Chapter 126

Nathan POV

"Why are you nervous?"

Lindy was barely whispering; her voice was little more than a breath against my ear while she clung to my arm with both of hers. I couldn't have fit a dollar bill between her body and mine. She was determined to be as close to me as possible regardless of what I wanted.

"It's complicated."

Patrick Flores was a clever wolf who gave off an oily quality I'd never liked.

When I'd been officially dating Rachel, my parents had expressed more than once how little they liked him themselves. We had fought a few times even.

I knew my mom and dad only wanted the best for me, but Rachel had been my whole world. I'd loved her as much as a fated mate. More because I chose her. Fate didn't push Rachel into my arms.

Our love felt more real to me than the---gnawing feeling I got whenever Lindy pressed herself against me, thrust herself into my space, rubbed all over me so her scent overwhelmed my senses entirely.

I knew what I felt for Rachel was love. Real love.

What I felt for Lindy was the result of some biological quirk of werewolves everywhere; it would go away if I just didn't feed into it.

"He's an omega," Lindy insisted, "What's complicated about an omega?"

Moonglow Pack was backwards enough for Lindy to have no concept of a world where birthrank didn't matter. She would have only known omegas as 'less than' Alphas or Betas or even Gammas. I doubted she'd even known an omega who wasn't a servant.

How was I supposed to explain to this sheltered woman-child Patrick Flores didn't play by the rules of rank?

"Patrick isn't just an omega. He's a criminal. A career criminal. His whole life is nothing more than lies, deception, and one con after another. There's no way to tell what he's capable of because he's literally always working an agenda of his own."

Lindy shook her head, confusion all over her lovely face. She clearly had no idea why any of what I said mattered or even what the significance of the statements was in comparison to 'just an omega.'

"Lindy, Patrick has possibly been hiding Rachel's mother for years. It is very possible he faked her death and has her imprisoned somewhere and no one has ever known. Do you understand? If we aren't careful, if this is true and we confront him, he could hide her forever or have her killed before we could get to her. He could do anything just to make sure he wasn't held accountable for his crimes."

Lindy looked at me with eyes blown wide with wonder. I could tell no one had ever proposed something so diabolical to her before. She continued to cling to my arm as she leaned in to keep whispering into my ear.

"If he can kill her or have her killed, shouldn't you wait? Not say anything? Isn't this too dangerous?"

Every possible plan was too dangerous where Patrick was concerned. I couldn't think of a single option where there were no risks involved.

"Art thinks this is the best plan. As Alpha Inspector, he has the right to make the plan."

Art also had the right to take the blame in case he got Elena Campbell killed---if she wasn't dead already.

I still couldn't think of a reason why Patrick would have kept her hidden yet alive for all these years. She'd been his fated mate. Elena had catered to him with the familiar subservience of a she-wolf who felt her place was to take care of her mate.

What did Patrick gain by keeping her captive? What could she have done to push him so far?

Better yet---what value did Patrick get out of holding his mate captive yet alive?

"Stop thinking so hard, Lewis. You're giving me a headache."

I rolled my eyes at Art while trying to turn my focus away from questions I knew I might never get answers to or want to gain for that matter.

"I'm hungry."

Shrugging my arm, I tried to shake Lindy off as I offered, "You saw where we went for ice. The cafeteria is down there. Go get yourself something to eat. You don't need me to take you."

"I---don't want to go by myself."

"She's hungry, Lewis. Take her downstairs. You won't miss any of the action up here in the time it takes to get your mate some crackers."

"She's not my mate!"

Lindy flinched, but still held onto my arm. I was getting seriously sick of her clinging to me.

Rachel was crying against Wright's chest; I could tell she was at the limits of her patience. I knew if I kept fighting with Lindy, I'd only cause more stress for Rachel so I stood up, pulling her to her feet with me.

"Fine. I'll take her to get something to eat. You call me if anything -I mean anything- happens."

Art made sure I was looking as he rolled his eyes back at me. The asshole was more trouble than any Alpha was worth. I had no idea why the Alpha Council was willing to put up with him regardless of whatever special skills he possessed.

Lindy clutched my arm the whole way to the elevator. It took a strange dance of motions to turn us both around once we boarded the lift. She wouldn't allow me to put even a few inches between us.

"Can't you back off a little?"

"Thank you for taking me. I'm sorry! I'm just---scared."

What in the name of the Moon Goddess did this girl have to be scared of now?

"Lindy, what's got you scared? I don't think you're in any danger. Your father wants you back. He's not interested in hurting you. Or I can't think of any reason why he'd hurt you. Do you know something I don't?"

A faint blush rose on her cheeks while the elevator reached the bottom floor. She pressed her lips together in a hard line and I realized I wasn't interested in arguing with her to find out her rationale. Who knew if she was even capable of reasoning? The girl was sheltered more than aborigines in the Outback.

I led her into the cafeteria where she picked went to a refrigerated station to pick up several options, examining them each before putting them back down. What was she checking for? Bugs? Mold? Was she the rarest kind of wolf and had bizarre food allergies?

"What are you looking for?" I finally asked, beyond my limit waiting on her.

"I don't have any money."

"For the love of the Goddess," I picked up a small cup of fruit and yogurt alone with a bento lunch with cheese cubes and various meats, "Here. We'll get this and you don't have to worry about paying for it. I promise I can afford to feed you."

"Oh I know! I know your family is a good family. I just didn't know if I could ask you to help me. You don't---"

"I don't what, Lindy? I don't what?"

"Want me," she murmured, her eyes filling with tears as I stared at her in horror.

"No! No crying, okay? I don't want to talk to you about whether or not I want you. I don't want to even consider the option of me wanting you or you wanting me. I want to focus on Rachel, Patrick Flores, Ethan, and now? Elena. I barely remember Elena, but if she's alive? It will change everything for Rachel and Ethan."

"You really knew her?"

I was distracted as I bought the food I'd picked for Lindy. I knew I could take her back up to the waiting room with her snacks along for the ride, but I didn't want to risk Rachel getting sick from the smell.

Pregnancy caused strange changes for females of every species. Rachel didn't need any additional stress, not even a hint of nausea from the smell of cured meat.

"Yes," I said, tugging Lindy down at a booth in the corner of the cafeteria, "Here. Eat this. I knew Elena pretty well. As well as a child can know a friend's mom. She was kind. Beautiful. You look a lot like her. A whole lot like her."

"I do, don't I?"

Lindy had obviously been pleased by the mention of her resemblance to Elena Campbell; I realized she'd spent her whole life believing this woman was her mother.

When we knew now Elena could not possibly be her mother.

Who did Lindy belong to then? Where had she come from? Did she have a family out there waiting for her, looking for her, wondering what happened to her?

"You know she's not your mother?"

"I know they say she's not my mother."

Lindy ate her food while I processed her reasoning and I took her hand when she offered it to me.

For some reason, I felt a kinship to her as the strange, shy wolf led me back to the love of my life.

Neither of us could help our parentage or where we'd wound up upon meeting. Our mating was something we had to survive together.

As we rode the elevator back to our group, I only hoped Patrick Flores showed up with answers we could both use.