Nikolai POV:
"I must find the source of all this pain. You're telling me that in all your witchy knowledge you can't explain why for the last two years I've been tortured by invisible pain?" I ask my witch friend Natiri angrily. "I'm sorry Alpha Nikolai. I have tried everything. I've been searching the whole time and have come up empty. It just doesn't make any sense."
"It comes and goes that's what makes it even harder. It's unpredictable so I can't track it. You don't have your mate yet so that's out. I'm at a los dear friend." She sighs in frustration pinching the bridge of her nose. That's when I notice her long black curls are a bit unkempt and her blue eyes are not as light as usual against her mocha skin. "Have you been sleeping Nini?" I ask using her childhood nickname.
"No. Not since the last episode of pain you had." She sighs looking at me sadly. "That was three days ago!" I shout. "Yeah and when will the next one be Nik? Huh? In five minutes? In five hours or days? We don't know! I need answers Nik!" She shouts back her voice quivering and a single tear streaking her face. "You're my best friend and the only person to take me in when my parents died. I need to help you. You're like a brother to me." She continued.
"I know Nini. It's okay. You will figure it out and when you do I'll be forever in your debt." I said pulling her into a tight hug. She is so small compared to me. She is only about five foot eleven and I'm just shy of seven foot. She laughed and smacked me as I released her. "Você é um cachorro!" (You are a dog!) She yells playfully and sits back in her chair.
"Sim, mas você me ama." (Yeah, but you love me.) I reply in perfect Portuguese. She raises her eyebrows. "Since when do you speak Portuguese?" She asked eyeing me suspiciously. I just gave her a triumphant smile and turned to leave. As I open the door I gave her one last time. "Descanse um pouco, irmãzinha." (Get some rest little sister.) I give her another smile and head to my office.
'She is going to drive herself mad trying to find an answer for us.' My wolf Kaelen says with a sigh. 'I know buddy. That's why we gotta do what big brothers do, and look out for her.' I reply simply. 'When do you think we will find our mate?' he asks. We are interrupted by a small throbbing in our chest. 'Here it goes again.' I whisper to Kaelen. Usually it starts with a small throb then grows. This time though it only lasted a minute then disappeared.
Suddenly Kaelen stirred swiftly in my mind. 'You know how Natiri said we haven't found our mate so we can't feel her pain?' He said with a slight edge to his voice.'Yeahhh..' I drag out my reply questioningly. 'What if we can feel her pain somehow?' he asks as we reach our office. 'Thats impossible though right?' I ask bewildered. 'Maybe not.' he answered and then retreated to think amongst himself.
Damn, what if he is right? I find my Beta Victor and Gamma Keegan already deep in conversation. "Alpha." They greet me and fill me in on the construction project we are helping the humans with in East Ridge Tennessee. In the human world we are just Greystone corporation. In our world we are The Greystone pack. The most powerful pack in the Eastern United States settled into the mountains of Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.
"When is the crew expected back?" I ask glancing at the maintenance list for the schools. "Should be Friday if they stick to schedule. Maybe quicker if they hired local help. I'll get an update." Kaelen said turning towards the balcony doors and pulling out his phone. "How is Michelle liking being an auntie?" I ask turning to Victor. His face lit up at the mention of his mate. "Oh man she is thrilled."
"She has spent more on that baby girl than herself and that's saying a lot." He chuckled. "Well I'm just glad the pup is healthy and Jess can enjoy being a mother." I reply with a smile. Jess is Michelle's older sister and she has been sick for a while. Then one day she woke up feeling fine and shortly after she found out she was with pup. It makes me happy to see my pack thriving. Too bad that stupid pain won't go away.