Chapter 55

Mrs. Cole POV.

I paced around the room, anxiously waiting for my daughter's call. We had a tradition of speaking on the phone once a day, even though we texted constantly. I never imagined having such a close relationship with her. Young Zendaya had always been shy and introverted. She rarely spoke to us, her parents, who were always around, let alone to other people.

My daughter hated socializing and made her displeasure clear whenever she had to meet anyone. The only person she seemed to enjoy spending time with was Young Master Rome. They met at an event we attended at the Late Alpha King's residence and instantly connected like kindred spirits. Rome, on the other hand, knew how to charm a room full of people, a trait befitting his future role as the Alpha King.

Somehow, the young man made her feel secure enough to share her interests with him. They grew up together and became close friends until Rome left for Alpha training, which lasted two years. During that time, my daughter withdrew into herself, building a wall between her and the outside world. She rarely went out unless her father and I insisted.

I let her be until I couldn't anymore. As Betas, her parents already held a high standing in the community. But what would happen when she found out her mate was an Alpha? How could she run a pack with so much fear? The other women would challenge her position every day. I had to find a way to strengthen her.

I should have known better than to force her out of her cocoon. I introduced her to new friends, and while it seemed to be going well, I could tell she didn't truly want to spend time with them. She did it for my peace of mind. I should have noticed her unease and stopped, but I didn't, and we paid the price. The day I was called to the hospital after my daughter slipped and fell off a building was the day I vowed never to force her to do anything she didn't want to do again.

I remember wishing the car could fly to the hospital. I kept running my hand through my hair as my heart raced, and my mind flooded with fear and desperation. When I saw her in the hospital, I begged the Moon Goddess for another chance to be a better mother. I cried and pleaded on my knees for days, without eating or drinking.

The anxiety of losing her gnawed at my soul, leaving me sleepless and trembling. I saw the pity on people's faces when they came to see my daughter, offering their condolences as if they had already decided she was too far gone. But I refused to accept it. She was my only child, my entire life. How could I say goodbye to my angel? No parent ever wants to bury their child, and I was no different.

Even when the doctors painted a bleak picture with no hope in sight, I clung desperately to any shred of possibility. The weight of despair pressed down on me, suffocating in its intensity. Her father didn't press me to let go, instead, he stood by my side, a pillar of unwavering support amidst the storm of uncertainty. And so, she lingered in the hospital for endless, agonizing months. Each day was a battle against despair, my heart heavy with the crushing weight of anxiety and grief.

I poured every ounce of love and care into her, refusing to relent in the face of despair. Only a fellow mother could comprehend the depths of my anguish, the relentless torment of uncertainty. Then, one day, as if by some miraculous intervention, the Goddess answered my desperate pleas. She brought my daughter back to me, a beacon of hope in the darkness of despair. And in that moment, I vowed to honor my promise, to cherish every precious moment with renewed gratitude and determination.

When Zendaya returned to me, I couldn't help but notice the profound shift in her personality. Gone was the shy and introverted girl I once knew, in her place stood a confident, assertive young woman who fearlessly spoke her mind. It was as if her brush with death had ignited a dormant flame within her, propelling her toward a newfound sense of self.

At times, glimpses of her past self would surface, a reminder of the journey she had traveled. The doctors speculated it could be a result of a mental disorder, but to me, it felt like a rebirth, a metamorphosis of the soul. Despite the uncertainty, I found solace in this transformation. It reassured me that she possessed the resilience to navigate life's challenges, even in the absence of her parents.

Everything shifted dramatically when she was revealed as the Alpha King's mate. Despite her newfound confidence and assertiveness, she seemed remarkably unfamiliar with the intricacies of our world. Sensing her vulnerability, I urged him to tread carefully, to court her as one would a delicate human.

Yet, when news of the turmoil gripping the Silver pack reached my ears, I found myself fiercely against the notion of her accompanying the Alpha King. However, her father, ever steadfast, insisted, and reluctantly, I agreed, though a persistent sense of unease lingered within me. To relieve my fears and maintain a sense of connection, I resorted to constant texting and phone calls, my heart pounding with anxiety as I paced the room, eagerly awaiting her call.

When my phone finally rang, I practically bolted across the room to snatch it up, my eagerness visible. Had there been anyone else in the room, they would have surely burst into laughter at my antics. With trembling hands, I glanced at the caller ID, only to find that the call was not from Zendaya, but from her mate, Rome.

For some inexplicable reason, my hands trembled as I swiped right to answer the call. "Mrs. Cole, how are you?" He inquired, but his tone carried an unmistakable weight of distress.

"What's wrong?" I demanded, refusing to dance around the issue.

"I'm so sorry, Ma'am," he choked out, his voice thick with emotion.

"Calm down, Rome. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened," I urged, my voice trembling with fear.

"I should have protected her as her mate, but I failed at something so mundane," he groaned, his words sending a chill down my spine.

My stomach plummeted as his words sank in. "Where is Zendaya?" I asked, panic creeping into my voice.

"Zendaya...she.. she's missing. I'm scouring for any leads on her whereabouts," he confessed, his voice trembling with anguish.

My heart shattered into a million pieces, and suddenly, I forgot how to breathe. My child was missing. I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"I just wanted to inform you because I'm aware of your phone calls. I will do everything in my power to find her," he assured me, but I detected a subtle shift in his tone. He wasn't sharing everything he knew.

"I'm coming there. I will not sit back while my daughter is missing," I declared, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and fury.

"You don't have to, your husband is here helping," he responded calmly.

That son of a ***** knew, and he didn't tell me? Rage boiled within me, but I forced myself to focus on the task at hand. "I'll be there in a few hours. Do everything you can to find her!" I instructed my voice firm with determination.

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied, his voice tinged with regret.

I ended the call abruptly and swiftly instructed my butler to prepare a car. If death itself couldn't pry my daughter from my grasp, what chance did a mere wolf have? I would tear down mountains and burn everything to the ground if it meant finding her. No force on this earth could keep me from my child.