Maddox POV

It's her birthday today and she's still missing. I pace back and forth in my room with eyes clamped shut. Trying not to picture Everly laying in bed asleep or in the bathroom brushing her silky silver locks. I run my hands through my hair and shake my head. I hear Peter walk in.

"Maddox?" He says softly and I turn to him

I have a sliver of hope and I step over to him"What? Have they found her? Did they pick up her scent anywhere?"

Peter looks away "no...not yet but they are looking" I pound my hand against the wall and shout in anger, my wolf on the verge of showing though

"I should be out there!" I scream and walk over to him but he blocks the door

"You've been out all day and night. You fainted last night from no food or drink. You need to take it easy" Peter says calmly, putting up his hands

"How can I?! Everly is out there. Why wouldn't she come home?!" I beg him or anyone to answer the question that's gone through my mind nonstop "where is she Peter" I collapse on my bed, putting my head in my hands

"we'll find her Maddox" he says softly

Someone else walks in "the alpha...the one you locked up. you should talk to him." I hear Lena say "he might be able to help"

I take a deep breath and nod, walking towards the door Peter and Lena follow.

*

"Alpha" one of my guards says bowing his head

"I'm here to see the prisoner" I tell him and he nods allowing me and Peter to pass

We walk further down the dark stone path to where I'm keeping him. I open the door to see him sitting on the ground. His eyes widen when he looks at me and he jumps up, walking back to the wall. My first instinct is to kill him. Peter seems to read my mind and holds me back. I look back at him and nod. He takes a step away.

"I'm sorry" the alpha "it was the prophecy, it was her"

"What are you talking about!" I bark

"She's here, the one the girl talked about" he rambles

I grab him by his shirt and hoist him up to my level "explain" I growl in his fear stricken face

"She came to our pack telling us of an ancient prophecy." He starts "I didn't believe her but I had to see for myself. She told us of a black female wolf that would provide the most powerful pups the werewolves had ever seen. When I smelt her scent I was beyond myself with need. I didn't know what I was doing" he pleas

"Black female wolf? No such thing. Who told you that?"

"No, no, I swear it's true. Her name was Scarlett she-" I drop him at his words and he stops talking

My eyes widen and when I turn to see Peter his face matches mine. The small alpha moves away from me. "That's what she's been doing" Peter whispers to himself

"Tell me more" I demand of him

He flinches "she told us the pack name and what the girl, Everly, looked like....she never said she was already taken. She told us on her 18th birthday would be the day we could tell. Unmated alphas would smell her before. She was taking bids from pack to pack. Seeing who would take her first."

I feel my wolf clawing to kill him at his words "how dare you. It's a lie, she only said that to ruin Everly. She's my mate" I growl stalking towards him again

"Maddox wait" Peter says and I turn to him, anger still boiling in me "do you remember the story...the one they told us when we were younger. The black female wolf. If what he says is true...if Everly is the black female wolf she doesn't get a mate. If this is true there could be more alphas coming to see if it's true"

My world stops in that moment. I've never seen her shift. Never talked to her about her wolf. I was too caught up in making sure she didn't run with any unmated wolves and protecting her from Scar. I didn't trust myself to run with her. I did notice her scent was strong and alluring... but that's because she's my mate. Right? I don't say anything else. I turn around and walk out without another word.

That can't be it. I love her. I feel the mate bond. It's not just lust or a drive for mating. It can't be true. I hear Peters steps coming behind me but I don't slow down.

"Maddo-"

"Let him go, send him back to his pack, tell him to tell everyone the prophecy is fake. As for any alphas trying to come send a message to every pack surround us that we are under lock down and if any alpha comes they will be starting a war" I demand and Peter holds off on his next words and nods, relaying the message to the guard as I continue walking out.

I have to find her parents. I have to know the truth. Lena is there waiting for us when we walk out. "What did he say? Anything about Eve?" Her eyes are wide and hopeful

I try to speak but I don't even know what to say. I try to keep myself composed while people watch me from outside and in there homes. The mind link buzzes with questions and rumors on what's going on, why the border is on lock down, why those allies were pushed out so suddenly, why we took one to question.

