Chapter 27
KAEL’S POV
(LYCAN’S REALM)
I’d been hunting nonstop. Every alert hour, every dream, she haunted me, a constant throb in my heart that wouldn’t fade.
Elara.
My Elara.
The remorse was a crushing load, smothering me under its heavy grip. What had I done? Gods, I’d still love her, no matter what, despite the horrific, stomach-turning thing I’d inflicted on her.
Those years beside her… they were the most vivid. The only ones that felt truly real and full. But my lame, feeble bid to safeguard her had only pushed her away, leading to the most devastating error of my life.
I was terrified, foolish, and dumb. Too scared to stand tall, too scared to stand alone.
Darius. That vile, greedy rogue Alpha. He was closing in, probing every edge in the wolf world, especially ours, teetering on uncovering Elara’s secret. Elara, the final true blood healer.
The idea still spiked terror through me. I had to conceal her… If she’d been my Luna, publicly claimed, her existence and rare ability would draw Darius like a shark to blood. He’d rip our pack to shreds just to seize her power for his twisted ambitions.
So I… I did the unforgivable, rejecting her. I had to reject her, sever the mate bond, and claim another. A sour choice I rued deeply. I convinced myself it was the sole path, the only shield to keep her hidden, to dim her spotlight. I just needed her to hold on a bit, a little more. In my warped, stupid Lycan King logic, I thought I was guarding her.
I smashed my fist into the wooden desk. “I never thought she’d disappear!” I groaned aloud. She’d vanished like smoke… likely straight into peril without knowing, and it was all on me. Instead of protecting, I’d made it worse.
“Sire?” Duskbane’s voice dragged me back. I lifted my head to see him approaching. I hadn’t even registered the door opening.
“Yes? Any news? A trail?” I demanded, my tone raw with urgency, stripping away my usual kingly poise. Day after day, the same plea, day after day, the same reply… each one a dagger to my already wounded core, and I couldn’t take another.
Duskbane’s mouth tightened into a grim line; with a weighty sigh, he shook his head. My stomach plummeted. “Sadly, no, Sire. Our trackers have scoured the outermost lands, even delved into the thickest woods, but zilch.”
“So?” I barked, a deep growl resonating in the space. “Keep at it,” I ordered. “Widen the scope. If they require more gear, provide it. Bring in extra hands if needed, but keep it under wraps—I don’t want word getting out that I’m hunting for Elara. Too dangerous. But whatever it takes, just keep going.” My heart raced against my ribs, my wolf like a penned predator inside, snarling at the endless flops… yet neither of us would yield.
He parted his lips, then seemed to rethink, sealing them shut. My brow arched in challenge, a spark of annoyance flaring. “What? Got something on your mind, Duskbane?”
“Well,” he started cautiously, then drew a steadying breath, like gearing up for impact. “Sire… it’s been ages. What if… what if she’s already—”
The instant those damning words escaped, I didn’t let him finish—I hammered my fist on the table, harder. “No way!” I snarled. “She’s out there. Alive and kicking, I feel it.”
He stood silent, head lowered.
“Just follow orders, and keep your theories to yourself,” I rose, the chair scraping harshly at my abrupt move. I strode to the tall, arched window overlooking the pack grounds. My hands shoved into my pockets, fingers clenching the lining. “Elara’s somewhere. And I’ll track her down.” I added, the promise more vow, more plea, more desperate wish.
Weeks blurred into more weeks, each a new agony. The sun climbed and dipped, taunting me with its endless loop, and still, nothing. I slumped on my bed, encircled by charts and updates that covered everything but the one vital piece I craved.
Elara.
Fear coiled tight in my chest; my wolf wailed for its lost half daily, and so did I.
A light rap on my door tugged me out. I didn’t even ask who before Seraphina entered.
“Hey,” she said, shutting the solid oak door. I spared her a quick look, then returned to the maps. Her being here grated, a choking echo of my colossal screw-up. I never really saw her, not truly.
“Something?” I asked, eyes fixed down, my voice clipped and distant.
I couldn’t see it, but I knew a deep scowl twisted her face. She let out a prim, offended huff. “So I can’t drop by whenever now, Kael? That’s how it is? After all this?”
“No, you can’t,” I said bluntly, emotionless. “You know my routine, my responsibilities. As you can tell… I’m occupied.”
“What?” Her voice cracked.
“Leave, Seraphina. Not in the mood,” I finally faced her, my look a deliberate shield of command. “You should know my role as Lycan King. It consumes everything,” I forced a thin smile. “It’s grueling.” The twist wasn’t lost on me. My “duties” now orbited solely around locating the woman I’d idiotically discarded.
Her eyes blazed with real fury. “That’s why I’m here—to help! To share the load!” She waved around the room, like my space was a battlefield. She didn’t get it, and I was glad. I’d picked her as my supposed Luna in a calculated ploy to trick Darius and his vicious rogues into viewing Elara as just another ordinary pack wolf, not the last true blood healer.
“Seraphina,” I thinned my lips. “I don’t need your help. Go to your room.”
“You’re impossible!” she screeched, a shrill, annoying pitch that scraped my frayed edges. She stomped petulantly, a silly, kid-like tantrum that drew a groan from me, before storming out. She banged the door so fiercely I thought it might crack.
I shoved the maps aside, flopping back on the bed. Ah, damn. I raked fingers through my hair. My decisions were biting back hard. Truthfully, between ditching Elara and choosing Seraphina, I couldn’t say which was dumber—both were epic fails.
But now, I’d fix it all, beg on my knees if needed. Sadly, she wasn’t around.
Minutes later, another knock. “It’s Duskbane, Sire.”
“Enter,” I said, sitting up. He came in, clutching a formal-looking letter.
My gaze stuck on it, breath catching.
“Sire?” he said, composed. He halted a short distance away. “I’ve got an update at last.”
My eyes bulged.
“I’ve picked up a lead on Elara’s location.”