The oak tree.

Perhaps it took too much time for Noah to react, but once he shook off the initial shock and the weight of his careless actions, he stormed out of his office and took off. 

He didn't acknowledge the pack members in his way as Noah ran towards the stairs and up to the second floor. Noah thought the only place where he could find Olivia had to be her bedroom, but once he reached the door and kicked it open, he couldn't do as much as sense her presence. 

The room was neat and clean, but empty. If Olivia came here to grab her belongings, she had to leave some mess behind because Noah knew she would rush to get out. 

Moments later, Enzo stood behind him and scanned the room the same as Noah did. They didn't speak or share their thoughts, staring blankly at the room. 

Noah gulped and stepped inside to check if anything was missing. He was one of the few people who knew Olivia better than anyone else, and whenever she had to go somewhere, there was a handful of things she would always take with her. 

Yet, the suitcase on the floor and family photos on the nightstand were still there. Noah approached her bookcase and pulled out the massive red leather book to check it. The photo was there. Olivia wouldn't leave without it. 

As carefully as he could, Noah closed the book and slid it back in place before he turned around to face Enzo. "We need to find her. Olivia wouldn't leave without that photo, so she must be hiding. Gather the men; we need to find her, and, fuck, I need to beg for her forgiveness," he slid his fingers through his hair and groaned. 

How could he act without thinking? No, since when was he so fucking stupid to act on instinct rather than think about the consequences? If he didn't go so far, if only he didn't stoop so low and didn't mark her, they could have had a chance to start over. But no, Noah knew he had messed up, and if he didn't act to fix his wrongdoings, he might lose Olivia for good. 

"On it, Alpha," Enzo muttered and left Noah behind. At least that much was settled; Enzo remembered his place and knew how to follow the commands without asking unnecessary questions. Good. 

In the moment of panic, Noah even dropped to the floor and checked under her bed, just in case she tried to hide under their noses. To his great disappointment, she wasn't there. At least no one witnessed how stupid Noah looked while he tried to look for Olivia. 

Once he got back to his feet, Noah checked every spot around Olivia's room, looking for proof of her possible whereabouts. If she left, she had to take something with her. No matter how emotional or angry Olivia was at him, she wouldn't leave without money or her papers. 

Snooping around like a criminal, Noah found a few useful hints. First of all, Olivia didn't leave her wallet behind, which means she had her ID and some money. 

She could have gone to the nearest town, there, Olivia could rent a room in a motel, but that didn't sound like her. His parents had taught Olivia about the dangers women encounter in the world, especially if they're alone, and with no combat training, she wouldn't risk her life like that. 

Noah sat on her bed and took a deep breath. He was obsessed with Olivia's scent as it was, but now that he stood before the risk of losing it for good, he wanted to take in as much as possible. 

As his eyes scanned the small room, the realisation hit him. Jumping to his feet, Noah ran out of the room and headed downstairs to check if the men had gathered. 

Once his eyes located Enzo, Noah stomped to him and pulled his Beta aside. "Her wallet and ID are missing; she might try to go back to England. Is there anyone who has access to her cards or the damn airport systems? Anything works, whatever I can get, but I need to know where she is." 

Enzo's eyes darted everywhere but at Noah as he spoke. "Listen, Noah, if she's heading to England, you don't think that-"

Noah growled, cutting Enzo off mid-sentence. He refused to listen to whatever his best friend was about to ask. Olivia had to be by his side, their life couldn't go on any different, and everyone who thought Noah had to give up could fuck off. 

Acknowledging that he made a mistake was Noah's first step toward redeeming himself. All he had to do was to find her, apologise, somehow prove that he could be better, and then they could live happily ever after. 

"Don't you ever think of finishing that sentence," Noah whispered. He felt beyond pissed, especially since his Beta kept challenging him, but he didn't want his pack member to see the disagreements between the two men who were supposed to work side by side for the better future of their people. 

Enzo raised his hands and took one step back. "Alright, man, calm down. We will find her. I already sent the patrols out to check the borders; some warriors are checking the upper floors of the packhouse and the ground floors. I have a few men sent out to her favourite locations or at least those I'm aware of, and the pack members know they must report to us if they saw her after the ceremony." 

Noah didn't speak; he had nothing to say to anyone until Olivia was back in his arms, safe and sound. 

Enzo shook his head and looked past Noah. "With all due respect, Alpha, I don't believe she left for England or the pack. After what happened on that stage, she had to be too tired to move, let alone run. Maybe she had her wallet with her all the time, and we didn't notice because we never thought of checking her pockets. My guess is that she's asleep in one of the ground floor bedrooms." 

