It had been three days. Three days of waiting, without a single word. Three days of Samuel disappearing, leaving me behind with my thoughts. It had been three days of complete and utter torture.
We'd left the hospital soon after Samuel revealed to me that my mother had gone missing. From there, he brought me straight to a small apartment that sat in the middle of town. For what seemed like hours, he grueled me on everything I knew about James; who he was, how he met my family, where he used to live. The only problem was that I had no idea about any of it. I was too young to remember living anywhere but this town, and consequently too young to remember my mother meeting James. He never spoke of it, either. It was a torturous thought to realize that it took my mother's disappearance for anyone to see that James was a complete stranger.
I hadn't seen anyone but Samuel since we arrived in his apartment. Apparently, despite the circumstances, Riley insisted my sentence of house arrest stayed intact. This resulted in Samuel leaving me alone on a daily basis, for hours at a time. He told me he was searching for my mother, and I could only hope he was telling the truth. The thought of escaping and finding her on my own crossed my mind more than once, but every time I tried, something got in my way. Either Samuel would come home early, a door would be locked, or someone would be standing just outside the apartment. Samuel told me Riley insisted on having a few men guard me during the day, for my own safety, of course.
Another day had come and passed, and it was night once again. I was sitting upright in the bed, staring blankly at a book Samuel had given me. Though it was the first new novel I'd seen in years, I couldn't pay attention to it. There was no escaping this reality, no matter how desperately I tried.
The sound of voices just outside my bedroom door echoed through my ears. They were tense, though careful not to rise in volume. It was easy to distinguish who the voices belonged to; Samuel and Riley.
I perked up at their arrival, hoping I would be able to catch a glimpse of what was going on outside this apartment. Samuel updated me every day on what was happening, but he could never tell me much. Nothing had changed. There were no leads.
Carefully and quietly, I crawled out of bed. Tan sheets wrapped around my ankles and threatened to trip me, but I didn't let them. My hands gripped the bed posters that shot up to the ceiling, allowing my balance to stay intact.
When steadied, I padded my way across the small room, staying as silent as possible. I knew that Samuel and Riley would sense my presence at the slightest of disturbances, and I wanted to hear their conversation before that happened. Thankfully, the path to the door was a straight shot. It sat right next to the door leading to my bathroom, so I knew if I got caught I could use that as an excuse, as well.
I heard Samuel's voice the minute I leaned against my bedroom door, holding my ear to the opening.
"I don't understand."
Riley immediately responded. "There's nothing to understand, Samuel. It's my decision. You have to support it."
"I know that," he growled. "But, this is Samantha we're talking about."
I heard a heavy sigh from Riley. "You know the only reason I let this happen was because it's your mate, Samuel. If it were Eden, I'd have done the same thing. But, we can't do it anymore and you've got to know that. We've got the best trackers out there looking, and for what? A human and a wanderer?" Riley suddenly scoffed. "Do you know how ridiculous that is?"
"It's not ridiculous," Samuel raised his voice slightly. "And if this were Eden you would have done all of this and more."
"Maybe," Riley mused, unaffected. "But, I've made my decision. I won't have the pack putting themselves out there for a human who's probably already dead, or even better, turned."
My breath hitched and a mangled cry threatened to emerge from the back of my throat. I plastered my hand over my mouth the minute I felt it, and thankfully, no noise was made.
Samuel's voice was pleading now, though still raised. "She won't be able to handle this. Her family is all she has."
"She's got you, too, Samuel." I suddenly heard Riley's voice much closer than before. "And I'm sure she will be just fine."
Abruptly, the door was pulled open, causing me to quickly stumble forward. I caught my footing before I could trip, however, gripping the wall beside my door. When I had my footing, I didn't move from that position in the doorway, taking the moment to gather my thoughts. Riley caught me eavesdropping on an important conversation, and I wasn't sure how he would respond.
Silence stretched for a short minute as the two men stared at me, Samuel slightly surprised. After a moment, he rolled his eyes. "Was that necessary?"
I opened my mouth but realized he was speaking to Riley, who shrugged and moved away from me, back towards the kitchen. Samuel was standing not too far away from him, leaning all his weight against the white countertop.
