Chapter 12

Zane’s POV

I stepped out of Alpha Gregory's study, the door clicking softly behind me. My mind was a storm of questions, none of them making sense. "How do I find her?" I asked myself, the words feeling foreign as they left my lips.

Follow your nose.

My wolf’s voice echoed in my head, steady and sure. I tried to pick up her scent, something... anything. I moved through the house, starting from the main floor. Nothing. The second floor, still nothing. Was I imagining it? Was this all some crazy illusion?

I was an Alpha, for crying out loud. My senses should have been sharp, stronger than any regular werewolf. Yet here I was, lost in the silence of the house, unable to track her down. Something didn’t feel right. Was she even real? Maybe I had imagined her.

Without a clue, I sank onto the bed, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me. Lydia had promised she would investigate which Omega had been on towel duty, but until then, I was on my own.

My wolf spoke up again. She's your mate, Zane. You can't deny that.

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. She was my mate, but she had run away. Mates were supposed to be drawn to each other, weren’t they? Shouldn’t she have wanted to stay close?

Stupid! My wolf growled, the sound grating against my ears. What did you think would happen when you had Miss Barbie between your legs? Did you expect her to just jump into your arms with a smile?

I froze, the reality of it hitting me like a punch in the gut. I had forgotten about Lydia, completely. The moment my eyes landed on Mabel, Lydia had faded into the background. Damn it! I had messed up. I had let everything fall apart.

I gritted my teeth. What if she hates me? I questioned aloud, though the thought terrified me. Do I even want her to like me?

My wolf scoffed. What do you mean? His voice was filled with disapproval. I know you don’t like women clinging to you, but she’s different. You don’t get to push her away because she doesn't fit your ideal picture of the world. She’s your mate, Zane. You can't deny it.

How different? I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

For starters, she’s not clinging to you. His voice softened. The Moon Goddess chose her for a reason. You have to figure that out before you make any stupid moves. Don’t mess this up.

I didn’t respond. How could I?

I had always seen women as distractions—needy, demanding, always trying to take control. I didn’t need that. But now... now I had a mate. And if I stayed near her, I knew what would happen. I’d fall for her, deeply. She would have power over me, and I’d be happy to let her. Wasn’t that dangerous?

I pushed the thought aside. There was no time for this. I had a job to do, and once it was done, I’d leave this place and forget about her—the girl with copper-colored hair, the one whose eyes made me question everything.

I grabbed my laptop, focusing on work. I needed to keep busy, to distract myself from the chaos in my head.

Later that afternoon, Lydia came back to my room. I barely looked up, acknowledging her with a brief glance. She understood that I was working, and didn’t press me for conversation.

She sat across from me in silence, her eyes lingering on me as I typed away. I could feel her gaze on me, but I didn’t respond. She didn’t mind. She was content just being near me.

As I worked, I could sense her thoughts swirling. She found me captivating, her eyes tracing every inch of my face, every slight movement I made. It was almost suffocating, but I didn’t mind. She was already planning to be my Luna, to stand proudly by my side. I could feel it in her every glance.

I knew she had done something about the girl—Mabel—who had interrupted us earlier. Lydia had taken it upon herself to make sure she stayed in her place. I didn’t ask about it, and she didn’t offer details. I didn’t care. I had other things on my mind.

"Knock. Knock."

The sound of the door broke my concentration, pulling my attention away from the laptop. A female voice floated in from outside. "Alpha Zane, dinner will be served in ten minutes."

Lydia stood and opened the door. She spoke to the Omega outside with a casual, almost dismissive air. "Tell Mother we'll be there on time."

The Omega nodded quickly, her eyes wide, and hurried off.

Lydia turned to me, her posture puffed with pride. She had just sent a message that she was in my room. It was clear to everyone that we were a couple.

I watched her, a small smirk tugging at my lips. She was playing her role, but I was starting to see the cracks in her carefully crafted mask. I didn’t trust her.

I closed my laptop with a snap and addressed Tyler through our mind link. "We need to wrap this up quickly. We leave tomorrow morning."

Tyler’s voice was full of confusion. I thought you wanted to stay longer?

"No. Tomorrow morning." I didn’t care what he thought. There were too many hidden agendas in play.

If everything went according to plan, I would find a way to ruin Lydia’s reputation and discover more about Alpha Gregory’s intentions. Then, we’d leave.

But there was a complication—Mabel. The girl was a wild card, and for the first time in a long while, I wasn’t sure what to do about it.