Chapter 130 Chapter 130

Chapter 130 Chapter 130
LUCIAN

My heart beat fast as I made my way to find Ailsa. After I had read the reports Aiden brought I understood that I had been blind all this while and I should have listened to Ailsa’s instincts. 

I stood outside Ailsa’s chamber, staring at the closed door like it had personally betrayed me. She wasn’t inside and she should be here.

She always came here when she needed space or when she needed to think. When she needed to hide from emotions she didn’t know how to face and  after what happened in my office, I expected her to be here. 

Guilt tightened in my chest once again. I had seen the hurt in her eyes. The confusion, the fear and regret and  yet I had still pushed. Even when I her secret, I still demanded and confronted her. 

My wolf stirred uneasily.

‘You hurt her’ he snarled at me.  I clenched my jaw.

I didn’t mean to but that didn’t change anything. But I wanted to apologize and put it past us. 

I knocked once, there was no answer. I knocked again and still nothing. A cold unease crawled up my spine. I pushed the door open and entered inside but the room was empty.

The scent of Ailsa lingered faintly, it was too faint that I knew it had been a very long time since she entered here and something felt off. My heart began to pound.

“Ailsa?”

There was no answer.  I stepped deeper into the room, scanning every corner like she might magically appear. Still nothing .

The unease turned into something sharper. Fear. The kind that gripped my entire bring. My wolf rose instantly.

‘Something is wrong’

I didn’t need to be told twice.  I exited the room quickly, strides urgent and controlled. She wouldn’t just disappear. Not like this. Her clothes were still in the wardrobe so she couldn’t leave. 

I remembered she threatened to leave on the wolf ball after she caught me in Elara’s arms but we had a good time after that so she couldn’t have left. 

Unless…No, no. I refused to let that thought finish. She couldn’t have done that. I searched the corridors, the gardens, training ground, the hallways. Every place she could possibly be. I went to the library because I remembered seeing her around there last time. 

Nothing. There was no scent or sign of Ailsa any where in the pack house. Panic crept in. My chest tightened. I turned sharply when a name entered my mind. 

Elara.

If anyone had motive to harm Ailsa. It was her.

I moved through the pack house with dangerous purpose, searching for her presence. I had not gone to the wing she resided in a while because I didn’t want to be close to her but she wasn’t in her chambers or the hallways or garden. She wasn’t anywhere.

Just like Ailsa she was missing and it couldn’t be a coincidence that the two of them are no where to be seen at the same time. 

It was too much of a coincidence and with the events of the past few days and what I just saw. I had every reason to suspect Elara. 

My wolf roared inside me

Find her. 

As if I didn’t already know that I had to find her. I turned to another corner looking for Elara and then it hit.

A sharp pain sliced through me. It was violent and agonizing causing me to stagger. I knew very well that the pain didn’t come from me. My hand braced against the wall as the sensations tore through my chest all at once. Fear, pain, despair and hopelessness. 

Ailsa was in pain. 

The bond screamed to me. She was in danger and I needed to find her. Feral rage exploded inside me. My wolf surged forward, claws scraping against control.

‘She’s in pain. She’s scared’ he kept repeating. 

The air around me thickened with alpha dominance. My wolf wanted to kill anything he saw in his sight until he found his mate. He wanted to whole pack to fill that  their alpha was losing control.

“Ailsa” I whispered.

The name sounded like a vow, a plea. I begged the moon goddess not to let anything happen to her. 

Footsteps approached hurriedly.

“Alpha?” I turned. Lina stood there, fear and concern etched across her face.

“Have you seen Ailsa?” I demanded immediately. She shook her head.

“No. I haven’t seen her since earlier. That’s what I came to inform you”

My chest tightened.

“What do you mean earlier?”

Her hesitation didn’t go unnoticed.

“She…she was crying the last time I saw her”

The words struck harder than any blow. Guilt flooded me instantly. Because I knew why she had been crying. Because I had caused it.

My wolf went quiet. I was ashamed of what I had done. 

