Chapter 23

Tyler’s POV

"Why are you leaving so suddenly?" Alpha Gregory's voice echoed down the stairs, his footsteps hurrying to catch up with me and Vivian as we made our way toward the exit.

How should I know? I shot the thought through the mind-link to Vivian, the frustration palpable.

"Something came up," Vivian said, her voice steady, but the lie hung in the air like smoke.

She wasn't technically wrong. Something had come up, but none of us knew what. Zane's orders had been sudden, and they left no room for questions.

Since we had arrived at the Silverwood Pack, Zane had been all over the place—moody, unpredictable. One minute, he wanted to leave, the next, he'd change his mind without warning. Today felt different. He'd actually had us pack, had us ready to go.

As we reached the front door, I felt the weight of Zane's unpredictability hanging in the air, thick like a storm cloud. Vivian and I had lost track of how many times we'd heard him say we were leaving, only to be told otherwise moments later. But this time... it was happening. We were finally leaving.

Earlier, Zane had sent a mind-link, his message cutting through our sleep like a knife: “Tyler, park the car by the side of the house, pack up everything, tell Alpha Gregory we're leaving, and meet me outside. Fifteen minutes, go.”

No one had questioned him, though we all knew it was a bit... off. But hey, we were happy to be going. Maybe with some distance, Zane’s mind would clear, and things could go back to normal—whatever that meant anymore.

Just as we were about to step out the door, Lydia came running down the stairs, a robe hastily thrown over her nightgown.

Her father had called for her—no time for anything else.

Outside, Zane was leaning on the car, looking like he was ready to bolt at any moment. He didn't waste time, his eyes snapping to mine as I approached.

“Put the bags in the back seat and start the car,” he said, his tone low, urgent.

I did exactly what he asked—no questions, no hesitation. Zane’s orders were the law.

Turning to Alpha Gregory, Zane’s voice dropped to a serious tone. “Something came up. We need to return to our pack.”

Gregory’s face hardened, clearly concerned. “What about the marriage agreement with Lydia?”

The question hung in the air, uncomfortable.

Zane glanced at Lydia, her anxious gaze locked on him, her hand clutching the robe tightly. “We’ll deal with that later,” Zane said, his voice flat. “Marriage is something that needs careful thought, not something we rush into.”

Gregory’s face faltered, frustration and disbelief twisting on his features. What could he say? That he was forcing his daughter to marry someone she barely knew? Not exactly the best look.

Zane raised his hand, signaling the end of the conversation. "We’re leaving now. I'll talk to you later, Gregory."

With that, Zane climbed into the car, and I slid into the driver’s seat. “Are we finally leaving?” I asked, my hands tight on the wheel.

Zane gave a short nod. “Get us out of here. Did you pack everything?”

I grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “Everything, except for some... interesting fabric. I figured you wouldn't need those, so I tucked them under the bed.”

Zane didn’t respond, his mind clearly somewhere else. It was all about getting away from here, and he didn’t want to waste time on anything else.

Vivian shot me a look, then turned her attention back to the road ahead. She didn’t want to be the one to ask questions about Zane’s state of mind. Neither of us did. We just wanted out of the Silverwood pack, away from the mess.

As we drove, I couldn’t help but wonder if Zane’s mood would settle once we left this place. He seemed to want to get away so badly, but I feared that as soon as we were out of here, he'd change his mind again.

The last thing I wanted was to be back here again.

…

Back at the Silverwood pack, Alpha Gregory sat in his study, frustration etched on his face. He didn’t even bother to mask the annoyance in his voice when he turned to Lydia.

“Are you sure nothing happened? Did you do something to upset him?”

Lydia just stared at her father, helplessness painting her features. She wasn’t about to admit that Zane had ordered her to strip and then left her hanging. No, that would be too embarrassing, too much for anyone to believe.

"After dinner, he said he was tired," Lydia said quietly. "He went to his room. I waited for him in the lounge, but he didn't come out. Then you called me."

Gregory sighed, rubbing his temples. He knew what had happened—Zane had slipped through his fingers once again.

"Stay in contact with him, Lydia. Call him, text him—whatever it takes," Alpha Gregory ordered. “You two are in a relationship now. Don’t let him forget it. If he pulls out of this marriage, it’s on you.”

Lydia nodded. She had no choice but to obey. If Zane changed his mind, she would bear the brunt of the blame.

Gregory’s voice dropped, the weight of his words landing heavy on her shoulders. “One week. Get a wedding date, or I’ll send you to the Stonebrook pack.”

Lydia’s heart sank, but she didn’t argue. She couldn’t.

As she walked out of the study, she tried to keep up the facade, but as soon as she was alone, the weight of what lay ahead crushed her.

One week.

How could she win Zane back in that time?

The problem wasn't that she had failed once—she feared she would fail again.

The night she had spent with him replayed in her mind. His kiss had been rough, commanding, and the way he had touched her... she had nearly given in. But her hesitation had caused the rift. She knew it.

She needed to find a way to fix things... or everything would fall apart.

But as she opened the door to Zane's room, her thoughts were interrupted.

Something was wrong.

Something was missing.