Chapter 6

Tristan

I spend every spare minute searching for her. I remember her eyes. The way they locked onto mine and made everything else vanish. I remember her scent—warm, soft, like earth after rain. I've chased fragments of it through crowded alleys and market stalls, desperate for a sign. A whisper. Anything.

I pray to the Goddess every night to lead me to her. So far, all I get is silence.

Today, I'm roaming the streets with Henry. He's still skeptical, probably thinks I imagined half of it. But he humors me. Cracks jokes. Pretends we're just two Alphas-in-training avoiding responsibilities, not two brothers hunting a ghost.

All of a sudden I felt something. Faint. So faint I almost miss it.

But my wolf snarls awake in my chest. It's her.

I freeze mid-step, heart pounding as I try to track it. It's coming from the other side of the street. I cross quickly, inhaling deeply—but just like that, it's gone. Snuffed out. Lost among the exhaust fumes and city chaos. Damn it.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. One glance at the screen drains what little hope I had left.

Father. I answer reluctantly.

"Where are youTristan?" his voice cuts through the line,"Kayla's waiting at the boutique or have you forgotten what is the? You know how important this is.  For the future of the pack."

I grit my teeth, staring at nothing. He doesn't get it. None of them do. This isn't about the pack. This is about her.

But I can't say that. Not without risking everything.

"I'm on my way," I answered and hang up before I lose my nerve.

Henry gives me a look. "You sure you want to do this?"

No. I'm not. But I nod anyway.

"Let's just get it over with."

Kayla was already twirling in front of a floor-length mirror by the time we got to the boutique. She was draped in layers of satin and lace like she belonged on a stage. She spotted me instantly and practically bounced over, arms flung wide.

"You're here!" she squealed, wrapping herself around me like we were in love.

I stood still, arms limp at my sides. When she pulled back and looked up at me with expectant eyes, I took a step away. Her hands slipped off me like dead weight.

Henry chuckled under his breath, already leaning against a nearby wall with a look of pure irritation.

Kayla didn't seem to notice—or maybe she chose not to. She turned to him instead. "Henry, why don't you be useful and grab us some coffee?"

Henry's eyes narrowed. "Why don't you ask your personal assistant? I'm not your errand boy."

Before she could snap back, the assistant in question—barely older than a pup, with shy eyes and a trembling clipboard offered a timid, "I can go, Miss Kayla."

With a scoff and a flick of her wrist, Kayla shoved the girl hard enough that she fell. Her clipboard clattered on the marble floor. The assistant gasped, blinking up in embarrassment and pain.

Henry was there fast, crouching to help her. "Are you out of your mind?" he snapped at Kayla. "She's not your punching bag."

Kayla just huffed and turned away, dismissing the scene like it was beneath her.

I ran a hand down my face and sighed heavily. The whole damn boutique felt suffocating.

"I need some air," I muttered, already heading for the door.

Kayla's heels clicked behind me. She caught my arm before I could escape. "Tristan. Why are you being like this?"

I turned to her slowly, holding her gaze. "Because this marriage is a political deal. Nothing more. You and I both know it."

Her jaw tightened. "Yeah, that's what it is. But that doesn't mean I don't want it Tristan. I'm not that stupid."

I didn't answer. I just stared at her until she finally let go of my arm and stormed back to the fitting room.

The second the door closed behind her, I exhaled. Then I stepped outside, letting the fresh air hit my face.

This wasn't right. None of this was right. Somewhere out there, my real mate was waiting—or worse, hurting. And here I was trying on a leash.

I couldn't let it end like this. Not without finding her.

**

I wandered down the street, hands in my pockets, ignoring the looks of passing wolves who recognized me. Let them stare. None of them understood what it meant to find your mate and then lose her.

Every step I took was aimless... until I caught the scent.

I was furious at the world and myself for not holding onto her when I had the chance. That night haunted me every day. And no matter how hard I looked, it always led me back to nowhere.

I passed a group of people murmuring near the side of a café. I didn't pay attention until I caught a few of the words.

"The pregnant girl fell off a ladder."

"Thank God the ambulance came early. I can't imagine what would have happened to her with the blood everywhere. Poor thing."

I turned sharply, all senses on high alert. Pregnant?Working at a café?

My instincts screamed at me to move. I strode toward the back of the building without a second thought. The alley was quiet, but I saw the ladder and the gravel was stained faintly in places like someone had tried to wash away blood.

And then something caught my eye. A small ring glinting in the corner of the wall, half-buried in dirt.

My chest tightened as I bent down and picked it up. It was mine.

The one I had left that night in the hotel room, beside the pillow. I never thought I'd see it again.

