Killian POV
It's been two months since I've arrived home. I've chased down every ridiculous lead I've come across. There's been sightings everywhere, from New York to Las Vegas. I have to go because I can sniff her out.
At least twenty Alphas were just looking to marry off their daughters. Eight people turned in their rivals and two claimed it was themselves. This hotline has proven useless.
"Killian, get in here," I hear my Dad call from his office.
I slowly make my way there. He's sitting behind his desk looking excited. He always looks excited when a new lead comes in. I wish I had the enthusiasm he has. I'm about ready to give up.
"What's up Dad? Another Alpha offering his daughter as a replacement?" I say, cynically.
"No. This one looks promising. He claims he saw her at one of his subordinate packs. He says the Alpha was evasive when he asked about her," my Dad says, excited.
"Where is this pack? Do you know the Alpha?" I ask.
"Alpha Jerome is an old friend but I do not know the Alpha he is talking about. His name is Tomas Diaz. He has a very small pack in Texas. Looks like she headed south in Illinois then drove until she couldn't anymore," he says cheerfully.
"I don't know. We've been to Texas three times now," I say. " What makes you think this one is right?"
"Well we also have six other sightings in that same area. I think she works in a bakery near the pack lands. There was that woman with the banana bread and the man with the pumpernickel loaf. And now we have an Alpha I know we can rely on," he says, getting up from his desk.
"I guess I can check out that lead in Oklahoma on the way. Thanks Dad," I say, giving him a hug.
I left my Dad's office and ran into my mother. She looks up at me with a smile on her face.
"Hey honey. Where are you off to now?" She asks.
"Oklahoma and then Texas, again," I say. "Dad thinks she's in Texas. Guess we have to wait and see."
"I hope you find her this time. I hate to see you like this. She better be worth it," she says, patting my cheek.
"The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes," I say. "I'm going to go pack now. I'll see you before I leave."
"Okay honey. Keep your head up son. She's out there somewhere," she says before going into my father's office.
I made my way to my bedroom I'm going over everything that I would need for the trip. Better clothes, check. I have transportation vehicles, check. I usually take 20 of our best fighters with me just in case. Maybe I'll bring a little more for this trip. I wasn't sure how small this pack was but if I had to fight to get her back, I will.
Part of the alpha training was diplomacy if that didn't work, nobody's going to keep me from finding her. I will fight.
Lila POV
Things with Tomas have been going great. I wanted to do something special for him, but couldn't decide what. He's pretty minimalistic.
Maybe it was time to give him myself. I always thought I would wait for my mate, but Tomas is different. He's sweet without trying. He always knows how to make me laugh. He hasn't pressured me at all for sex. The list goes on and on.
So what's stopping me? I know when I find my mate he'll have to forgive my indiscretions. Tomas wouldn't be my first. I was curious in high school and slept with my best friend.
Since it's not the want of remaining virginal, what could it be? I can't think of anything. He can't begrudge me trying to find a little happiness in this situation, can he? Perhaps I should leave here and go searching for my mate, but only after I give myself to Tomas.
With that decided, I made my way over to his office. He was behind the desk on the phone. I waited patiently until he was finished. As he hung up the phone, I went and straddled him. I kissed him slowly before smiling.
"What do you want to do tonight," I ask, playing with his hair.
"I was going to inventory the barracks. Want to join me," he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
I kissed him again, this time with more urgency. "I actually thought we could do something else."
"And what's that sweetheart," he says while grabbing my ass and pressing me firmly against him.
"I think you're getting the idea," I say, grinding against him.
"I have an Alpha's son coming to discuss a matter with me. After that, I'm all yours.
"What about before he gets here?" I ask giving him another passionate kiss.
"He'll be here any minute," he says, taking over the kiss while massaging my ass.
Right then there's a knock on the knock on the door. I quickly jumped out of his lap and make my way over. As soon as I open the door I'm hit with an overwhelming, intoxicating smell. I look up to see the most handsome man I have ever seen in my life.
Killian POV
I arrive in Texas and conduct interviews with the six eye witnesses claiming to have seen her. None of them sound promising to be honest. I didn't have high hopes as I walked into the pack house. As I reach the office door, I smell a familiar fragrance.
I knock on the door and there she is standing there plain as day. Her scent is overwhelming and I can also smell their arousal. This isn't going to go over well. My wolf is already fighting to get out.
Sure enough as soon as she looks at me a look of panic crosses her face. Do I look that similar to my Dad?