I growl knowing I have my alpha duties to uphold even now. I stop and I feel Lena and Peter almost trip over me. "Lena go to Lolly's house and question her. Peter make sure Everly's family stays home, I will meet you there soon." I direct them and they bow there heads and both head off in opposite directions

I open the flood gates of the mind link and answer question after question. Trying to stay as calm as possible while being helpful. I try to say as little as I can knowing I don't want to spread even more questions. I left Everly out of all of my answers.

"I need everyone to stay calm and please remain in human form until the lock down is over"

I hear a chorus of "yes alpha" I close off the link and quickly begin off in the direction of Everly's parents house.

My mind races and without even knowing it my emotion overtake me and I shift instantly. My four paws hit the ground and I run. I've never run faster in my entire life. My heart clenches as if my rib cage has enclosed and pierced the sensitive skin of my heart. I'm going to fix this. I have to, I have to get her back and make her understand that I will protect her for as long as I live.

My surroundings are irrelevant and I feel myself collide with someone. I trip over my paws and land on my back. I jump up and shake it off coming face to face with my father and brother.

"Son" my fathers eyes are wide "where is she? Have you found her?" I growl in frustration

I shift and my brother tosses me a pair of shorts "I just talked to the prisoner, he told me about a prophecy. It was Scarlett, she's ruined her." I ramble, my hands grab at my hair "she isn't mine, but she has to be. She is mine, I can't let her get away"

My father pats my back "she will be yours, you'll have the most powerful children...they will rule alongside you- and us. Don't worry, we'll find her"

I stop and turn my eyes to him. My brother seems to know where my head is at and he sighs. I move out of my fathers reach "you knew" I state and question "you knew what she was" I step back staring between the two of them. Slowly my brain begins to connect "that's why-" I growl "that's why you liked her so much, why you pressured me to remove the other alphas. How could you not tell me!" I demand

My fathers eyes turn to the deep black I remember as a child as anger grows inside him "stop your whining and be grateful" he spits

Jax places a hand on our fathers shoulder "father please" but he swats him away

"No! How dare you act as if I did something wrong! You are here because of me!" He screams, his alpha dominance pouring out of him

"What are you talking about! What did you do" I demand

I instantly see guilt in Jax's eyes "Maddox you- you have to understand-"

"Shut up!" My father tells him and pokes my chest "you were born to be an alpha! It was my job to ensure your birth right" he tells me and my heart stops

"What. Did. You. Do." I demand

"Lucian backed out of our agreement! It was a contract! And why just because he was finally about to have an heir? You would be left as beta for the rest of your life?" His reasoning makes me want to kill him

I stand in shock, even the blood in my body has stopped flowing. "You killed them" I hear myself say

My father hardly flinches at my words but Jax full blown turns away "you" I grab Jax by the shirt "how could you fucking do it?!" I scream so loud my throat instantly burns

He shakes his head and guilt over takes him "I didn't know she was pregnant!"

"Shut up!" My father says again and turns his eyes to me "he was doing what I told him, we both did it for you! And now look, you are the alpha and have the most powerful female wolf wrapped around your finger! You should be thankful!"

"You're fucking delusional! That was her family! You would be killed for your actions!" I'm blinded by anger

I feel a sharp pain erupt across my right eyes and by the time I snap back my fathers fist is red from his punch. Jax's eyes are huge. I have two options. Fight him and take out every anger and frustration or stop this now and get closer to finding Everly and fixing everything that has gone wrong. I don't think she'll ever be able to forgive me when she finds out what happened but I have to try.

"I hereby disconnect my pack from yours, we will no longer be your allies and I band you from my territory for the rest of your time as alpha- both of you" I spit, there faces both read shock and disbelief "other punishments will follow at a later time" I growl

"Brother...please. I didn't know-" Jax begins

"No, leave this place now." I demand and my fathers anger grows once again

"You can't do this" he says

"I just did, I am alpha of this pack and you are no longer welcomed here" I take one step closer to him so that we are eye to eye. I can feel his deep angry puffs of air across my face as he holds back his words "now leave or I swear I'll kill you" I've never seen a pair of wider eyes in my life. He stares dumbfounded at me and Jax is the one that pulls him away.

He leads my father in the other direction and looks back at me, his eyes glossy with regret and sadness "I'm sorry brother" he says and turns back around. Him and my father growing smaller with each step into a forever away from ever seeing each other again.

A/N

Stay tuned and I hope everyone is enjoying these last few crazy chapters!

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-Madi