Standing there and arguing wouldn't do him any good. As an Alpha, Noah had to show everyone an example, and boy, what an example was he setting for his people now? 

He shook his head to get rid of the taunting thoughts before they overtook him. He thanked Enzo for the support and praised his ability to deal with the situation before he walked towards the main door.

The men who gathered around Enzo would follow the Beta's commands, but in the meantime, Noah could check a few places himself, and if the attempts ended in no success to find Olivia, at least his mind would be busy with other things. 

The first spot Noah picked was the old swings next to the oak tree Olivia had admired since the day she first found it. Noah could track back so many great memories of the days they spent next to the tree, hiding in the shadow it created and daydreaming about their future. 

He couldn't understand himself anymore. When did the things between them change so badly? In the beginning, Noah wasn't happy about Olivia's arrival because she took the attention of his parents away from him, but it wasn't for long until they started getting along. 

Noah could remember the first time he thought of his parent's adoptive daughter as beautiful. Up to that day, Olivia was annoying, whiny and overall unwanted, but all of a sudden, his brain flashed the word beautiful. 

He never found the courage to admit it to her. Noah tried to keep men away from her, and each time he wanted to show his affection, he teased Olivia like a freaking school boy. 

Noah didn't notice how fast he reached the old tree, the same as he was unable to hide the disappointment he felt at the empty swing. He sat down as if he had all-time in the world and sighed. Olivia used to love this place, one of the last times they spent the day together sitting under it, she had voiced her hopes and dreams of them, never living apart. 

Noah pictured the look of admiration and adoration in her eyes each time she called him brother. The thought alone sent him over the edge. 

"Fuck!" He hissed, jumping up from the swing. 

He didn't want to be the brother; he desired to be more, to become her everything. 

Just because she didn't know they weren't siblings didn't mean Noah had no right to fall for the girl who just appeared out of nowhere. Alright, nobody told him directly that he had no right to fall for her, but that's how it felt when Olivia looked at him as if he had committed a crime. 

And this place, once the epicentre of their happy days, now felt like another rock on Noah's shoulders. He couldn't stay around any longer, so he stomped towards the next possible location. 

His parents had built a small cabin close to the massive oak tree. Since Olivia had loved that place so much, Noah's late father decided he could do some woodwork and provide a tiny house for the kids to spend nights at if they wanted. Obviously, he always sent the guards to stay near, just in case, but even their presence didn't make the nights less magical. 

Noah followed the old trail, thinking how much he missed those nights and fearing they would never happen again. He and Olivia used to love to sit next to the campfire and share secrets. 

Funny, really, how Noah recalled the events Olivia couldn't remember. There weren't that many happy moments, but the ones that were real were something he cherished every day. 

Especially during the Alpha training. His days in that damn military-style camp were awful; the only thing that kept him afloat was the thought of returning home to Olivia. Sure, Noah knew she wasn't home during his absence, but that didn't mean she wouldn't return.

She did return, and in a blink of an eye, Noah fucked up any chance he had at having anything. 

By the time he had checked the cabin and once again found nothing, Noah understood he couldn't torment himself with more happy memories and headed back to the packhouse. 

If Olivia was near, someone had already found her, possibly sleeping, just like Enzo guessed. If she left, the men most likely ran into someone who saw her leaving. Either way, there had to be an update on the situation and the only reason no one mind-linked Noah was that they feared him. Right now, he wasn't himself, so no one risked testing his patience. 

Noah's heart beat faster with each step he took closer to the building. He wanted to see Olivia, to have a chance to explain himself and beg for another chance if he were lucky enough. 

The men were gathering in front of the packhouse, which had to mean someone saw or found Olivia. When Noah approached them, Enzo jumped in front of the crowd. "We have someone who saw her about an hour ago. The men are bringing him here." 

Noah nodded and kept silent. This wasn't the moment to show others how on edge he was. 

Thankfully, before Noah could bite his head off waiting, the man in question arrived along with two of the pack's warriors. "Alpha," he greeted Noah with a slight bow. "She left about an hour ago, I couldn't attend the ceremony, so I didn't know I had to hold her back. She crossed the border and headed towards old Landon's territory."

Now, only now, the realisation sunk in. Noah had thought he messed up earlier but had no idea to what extent. Olivia had walked into the enemy's arms, and Noah had no idea what to do next.