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raiden

The moment I step into Alpha Tatum's office, I want to leave. I should be back at home with Cloud or hanging out with Mars, anywhere but here.

"Raiden," Alpha Tatum nods in greeting." I thought you weren't going to show up," he admits.

"Well, here I am," I reply awkwardly. "How exactly does this work?"

"Come here," Alpha Tatum gestures from his seat. A computer sits on the desk in front of him. The closer I get, the more I realize that everything listed was information about Cloud.

"What is this?" I ask uncomfortably.

"This is information that we've compiled about your mate over the time that he's been here," he answers in an almost casual tone as if it was just a regular conversation.

Though there wasn't a lot, the information that they had managed to find causes me to frown. If they already had this, then one thing was clear.

"You were going to do this even if I had said no weren't you?" I question.

"We were," Alpha Tatum confirms. "Though, I figured you'd be interested in learning more about your mate. Reo was more than happy to leave you out of the loop."

Beta Reo rolls his eyes but doesn't deny the claim.

"We should get started," Alpha Tatum says.

He begins to talk to Beta Reo and despite how hard I try to focus, my mind keeps drifting off to the day I first met Cloud. To when I stood in the room with Maia after the two of them had left and what she said.

Tatum never agrees to something so easily unless he has some kind of ulterior motive.

Was I making the right choice by coming here today?

"Raiden!" Beta Reo calls out with a scowl on his face. "Pay attention."

"Sorry," I say, but questions were still plaguing my mind.

"Do you know anything about your mate that isn't already listed?" Alpha Tatum asks.

I shake my head. "No, Cloud is very...closed off when it comes to his past."

"Are you sure?" He repeats.

My eyes shift toward the computer screen and I begin to read. "Cloud never really mentioned much about—"

My words pause and Beta Reo's eyes meet mine. "What is it?"

"A pack," I tell them. "He told me he was in another pack at some point."

"Do you know which?"

I shake my head. "No, he never mentioned names, but he definitely didn't seem to enjoy talking about it."

Beta Reo sighs, but Alpha Tatum just nods.

"That's more than enough," Alpha Tatum says as he types away on his computer. "If he was in a pack at some point, then there have to be records somewhere and I doubt there are a lot of wolves with the name Cloud."

With that, the beta moves to his side, and the two of them begin their search. My eyes remain on the screen as they do so, but I can't help but wonder just what was Cloud doing right now and, more importantly, was he okay with Maia?

"Raiden," Alpha Tatum calls out. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just trying to see if there's anything else I can remember," I lie.

I turn my attention back towards the screen, but I can feel the beta's eyes still staring at me. Alpha Tatum begins to say something and I nod my head as if I'm listening.

"Hey, Ares?" I mind link, eyes still following the screen.

"Rai? Yeah?"

"I need you to do something for me..."