been bonding together and stronger for me to feel snippets of my mate's emotions.

I pack up Matteo's portion of breakfast, grab a cup of coffee for me to drink while I make my way to his office. Once there, I reach to open the door when I hear his growl.

He's upset.

"What do you mean it was a dead end?! I thought you found a trace?"

"We did, Alpha.. but then after following it, the scent just disappeared when we got to the lake."

"The lake? Which lake?"

"The one near the west border, Alpha."

"How could a scent just disappear? Even if a wolf jumps into the lake and out, the scent would be slightly stronger." I hear Levi say

Matteo's growl deepened.

"I want the two of you to scout that area. Whatever you find, report back."

"Yes, Alpha."

I step away and pretend to have just arrived to the office. The two trackers acknowledges me and leaves. I go in and see Matteo's angry, upon seeing me, his anger disappears.

"Camilla, what are you doing here?"

"Your breakfast."

I look to the right and see Levi in deep thought.

"Hey, Lev"

He snaps out of his thoughts and smiles.

"I'm gonna go take my breakfast, I'll see you later, Matt."

Matteo nods as he begins eating. Levi leaves as I sit on the chair in front of Matteo's desk.

"What were you guys talking about that got you so mad?"

"Just pack stuff." He answers

My eyebrows furrow together. Did he just.. lie to me? They were talking about some leads and scent disappearing.. is this about that rogue? And he just lied to me about it?

"Maybe he just wants to protect us."

"That's stupid, Cara. If it's connected to us, shouldn't he tell us?"

Cara was now silent, because she knows I might be right— no, she knows I'm right about these things, because even she would want to know what's going on if she's involved.

I stand and turn to leave.

"Camilla? Where are you going?" He asks

"Just going for a walk."

"Oh, let me go with you, I'm almost done eating."

"No, it's okay. I'm just going to go around the land." I say, I leave the office without waiting for his reply.

I leave the pack house and walk towards the lake that they were talking about. I look around and see nothing out of the ordinary. I let Camilla shift and sniff around the area, she nears the border when she smells something. Hiding at the bush, there's a wrist band. Cara growls as it smells like that rogue but there was something different with it.

"It belongs to a rogue, but not that mutt.. but it also smells like him." Cara informs me

"What?" I ask confused

Cara lends me her nose for me to sniff and she's right.

"Do you think maybe the owner of this wrist band knows that rogue?" I ask

"Yeah.. maybe. They might even be working together.. but, something about the smell is familiar though." Cara says

I nod in agreement. It is familiar, I just can't pinpoint what it is or who it belongs to.

"Should we get it? For evidence or something?" I ask

"No, because then Matteo would smell it from us and he'd think we're betraying him just like Jess did. Let's bury it for now." Cara says

I nod. Cara digs a hole away from the bush, she picks up a few leaves and puts them on the hole and then the wrist band, more leaves and then covers it back up.

"There. Let's go back before Matteo grows suspicious." Cara says

"Okay."

I let Cara more freedom to run around before I decide to shift back. I jog back into the mansion and into my room for a shower and a new set of clothes.

Whoever the owner of that wrist band is, it's someone familiar to me.. but who?

. . .

Its been a week since I found that wrist band. The preparations for the Luna ceremony is almost done and Kaitlyn is now overseeing it and making sure everything is perfect. Matteo has been busy with more pack stuff and the search for the rogue, he still hasn't told me anything, but he doesn't have to because I know. I have also been a bit occupied, apart from going back to Charlie's boutique to fit the gown, I've been racking my brain with Cara about who the wrist band owner is.

My Luna ceremony is around the corner and the feeling of uneasiness keeps growing. It's not that I'm nervous to officially meet the pack as the Luna but it's something else and I can't tell what it is.

It's the afternoon and I let Cara out for a run, she has been bugging me the whole day. Stripping out of my clothes, I shift into my wolf form and Cara takes off running. She pants happily as she runs. After a few more rounds around the pack lands, she stops by lake for a drink.

"Car, should we look if the wrist band is still there?" I ask

"Sure." She answers

She licks her mouth dry and trots towards where she buried the wrist band. Digging the soil, we both gasp as the wrist band isn't there anymore, and it has been replaced with a note.

"You found me." We both read

We heard a dark chuckle behind us. Before we could turn around to see who it is, smoke clouds my vision and I fall to the soil. I slip into unconsciousness, not before I smell that scent.

I couldn't believe it. It's him.