You Have No Idea, My Dear Alpha

•21•

•Ryder's POV•

It's been a few days since we went to the markets, and I've noticed Mara's been a little off. She still smiles and laughs when she's around me, but I can tell there is something in the back of her mind that's annoying her.

"You look really deep in thought." Trent says, bringing me back.

"I was." I reply, shuffling around the papers on my desk.

"What's bugging you?" Josh asks.

I sigh, "Is it just me, or have you noticed something different about Mara these last couple of days?" I ask.

"Maybe she's pregnant." Trent says.

"Or she caught this rare influenza and she's going to die." Josh joins.

I sigh again and shake my head at these idiots, "Sometimes I wonder why I chose you as my Beta and my Third."

"Well," Josh scoffs, "I've done much better than what Cam would have done."

"You don't know that Josh." I reply, looking through my notes.

"Yeah, well at least I would have taken not being Beta better." He says.

Now I do look to him, and I see Trent look too, "Why are you going on about Cam so much?" I ask.

Josh looks up and looks serious, "Because I'm sure I saw him the other day."

"Cam? Here?" Trent asks.

Josh nods, looking between us, "I'm sure it was him. He's changed a bit, but his face, it looked exactly like him." 

What would Cam be doing back here?

"But we would be able to smell him if he was here. Wouldn't we?" Trent asks.

I think back to some time last week, "I saw a wolf in the forest last week." I say.

They both look at me, "Not one of ours?" Josh asks,

"No, but it wasn't a rogue either. It was like it belonged to a pack but was on our land for some reason, it also felt powerful, maybe a Beta or a Third." I say.

Trent frowns, "What area?"

"West side." I reply.

"We should get more patrols there, in case it comes back. If it was Cam, we have no idea what he could be doing. I mean, you know how angry he got before he left." Josh say.

"Who got angry before they left?" Mara asks as her and Layla come in.

"Cam." I say as I pull her onto my lap, as does Trent with Layla.

"Who is this Cam guy anyway?" Mara asks.

"Just a guy that moved." Layla replies shrugging.

We don't really talk about Cam much.

"Surely there's more than that." She says.

I sigh, "Cam was going to be my Beta."

She frowns, "Why wasn't he?"

"Because he did something none of us can forgive him for." I reply coldly.

•Mara's POV•

I look around at everyone and see their expressions hard and angry.

I realise that this probably isn't a good place for Ryder to tell me. Whatever Cam did obviously effected everyone in this room.