"You'll be fine, won't you, Samantha?" Riley called out. He hadn't stopped in the kitchen like I thought he would but instead continued walking towards the front door, which stood at the point where the living room and kitchen met. The door matched the color of Riley's eyes and compared to the neutral colors of the rest of the apartment, they were both extremely out of place.
I tensed as Riley turned back to face me, his amber eyes meeting my own. Over the past few days, it had occurred to me that Riley could have easily been the one to take my mother. It would explain why they hadn't found even a trace of her, along with many other things. But, I never got the chance to confront him about it. I managed to not worry by telling myself that I hadn't broken the deal, and there was no reason for Riley to have taken my mother. Still, though, it was a worrying concept that plagued my vacant days.
"Riley," Samuel called out, stalking towards him. "We're not through with this."
Riley shot me a wild grin before blatantly ignoring Samuel and slipping out the front door. Samuel followed him through the opening, cursing as Riley walked down the hall and further away from the confrontation. I watched as Samuel's body stopped in the doorway, his hands gripping the frame in clear annoyance.
After another slew of curses, Samuel hung his head and sighed. He didn't go after Riley, and I watched him carefully as he retreated from the door and came back to the kitchen. He leaned against the counter again, running a hand down his face. When he refused to meet my eye or even glance my direction, I knew something was wrong.
"What's going on?" I asked quietly.
His eyes flickered to me, but as soon as they did, he turned his back and started rummaging through the fridge. After a moment, he brought out two bottles of water, setting them on the counter. He gestured for me to take one. I slowly walked towards the barstools and sat in the one directly across from Samuel. We had an entire counter between us and I suddenly felt as if he was thousands of miles away from me and this conversation. Samuel only added to this notion when he put his hands on the edges of the counter and leaned as far back as his arms would allow.
"What's going on?" I repeated with a little more force.
He sighed. "You're not going to like it."
"I don't care if I'm not going to like it. Tell me."
For the first time that day, his eyes met mine. "Riley has decided to call off the search."
"What?" I cried. Everything was slowly starting to make sense and I couldn't help the bitterness that laced my tone. "Why? Because my mother and I are only human? Because she's probably already dead?" My voice broke on my last word, and as it happened, Samuel swiftly leaned across the large white surface, closing the distance between us. He couldn't reach me, but his hands snaked forward, anyway.
"I'm sorry, Samantha. I'm so sorry. I tried to change his mind-"
"That was you trying to change his mind?" I questioned in disbelief, remembering the brief conversation I'd heard. "You barely said three sentences! You practically let him waltz out of here without a second glance!"
"That's not true. I've been trying to talk to him all day and you just heard-"
"I don't care," I sharply cut him off, standing at the same time. "If you won't look for my family, I will. She's not dead. You don't know what you're talking about."
I started walking towards the front door, even though I knew Samuel would stop me. Sure enough, he was blocking my path before I could step two feet away from the kitchen counter. He firmly gripped my upper arms and as he did, I sent him a harsh glare.
"Let me go."
"I know you're upset. Let's talk about this."
"There's nothing to talk about. You're going to do exactly what Riley asks, are you not?"
Samuel groaned. "It's not that simple, Samantha. He's my Alpha, I can't just-"
"Are you not?" I repeated, cutting him off again. At this point, my anger was burning so brightly that I didn't care about the amount of disrespect I was showing him, nor did I care about any consequences that would come later. The only thing I could focus on was the fact that Samuel was giving up on my mother. I wouldn't accept that.
"Yes, but-"
"I should have known," I cut him off again. "One word from your precious Alpha and the world stops spinning. Have you even been looking for her? Do you even care? Do you-"
"Will you let me speak?" Samuel growled, cutting me off.
"No," I growled back, "because all you're going to do is defend Riley and his decision to give up on my family."
He sighed heavily, his grip easing slightly on my arms. "I haven't given up, Samantha. I've been looking for her nonstop, you know that. But, I don't know what else to do. Riley's right, we've searched everywhere outside the territory and can't find a single trace. No other pack has seen them. There's no trail. She's just disappeared."
