Chapter 3

Nathaniel's POV

For the hundredth time that morning, I called Vivian, hoping she would answer.

The call wouldn't even connect.

"Fuck!"

I hurled my phone onto the couch, sending it bouncing against the cushions.

Three fucking days.

That was how long it had been since the woman I loved had ended our relationship without an explanation.

I'd called, emailed, and searched every platform we'd used to communicate, but nothing worked.

Even her profile on the dating application where we'd met had disappeared.

It was as though she'd never existed.

I kicked the coffee table, sending a crystal vase crashing to the floor.

"Find her," my wolf growled. "Bring our mate back."

"Do you think I haven't been trying?"

My wolf snapped his jaws inside my mind, unconcerned with my frustration.

He wanted Vivian, and so did I.

After ninety-nine failed relationships, I'd finally found a woman who made me believe love could be real.

For two years, her laughter had been the highlight of my days, and our late-night conversations had become something I couldn't imagine living without.

She made me feel like an ordinary man rather than the future Alpha King or billionaire heir.

And now she was gone before I could even hold her in my arms.

The sound of approaching footsteps made me turn toward the entrance.

My Beta, Marcus, stepped inside, surveyed the broken vase, and raised an eyebrow.

"Should I ask what happened, Alpha, or pretend the vase committed suicide?"

I shot him a murderous look.

"Right. Bad time for jokes." He straightened. "Good morning, by the way."

"Have you found her?"

His amusement vanished. "No, Alpha. The private investigators haven't found anything useful. Her dating profile is gone, her email reveals nothing about her identity, and there's no reliable information about her whereabouts."

"Get more investigators."

"We already have three."

"Get five more!"

"Alpha, throwing money at the problem won't make her magically appear."

I crossed the room, and Marcus instinctively stepped back as my wolf pressed against my skin.

"Are you suggesting I sit here doing nothing while she's somewhere out there, possibly hurt or in trouble?"

"I'm suggesting we approach this logically."

"Logically?" I laughed bitterly. "She blocked me everywhere, returned every payment she could account for, and disappeared without a trace. Explain what part of that makes sense!"

Marcus stared at me. "She returned your money?"

"Every last dollar."

"That's unexpected."

"Tell me something I don't know."

He rubbed his neck before asking, "Forgive me, Alpha, but why are you destroying your apartment over an ordinary human girl when millions of she-wolves outside the palace would gladly fight for your attention?"

A furious growl ripped from my throat, rattling the windows.

"Care to repeat that?"

"No, Alpha."

"Then choose your next words carefully."

Marcus sighed. "You've rejected beautiful, powerful she-wolves from influential families for years. Some would give anything to become your Luna, yet you're losing your mind over a woman you've never even met."

"That's the fucking point!"

My voice thundered through the room.

"They want the crown, the wealth, and the power that comes with being my mate. They see the Alpha King's son and the billionaire heir, not the man beneath those titles. Some of them would sell their souls for the Luna position, and you expect me to replace Vivian with one of them?"

I turned toward the kitchen counter, gripping its edge.

"Vivian never made me feel like I had to earn her affection through my name or money. She listened when I was exhausted, remembered the smallest things I told her, and made me laugh when I had every reason to be miserable. With her, I could be Nathan. I didn't have to pretend I enjoyed the life waiting for me."

My throat tightened.

I remembered the way she sometimes asked questions that seemed casual at first but lingered in my mind long after our conversations ended. 

Once, she'd asked whether I could ever fall in love with a woman who didn't have the kind of figure society considered perfect.

I'd laughed softly and told her that I had never understood why people acted as though a woman's worth depended on her size. 

I'd always found fuller figures beautiful, and there was something especially appealing about a woman who carried her curves naturally.

She'd gone quiet for a moment before asking whether I meant it.

I'd assured her I did, never imagining that the question might have come from a place of personal fear rather than simple curiosity.

Now, I couldn't stop wondering what else she'd been too afraid to tell me.

