Chapter 4

Thelia roamed through the throngs of partygoers, her eyes scanning the crowd with a mix of impatience and irritation. The grand hall of the Blue Moon pack's estate was a swirling mix of laughter, music, and clinking glasses, but her mind was solely focused on one thing: finding Asher. He had disappeared over an hour ago, and his absence was driving her to the brink of madness.

"Where is he?" she muttered under her breath, pushing through the crowd with a determined stride. Her auburn hair, meticulously styled, swayed as she moved.

"Have you seen Asher?" She barked at one of the pack's guards, her voice cutting through the noise. The guard shook his head, his expression apologetic but clueless. Frustration bubbled up inside her, and she moved on, cornering the next beta in sight.

"No, mam, I haven't seen him," came the nervous reply.

Thelia's patience was wearing thin. She stormed over to the bar, where Trent, the bartender, was busy mixing drinks for the guests. She grabbed him by the arm, pulling him aside with surprising strength.

"Trent," she hissed, her eyes boring into his, "did you follow my instructions?"

Trent's face paled, and he stammered, "Yeah, Miss Thelia. I put the entire content of the vial in Asher's drink, just as you told me to."

Thelia's lips curled into a snarl, and she released him with a huff of frustration. She turned on her heel, her mind racing. Where could Asher be? The aphrodisiac should have taken effect by now. The mere thought of him being with someone else made her blood boil with jealousy and rage.

Her footsteps quickened as she made her way towards the guest quarters, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't bear the thought of another woman enjoying what was meant to be hers. Her mind conjured images of Asher with someone else, his strong arms around them, his lips on theirs. The anger surged, and she felt a growl rising in her throat.

"Thelia! Fancy meeting you here." Chris, Asher's beta, leaned against a doorframe, a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Thelia sighed inwardly but forced a sweet smile. "Hi, Chris. I'm looking for Asher. Have you seen him?"

Chris straightened up, pretending to ponder. "Asher, is he lost ?" He grinned.

"Very funny, Chris. Do you know where he is or not?" Thelia crossed her arms, her patience wearing thin.

Chris tilted his head, as if a lightbulb had just flicked on above it. "Ah, yes! Asher mentioned something about going for a hunt. He said he needed some fresh air. You know how he loves the forest at night."

Thelia's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure? It's not really the time for a hunt, with the party and all."

"Positive," Chris said, nodding earnestly. "He was muttering something about the call of the wild and howling at the moon. Very poetic, our Asher."

Thelia glanced back at the guest room door, then back at Chris. "Fine. Which way did he go?"

Chris pointed down the opposite corridor, towards the back exit. "Straight through there, past the garden, and into the woods. Can't miss it."

"Thanks, Chris." Thelia gave him a tight-lipped smile before striding off in the direction he had indicated.

As soon as she was out of sight, Chris chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "Oh, Asher, you owe me one for this."

Chris had seen Asher taking a pretty blonde into his room and had a feeling that Thelia wouldn't be too pleased about it. He wasn't going to let her spoil his Alpha's fun. He stood guard by the door; it wasn't until the early hours of the morning that he realised his folly.

The faint light of dawn crept through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Olivia stirred, her mind slowly awakening to the sound of muffled voices outside the door. She blinked her bleary eyes, trying to make sense of her surroundings. It took her a moment to realise she was in Asher's room, nestled in his warm embrace. He was her mate.

She became fully awake after hearing a loud thud and raised voices. Olivia sat up, her heart beating. The noise was coming from the hallway, and she could distinctly hear Thelia's shrill tones mingling with a deeper, more authoritative voice. It sounded like an argument, and not a mild one at that.

She glanced at Asher, who was sleeping soundly besides her, his face serene and completely unbothered by the commotion. How could someone sleep so deeply? She shook her head in disbelief. The pack house could be on fire, and he wouldn't so much as flinch.

Carefully, so as not to disturb him, Olivia slipped out of the bed. She grabbed Asher's discarded shirt from the nightstand and pulled it over her head, the fabric enveloping her like cocoon. As she tiptoed towards the door, the voices grew louder.

The door burst open, slamming against the wall with a resounding bang. Olivia jumped back, startled as Alpha Jackson stormed in, followed closely by a furious Thelia and a stern-faced Luna Nicole.

"There she is!" Thelia screeched, pointing an accusatory finger at Olivia. "What are you doing in Asher's room?"

Alpha Jackson's eyes blazed with anger as he took in the scene. "What is going on here?" he demanded, his voice low and menacing.

Olivia opened her mouth to speak, but Thelia cut her off. "She's been trying to steal Asher away from me! And now, she's drugged him!" Thelia strode over to Asher and shook him vigorously, but he remained unresponsive, his breathing deep and even.

Olivia felt a surge of panic. "I didn't drug him! I swear, I—"

"Silence!" Alpha Jackson roared, his eyes fixed on Olivia. "Guards!"

Two burly guards appeared at the door, their expressions grim. Before Olivia could protest further, they grabbed her roughly by the arms.

"No! Wait! I didn't do anything!" Olivia struggled, but the guards' grip was like iron.

"Take her to the prison," Alpha Jackson ordered, his voice cold and unyielding. "We'll sort this out later."

Olivia's heart pounded in her chest as she was dragged out of the room. She glanced back at Asher, who still lay unconscious on the bed, completely unaware of the chaos unfolding around him.