Before she could even take a breath I grab her and mark her. She screams and grabs her neck as soon as as I release her. Not my finest hour, but at least I will be able to track her down if she bolts again.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Alpha Tomas yells.
"Claiming what's mine," I growl out.
"Lila, do you know this man?" He asks.
My mate is a bloody sobbing mess. I can feel her fear and sadness. I'm starting to regret my rash decision to mark her.
"No," she says between sobs. "But he's my mate. I'm sorry Tomas."
"Sorry to interrupt whatever you two had going here but we need to leave now," I say, watching my mate. "Where is your stuff?"
She collects herself then runs to Alpha Tomas hugging him. I have to fight to keep my wolf under control. He's not happy that our mate is touching another man, especially the one who made her aroused.
"As touching as this is, my patience is waning. It's time to go," I say.
I can hear him whispering to her but I can't quite make out the words. She is really trying my patience as she gives him a final kiss. I step further into the room. She finally looks at me again. Her eyes are red and there's tears in her lashes, but she's still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.
Lila POV
As soon as it registers who he looks like he grabs me and marks me. He did it so swiftly I couldn't even say no. Shock caused me to stop sobbing but then I started thinking of how my life was going to be from now on. Is he going to do everything without my permission?
Thomas is asking me if I know him. I've never seen him in my life but he is my mate. That starts the water works again. My life is going to be spent with this man, handsome and cruel.
I run to Tomas and give him a hug. "Thank you," I say as he whispers calming words. Promising me if I'm unhappy he'll come get me. Saying how he will always love me. I feel my mate growing impatient so I give Tomas a kiss goodbye.
I look at my mate again. "My things are at my house. It's not far."
He follows me to my place where I begin packing up. I don't have much since I haven't bought anything new since I've been here. Tomas had this house furnished for me. I'm weeping again at the memory. I gave him such a hard time not wanting him to spend money on me.
"Do you need me to help pack anything," my mate asks.
"No. I don't have much. I think I got it," I say.
"Before we leave, I'm going to need you to take a shower and change your clothes. You reek of Alpha Tomas. I'm not smelling that all the whole way home," he says.
"You mean your home," I mumble.
He doesn't respond even though I know he heard me. Once I finish packing, I take a shower and cry as I wash Tomas off of me. I put on jeans and a t-shirt and throw my hair in a messy bun. I pack up the bathroom and we're on our way.
As we're packing the car, Daniela runs over. She looks distressed but I can see her trying to force a smile.
"Oh honey, I heard you were leaving. You were going to leave without saying goodbye to me?" She asks.
"I didn't want to. Thank you for coming," I say.
"Here, take this," she says as she hands me a sheet of paper. "Don't look at it now. Wait until you get home."
She gives me a warm hug and opens the car door for me. I sat down and buckled up. She leaned into the car to give her final goodbye.
"Don't forget about me, darling. Always think of me when you bake banana bread," she says with a giggle. "I love you."
"I love you too, Daniela," I say.
"Alright. Have a safe trip and call me when you get there or text. I'll be waiting," she says.
With that, she slams the door shut and we take off. We rode in silence for a while with him behind the wheel. It struck me that I don't even know his name.
I tried to pluck up my courage to ask so I said, "excuse me but I don't know your name."
"My name is Killian Monroe. I know your name is Lila Daniels."
My wolf purrs when he says my name. She's in heaven. All she wanted was for me to find my mate. She's been rather quiet ever since we left the pack but now I feel her again.
"You're an only child, correct?" I nod my head. "You have to say it out loud. I'm driving."
"Sorry. Yes. I am an only child. I know you're not. You have two sisters and a brother, right?" I ask.
"That's true. I'm the oldest at twenty four while my siblings are twenty, like you, seventeen and twelve. My brother is the youngest," he says.
"You seem to know a lot about me," I say.
"We gathered a lot of Intel on you when we found you had disappeared. I guess I remember more than I thought," he says.
"Like what?" I ask.
"Everything your parents could think of. I even know about the goldfish you accidentally killed when you were six," he says. "There will be time for us to get to know each other."
I looked out the window trying to think of what else I should ask him. Before I know it, I am overcome by tiredness. My eyelids begin to close.
"Do you want to stop for the night?" he asks.
"Do what you want. I'm just going to close my eyes for a bit," I say, as I begin to let sleep overtake me.
A/N photo is of Tomas.