Chapter 140 Kaden's POV
I drove through the night with Damian beside me, my hands gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles were white.
"She's not answering her phone," I said for the hundredth time. "Why isn't she answering?"
"Maybe it died maybe she's sleeping maybe-"
"Something's wrong I can feel it through the bond. Fear, pain, something is very wrong."
We crossed into Dark Moon territory just as dawn was breaking. Xavier was waiting at the border with guards.
The moment I saw his face pale, worried, tense my heart stopped.
"Where is she?" I demanded, getting out of the car.
"We're looking for her. My entire pack is searching-"
"WHERE IS SHE?"
Kara came running from one of the vehicles, her face streaked with tears. "Alpha Kaden! I'm so sorry! I should have stopped her! I should have gone with her!"
I grabbed her shoulders. "What happened? Tell me everything."
"She went out for air yesterday evening. She was stressed and upset and needed to walk. I thought she'd just go around the grounds but she never came back. We've been searching all night-"
A growl ripped from my throat. I released Kara and turned on Xavier.
"You promised to keep her safe! You swore she'd be protected!"
"I know, and I-"
I lunged for him, my claws extending. "If anything happens to her, if she's hurt, I'll tear you apart!"
Damian grabbed me from behind, pulling me back with all his strength. "Kaden! Stop! This isn't helping!"
"He lost her! He lost my pregnant mate!"
"And attacking him won't find her faster!" Damian forced himself between us. "Calm down and think we need to search systematically, not waste time fighting."
I wanted to keep fighting and wanted to make Xavier pay for failing to protect Elara.
But Damian was right. Every second I spent on rage was a second not spent finding her.
"Where have you searched?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay level.
"The pack grounds the nearby forest. The roads leading out of our territory." Xavier pulled out a map. "We've covered about a ten-mile radius so far."
"She's pregnant and injured. She couldn't have gone far on foot."
"Unless someone took her," Damian said quietly.
The thought made my blood run cold. "Who? Who would take her?"
"Erebus. Rogues. Someone who knew she was here." Xavier looked genuinely troubled. "I've had guards posted everywhere. I don't know how someone could have gotten past them."
"Then she wandered off and got lost or fell. Or-" I couldn't finish the thought.
"I'm calling my men," I said, pulling out my phone. "My best trackers. They'll find her trail."
Within two hours, five of my best warriors arrived. I set them to work immediately, searching in teams, covering ground Xavier's people had already searched.
"There's an area outside our border," Xavier said, pointing to the map. "Neutral territory dense forest. We haven't searched there yet because we assumed she wouldn't go that far."
"Show me."
He led us to the location of a wild, heavily forested area about three miles from where Elara had been staying.
"We will start here," I said. "Fan out, look for any sign of her. Tracks blood torn clothing anything."
We searched for hours then days and found nothing, not a single trace of her.
"This doesn't make sense," Damian said on the third day. "She has to have left some trail. Some sign of where she went."
"Unless Xavier's lying about where she disappeared from," I said.
"You really think Xavier would-"
"I don't know what to think anymore! My mate is missing! My unborn son is missing! And no one can find them!"
Damian put his hand on my shoulder. "Kaden, I need to tell you something. I don't trust Xavier."
"What?"
“Are you sure he's not involved in Elara's disappearance?"
"He's been helping us search! He provided resources, people, locations-"
"Locations that haven't produced any results. Resources that haven't found her. People who might be deliberately searching in the wrong places."
"You're paranoid-"
"I'm cautious there's a difference." Damian looked at me. "I'm just saying, be careful who you trust."
But I couldn't afford to doubt Xavier. Not now. Not when Elara was missing and I needed all the help I could get.
"I trust him," I said firmly.
"He saved Elara from Erebus before. He gave her sanctuary when she needed it. He wouldn't hurt her."
Damian didn't look convinced but he didn't argue further.
That night, alone in the tent we'd set up as a base camp, I tried something desperate.
The mate bond. I could use it to find her. To track her location through our connection.
I closed my eyes and focused. Reaching out with everything I had. Searching for that golden thread that connected us.
There was a faint but present she was alive. I pulled harder, trying to follow the bond to its source. Trying to see where she was.
Pain exploded in my head. Blood started pouring from my nose but I didn't stop. Keep pulling. Keep searching.
The bond led... down. Deep underground. In a direction that didn't make sense.
I pulled harder.
More blood from my nose and ears , the strain was too much. But I could almost see her almost reach her.
One more pull, one more.
Darkness.
I collapsed, unconscious before I hit the ground.