Chapter 20

Zane’s POV

The silence in the hallway felt suffocating. Four buildings, no signs of Mabel. Frustration gnawed at Zane, his mind tangled in a thousand questions. He should’ve been focused. But all he could think about was her.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" Wendy’s voice sliced through his thoughts.

He snapped his gaze to her, shrugging. "Not sure myself."

She closed the gap between them, her voice dropping to a tone that sent a shiver down his spine. "Whatever you want, I can give you…"

Zane’s expression hardened, his fists clenching by his sides. "Keep your distance, Miss Wendy. Unless you want rumors to start flying."

She didn’t move, her eyes glinting with something darker. His jaw clenched tighter, and he could feel the anger simmering just beneath the surface.

"Do you really want to start that kind of talk?" Zane’s voice dropped to a low, almost dangerous whisper. "What do you think Alpha Gregory would say if he caught wind of this? I’m sure you know my reputation. One more girl won’t matter to me, but for you? The one who tried to sabotage Lydia’s chance to become Luna…" He clicked his tongue, a mockery of disapproval in his voice. "You’re walking a fine line."

Wendy’s lips twisted into a tight smile. Without another word, she took a step back, her posture straightening, clearly getting the message. For now, at least.

Zane didn’t spare her another glance, his mind already a thousand miles away. He was trying to piece together what he knew about Mabel.

Her treatment… It didn’t make sense. If she was an Omega, like he suspected, surely Alpha Gregory would’ve noticed the way she was being treated. Yet, he didn’t seem to care. Or, maybe, he was pretending not to know. Zane’s gut told him that wasn’t the case. He’d spent enough time among Alphas to know how they operated, and Alpha Gregory wasn’t the type to turn a blind eye to something like that. No, this was something else.

Wendy shifted, her fidgeting pulling Zane from his thoughts, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to ask her anything about Mabel. That wasn’t his place. And if anyone got wind of him digging into something that wasn’t his business, it could backfire. Badly.

He exhaled sharply, frustration mounting. He needed answers, but no one was giving him anything. No one had seen her, not in days.

His heart twisted at the thought of her. What kind of life was she living? No one should be forced to go through what she was, yet he had a feeling that’s exactly what was happening.

The fact that she’d been looking for food in the middle of the night while injured didn’t sit right with him. Her small frame, those telltale signs of someone who hadn’t eaten enough—he could feel his heart aching at the thought of her. What kind of place was this? How had no one noticed?

She couldn’t be getting the care she needed. If she were really an Omega, someone would be looking out for her, making sure she was okay. But instead, she was out in the halls, searching for food like a stray animal. His gut clenched at the thought. No, that didn’t fit either.

He had to get to the bottom of it. Why was she hiding? What was she really running from?

But there were no answers. Not yet.

Zane glanced at Wendy, still lingering by his side. She was irrelevant now. She wasn’t the one he needed to find.

His mind turned again to Mabel. Her injuries, her situation—it all felt wrong, out of place. He couldn’t let it go. He couldn’t leave the Silverwood pack without knowing that she was okay.

The next few days passed in a haze. Tyler and Vivian were starting to pick up on his erratic behavior, but Zane didn’t care. He didn’t have time to explain. Every minute spent here, chasing ghosts, felt like an eternity.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being drawn into something much bigger than he had expected. The tension, the confusion—he had to see Mabel again. Even if it was the last thing he did.

One night, he slipped out of his room, the packhouse quiet as the hours dragged on. Zane took a seat in the dark kitchen, eyes scanning the shadows for a glimpse of copper-colored hair. He told himself he was here for answers, but deep down, he knew the truth. He couldn’t walk away without seeing her again.

What would he say to her? What should he say?

His mind raced through a dozen possibilities, each more ridiculous than the last. Maybe he’d act casual, ask how she was doing. Maybe he’d confront her, demand answers. Or maybe he’d show vulnerability, something she could connect to. He wasn’t sure, but he knew one thing—he needed to see her again.

His wolf stirred in response, unease gnawing at him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with her. He needed to know if she was okay. He couldn’t leave without that.

The hours ticked by painfully slow, until the first light of dawn began to creep into the room. She still hadn’t shown up.

His frustration was reaching its breaking point when he heard footsteps in the hallway. Hope flared within him as he stood, tense, waiting.

It wasn’t her.

A blonde Omega appeared in the doorway, clutching a duster in her hand. Zane’s face twisted in confusion.

"Can... can I help you, Alpha Zane?" she stammered, eyes wide.

Zane didn’t answer immediately. His mind was racing again, but he forced himself to stay focused.

"Listen, I’m looking for a girl. She’s an Omega, tall, skinny, looks maybe sixteen. Copper-colored hair. You’ve seen her, right?"

The woman shook her head, but Zane wasn’t ready to give up. "She wears old clothes. Oversized. You’ve seen her, haven’t you?"

The Omega hesitated, her face turning red under his gaze.

"Wait," Zane urged, stepping closer. "You know her. Where is she?"

The woman swallowed hard, her hands shaking. "There’s a girl. She lives in the attic. I think… I think it’s her."

Zane’s breath caught in his chest. This was it. The mystery was about to unravel.