Chapter 5: The Hunt Begins

Jaxon's POV 

 

 

The night air was sharp with the scent of desert sage and engine oil. I stood on the balcony, staring out at the moonlit sand dunes stretching beyond the gates. My fists clenched tight at my sides, knuckles white under my skin.

 

She was gone.

 

Blaze stood behind me, silent as always, but even without looking, I could feel the tension rolling off him. The others waited near the gates, shifting uneasily in the cold breeze, their breath misting under the full moon.

 

“Tell me exactly how it happened,” I growled, my voice low and vibrating with fury.

 

Blaze cleared his throat. “She packed light. No one saw her leave. She picked the lock at the west gate. Left no trail.”

 

“No trail?” I turned on him sharply, my amber eyes narrowing. “She’s human. She bleeds and sweats like the rest of them. Her scent must be everywhere.”

 

Blaze lowered his head in submission. “Yes, Alpha.”

 

I turned away, breathing hard. My wolf snarled beneath my skin, restless and furious. Every part of me burned with anger. How dare she run? After everything I gave her – safety, shelter, protection. Did she think the world outside these walls would be kinder to her?

 

Felix stepped forward, his silver wolf ring catching the moonlight. “She won’t survive out there,” he said with a smirk. “The desert will finish what you started.”

 

I shot him a glare that shut him up instantly. “I didn’t start anything. She chose this.”

 

Behind Felix, Mara stood silently, her eyes soft with worry. “Brother… maybe she left because she was scared.”

 

I stiffened. “Scared? Of what? I gave her everything she needed.”

 

“She’s pregnant,” Mara said quietly. “Alone. Confused. You never spoke to her. You never made her feel safe.”

 

My jaw ticked as I fought back the urge to snarl at her. Deep down, her words cut through my anger like a blade. She was right. I had kept my distance. I thought it was better that way. Easier.

 

But each time I saw Reese, something in me shifted. The way she held her chin high even when her eyes filled with tears. The way her scent calmed my wolf, wrapping around me like the warm desert wind at dawn. I hated it. I craved it.

 

I hated that I craved her.

 

Blaze stepped forward again, his golden eyes glowing faintly. “What are your orders, Alpha?”

 

I clenched my fists tighter. The thought of another man finding her, touching her, hurtling her and the baby – my baby – made my vision go dark with rage.

 

“Find her,” I growled. “Search every inch of this desert. Tear down every settlement, every roadhouse, every town until you bring her back.”

 

Blaze nodded. “Alive?”

 

My eyes snapped to his. “Alive and unharmed.”

 

He dipped his head and left without another word, rallying the hunters into formation. Their motorcycles roared to life one by one, the sound vibrating through the ground like a promise of violence.

 

I turned back to the balcony, staring out into the darkness. The cold wind tugged at my shirt, lifting strands of my hair.

 

She thought she could leave me. She thought she could take my child with her into that wasteland and disappear forever.

 

She was wrong.

 

Behind me, Felix spoke again, his voice careful. “Some of the men are… questioning your decision, Alpha.”

 

“Questioning what?”

 

“Your obsession with a human,” he said softly. “They wonder if she is worth this risk.”

 

I turned slowly, my eyes glowing bright amber in the dark. “She carries my heir. My blood. My legacy.”

 

Felix swallowed, lowering his gaze. “Of course, Alpha.”

 

I stepped closer to him, my boots echoing against the stone floor. “Anyone who questions me again will find themselves on the other side of these gates. Permanently.”

 

“Yes, Alpha,” he whispered, bowing deeply.

 

I walked past him, down the corridor to my office. The fire burned low in the stone hearth, casting flickering shadows across the room. I sat behind my desk, the leather creaking under my weight, and buried my face in my hands.

 

Why did she run from me?

 

The question haunted me, gnawing at the edges of my mind. I had never cared before. Women came and went, none leaving a mark deeper than a scratch. But Reese… she left something else entirely. A wound that refused to heal.

 

My wolf paced inside me, restless and furious.

 

She was mine.

 

A soft knock pulled me from my thoughts. Mara stepped in, holding a small piece of fabric in her hand. She walked to my desk and placed it before me. I picked it up. It was torn from a hoodie, black and smelling faintly of grease, metal, and her.

 

My chest tightened painfully.

 

“We found this near the south dunes,” she said softly. “She’s heading toward the old highway.”

 

I stood quickly, clutching the fabric tight in my fist. My heart thundered with relief and rage all at once. 

 

“Mara,” I said, my voice low and calm despite the storm raging inside me.

 

“Yes, brother?”

 

“Tell Blaze I want her back by sunrise.”

 

Mara hesitated, worry flickering in her eyes. “And if she refuses to come willingly?”

 

I looked at her, my gaze cold and final. “Then she will learn that running from an Alpha has consequences.”

 

She bowed her head and left the room.

 

I held the torn fabric to my nose, breathing in her scent. My wolf calmed slightly, soothed by the reminder that she was still within reach.

 

You’re mine, Reese.

 

I set my jaw, my eyes narrowing as I stared out into the dark desert beyond the windows.

 

And I will hunt you to the ends of this earth if I have to.