Dillon had his phone in his hand without even thinking about it. He dialed his beta’s number. “What exactly did he say?” Dillon asked her while the phone was ringing.
Her eyes grew unfocused, perhaps recalling the conversation between her and Dalton. “He said, ‘I’m going to contact Dillonand see how I can help with the mess Cain has caused. I don’t know when I’ll be back.’”
The alpha shook his head. “He never contacted me. And he’s not answering his phone now.” Dillon tapped the screen to end the call and glared at it like that would somehow make his beta magically do what he wanted.
“That doesn’t make sense, Jewel. Dalton wouldn’t leave because he was angry with you, and he would certainly tell you where he was going and when he would return.” Dillon’s face scrunched in confusion. Why was his beta acting completely out of character for a mate, especially one with such a fragile female? Dillon slipped the phone into his pocket and folded his arms across his chest, standing over the forlorn healer. He realized he was probably intimidating her a bit, but he didn’t care. She and Dalton were members of his pack, and he cared about them. Like every member of their pack, they were vital and loved. Something wasn’t adding up, and Dillon was going to find out what was going on.
Jewel’s shoulders hunched forward and shook. She was crying. No, not crying. She was sobbing. She lifted her hands and covered her face, rocking back and forth. Tanya pulled the female closer and stroked her hair.
“It hurts,” Jewel said, her voice broken. “Why does it hurt? I feel like I’m being ripped apart from the inside.”
“That’s the bond,” Dillon explained. “You’ve felt it being stretched and tattered like this before. Something is putting a significant strain on it. And for Dalton to leave you here like this’—” He motioned to her. “That’s not something a true mate would choose lightly, if at all. What are you not telling us, Jewel Black?”
The female healer cried harder and shook her head.
“Tell me.” Dillon pushed more alpha power into his voice. The result wasn’t what he expected. Jewel didn’t respond thistime. She only went on sobbing, which was rapidly turning into a full-blown wail. Dillon’s mouth dropped open. He couldn’t force her to obey. What the actual hell was going on? The alpha looked at Tanya, who was looking back at him with wide eyes, clearly as shocked as he was. This was not like Jewel. This wasn’t the sweet, intelligent, kind female they knew her to be.
“Jewel,” Tanya said softly, “why don’t we go back up to your room and you can take a hot bath? I’ll bring you some food. Let’s see if we can get you calmed down a bit. Okay?”
Jewel continued to cry as Tanya helped her up and walked her out of the living room. Twenty minutes later, his mate was back, running a hand through her hair and pacing back and forth.
“We need another healer,” she finally said. “They can get in her head and drag out whatever it is she’s not willing to tell us. And why is Dalton not answering his phone? That’s not like him.”
His mate was riled up with anger and frustration. Dillon knew she didn’t like it when one of her females was hurting. She also didn’t like it when one of them wasn’t honest, and Jewel was certainly not being honest with them.
“Whatever is going on, Dalton is nearly feral over it.” Dillon searched inside himself for the alpha bond that he shared with each of his wolves. He could feel rage, betrayal, and anguish coming down the cord that held them together.
“They’re not in any danger, at least none that we see. She doesn’t look harmed,” Tanya pointed out. “What in the world would make him feral at this point?”
Dillon tapped his chin as the wheels in his mind spun. Why would a male become feral over his bonded female? “Another male.” Dillon hissed, though he couldn’t see how another male could factor into the equation. True mates didn’t cheat, at least not willingly.
“You think she’s been raped or attacked?” Tanya knew that a true mate would never cheat. “When? Dalton is always with her, and I mean always. I don’t even know if she can go into the bathroom without him on her heels.”
“Maybe there was more that happened with Alston that she hadn’t told him, and he’s just now finding out. Maybe she feels guilty for not telling him. And with Volcan dead, Dalton has no one to take his anger out on.”
“But he wouldn’t up and leave her,” Tanya pointed out. “And then tell her he didn’t know when he’d be back? No mated female would accept that answer. They’d demand their mate be specific about when they’d be home.”
“Demanding females,” Dillon teased.
“Damn straight.” Tanya smiled, but it dropped quickly. They needed to figure out what was going on with their beta and his mate.
Suddenly, a group of supernatural beings appeared. Fane stepped away from Disir and held his hand out to Dillon. They clasped forearms, and Dillon pulled him in for a hug. Fane might be the alpha of all alphas, but he was also Dillon’s son-in-law, and he cared for Fane deeply.
“You look troubled,” Fane told him when he stepped back.
Jacque came up beside her mate, and Dillon immediately pulled her into a hug. “How’s my grandson?”
“Trouble.” Jacque grinned, then narrowed her eyes. “As my mate pointed out, you look like someone broke your favorite toy.”
“Something is up with Dalton and Jewel.”
“Where are they?” Jacque looked around the room.
“Jewel is upstairs, and Dalton is gone.”
“Gone?” Jacque’s eyes widened. “Gone where? Fane hasn’t given him an assignment.”
“Neither have I,” Dillon said. “Tanya and I knew Jewel was dealing with some stuff, and Dalton wanted to be here with her.”
