Nathaniel''S POV


    "She is lying," Grayson spoke up after the door had closed and Amanda walked away.


    I fell back to my seat, nodding as well. "I knew she was. She saw something and she is trying to protect him."


    "What if he is behind the attack at his house? What if he is trying to drive us away from our focus on him? With the guards Andreas said he stationed within his house, it would be hard to get by and even hurt him. There is a lot in this game than we can see." He said, speaking what was in my mind.


    There was more to what was going on. My mind wandered to thest.


    I was seated at the dining table with Maurene and Grayson. The maids had served dinner that night and I was not in any mood to eat but I had to. My phone vibrated on the table beside me. Maurene was saying something about attending a g party the next day but I tuned her out, my eyes etched on the unknown caller''s ID. Who could be calling me at such a time in the night?


    I answered the call and her cry came in. My body went into alert as I heard the familiar voice. Amanda. Monthster, she finally reached out.


    "Nathaniel, I need your help. Pleasee." She pleaded. I didn''t think of anything. I didn''t even say anything to anyone. I jerked to my feet and exited the pack house that night, asking her where she was and she told me.


    I didn''t expect to meet Amanda all beaten up in a dark alley. She looked lost and broken. My heart tightened in my chest. I had caused it. After I broke up with her because my grandfather had asked that I get married to Maurene out of duty. I was infuriated of course but I did.


    "Amanda," I called, not wanting to believe that she was the one who was sitting before me. She nced up, a pained look on her face. Fear seemed to have overtaken her features when she saw that I was towering over her. I crouched to her level, staring at her deeply.


    I felt pain for her. "I''m sorry." I apologized to her.


    "Nathaniel, is that you?" She asked, scrambling back from me.


    I reached for her, holding her hands. "Yes, it is me and I havee to take you home," I told her, offering her a light smile.


    It was at that time that I heard masculine voices yelling around us.


    "Find her! She won''t have gone far!" I knew at that point that they were talking about her. So I took her hand and we both ran away from the ce. They must have known because there appeared a car behind us, trailing us. I knew I had to somehow make them stop so I did. I followed a shortcut they would not have known.


    I took Amanda back to the pack and had her treated. Grayson tried to warn me that her presence was going to hurt Maurene but I didn''t care. All I cared about was that Amanda should get better. When she did, I went to meet her and questioned her. Why did she get involved with the bad men?


    She exined. "After you abandoned me, I didn''t have anything left and I needed someone who would help me. He offered to help me and I had no other choice. I... Stole from him and escaped." She finally confessed. Fuck!


    One thing she didn''t tell me was the name of the man she had stolen from and was after her now. I needed to see her. I needed to know the name of the man going after her. I cannot bring harm to my pack all because of her.


    I rose to my feet, excusing myself. I went to her room, meeting Le on the way. She greeted me before I entered Amanda''s room. She was in the bathroom by the time I had entered. I noticed her phone charging so I went to it. Opening it with a slide, I went through her contact. I saw Martins'' number and quickly copied it into my phone.


    The moment I was done, she stepped out, pausing when she saw me. "Nathaniel?"


    I sighed, turning around. "You should put a dress on," I told her.


    "You can turn around." She said and I did. She had donned a ck dress. "Why are you here?" She gave me a skeptical look. I would not tell her that I knew that she was lying. If she wanted to protect him, then I would let her do just that. It might even help us.


    "You know that particr year when you called me toe and I did." I reminded, dipping my hands into my pockets. Something flickered in her eyes as she gulped hard, moving stealthily toward the table. She poured herself a ss of water. "You didn''t tell me the name of the man you had stolen from," I said, giving her a clear look.


    She whirled around, looking at me with a strange gaze. "I didn''t know his name as well. He hid himself well. All we did was sign the contract and that was all." She exined.


    That got me confused. "You signed a contract without meeting the person you were signing with?" I asked to be sure I heard her well.


    She shook his head, slumping on the bed. "I was naive and desperate. I needed someone who wouldunch me back into the limelight, Nathaniel. And I took the only opportunity that appeared to me." She bit her lower lip.


    "Do you have a copy of the contract with you?" I knew she went back to her old apartment to get her things even after I had told her not to do it. Definitely, the contract would be part of it.


    She nodded, moving to her wardrobe. She opened a drawer and brought the file out to me. She approached me, extending it out to me. I took it, opening it. I scanned the paper for the name written on it. I saw that of Amanda and the name after made my brows knot closer. James Cox.


    That was a con-name. No way there would be some James Coxing after her. "I will return this to youter." I didn''t wait for her to say anything because I went past her, and back to my office.


    I met Grayson inside. He looked up at me. I handed him the contract. "Find out everything there is to know about James Cox," I told him. He nodded and paused as if he remembered something.


    "Yes, Amanda''s friend. Her name is Natalia or Nadia. She is still the same person. She is perfectly fine and in fact, she is currently on a vacation." He informed me.


    So... My guess was correct. She was avoiding Amanda. Probably because of what ensued between Martins and her. Martins... I will definitely find out who you are and when I do, you are going to regret your decision to get yourself involved with me.


    Just as I turned to leave, Grayson stopped me. "Nathaniel, Andreas told me to tell you that Liam... has not been seen recently."


    That was strange. I saw him at Evangeline''s ce, the way he looked... oh no!


    "Tell him keep watching him." I ordered.


    I was going to visit the hospital today. I entered into the office of the doctor in charge of the Alpha King. Evangeline had sworn him into secrecy and threatened him that if he told anyone where Alex was, she would have his family killed. I wondered at that moment why Alex could not let her go. He could have rejected her and she would have been living a good life. She had the balls that Alex didn''t have. Threatening a doctor? She amused me.


    "Alpha Nathaniel." He rose to his feet. I told him to take his seat.


    "So tell me. What exactly is wrong with the man that was brought here that night?" I asked.


    A scared look took over his face. I scoffed. "She can''t touch you when I am here, Doctor Dwayne. For as long as you don''t tell anyone else, that is."


    He swallowed. "He has blood cancer. He is currently responding to treatment but the possibility that he will get healed is slim, Alpha." He ryed.


    My greatest fear was confirmed. I knew Alex would not make it. He cannot. I was not being wicked but he has been battling this since he started reigning. It was just due.


    "Does his wife know this?" I asked him.


    He shook his head. "She only knows that he has blood cancer."


    "Good. Leave it that way." I told him. We discussed other things before I left his office.


    My phone vibrated in my pockets. I fished it out, seeing Maurene''s call. Why was she calling me?


    I answered it, stepping out of the hospital. "Yes, Maurene?"


    "Nathaniel!" I halted to a stop, feeling a familiar pain crashed into my chest. "Evangeline... she got kidnapped!"