Chapter Three

Trent's POV 

“How's she feeling Doctor?” I asked worriedly, as the pack doctor emerged from Arianna's room.

“She's fine, it was a false heart attack. She simply had a little myocardial infarction. She needs to rest properly and I'll do the necessary work up and all.” He assured me.

I heaved a sigh of relief and signed off the necessary consent forms before going ahead to see her in her room. She looked pale and smiled weakly at me.

“Alpha Trent, I'm sorry I got you worried.” She apologized.

I smiled and patted her head. Arianna was more than a beta to me, she's my best-friend’s sister. He died saving my life and made me promise to never let her get hurt.

“I'm not mad at you Arianna, I'm just relieved you're fine.” I assured her.

She hugged my body tightly and began to cry, I was alarmed but I patted her back, gently.

“I'm so sorry you're going through all this trouble for me. I was so scared, I thought I was going to die.” She cried.

“You're not permitted to die, not on my watch. I'll do anything to ensure your safety.”

She slowly broke the hug and wiped her tears. “I want to go home please. You stayed up all night because of me.”

“We'll go home as soon as you're discharged, I'll make arrangements.” I informed her.

I fed her some apples and massaged her foot, told her some jokes and she laughed. It lightened my heavy heart to see she was okay, as I would drop everything in a heartbeat just for her.

Later that day, I texted Celine to make some homemade spaghetti carbonara and chicken noodle soup — Arianna’s favorite. 

She didn't reply to my text and I ignored it, She could be a handful sometimes.

Arianna got discharged later that evening and I drove her home. I wouldn't let her walk and I carried her in my arms up to her room. 

She protested but I insisted and when the maids giggled and gossiped, a stare from me shut them up.

“Tell Luna Celine that Arianna is here and her food should be brought up to her room in ten minutes.” I ordered one of my maids.

“Luna Celine made my food? You didn't have to bother her.” Arianna inputted, worriedly.

I chuckled softly and pinched her rosy cheeks. “Just freshen up and let me worry about that, okay?” She blushed and nodded. 

I headed out to deal with some business in my study room only to receive a call from Arianna twenty minutes later, that she was famished.

Angrily, I stormed into the kitchen.

“Why is the food not ready yet?” I barked, seeing the cook and maids idle. 

They shook with fear as they saw me.

“Al-alpha, what food?” The head cook asked and I frowned deeply.

“Where is Celine? Isn't she supposed to be here?” I spat, angrily.

“Alpha, no one has seen Luna Celine all day and she hasn't stepped into the kitchen.” 

I gritted my teeth and growled slowly, scaring them even further. “Prepare some spaghetti carbonara and chicken noodle soup, I want it done in half an hour.” I ordered.

“But alpha, that would take at least two hours to-”

“Don't annoy me.” I growled and they scrambled to work.

I stormed angrily upstairs and bumped into Arianna, she looked fragile and could barely walk straight.

“Alpha, what happened? I heard noises.”

“Celine didn't prepare the food, she's so petty.” I retorted, angrily.

She flinched and my expression softened a bit.

“Maybe she's upset you spent the night looking after me?”

“Nonsense!” I threw back. “My priority is this pack, she knows better than to be upset.” 

“Let me speak with her, apologize if need be. After all, yesterday was her birthday party and you left her behind without looking back as you rushed me to the hospital.” She reminded me.

I raised an eyebrow in suspicion, wondering how she knew that I didn’t look back when she experienced the false heart attack. 

“The guards told me.” She explained.

A pang of guilt tore at my heart. I never hesitated to look after my mate or her well-being the entire day and it was unfair to her, I inhaled deeply, feeling like a j*rk.

“It's no excuse, you come first, not her tantrums.” I insisted, stubbornly and headed for her room.

After knocking loudly for the umpteenth time, I got infuriated.

“Open up or I'll break down this door.” I warned but was greeted with silence. Angrily, I kicked the door open, ready to give her an earful of lecture on how she was being inconsiderate, childish and selfish but was greeted by an unfamiliar silence and emptiness.

“Celine! Celine, where are you?” I called out, still infuriated.

“Maybe she went out?” Arianna suggested.

I scoffed and called for her maid.

“Your highness, I haven't seen her since last night.” The maid informed me.

Suspicion crept in, as worry embraced my soul. Celine was never one to leave without telling anyone, I sniffed the room for her scent but my nose caught nothing. 

It was then that my wolf became disturbed, a chasm of impending doom serenaded me.

Reluctantly, I opened her wardrobe to see that her clothes were intact, her stuff was also intact and I shakily heaved a sigh of relief but the pit in my stomach churned deeper.

Suddenly it occurred to me that the dress my father gave her before his death was nowhere to be found, I rummaged through her stuff and that was when I realized that everything she bought with her hard-earned money was gone. 

I raced to my room and scattered my belongings, my heart pounding fast against my chest cavity but I was met with an empty box - the box I kept the other half of her pendant, the one that she gave me as a symbol of our bond.

Sweat drenched my forehead and fear kissed my soul, my wolf went berserk and I ran back to her room, calling out her name.

“Alpha Trent, what is happening? Calm down. She would be-”

“Shut up Arianna! I can't find my mate!” I barked at her and she retreated in fear.

I rummaged through the entire room and saw a note, just beside the box that contained our mate-bond symbol. As I read the contents, my lips quavered, my expression darkened and for the first time in forever, I felt a soul wrenching emotion. Fear and pain.

****************

“What do you mean you can't find her? Is she so minute?” I barked at the pack’s finest investigators and for the umpteenth time, there was no report of Celine's whereabouts.

“I'm sorry Your highness but it's as if she vanished.” Kion, the leader, spoke.

“What?”

“It's been three months Your Highness and respectfully, I don't think she's aliv-”

I gripped his neck, cutting off his sentence mid-breath. “She is my mate, my Luna, not some pup that will go missing, find her or I'll make sure no one finds your body.” I threatened, then let him go.

I watched as he coughed vehemently and Arianna motioned for them to leave and I huffed, angrily. Ever since Celine left, my wolf went berserk and restless. I searched for her like a crazy wolf and my heartbeat became rapid as my search was futile.

“Alpha Trent, I think it would be better if you get it together, the pack needs you. There's an alliance meeting for all alphas over the world in a few days, you are invited and you shou-”

“Celine is my mate, the Luna of this pack, there's no normalcy without her. Find her.” I said in a deadpan tone.