Chapter 5

Chad

My mouth felt parched. My head was going to explode, and the incessant beeping close by was making it worse. I opened my eyes, but the bright light in the room hurt my eyes. It took me a minute to adapt to the brightness. Where am I? I looked around, trying to recognize this place. It looked like I was in the pack's hospital. My wolf just woke me up. He's been complaining about Dane, nonstop. 'Dane, the idiot, he has imprisoned her, and you wouldn't wake up!' Said my wolf Cobalt with a snarl. No wonder my head throbs. He is utterly enraged. 'What are you talking about, Cobalt?'I asked. 'The fair woman who saved our lives, Dane imprisoned her! Do something!' The same anger started to build inside me as well.

'Dane, where the hell are you?! I'm awake! Report to me now!' I was still grudge, so the mind link went broadly to every member of Mountain's Peak pack. Great! In seconds, I was surrounded by doctors, and the buzzing of people outside was insane.

"How are you feeling, my King?" One of the doctors asked me. My head felt like a ton of bricks when I sat up. "Please, my King. You should be careful. Don't overexert yourself. You've been unconscious for so many days, out in the open." Days? I need to speak to Dane. I need to know what happened while I was unconscious. "Do you need something to eat now, King Chad?" The soft voice of the Dr. called me again.

"Later, but I will need in advance something stronger, like a bottle of scotch." I grabbed my head after I pulled off some of the needles in my arm. The Dr. gasped. "The throbbing on your head will subside in a few. Your body is still adapting to be conscious and moving again after a long time. We'll leave you for a bit while they bring your food and... scotch." She smiled softly.

As the doctors were leaving, Dane appeared by the door. He was agitated. "I told you already you can't go inside Alpha Terrence. The Lycan King will address his subjects once he is ready!" Dane growled.

"As a member of the council, I am entitled to see the Lycan King! I need to send a report affirming that he is in good health!" Said Terrence, not giving up.

"See? That's your problem there. You are an entitled prick." Said Dane, already losing his patience as he wrestled with the door trying to close it, but Terrance's protuberant belly was on the way.

"If you step one foot inside this room, Terrence, I'll throw you to the dungeons for a week!" I snarled. That seemed to discourage him. Dane entered, closing the door on Terrance's face.

" King Chad, it is good to see you awake." Said Dane, but he still had a look of concern on his face. 'Tell him to bring her.' Cobalt demanded. 'Easy Cobalt, I need him to tell me first what he knows.' Cobalt huffed annoyingly. He was overprotective of the mysterious woman already.

"How long was I out? How is everything around the pack?" I asked, feeling a little weary, I had never been unaware of what goes around me. My pack and country were my main priorities since I still hadn't found my mate. It's a matter that sometimes makes Cobalt feral.

"Well, after we won the war, we took our dead and the wounded back home as you ordered. That was five days ago. After the third day, when you never showed up, we started a search party." That long ago? I shuddered internally.

"I was ambushed on my way back after I separated from the 3 Alphas of the White Claw pack. I was attacked by 6 wolves, and I didn't recognize from what pack they were. They had the intention to kill me. I killed most of them, I was cornered near a cliff. The ground was loose, and I ended up falling to the bottom of the valley. Cobalt is strong. He gave me enough strength to run to the middle of the forest. It wasn't long after that that I fainted from exhaustion. If it wasn't for that woman, I would've been eaten by the beasts of the forests." Dane gulped suspiciously.

"Where is she, Dane? The woman that tended to my wounds and took care of me for days?" Dane went pale. I didn't like that at all. It seems Cobalt was right.

"Dane...! I know I didn't dream of her. I was barely conscious, but the few times I could open my eyes for fleeting seconds, she was always there. Pressing wet linens on my forehead. Cleaning my wounds, making me take sips of herbal teas. She saved my life, the life of your King. Where is she?!" I boomed.

"S... she is in one of the cells. We thought that she was at fault." He croaked. I never knew Dane's face could redden.

"She's what?!" I got up from the bed abruptly. I grunted when a sharp pain crossed through my abdomen. "Bring her here immediately, Dane! I can't believe this!" Even my wolf was outraged. I could feel his anger on behalf of my mysterious woman. My? Dane sprinted out of the room to fetch her. In all the years of knowing my friend and Beta, I had never seen him look so embarrassed.

I hope she can forgive us for her unjust treatment. I can't remember her features well, but I do remember the effort and dedication she took with my care. 'Throw him to the dungeons. Make Dane pay.' Cobalt, he is our Beta. He did it unknowingly. We will apologize to her, and we'll treat her as a guest of honor."' Cobalt wasn't fully convinced, but he settled for now.

Dane was taking longer than expected, and soon, Cobalt started complaining again. 'If he hurt her, I will take over your body and kill your beta.' Dane wouldn't. He has a soft spot for all women. He was raised by three of them. He wouldn't hurt her with a feather. I was about to argue with Cobalt when the door finally opened, revealing Dane alone. Cobalt snarled inside my head.

"Chad, she's gone. She knocked out her guard and escaped. I sent werewolves after her, but they couldn't find her. Which is weird because she has to cross the forest to get to the nearest town. She couldn't have done that in half a day, let alone an hour. The people I sent after her couldn't even trace her scent. I am sorry, I thought I was doing the right thing. If I had known, she would've been treated accordingly."

"Dane, I had always trusted your judgment. Of all the times you could've messed up, it had to be this time. If Cobalt kills you, don't blame me. He is pissed. I'd suggest you just step outside for a bit before he takes over and follows through." Dane stepped back.

"I will find her, Cobalt. I give you my word. She couldn't have gone so far. She is a little thing, and she doesn't know the forest as well as we do." Cobalt was not talking to him.

"A little thing that managed to knock out a trained warrior. You're not making sense, Dane. What did you tell her that made her run away? Forget it, don't answer that. She probably was scared to death, imprisoned in a strange pack. She was ready to risk it all when she decided to attack a warrior. She felt that she was in a life-or-death situation!" I felt sick, and Cobalt was ready to shift.

"I'll go search for her with you, Dane. Maybe if she sees me, she won't run again." 'Yes, let's go look for her, but no Dane.' Said Cobalt. I glanced towards Dane. He was on top of Cobalt's shit list for sure. 'We're taking Dane. He knows her.' Cobalt huffed again.

"Are you sure you should be traveling right now, Chad? It's almost going to be night. We should wait until tomorrow. You have still not recovered completely. Remember, we still don't know who was behind the attack. Now that you're awake, your wolf and you can heal faster. Tomorrow we should go to the nearest town." He was my Beta for a reason. He was always looking after my best interests. He was right. Tomorrow, I will feel better, and I will search under every single stone for her. The Lycan king will personally go fetch her.