CHAPTER FORTY
Stephan waited for Kate to come back but couldn't find her. He went towards the ladies' restroom. Probably he could find any clue to why she had not returned but he met Nara sitting on a chair opposite the toilet, nursing a bruise. Her friend was also there and his heart raced, 'had Kate come in contact with them?'. He could only hope that was a negative but we all know what it was.
He walked closer to them and immediately Nara noticed him, she pouted her lips.
"Steph, just take a look at what your bitch ass date did to me!" said Nara.
"You would not address Kate as that! Do you get that?" asked Stephan as he placed a hand on her neck in a choke hold. He lifted her from her seat as he pressed her against the wall. She tapped her hands on his wrist so he could free her as she could feel life leaving her, gradually but surely.
Her friend tried to pull off his hand from her Nara's neck but the b**ch was just too brief!
Stephan knew that Nara must have told Kate something and he could feel it deep within his bones what it was but he hoped she would let him explain.
He let her go mid air and she fell to the floor with a thud. She looked up to him with red eyes as she sought for oxygen.
"Did you say anything to her ?" asked Stephan.
"I…I said no…nothing to her…" stuttered Nara as she backed herself on the wall, scared out of her wits at Stephan's angry eyes.
"I would ask you one last time Nara, What. Did. You. Say. To. Her?"
"I said nothing, I only showed her a video" said Nara.
"Video? What freaking video Nara?" growled Stephan.
"I don't understand why you are acting this way towards me Steph. She is just a mere doctor!" said Nara with tears in her eyes.
"You did not even take a look at the bruise she caused…"
"The video…Now!!" ordered Stephan.
Nara's friend who was with Nara's phone opened the phone and played the video to Stephan.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" said Stephan and he threw a punch on the wall, scaring the ladies and leaving an impatchable dent on the wall.
He ran out of there as fast as he could and tried to call Kate but she wasn't picking and after a while her line was switched off. He decided to leave some voicemails before telling Ralph he had to leave.
"Hi Kate, this is Stephan. Please give me a call once you get this"
"Hi Mate, this is Stephan. I can't see you anywhere and I am losing my shit. Please where are you Katherine?"
After dropping similar voicemails, he was about to tell Ralph he wanted to go in search of Kate when he saw Ralph, taking urgent steps out of the party.
"We are going home now" said Ralph as he passed by Stephan.
'I should not panic, Kate could be in the house. It is not right that I should jump into conclusions' thought Stephan as he jumped into the car he came with and followed his Alpha.
Ralph could not wait for the car to park properly before he bolted out of the car.
As he entered the house, he was heading towards the stairs when Nanny Freya called from behind him, "she said you should meet her at the lake!"
"Gracias Nan!" said Ralph as he ran out of the mansion. He shifted as he ran towards the woods, ruining his amazing outfit.
He had seen her text message fifteen minutes later. He noticed she wasn't by his side and he had thought that she could be with Kate around the party. Alejandro was even the one to inform him about Karen's condition…the way he explained it terrified him. What was wrong with her?
When Stephan got to the house, he asked Nanny Freya if she had seen Kate and Nanny Freya replied in the negative. He didn't know what to do, so he told Nanny Freya to tell Alpha Ralph on his return that he had gone in search of Kate. He went back to the party and demanded access to the cameras that were outside.
He saw his beautiful mate, with tears in her eyes as she hailed a cab and was driven off. He zoomed in on the car and was able to get access to the plate number of the car. Using his connections, he was able to track the driver in six minutes.
"The lady you carried this evening, where did you drop her?" he asked the driver through the call.
"Sir please you would have to be specific. I carried so many ladies this night from the Mayor's get together.".
"She was wearing a peach gown that had a wide opening at the back," explained Stephan.
"I remember her, such a beautiful woman, just sit sad she was crying throughout the ride"
"Where did you drop her?" asked Stephan.
Such information was not supposed to be released but the driver's boss had told him to give any information he knew to the man - Stephan.
"I dropped her off at Raven Hotel!" said the driver.
The line was cut immediately as Stephan raced to The Raven Hotel. Yet again, some protocols wanted to prevent him as they could not tell him her room number - policies and principles!
He looked up the owner of The Raven Hotel and when he found out the person, he reached out to the person. It was his secretary that picked despite the odd hour.
"I am the personal assistant to Ralph Hernandez" said Stephan and with that introduction, the information that was formerly withdrawn from him was made available.
He took the elevator to Room 38 and acted like he was an attendant in the hotel.
"I didn't call for room service and I don't need anything!" said Kate from inside the room.
He knew she might be able to detect his voice or if he tried using a pseudo voice, she could be more suspicious, so he decided to continue knocking.
Kate angrily went to the door, opened it wide ajar and was prepared to vent all her anger and aggression at that person but Stephan swiftly placed his hand over her mouth and pushed her back into her room.
She tried to scream but it was muffled in Stephan's hand, her eyes widened and when it recognized the eyes that were staring back at it, she pushed him off her.
"Kate, it is not what you think and I promise you that I can explain. Please just listen to me!" said Stephan. She rested her back calmly against the wall as she looked him in the eye, "I only have one question for you Stephan and I am only going to ask it once. Answer truthfully!"
Stephan felt fear, insane fear that he had never felt in his whole life. Even when he had come across opponents that seemed like they were stronger than him, even when he had a wolfsbane bullet pointed at him, he had never felt the fear he felt right there. 'I cannot lose her!'
"Alright, what is the question?" asked Stephan.
"Did you have sex with Nara yesterday?"
Stephan froze, he was super cold. Lycans are naturally warm blooded individuals but at that moment…
[Silence…]
"I guess we know the answer…" started Kate as uncontrollable tears fell off her eyes but Stephan cut her off
"I was…" Stephan started.
"I don't fucking want your excuses Stephan Stone. I knew all this, I saw all this, but this had to happen when I had allowed you to freaking claim me. When I was willing to let all my defences and scars down for you…this had to happen. If this had happened earlier, I would have rejected you Mr Stone. Please leave my room and if you have any respect left for our bond, you would not come after me!" said Kate as she pointed a shaky finger towards the door.
Stephan was like one whose strength was completely drained. He wanted to hold her and tell her this was all a nightmare and that she should sleep over it, but he couldn't. It wasn't his fault it happened…but it happened.
With slouchy steps, he walked out of the room and to Kate out of her life.