"He's not right," I spat. "Have you ever thought to look inside the territory? Have you really searched everywhere? How can you know that she's gone when it's only been three days?"
Samuel groaned, hanging his head back. "No one should be this hard to find, Samantha. Why would she be inside the territory, anyway? James wouldn't be that stupid or reckless. If that were the case, we'd have found them days ago."
His slight annoyance only fueled my fire, causing me to say something before I could think. "Maybe James didn't take her."
Samuel snapped his head back to look at me. "What is that supposed to mean?" His grip tightened again.
I squirmed underneath him, very aware of what I'd just suggested. I immediately tried to take it back. "Nothing. I didn't mean anything. I'm just trying to find an explanation."
"Yes, you did. What are you saying? Do you think someone from the pack took her?"
I bowed my head, realizing his train of thought was going exactly where I didn't want it. Even though my mother was missing, I still had Will to worry about. If Samuel told Riley what I'd just said, it would be over for my brother.
"I don't know. It was a stupid suggestion."
"Tell me why."
I was silent. I refused to speak. I could tell Samuel wasn't going to let this go, just by the grip he had on my arms. It was uncomfortably tight now, and I could tell he knew I was keeping something from him. In this moment, there were no words I could say that would remedy his suspicions.
After a few minutes of painful and tense silence, Samuel abruptly released his grip on me. I stumbled backward a few steps, but Samuel stayed in place. His hands raised and I flinched involuntarily, but they only came down to rest on the back of his neck. When he noticed my reaction, he stiffened.
"Samantha, what aren't you telling me?" His voice, surprisingly calm, begged me for an answer.
"Nothing."
He sighed. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me."
I was quiet for a moment before I softly spoke. "There's nothing to talk about."
And it was true. I could never tell Samuel what Riley threatened. I didn't know what Riley would do, but I was almost certain it would include the ending of my life and many others.
"What do you want me to do, Samantha?"
I looked up to find Samuel staring at me. My hand wrapped around my arm, and I hugged myself closely. "I just want to find her."
"I know."
"She can't be dead."
Samuel was silent. Tears stung my eyes. I firmly blinked them away, bowing my head and letting my dark hair fall forward to shield my face. Samuel noticed, however, and took a hesitant step forward. When I didn't move, he closed the distance between us. A finger was placed underneath my chin, and he gently raised my head to meet his gaze. A sad expression lined his features and his mouth was hanging half open as if he was fighting to find the right words to say.
Despite my best efforts, the tears starting flowing. Samuel watched them slip, catching a few as his other hand cupped my cheek. As they continued falling, all my anger and resolve disappeared. The only thing left in their wake was a terrified girl who wanted her mother.
Samuel smiled sadly, noting my change. "We'll find her. I haven't given up. I'll find a way to fix this."
"There's no fixing this, Samuel," I whispered, the first of many sobs escaping my lips.
Samuel hushed me, smoothly wrapping his arms around my body in a gentle embrace. I was still holding myself, but Samuel didn't seem to care about my awkward position. He held me firmly against his chest, one hand cradling the back of my head. His chin rested on the top of my skull and it suddenly felt as if there was nothing in the world apart from Samuel and me. I guiltily relished in the feeling for a few fleeting moments, allowing the man I swore I hated to comfort me.
When my sobs quieted, Samuel slowly unwrapped his arms from around me. He kept his grip on my shoulders though, holding me back a little to look at my face. "I think it's time for bed," he spoke softly. "My mother always told me things are much worse late at night."
I nodded and allowed Samuel to lead me back to my room. In that moment, I didn't have control over my body or my thoughts. The reality that everyone was no longer looking for my mother was sinking in, and it was easier to let the numbness take over, instead.
He led me to the small bedroom, ushering me to sit on my bed. I obliged, tucking myself underneath the sheets as Samuel went to the dresser across from me. He pulled out sweats and tossed them toward me. I recognized them as my favorites, the ones that used to belong to my brother. Samuel told me he'd had someone grab a few of my clothes, but I didn't know those had been in the mix. I smiled to myself as I grabbed the gray material, appreciating the small moment.