"I was going to introduce her to my father. I wanted her beside me when I became Alpha King. I didn't care whether the council approved or whether she was human. I wanted her as my mate, my wife, and the mother of my children."

Marcus's expression softened.

"And now I don't even know where she is," I finished.

"We'll keep searching," he promised. "I'll speak to the investigators myself and make sure they explore every possible lead."

Before I could respond, his phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen, and his expression changed.

"What?"

"Your father called."

I closed my eyes. "Whatever he wants, the answer is no."

"You haven't heard him out."

"If it's another council meeting, pack dispute, or gathering where families parade their daughters in front of me, the answer remains no."

"It's the Alpha's Ball."

I opened my eyes.

"Of course it is."

"Your father wants you to represent him. Several Alphas and their families will be attending, and he believes your presence is important."

"I'm not going."

"Alpha, he specifically asked—"

"And I specifically said no!"

My wolf surged forward, feeding the anger burning through me. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to destroy something else.

Marcus waited before speaking again.

"I understand you're upset about Vivian, but you're the future Alpha King. The council is already questioning your readiness to take over. Refusing to attend will only give them more reasons to doubt you."

"Let them doubt me."

"Your father has spent decades maintaining alliances between the packs. The ball is an opportunity to strengthen those relationships. You can't keep ignoring your responsibilities."

I released the counter and began pacing.

"Do you think being an Alpha means wearing a crown and barking orders? It means settling disputes between wolves who would rather kill each other than compromise, managing ambitious families, and making decisions that could cost innocent people their lives. Every day brings another demand, another problem, another reminder of what I'm expected to become."

I stopped in front of him.

"Nobody asks whether I want this life. They assume that because I can carry the burden, I should be grateful for it."

"You know your father loves you."

"I know. That doesn't mean he understands me."

I turned toward the windows overlooking the city.

"I've spent my entire life studying, training, managing businesses, and preparing to inherit the throne. I've sacrificed my freedom to meet expectations I never chose. For once, I want to make a decision because it's what I want, not because the council demands it."

Marcus sighed. "Your father won't be pleased."

"Then he can be displeased."

"Alpha, with all due respect, you can't keep running away from—"

"Get out!"

He fell silent.

I turned, letting my Alpha command settle into my voice.

"Go back to the investigators. Don't return to this apartment until you have useful information about Vivian. I don't want excuses, reports about how difficult the search is, or another lecture about my responsibilities. Find her."

Marcus bowed his head. "Understood, Alpha."

The door clicked shut behind him.

I stared at the broken vase scattered across the floor.

Money could replace it, just as it could replace almost anything in my life. Yet the one thing I wanted most remained beyond my reach.

I picked up my phone, hoping Vivian had changed her mind. The screen remained empty.

Just as I was about to throw it across the room, a notification appeared.

An email.

I nearly ignored it until I recognized the sender.

Months ago, desperate for an escape from the suffocating demands of pack life, I'd applied for a position at a human university in Boston.

I opened the message.

Subject: Offer of Employment: Professor of Business Administration

My eyes moved over the first few lines before I straightened.

The university had accepted my application following the interview process and was offering me a two-year contract teaching Business Administration in its accelerated degree programme.

A human university, far from the palace, the council, and the endless parade of she-wolves hoping to become my Luna.

For the first time in three days, I felt something besides anger and heartbreak.

The position suited my qualifications, and two years away could give me the breathing room I'd desperately needed.

I could continue managing my company, prepare for my future responsibilities, and experience life beyond the pack's constant demands.

My father would object, of course. He expected me to devote myself entirely to becoming Alpha King, but I could present the position as an opportunity to strengthen my leadership and business experience while continuing my Alpha training.

It was a reasonable plan.

At least, that was what I intended to tell him.

I scrolled to the acceptance instructions, my finger hovering over the screen.

Two years in Boston wouldn't bring Vivian back, but perhaps a change of scenery would stop me from losing my mind while the search continued.

I accepted the offer.