Chapter 7

Aiden leaned closer placing his palms on the top of the table, meeting Josh's gaze with his " I'm not afraid of challenge Josh, but I am not interested in duelling with you two, you both are my best mates, you have been by my side and fought in battles to protect what matters the most to me, and I appreciate that. I know how it feels, there was a time where I nearly lost Rose too so I can understand to an extent what you two are feeling, but my word is final. If you are don't agree with it, then I am ready for a duel "

"If this matter concerned Rosalie if I knew where she was and still kept it from you, what would you do?" snapped Josh as he tried to stop the growl leaving his throat.

Aiden cocked his head and smiled sympathetically " that's the thing, Jojo, I would never leave her or hurt her to the point where escape is her only solitude. I'm not the noble type Jojo, what I want I have the have it whether it's a thing or a person. You want to act self-sacrificing for your noble reasons, by giving up on the person you like the most then you have to pay for it, you have to do it till the end"

Troy crossed his arms and added as he looked at him with a mixture of what Josh thought was anger and pity "if we thought you wanted her whereabouts to claim her, then we might have told you but the thing is neither you nor Trish wants to claim her. You only want to keep her in your line of sight so as to keep poking your noses in her business, it's not for her good but for your selfish desires to have the control and right to interfere in her life. That's not fair to her, you know?"

Of course, it wasn't fair to her but it wasn't fair to him too dammit! He didn't get to choose his mate! If it was up to him, he would have rather mated with Roxanne than mate with Mila, but he didn't get the chance to refuse.

Josh sighed impatiently " you don't understand! It's just not about me being selfish or Trish wanting to control his mate, we cannot trust others with Roxanne's safety, the human extremists are on rage and other packs have always kept an eye on us, what if, what if they try to get to us by kidnapping Roxanne it something?"

Aiden shook his head, losing his scowl as he sighed " you are just trying to make less of Roxanne, Josh. She is a hard nut to crack and one of my best enforcers, she is not easy to take advantage of and wherever she is, I give you my word she fine and completely alright, I can give you my word for that and if she really meets a danger which she can't handle I will tell you about that, so don't worry. But this is the most I can do for you "

Josh appreciated that but it wasn't enough. He had been kidding himself believing that he would be fine as long as Roxanne stay where he could see her anytime he wanted, it was only now as he faced the fact that she was gone and would never be a part of his life, did Josh realise that he had always harboured a hope that maybe he was wrong about Mila, that she wasn't his mate - he had never truly given up on Roxanne, not deep inside, he was just trying to evasive of the situation, but now the current situation was forcing him to make a choice. A choice that might change his future.

Josh inhaled sharply, as he fought with his wolf to stay calm and collected. He couldn't lose his temper here and not in front of his pack mates, but how could he not! Damn it! It fucking hurt like someone has knocked the air out of his guts, not because she left but the way she left him. He couldn't even bring himself to move on by marking his mate and yet she left just like that when he couldn't even keep himself away from her when his mate was right by his side. Josh was angry, both at her and him, he couldn't believe that she was willing to leave him behind and make a new life for herself with no him in it, and at himself for putting a stop to their mating ceremony. He should have just made her his, with or without his true mate.

And the more he thought the more determined he became to find her.

Fine, they won't tell him where she was? Then he would search for her by himself!

He had many contacts of his own, his past made sure of that, there wasn't a pack where he couldn't reach and look for her. Even if she were to hide in hell, he would still drag her back to his side. Pivoting on the spot, he strode out of the kitchen like a man on a mission.

" Josh? Josh where are you going" of course, Mila wouldn't let him go, that woman was more of a drama than the dramas of his entire life put together "where are you going? Are you going to look for her? I'm your mate! You only answer to me -"

" look here, sweetheart" the string of patience finally as Josh turned around and held up a finger to silence Mila, with a twisted loony smile he, leaned forward " I haven't done shit to you, hell I haven't even kissed you yet. You say that you are my mate, but I'm yet to feel that mate bonding thingy, I only put a halt to my mating ceremony with Roxanne because you threatened to ruin it. I didn't want to ruin what mattered to my woman and tried to do what was best in that situation but that doesn't mean I agreed to mate with you, got that? And I am not your dog, I don't answer anyone, except for my Alpha. "

Then without bothering with the screechy whiny woman behind him, he left the packed hall.

"knew you would be here," said Josh as he walked up to Trish who was leaning against his SUV, the guy still looked just as surly as he did whenever he looked at him " waiting for me mate?"

Trish kicked himself off the car and walked up to Josh who despite being on the slender side, grinned at Tris, not at all intimated by his earth-shattering growl and intense glare " here is the thing, I can look for her but it would take time. So, lend me a hand"

" and why would I do that ?"

" because you are the reason, she ran"

" yeah and you totally didn't treat her like an arse right ?" chuckled Josh " I will help not that I'm saying I won't you can be of use to me -but I need something in return "

Trish cocked a brow " and what might that be?"

" I just dumped my mate for yours, what do you think ?" said Josh as he took out the key to his SUV, he heard a threatening snarl behind his back but he simply wiggled his finger " you hurt me, and I refuse to cooperate with you, and you already know that my contacts might be beneficial to you. So you better give me what I want, we can share like good brothers or it might be just the same as before, with your tactics by the time you find Roxanne she might as well be carrying my pup"

Trish hated the very idea of sharing his mate, if this was someone he would have ripped their throats out but knowing how close Roxanne and Josh got to each other, to the point where they were going to imprint, he couldn't bring himself to hurt Josh " Fine. But you better find her for me"

Josh cocked his brow as he opened the door to his SUV with a cocky smile " for us, mate. For us "