Samuel closed my dresser and walked to the other side of the room, falling on the cream couch that sat underneath the window. It was hard to see much of the night with the light of the room glaring off the glass, but I noticed a few stars peeking around a full moon.
"Thanks," I told Samuel, tucking the clothes away for when he left.
"Anytime. Is there anything else you need?"
I shook my head. "I'm alright."
He hesitated and glanced behind him, into the dark night. "I'm sorry."
I furrowed my eyebrows. "For what?"
"Everything. All of it. I know how much they mean to you." Samuel sighed and turned to look at me. "Family is important."
I smiled sadly, nodding in agreement. "Why can't I go look for her?"
"There's not much you could do. You can't be alone out there and I don't want anyone hurting you. If someone took your mother they could take you, as well."
"Anything would be better than sitting around."
He sighed. "I know. I'm sorry."
"How much longer? Until I can leave the house, I mean."
"I'm not sure. I could talk to Riley and find out."
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and instead let out a large breath of air, puffing my cheeks as I did. "Well, just let me know what the damned Alpha says."
Samuel chuckled lightly, though I could tell it was stressed. "You really don't like him."
Biting my lip, I carefully responded. "He's just a lot." I lifted the sheets up to my chest, leaning against the dark headboard and allowing my body to fall into my pillows. Exhaustion was slowly grabbing hold of me, though I knew it wasn't because of anything I'd done that day. The emotional stress of worrying about my family was enough to let sleep permanently take me in it's tempting grasp.
"You know he would never hurt you, right?" Samuel started, shaking his head as I gave him a sad smile. "Riley won't hurt you. He knows what you are to me."
I nodded, my thoughts returning to Riley. It wasn't my life I was worried about. His threats against my family, though nothing new to me, were still fresh on my mind. As my thoughts wandered through the conversations I'd had with him, I suddenly remembered a point of curiosity.
I looked at Samuel carefully, trying to judge his reaction from my question. "Who's Eden?"
Surprise filled Samuel's face. "What brought that up?" I shrugged, urging him on. However, he only shook his head. "How do you know about Eden?"
"I don't. I've just heard the name a few times."
He nodded, rubbing his neck in the process. "Eden," Samuel started, but quickly trailed off. When he couldn't find the right words, he let out a sharp breath and caught my eye. "Don't tell him I told you, alright?"
My eyes widened slightly. "Why?"
"It's just a sensitive spot for him and I'm not sure it's the best thing for you to know about."
"So, why are you telling me?"
Samuel smiled. "Because I don't want to keep things from you. I want you to trust me."
My brow furrowed at his words. Samuel was a constant enigma and I had yet to figure it out. Who he was now was completely different from who he was before. He no longer came across as a terrifying wolf that would force me to bend to his will, and I was no longer afraid of Samuel. Some part of me, though deep within my soul, knew I could trust him.
"I doubt he will ever ask you about it, but just don't mention anything, alright?"
"Okay." I nodded slowly, my brain trying to keep up. I was still fighting exhaustion, and I didn't want to miss this information he was going to give me. It was a worthy distraction for everything else going on.
Samuel let out a large breath and looked around the room, wrapping his hands around his jaw. I could tell he didn't want to talk about this, but I didn't repeal my question.
"Eden was Riley's mate," Samuel eventually spoke.
I tried to hold back a scoff, picturing the sadistic werewolf in love. "Riley has a mate?"
Samuel sighed. "Riley had a mate."
****
Cliffhanger!! Sorry...I just couldn't resist. This chapter was super long, anyway :D
Ok, so I realize that I have been MIA and it's been a while since the last update! I could give you all my excuses about school and work, but you've probably heard them all before. Nonetheless, I am sorry it's taken me this long to update! Thank you to everyone who has stuck around - you mean the world to me.
Alright....so what does everyone think about this big reveal about Eden? What could have happened? On another note, what do you think Samantha or Samuel will do about her mother? Where could she be??
Some other exciting news...We made it to a new highest ranking!!! Not My Alpha was ranked #46 on January 1st :D :D :D IT WAS AMAZING, GUYS!! I legit freaked out. A lot. THANK YOU!! KEEP IT UP!!
You guys rock my socks! Love ya!
Mquistey