Chapter 4 Liam's pov

"Alpha Liam! We have an emergency!" Axel, my beta, burst into my study without a second thought, as if it were his own home. I glanced up from my stack of documents, annoyance creeping into my voice. "What is it?"

"There's no ketchup in the house! He threw his hands up, clearly stressed.

"Then go to your own house," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. He plopped down on the black sofa, legs perched on the coffee table. "Of course not. I'd be bored there."

I stood up. "I'm heading to the city. There is a pack hunter out there taking out wolves hidden in human society."

Axel's expression shifted as he removed his leg from the table. "I heard about that from the alpha of the Moon Blade Pack, how is that even possible?" he said, rubbing his temples. "Should I come with you? You could use the help."

"No, you stay here and manage the pack. I don't want to create panic. I'll investigate for a few days and then come back."

"What about your mate?" Axel asked cautiously, aware of the sensitivity of the topic. I have been searching for my mate since I turned twenty, and now, at twenty-nine, I was still empty-handed.

The elders urged me to mate with any female wolf in the pack and have tried to use different means for that to happen including drugging me, but I knew my mate was out there, and my wolf Thunder wouldn't have it, he insists she's out there.

Axel had accepted my situation, but I was determined to find her, I owed that much to myself and my pack.

"I will find her" I said firmly.

"Liam..." Axel began, but a stern look from me silenced any further argument. Axel, with his blonde hair and toned body, had endured the loss of his mate on the day they met in a tragic accident.

We rarely discussed it, but I sensed he maintained his playful demeanor to mask his pain, and I don't judge him for it

Stepping outside, I picked a truck and sped off toward the city. The bustling environment wasn't far from the pack's territory, but an illusion spell kept humans circling endlessly if they wandered too deep.

I headed to one of the pack houses in the city.

"Good morning, Alpha," greeted Olivia, an elderly woman who stays here to provide information on humans in the city, She has lived hundreds of years but she looks in her sixties.

"What is the situation?" I asked

"Um, four wolves have been found dead, and two others are injured. They didn't see the face of their attacker. The only common factor is that wolfsbane was found in their wounds, so we believe it's a hunter," she explained.

"Put it into writing. I will stay here for two nights," I replied.

"I want to observe the environment for a while, and arrange for a room." With that, I walked out into the streets.

I wander around town contemplating what was going on, and how are they even being found, the only possibility is that there is a snitch in one of the packs

I sit at a restaurant, waiting for my informant while nursing a cup of coffee as I ponder the recent attacks on our pack. Two girls walked by the window, laughing and chatting, and my gaze followed them instinctively.

As they passed by, I caught a whiff of something incredible - the scent of my mate. My wolf Thunder stirred, his ears perked up, and I was out of my seat in an instant.

I rushed down to the street, my eyes scanning the crowd for a glimpse of her. The scent was intoxicating, drawing me in like a magnet.

As I followed the scent, I saw her my mate giggling and being dragged along by her friend. I quickened my pace, trying to catch up to them.

As I tried to listen in on their conversation, I caught snippets of their chat.

"I'm telling you, girl, you need to get laid sometime," her friend said, giggling.

My eyes narrowed, and a spark of jealousy ignited within me.

"I'm fine, Eva," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Amelia, come on! Let's go!" Eva shouted, dragging Amelia away.

But it was too late. Eva's loud voice had already given away her name.

I watched them disappear into the crowd, my mind reeling with the sound of her name Amelia. My mate.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my wolf. We would find her again. And next time, we wouldn't let her get away.

"Idiot!" my wolf snarled, its voice echoing in my mind. "You let her walk away! Our mate!"

"Thunder, calm down," I said, trying to soothe my restless wolf.

"Calm down?" Thunder growled, its voice echoing in my mind.

"You let our mate walk away, Liam! A human, vulnerable and unaware of our world. What if she gets hurt? You should have taken her when you had the chance, Liam."

I know, Thunder," I said, feeling my wolf's frustration.

"But we can't just take a human without her consent. We have to do this right."

Thunder's anger slowly subsided, replaced by a determined growl. "We'll find her, Liam. And when we do, we'll make sure she knows she's ours."

I headed back into the restaurant, I sat through the meeting with the informant, nodding and responding on autopilot. My mind kept drifting back to the encounter with my mate. I couldn't shake her scent off

I rounded up the meeting and stood abruptly, I pulled out my phone and dialed Olivia's number.

I needed her to find her, she had to

"Hello, alpha" she answered

I described Amelia to Olivia, recounting every detail. "Long, dark hair, piercing brown eyes, small nose, full lips, petite, and slender build."

Olivia's work was impressive. As she clicked through her computer "I think I've got a match. A woman with that description owns The Page & Co. bookstore in the city. And her name is Amelia."

I couldn't believe it. "Dig deeper, Olivia. I want to know everything about Amelia."

The next day, I stood outside The Page & Co., my heart pounding with anticipation. I pushed open the door and stepped inside. The smell of books and coffee enveloped me as I scanned the room for Amelia.

She was standing behind the counter, trying to clean up for the day, My heart skipped a beat as she looked at me and sucked in a cold breath,

Mate!!!! Thunder growled.