Chapter 0370
Alexander
Finn passes his newborn son to me. Itโs an Obsidian Howl tradition for the Alpha to greet new pups and formally accept them into the pack.
I press my thumb, marked with a drop of my blood, to the infantโs forehead. He is now a recognized member of our pack. Finnโs blue eyes glow with pride as he smiles.
โApologies for leaving my post at the gate,โ he murmurs. โI couldnโt let my mate face this alone. Though the little one had already arrived by the time I got here.โ His mate was supposedly still upstairs, being examined by one of the nurses my sister trained. But I couldnโt catch her scent anywhere.
'We need to investigate,' Titan insists.
'We will,' I assure him. 'Timing is crucial.'
โItโs fine,โ I tell Finn, returning the child to his arms.
โCalebโs a decent man,โ Finn says. โIโm grateful he was nearby.โ
โGrant wasnโt pleased, though, was he?โ Zachary asks.
โGrant is never pleased,โ Finn mutters, gazing down at the pup. โThat man wouldnโt be happy with a fortune and women fawning over him day and night. But things are shifting in this pack. He canโt cling to the past forever.โ
โIs that so?โ Zachary probes.
โIt is. We have a Lycan Luna. Youโre mated to a Wolf. Brianna is mated to a Wolf. Rumor says the Hunter is also bound to a Lycan. Everythingโs changing. Maybe thatโs what the Moon Goddess always intended.โ
โThe Moon Goddess,โ Zachary echoes thoughtfully. Perhaps he was starting to see things from Lucasโs perspective. Lucas often spoke of higher powers. Truth or not, no one could say for sure.
Finn nods, missing Zacharyโs sarcasm. โShe has a plan for each of us.โ
Zachary stays silent and turns toward the window. โSeems you have another visitor.โ
Lucas always knocks the same way, like itโs his secret code announcing his arrival. I open the door to his grim expression. โIs Hannah alright?โ
โSheโs resting. Theodore says sheโll recover, but there will be scars.โ His hazel eyes shift to Finn and the baby, then back to me. โWe need to talk.โ
'Stay here,' I mind-link Zachary. 'Dig carefully. Be subtle.' Having this connection with him is incredibly useful.
He gives a slight nod as I follow Lucas out. โYouโre certain about Hannah?โ
โWhat I said stands. Something strange is happening at the gate.โ
โI know Grant is furious about Caleb being there. He made that very clear to Zachary and me.โ
โItโs more than that. I sensed Grant was hiding something, yet he was truthful about not seeing Hannah.โ
โBut you believe heโs involved?โ
โI need to look deeper.โ
He starts to leave but turns back abruptly. โThat pup isnโt Finnโs. And he wasnโt born today. Possibly yesterday, or even the day before. Remember, they arrive with faint soul signatures.โ
โNot his?โ
โAnd not his mateโs either.โ He walks away. โYou should question this.โ
'Why does he always have to be so vague?' Titan grumbles.
'Itโs just how he is.'
I return to Finnโs home as Zachary is asking, โSo you just took him?โ
Both men look toward me.
โYou wonโt believe this,โ Zachary says, shaking his head.
I sigh. โWhere did you find him?โ
โIn the city. Yesterday.โ Finn sits on the edge of the sofa, holding the pup close.
โBut you said your mate went into labor?โ I ask, glancing toward the staircase. Zachary shakes his head subtly.
Finn reaches into his pocket and pulls out a crumpled note. He hands it to me. โI shouldโve brought this to you when I found it two days ago.โ
I look down at the message. 'I canโt stay here with these monsters. Theyโre taking over. Destroying our pack. Theyโll kill us all. I wonโt raise my child here.' The handwriting isnโt Chloeโs.
โShe took our unborn pup and left.โ He takes a shaky breath. โWhen I went to the city, I found this boy, wrapped up and abandoned in an alley. I thought it was meant to be.โ