Chapter 88

Tyler POV

Wright House

'If you don't message me in the next hour I am coming to get you'

I sent the text only to immediately feel foolish.

Rachel wasn't going to visit someone on another block. She was traveling hours away to the Poconos where the mountains were notorious for interfering with cell phone signal.

Moonglow Pack might want to welcome her, too. Some packs observed a lot more ceremony than others. These wolfs were known for being Old World; I might not hear from Rachel for a few hours after her arrival because they would keep her busy meeting their Alpha, his family, the Betas, their families, potentially their Elder Council and the list could go on and on.

I had spent the first twelve years of my life with my mother's pack. I knew something about traditional packs as those wolves had been mired in the old ways.

Focusing on paperwork kept my mind occupied for almost two hours. I had been watching the time pass on my phone's lock screen. Rachel still hadn't replied to me in any way.

I gave up any pretense of patience, calling her before I could put too much thought into the whys or what-ifs of the decision.

"Rachel. Why haven't you messaged? Are things going well?'

Things couldn't have been going poorly if she was able to answer her phone. I could tell it was her from her breathing. She blew out a sound of frustration I was familiar with before murmuring an apology to Nathan Lewis; I stood from my desk before I could stop myself.

I did not like knowing my mate was apologizing to another Alpha for turning her attention to me.

I was her mate! She should focus on me!

Irritation sharpened my tone as I asked, "What's kept you too busy to send a text? I think I've been more than patient by this point."

"Tyler, I'm sorry I haven't texted you, okay? We had a---long drive. We met Alpha Campbell. We ran into some complications then went to our cabins for the night. I've been talking with Nathan. That's all."

"Did something happen on the drive? What kind of complications? Is Nathan visiting your room or are you visiting his?"

Worries poured out of me in the form of rapid-fire questions. I paced around to the front of my desk to begin wandering back and forth across the open floor area while agitation flowed through my veins as fast as my blood.

All I could think of was how easy it would be for something to happen to Rachel. Our baby wasn't safe just because she was in her mother's belly. Harm could come to a child even while in utero. All Moonglow Pack would need to do was attack Rachel herself: hurt the mother, hurt the child.

"We had an issue with someone following us. Art took care of them. He's very effective."

Rachel sounded tired as she explained. I couldn't care about her weariness dealing with me. She had taken my young with her when she'd gone in search of her answers regarding her birthright.

My child already had a birthright as far as I was concerned. There was no need for Rachel to pledge our child to Moonglow Pack when the baby already had a place in the Alpha House of Moonrise Pack as a part of House Wright.

"Were they sent by my father? The ones following you? What happened with them?"

"They were from your father. I don't know their conversation since Art had me wait in the car with Nathan. They left when he told them to and we weren't bothered on the rest of our trip."

I knew the men Father had sent. I'd investigated them after having my own confrontation with Alpha Wright regarding men trailing my mate. Rachel had likely missed nothing important during the Alpha Inspector's interaction with those thugs.

They were crude tools in my father's arsenal. Thugs. They didn't deserve to take up my time with concern for them.

"The complications you mentioned? Are you being spied on? Are they detaining you?"

My strides became faster, jerkier as I paced back and forth before my desk. I could feel my muscles growing tighter with the need to stretch my legs more, move faster, run.

The sleeping beast inside me was waking up and he wanted to go after the source of my worry. To hunt.

Given I was trapped on the phone with Rachel for now, I settled for widening my circuit to loop around the edges of my home office instead of restricting myself to the area rug in front of the desk.

"The area has an iron fence? Something like that. Apparently it's a problem because you can't use magic to travel across iron. Art is worried about it since it means we're more isolated. No way to call the cavalry if we're inside the boundary of Moonglow territory."

Magic was foreign to me. I only knew bits and pieces of various superstitions or legends which might be nothing more than folk tales.

Iron was hardly a cause for worry based on my own personal list of concerns for my mate and child. The Alpha Inspector might not like having all his tools at his disposal, but I'd lived long enough as an Alpha without magic. He could stand to learn how to work without it himself.

"Nothing else? They're letting you have free run of the territory?"

Rachel hesitated before saying, "We didn't spend much time exploring. We had our meeting with the Alpha, delivered a package to the gate, then returned to our cabins. We're going to text regularly so people know what's going on. No one gave us any instructions about places off limits to us so---I think we have access to the whole territory? Oh! Except to private dwellings without an invitation."

"Naturally," I snapped, "I didn't think you'd need to be told not to barge into someone's private home. You aren't there to house hunt anyway. How was the meeting with Alpha Campbell? Did he acknowledge you?"

"No. He didn't. He did give DNA for a test. That's what Art sent off. We get results by tomorrow. He had a picture of my mother up in his office---"

I cut her off before she could start wallowing in sadness for her mother. She was too old to be so bothered by the woman's death. We didn't have time for her to mourn a woman dead for years already.

"Not surprising. She was his wife and Luna to Moonglow Pack. He inherited her family line. I'd be more interested in his explanation if there was no portrait of the last Campbell in the line."

Rachel was quiet on her side of the line, but I focused on her breathing to make sure our call was still connected. I felt a sense of urgency to get the answers I needed quickly. Who knew when or if the line would go out? They were practically in the middle of a wilderness.

"Are you in Lewis's room or your own now? You need to have him escort you back to your room if you're in his. Don't go alone."

I hated feeling helpless to protect her myself. Nathan Lewis would do for now, but I knew I would be able to protect her better than him if a fight broke out. His wolf was no match for mine---when mine was awake.

"We're sharing a cabin actually. Don't worry about me having to go out again tonight or at night. I think I'll stay in after dark just to be safe."

"You're sharing a room with Lewis?"

I wanted to call Adam to bring my car immediately. The desire to speed all the way to Moonglow Pack and take my mate back for myself was strong enough for me to feel pressure in my head where I knew Wynd was beginning to wake.

"Not a room," Rachel rushed to explain, "It's what they call a modesty cabin. We have separate bedrooms and a shared living area. We were on the couch just now. I'm glad he's here to be honest. It's so quiet here! I can't believe how quiet it is without the sounds of the city."

I wasn't interested in hearing about the joys of country living.

"The couch? Isn't there a chair? Tell Lewis to keep his hands to himself if he wants them to remain attached."

Rachel gave a giggle, "Are you jealous?"

"Always."

Alphas didn't share. We were conquerors. I would never be embarrassed to acknowledge I wanted my mate to myself and myself alone.

"Don't worry. We're just friends. I'll message you as soon as I learn anything from the DNA test. I hope your day has gone well. Don't work too much while I'm gone either. I do need to get off here. I'm thirsty. We're dealing with real rugged living here, too. No air-conditioning!"

She was amused and I ground my teeth together as I accepted she found my frustrations entertaining without considering how Lewis might be misconstruing her every action.

I wasn't going to be the one to draw her innocence to her attention though. Instead I gave some cursory reassurances of my own before ending the call with an agreement to talk again soon.

'Wynd? You need to wake up faster. Our mate is in danger whether she knows it or not.'

Nathan Lewis was starting to seem more threatening to me than Moonglow Pack.

I should have gone with Rachel myself. I might have to fight for her even if Moonglow was completely civil during their visit.