And now it was here. She'd been here. She was the pregnant girl. Pregnant with our child.

I gripped the ring tightly in my hand feeling emotions building up inside of me. I mindlinked Henry. "Cover for me. Tell Father anything you want—I don't care. I'm going to the hospital."

I broke into a run. If she'd been hurt, I am going to find her. And this time, I wouldn't let her slip through my fingers. Not again.

I pushed through the sliding doors. The scent I'd followed had vanished hours ago, but that damn ring it was all the proof I needed. She had to be here.

I approached the front desk where a young nurse looked up with a polite smile. "Good afternoon, sir. How can I help you?"

"There was a woman brought in not too long ago."

"Name Sir," She asked.

"She was Pregnant. Fell off a ladder behind a café," I said, my tone clipped. "I need to see her. Now."

She looked up at me, after her fingers typed on the keyboard and then stilling. "I'm sorry, sir. We can't give out patient information without a proof of relation."

I leaned forward. "I suggest you rethink that answer. Now."

Her eyes widened. She straightened nervously, fidgeting. "Sir, please... there were several patients brought in today—including a few pregnant women. If you want information, I need a name."

Damn it. I can't believe I didn't know her name all this while.

I quickly opened a mindlink to Henry. “Henry, I need her name please."

His response came fast.  "Her name is Selene. You okay? Have you found her?"

"I will be, once I find her."

I turned back to the nurse. "Selene. Her name is Selene."

She tapped on her keyboard, squinting at the screen. A pause.

"I'm sorry, sir. There's no Selene admitted here today."

No. That wasn't possible.

I slammed my hand on the counter, making her jump. "Check again."

"I—I did," she stammered. "There's no one with that name. Maybe she used a different identity—sometimes patients don't give their real names—"

They must be fools then for taking in patient with false identity.

My vision tunneled, fury tightening my chest like a vice. She was here. I knew it. I could feel it. Why would she use a false name?

My fists clenched at my sides. I forced myself to breathe. Deeply. Slowly. Something was wrong somewhere.

I stormed out of the hospital, jaw locked and fists still clenched. The receptionist's words echoed in my head. “No patient with that name." I didn't buy it. Not for a second.

I needed to breathe before I did something I'd regret. But just as I stepped off the curb, a frail voice stopped me.

"Are you looking for the pregnant woman that fell from the ladder and gave birth?"

I turned sharply. An older woman, wrapped in a faded shawl, sat on a bench near the hospital entrance, her sharp eyes watching me with eerie accuracy. Her face was aged and her gaze was soft.

"I heard you talking at the desk," she said, nodding toward the automatic doors behind me. "The girl you're looking for... she was brought in. I was in the waiting area when they rushed her through. She was bleeding badly. And she gave birth. Early. But she made it."

Bile hit my chest, "Are you sure?"

"I know what I saw, young man. You shouldn't leave this hospital. Not without seeing her."

That was all I needed. Without another word, I turned and marched right back inside.

This time, I didn't head for the front desk. I was done playing nice. I headed straight for the elevators.

"Sir! Sir!" The receptionist's panicked voice rang behind me. I didn't stop. I didn't even look her way.

She tried again, louder this time. "You can't go up there! You need permission!"

I jabbed the elevator button. Her footsteps quickened, but I was already slipping into the elevator just as the doors began to close. I turned to face her, eyes locked with hers as the doors slid shut.

"Try and stop me."

The elevator dinged softly as it opened to the maternity floor. The hallway was quiet for the chaos my mind was spiraling through. I stepped out, scanning the rows of doors, unsure which direction to take.

I didn't even know which room to check. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a nurse stepping out of a room at the far end. Her scrubs were slightly stained.  Without hesitation, I rushed toward her.

"Wait!" I called out.

She paused, startled as I approached. "I'm looking for a woman," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "She was brought in here. Pregnant. Fell from a ladder. Dark hair, close to my height."

Her eyes widened, and something flashed across her face concern... and recognition.

"We're actually looking for her," she replied. "She's missing."

My heart dropped. "What do you mean—missing?"

"She left her room with untreated surgical stitches. She's bleeding and in a vulnerable state. We don't know how far she could've gotten. We have sent out people looking for her but if she doesn't get help soon..."

"Let me make one thing clear," I said stepping closer to her. I didn't care whether I was intimidating her.  "If anything happens to her—if you don't find her immediately—I will sue this hospital for negligence. You let a patient in critical condition walk out without your consent. That's on you."

Her face paled. I didn't wait for a response. I turned sharply, already thinking of where she might've gone, praying to the Moon Goddess that I wouldn't be too late.