CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Samantha reached the company and reported to Roxy about her progress. Even though it was late, she wasn't expecting it to be so empty. Only a few guards were left, barely enough to defend an empty building.

«Where is everyone?» she asked.

Roxy shrugged, evading her eyes.

«Roxy? Where is Bass?»

«He's in the other room, sleeping. He didn't want to leave me alone while the situation wasn't... stable... He's always where I am.»

«I see. Then what about Nate and the others? Back to the base? Without you?»

«Yes... I have to finish here. The humans sent a few investigators and officers to check our documents. I stayed longer to finish here.»

«No, Roxy. You stayed because there's an attack going on, and you'll go rest only when it's done. The others are safe in the base, but you're here. That means Nate is attacking right now. He sent me to investigate just so I couldn't go with him.»

«He gave you an important mission.»

«Yes, sure... I believe it.»

She turned on steps and left the company, feeling hurt, disappointed, and betrayed. Even though she did understand Nate, a part of her was glad she hadn't needed to fight with Rider.

It was her who asked to be exiled. Why feel left out after asking for it by herself?

She went back home and found Amanda setting the table.

«Oh, I'm glad you're back in time! Everything is still steaming hot, so we can eat early, while it's warm,» the girl said.

She was wearing Samantha's old clothes, her hair tied up and held away from her forehead by small pins and a hairband.

«We are attacking your pack,» Samantha said. «My Alpha left me home, which means he doesn't trust me, but he also knows you're here. You're safer like this because Nate won't come here to look for you. He's not like your Alpha. He won't kidnap people to reach his goal.»

Moreover, she had the feeling that the battle wouldn't last that long. Nate was quite settled on finishing every dispute that night, and she feared for Rider and his pack.

When she received the message from Nate, dinner was over. The girls were watching some television. There was a stupid show on TV, but they needed anything to get distracted.

Samantha composed a call as soon as she had read the message.

«Hey,» she said when Nate answered. «Is everyone all right?»

«I didn't kill anyone.»

«I was asking about us, not them,» she pointed out.

«Aren't you worried about your mate?»

«I might be, but I'll call him later. How was it?»

«Some of them did put up more resistance than needed. However, we managed to show them how their Alpha doesn't care. He fled.»

«Fled? How dare he leave his pack? He couldn't be sure you would show them and leave! Isn't he worried sick now?» Samantha murmured.

«He doesn't care. I know Luciano Polenta enough. And, now, his pack does know him better as well.»

«And... What will you do with them?»

«With the pack, nothing. They can't survive this. As for Luciano Polenta, I will eventually find him. He won't be able to attack from the shadows ever again...»

«I see... Then, I can check what happened to my mate. Can I?»

«Is there any reason to ask for permission, Sam? It's your mate. I can understand you better than others. I know what I would do in your situation, and I know how powerful the link can be. I embraced it, accepting both the bright and dark sides of it. But you didn't, right?

You're still fighting it. I couldn't trust you not because it's you but because of what is happening.»

«I know, Nate. And I agree with you. I was ready to fight by your side, but I'm so unstable that it's frightening. You did the right thing by leaving me behind. It was better for everyone. For us, but also for them.»

«Now go look for him, Sam. You shouldn't stay far apart even when you're so angry. I would have given anything, even my right hand, to have Lara by my side. And I wouldn't care whether she was a friend or an enemy... I know what you're feeling now and, trust me, you don't want to suffer alone. Not when your mate is reachable.»

«But he... He is the enemy,» Samantha pointed out while tears started flowing down her cheeks. «He tricked me; he used me to get some inf

«There's a reason if the Moon Goddess tied you to him; there's a reason if you met now and not later. Or earlier.»

«Are you angry with me?»

«No, Sam. I am not... Even though you should have told me right from the start, we would have found a solution together.»

«You would have sent me to him; you would have told me to leave the pack,» she pointed out.

«Yes,» Nate said, a deep sigh blowing on the phone. «That's right.»

«You would have got rid of me because you knew I was a problem.»

«No, Sam... You would be happier next to him than far apart. And you will be happy, one day. You will find peace. But now... Now there's no pack to stop you from being together.

On neither side, is there?»

«You're right,» she realised. «We are all loners now.»

She finished the call with Nate and tried hearing from Rider, but his phone rang till the end. He didn't pick up, and she tried a few times again.

Since she received no answer, she got ready to go. She had to make sure he was alive, first thing. Even though she would have known if anything had happened to him. There still was that weak link among them. Weak only for her because Rider seemed to catch more from it than she did.

«I'll go to Mayford,» she said. «Are you coming with me?»

Amanda moved her eyes away from the screen and checked Samantha's outfit.

Her eyes shined for a moment, and even her shivers of fear disappeared at that sight.

«Are we going by bike?» she asked.