“I’ve checked all the possible places she could be but she’s not there” Lina said softly.

“I thought she just needed time” I nodded once, my jaw tight.

“She’s gone” Her eyes widened.

“What?”

“There’s no trace of her” I said. My voice was dangerously calm. The kind of calm that came before storm. 

“Ailsa would never leave the pack. It’s only if she was taken by force”

I mind linked Aiden immediately and he responded quickly. 

“Alpha?”

“Ailsa is gone” I said. Silence followed.

“What do you mean gone?” 

“There is no scent. No trace. Nothing. It seems like she just vanished into thin air” My voice hardened.

“I need you to come now. Did you see Elara in the pack?”

A pause.

“I saw her earlier walking around” 

‘Arrest her’ my wolf snarled. 

So, she was still in the pack, I thought. 

“Elara is to be arrested immediately” I ordered. Aiden didn’t question it.

“Yes, Alpha”

Rage simmered beneath my skin as I made my way to the cell.  Minutes later, Aiden arrived with warriors. Elara was dragged between them. She was struggling and I could see the panic in her eyes. 

“Lucian….” she said quickly. “What is this?”

I stepped closer, slowly and dangerously v

“You’re going to tell me where Ailsa is” Her eyes widened.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about”

My wolf growled. She was lying. 

“Don’t bother lying” I said coldly.

“I already know what you did in the past” 

Fear flickered in her gaze but she tried to act composed.

“I haven’t seen her”

Silence filled the room. Then I nodded once as if accepting her answer. But my eyes told a different story.

“Chain her with silver” Her composure shattered.

“No..Lucian..please”

The warrior did as I said and chained her. The doors were slammed shut and Elara was in the cold cell. If she thought I was going to take it easy on her then she had another thing coming. 

She was restrained now and she screamed for me to release. She pleaded but I didn’t move. My interrogation would be faster this way. I stood before her.

“Why did you come back?” I asked quietly. She hesitated.

“I told you…”

“Don’t lie. The more I’m unsatisfied with your answer, I’ll ask them to add more silver” My voice dropped 

My patience was gone. The Lucian I had buried was now risen.  Her breathing quickened.

“I came back for you”

“Wrong answer” I said. 

“I’ll ask you one last time why are you here and what did you do to Ailsa?”

She refused to speak, thinking I had been jesting when I said I’ll add more silver. I gave the warrior signal and he did exactly as I asked. Her screams filled the cell. Tears streamed down her face.

“I didn’t do anything!” she cried.

“You’re lying. Speak now!” I growled. 

I made the warrior add more pressure, her screams echoed, the sound hitting the walls and finally, she broke.

“I swear I didn’t hurt her!” she sobbed. The confession hit like lightning.

“Where is she?” I demanded.

“I don’t know!” she cried desperately.

“I haven’t seen her!” My wolf roared.

Lies.

I stepped forward again. Ready to push harder and ready  to break every barrier between truth and silence. But before I could, her  head dropped. Her body went limp.

She passed out.

The silence that followed was heavy and infuriating. I didn’t have time to waste while Ailsa was out there but even if Elara had no hand in Ailsa’s disappearance. She still had to answer for her lies. 

“If she wakes, continue until she finally gives something tangible” I said coldly.  The warriors nodded.

I turned and left the cell. Rage boiling beneath my skin. My pacing violently.

I failed her.

The thought cut deep. I pushed her away and now she was gone.

“I will kill whoever did this” I muttered.

That was a vow. 

If it was Lorcan that took her, there would be war and I would not hesitate.

I tried reaching Ailsa through the bond but there was no response. I tried again and again to see if there would be a sign but all I got was silence. 

Fear tightened its grip because the bond felt distant and weak. I had not felt this terrified since I was a little boy. 

“Hold on. I’m coming for you” I whispered into the emptiness.

“I would go to the end of the earth to look for you” I vowed to the air. 

My wolf agreed with me. He was vengeful and relentless and he would do anything just to get this mate back. 

Whoever took our mate, had just declared war. And should get ready to face me.