The Alpha's Exchanged Mate
The Alpha’s Exchanged Mate – Chapter 181

Authors POV…

John yawned in exhaustion as he got into the sizzlers pack through the secret passage Ryan’s man had made him pass through. It was long past midnight by the time he eventually got to the sizzlers pack. Ryan had been right about the sizzlers pack being under lockdown. Everywhere was extremely devoid of people.

The person who had helped him out, whose name John had learnt was Damon, made him dress in one of the sizzler’s pack warrior uniforms to avoid being noticed. They entered the military base and headed to an empty space.

“Sit here!” Damon pointed to a lone chair in the room for John to sit in. It didn’t seem befitting, but John couldn’t complain as his whole body was cramped. “As much as Ben is much loved by the alpha, he is strict on his rules. We have been instructed to not allow anyone to enter the pack; anyone found wanting would be severely prosecuted. I’m only doing this because I owe Ryan for coming to my rescue when I needed him the most. Try to stay as discreet as you can while I find a way to reach Ben. Since you said it’s important you see him.”

As Damon explained, John nodded his head like a diligent kindergarten kid. He had never felt so exhausted and hungry in his life. When Damon left, the thoughts he had kept at bay came back in full force.

John had no idea what he had been thinking when he requested to meet with Ben. He didn’t know if going to Ben would be better than surrendering to Xander. However, he would rather suck up to Ben than get humiliated at the pack of his birth.

When he got out of Ryan’s car, John learnt that he had been discovered due to the CCTV footage of him smothering the life out of Sonia.

He cursed loudly, blaming himself for being too trusting of Athena and not suspecting that they would be security conscious. There has to be a way for him to survive without being caught, and he would do just about anything to save himself.

“Ben is here!” Damon arrived, looking relieved.

Bracing himself for Ben’s entrance. John stood up, trying to look like he wasn’t at the enemy’s camp to plead for protection.

“John Sinclair!” Ben grinned, his lips forming a thin line. “Is this you? Thought you were dead?”

He didn’t look in the least pleased. Ben had his d**k buried in the insides of Malia and had plans to f**k her all through the night till the very next day when she wouldn’t be able to move an inch from her side of the bed. Only for his sleep to be disrupted by the arrival of Damon, informing him about the person who had come in from the night howlers pack.

That got his attention, as Ben had been wanting to hear anything that could serve as useful information to his quest. And knowing how tight the sizzler’s pack security was, whoever was sneaking him in must have risked their lives to get to him here. Alpha Bethel wasn’t playing around with the pack’s protection to spread the virus further.

Ben felt a bit disappointed when he saw John Sinclair. That was the last person he would have ever expected to see. He had almost forgotten about everything that transpired between them some years back.

“Can we speak in private, please,” John muttered, sounding down.

Folding his hands against his chest with a raised brow. Ben watched John’s expression for a while, trying to read through him. He sighed, nodding towards Damon to excuse them.

“Before you say a word. When and why did you return to the night howlers pack?” Ben asked out of curiosity.

Blinking his eyes severally, John gulped hard. “actually, I stayed in a neighbouring pack.”

“I didn’t ask where you stayed. I really don’t care. Just answer the damn question!” He growled.

“I had to return because of Sonia.”

Ben chuckled dryly, “I heard she has been exposing your dirty acts. That’s a big hit on her part.” He seemed amused. Noticing John’s countenance, he observed him. “What did you do, John? Why do I feel you have committed another grievous sin at the pack?”

John exhaled, feeling his throat dry. He had thought it wouldn’t be so bad to narrate his story to Ben since they both know he isn’t so peculiar about Sonia.

“Actually, I killed her unintentionally.”

Ben’s face morphed into a horrific look, “what the f**k?”

Swallowing hard, John took a step back. “She was about to expose me!”

Grabbing his neck all of a sudden, “you bastard! You were dead! Even if she did say something about you, your blockhead would still remain dead to them! What the hell did you do to my child?” Ben yelled, holding onto his neck tighter.

Struggling to get free, John pleaded. “P…pl…please let me go.”

Realizing he still had something to say, Ben let him go, dropping him like a trash bag on the floor. “Spit it out!”

“She already gave birth by the time I got there.”

Ben’s ears picked at that. As much as he might seem unbothered, the thought of him having a child had always intrigued him. “She gave birth? Where is my child?”

John shrugged, “she should be with Edwina.”

Rubbing at his head as he turned to the wall. “Why the hell are you here then?”

“My life is in danger. Xander has gone wild in search of me. And I am sure Edwina had put him up to it.”

The mention of Edwina made Ben feel a bit tight beneath him. She always got under his skin, even without being present physically.

“Do you know how pathetic you sound right now, John? You killed your own daughter after making her childhood memories horror-filled.”

John snorted, “you aren’t any better than I am. You betrayed your friend.”

Ben glared, “I won’t do to my own child what you did to yours. Those ladies deserved better, but it’s so unfortunate the moon goddess decided to play chess with their lives. Anyways what the hell do you want?”

“Protection, Ben. I would do whatever it is you want me to. But don’t let Xander have me!” John pleaded, surrendering himself as he fell to his knees.

Ben gave him a despicable look, disgusted at John’s unremorseful act, even after killing his own child. But it didn’t matter to Ben. He needed as many loyalists as he could get for the attack he was planning on night howlers. And since nothing had been forthcoming from his men there, he would need to act fast.

Holding up his nose at John’s exhausted look, he exhaled. “Damon would get you a place to rest. By dawn, we would talk on this more.”

Not sparing him a glance, Ben walked out of the room, mumbling some incoherent words to himself.