Chapter 122 A Week Too Late

Chapter 122 A Week Too Late

A cold, heavy dread settles deep in my chest. Alex is staring at me like I'm a live bomb, holding her breath and waiting for the explosion.

Nova vanishing..... unless she just popped down to the local market or took a walk by the lake—is completely out of character.

"Where did she go, Alex?"

"She... she went to visit some family," Alex stammers, offering a weak, nervous smile as she rubs the back of her neck. "She didn't specify where."

I cross my arms over my chest, my eyes narrowing. "Nova doesn't stay in touch with any family. She has no family."

"Right.....shit, I meant she went to visit Diane's family!" she stumbles over her words, clearly grasping at straws.

Her cheeks are flushed bright red, her fingers are nervously tugging at the hem of her shirt, and she keeps shifting her weight from foot to foot. She couldn't look more guilty if she tried.

"Alex. Where is she?" I demand quietly, trying my best to keep my temper in check. If Nova is out there somewhere, I need the truth right now.

Alex lets out a long, defeated groan, her shoulders slumping as her cover story completely falls apart.

"She ran away, okay?" she admits, pressing both palms over her face. "She begged me not to tell you, and I was supposed to buy her a head start by keeping quiet, but I'm clearly terrible at this..."

It takes a second for the words to sink in through the exhausted fog in my head from driving all day.

"What?" I snap, stepping closer. "What do you mean she ran away?"

She flinches at my tone. I don't mean to scare her, but if Nova is in trouble or out there alone, I don't have time to beat around the bush.

"Just read this," Alex says quickly, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. "She told me to give it to you if you came looking. Maybe it'll explain where she went."

She pulls a folded note from her pocket and presses it into my hand. I open it, recognizing Nova's neat handwriting right away.

Cassian,

I am so sorry. I truly love you, and that's the exact reason I had to walk away.
There are parts of my past I never shared with you. I wanted to leave them behind for good, but holding onto these secrets has been so much harder than I thought.
And, honestly, I just can't stay at the house anymore. It hurts too much seeing you with Violet, knowing I'll never be the one standing beside you like I want to be.
I need some space to clear my head. Maybe in a few months, or even years, we can cross paths again, but right now I think it's best for both of us to move on.
I really do love you. I'll reach out once I'm somewhere safe.
Please don't come looking for me. This is for the best.
Nova.

I lower the paper, my vision blurring around the edges. A dull throbbing echoes behind my eyes, but I can barely feel it.

The only thing spinning through my mind is the thought of Nova running away, just like she had to do with Jax.

Except this time, she was running from me. All because I couldn't find a way to marry her, because I didn't set my Alpha duties aside to prioritize her first.

"Damn it..." I mutter, letting the letter drop from my hands as I run both palms through my hair.

Alex reaches toward my arm. "Look, Cassian...."
I take a quick step back, needing space, needing to keep my focus entirely on one goal.

"Where did she go?" I demand, my tone sharp as I spin around and head down the corridor.

"I don't know! She didn't tell me!" Alex calls out, hurrying after me.

"Find my mother and see if she knows anything," I order over my shoulder. "And I want a full log of every single car that has left this estate, effective immediately."

She couldn't have gotten that far. I'll deploy every guard in this pack to track her down, and the moment we find her, I'm going to fix every bit of this.
I have to fix this.

"But..."

"When did she go? Yesterday? The day before?" I cut in, turning back toward her.

Alex freezes in her tracks, forcing me to stop too. Her face contorts into a knot of sheer distress, looking like she'd give anything to vanish into thin air right now.

"A week ago," she whispers.

I force myself to stand completely still and take a slow breath before saying another word. I don't want to snap at Alex or let my anger and panic make me say something I'll regret.

But this is Nova. My mate—I'm certain of it. I need to find her and prove to her that she can come back home without worrying about whatever ghost from her past is chasing her.

She needs to realize that I'll do whatever it takes to bring her back. Absolutely anything.

"A week?" I ask, my voice unnaturally quiet, though the intensity in my eyes makes Alex take a small step back. "And nobody thought to inform me?"

"She doesn't want to be found, Cassian. Maybe you should just respect what she wants," she says gently.

"It was hard for me to hear it too, but I realized this was what she felt she needed to be happy, so I let her go."

I shake my head, a tight band squeezing around my ribs.

"She's my mate, Alex. I know it in my soul. I'm going to track her down, and I'm going to make her my wife."

I barely even register the words as they leave my mouth, but the second they hit the air, I know with absolute certainty that it's the right choice.
I'm going to marry her.

Alex's eyes go wide, her jaw dropping open. "Wait... what did you just say?"

I turn on my heel and march straight back toward the landing, taking the stairs two at a time.

"Violet! Where is Violet?" I call out into the grand foyer, catching the attention of two guards and a few nearby housekeepers. They glance at each other nervously, completely unsure of what's happening.

As I hit the bottom of the staircase, Violet steps into the main hall. She's already wearing her heavy winter coat, her hair styled neatly, and her fingers wrapped tightly in those of her lover, Ariel. They look like they were just about to head out the front door together.

"I'm right here, Cassian," Violet says, looking at me with a mild frown. "Ariel and I were just heading out for a walk."

"Nova left..." I say, my chest heaving as I try to catch my breath. "She's gone. And she isn't planning on coming back."

I reach out and press Nova's note into her hands, needing her to see it, needing someone to understand why I'm about to do what I'm about to do.