The Alpha King stared at the report in front of him, a torrent of emotions swirling in his mind like a whirlpool. Della had a pup? A year old pup? How had it taken them so long to figure this out? The report stated that she rarely took the pup out in public. They had only learned of him when she had taken him to the beach, where she spent the day in a bikini hanging out with a bunch of humans. Humans!
At least now he understood her reason for leaving. She had gotten herself knocked up, and the stigma of having a pup without a mate carried a lot of weight. It was frowned upon, to say the least. Della didn't strike him as being stupid, why would she not have taken precautions?
His heart froze as he realized that he had not served Della the traditional breakfast that he served to all of his conquests. Then he breathed a sigh of relief as he remembered, he was unable to father a pup. Relief flooded through him, the only time he had any kind of positive emotion about the news he had gotten from the healer.
If Della's pup had been his, she would know what he had done, and all hope would be lost. His heir would be proof of his crime, although it would be Della's word against his. There was a time when he would have been more confident as to how that would turn out. Now he wasn't so sure. He certainly had more enemies than Della Draven, especially since she wasn't around anymore. Her presence, not her absence, was what inspired jealousy.
He slammed his fist onto his desk, splintering the wood. Who had fathered the pup? Had she met her fated mate? No, his spies would have let him know. They tracked her every move. They knew every time someone left or entered that house she was living in. Among humans. Humans! Could her pup be a hybrid? He wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Jaden's anger grew as images of Della locked in a passionate embrace with someone else flashed through his mind, a slideshow of torment. She was out there, living life, with a pup. But where was the father?
She looked happy in the pictures. The jealousy churned in his gut, a dark and toxic emotion that fueled his obsession.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Without waiting for a response, his half brother Alexander stepped inside, his presence a stark reminder of the family ties that Jaden had always tried to ignore. Alexander was the product of an affair his father had with another she wolf. Like father, like son, he knew many would say. It was one of the reasons he had rejected his mate.
His mother had grown distant and withdrawn after Alexander was born. He had never believed himself to be mate material, until that night with Della.
"Jaden," Alexander said, a knowing smirk on his face. "I can see you're troubled. Are mother and father trying to make you choose a Luna? Eclipse Moon could use one, and the werewolves of the world need a Queen." Alexander had also chosen to live among humans, growing tired of the bullying and of being unwanted by the mother figure in his life. His real mother had been killed in a rogue attack not long after he was born. Despite her best intentions, Jaden's mother, Beatrice, hadn't been able to hide her contempt for the pup who was a constant reminder of her mate's infidelity.
"There is only one I will choose. Della Draven. Alexander, I called you here because I need you to do something for me," he said, his voice low and intense. "I want you to keep an eye on her. I want updates, details. I need to know everything."
Alexander raised an eyebrow but didn't hesitate. "You're serious? You want me to spy on her?" He rolled his eyes. "What is wrong with you? You should never have rejected your fated mate." Alexander glared at his brother, wondering how he could be so clueless and be the Alpha King. He behaved like a rich playboy. If werewolves had paparazzi, he would be their Golden Boy, with the parade of arm candy and debauchery that followed him like a second shadow. "You want me to spy on Della Draven, do you know what would happen if she found out? She is undefeated in competition. In human form, she has taken down everyone who has challenged her. Including a few Alphas! You should have your fated mate by your side, that was a gift from the Moon Goddess!"
"The waitress? Come on, get real! She was not fit to be Luna, or Queen," Jaden snapped, feeling a surge of anger. "And you are still sworn to secrecy about that. I need you to listen to me here. She lives near you, I want you to infiltrate her inner circle." He handed his brother the file to look through. "She has a pup. I want to know who the father is." He smirked at Alexander. "Unless you are afraid you'll get your ass kicked by a she-wolf." He had heard of Della's accomplishments but assumed everyone must have gone easy on her, afraid they would hurt her, something so delicate and beautiful.
"Why not just go to her yourself?" Alexander asked, his tone challenging. "Maybe you're afraid of getting your ass kicked."
"I can't," Jaden admitted, frustration boiling beneath the surface. "I can't face her right now without losing control." He remembered how close he had been to taking her prisoner the night of the gala that his sister had turned in to a three ring circus. "You don't understand what she means to me. I can't let her be claimed by anyone else." He almost told his brother what he had done, but couldnt force the words from his mouth. He knew Alexander would be disgusted with him, he had always been a goody two shoes. If Jaden hadn't tormented him relentlessly in their younger years, eventually pushing him to live in the human world, Alexander could easily have outshined him. He was smart, and known for his kindness and generosity.
"What makes you think I won't claim her myself?" Alexander's voice turned serious, though his smirk didn't fall away completely. He had to admit, he was excited at the prospect of meeting a she-wolf that had his brother tied up in such tight knots. He knew of Della, but the thought of meeting her and getting to know her, well, he could think of worse ways to spend his time. "Maybe she will fall madly in love with me." He batted his eyelashes.
Jaden was not amused. "LISTEN! She's not just another conquest for me. Della is… she's everything. She is mine. You will befriend her, nothing more. Is that clear?"
"Just think of all the information I could get if I could get her in bed," Alexander couldn't resist poking the bear, just a little bit harder. He watched his half-brother's face turn red and his eyes flashed as his wolf rose close to the surface.
"ENOUGH!" Jaden roared, his fury boiling over. "You will not touch her. I need you to gather information. I need to know who's around her, what she's doing, and who she's with." His spies had taken far too long, he needed someone who could get close to her, someone she wouldn't recognize.
With a resigned sigh, Alexander nodded. "Fine. But you owe me, brother. This isn't a simple task." He flipped open the file folder and read the few pages of information. There wasn't much other than her address, a picture of her house, and one of her with her back to the camera, with a little pup held in her arms. Jax, that was the pup's name. "Cute pup," he remarked, earning him a furious snarl. "Don't you have any other pictures of her?"
Jaden reached into a drawer and pulled out another folder filled with photographs taken by his spies. He laid them out on the desk, each one capturing Della in moments of joy, laughter, and beautiful serenity. "Look at her," he urged, his voice thick with longing. "She's beautiful, and shes mine. I have to have her."
Alexander studied the images, a flicker of sympathy for Della crossing his face. "She looks happy, Jaden. She has gone to great lengths to hide from werewolf society. Why do you want to interfere with her life? She could wind up hating you for it."
"Just find her," Jaden insisted, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Alexander hesitated, his expression unreadable. He had a bad feeling about this whole situation. And there was something about Della, something that drew his attention. Could he really befriend her, deceive her? He didn't want to make promises her wasn't sure he could keep. "Alright. But I can't promise not to give in to temptation. If she throws herself at me, I will catch her. I'm just being honest."
"Don't," Jaden warned, his voice low and dangerous. "She's mine. You need to remember that."
With a final nod, Alexander turned to leave, pausing at the door. "You know, obsession isn't love, Jaden. You need to figure out the difference."
Jaden's heart sank, but he didn't respond. Instead, he watched as Alexander stepped into the waiting limo outside, a surge of possessiveness coursing through him. The more he thought about her, the more he felt the grip of obsession tighten around his heart.
As the limo pulled away, Jaden returned to the desk, staring down at the scattered photos. In the depths of his mind, a voice whispered that he might be crossing a line, that his feelings for Della were spiraling into something unhealthy. But he ignored it, pushing the thought aside. He couldn't afford to think about that now. Della was his. The obsession had taken root, and Jaden knew there was no turning back. Not until she took her rightful place by his side.