Chapter 7 — Another Missing

DRAVEN

‘I hate you!’

I sighed as Rory’s words kept resounding in my ears. It was like a defective music box that wouldn’t stop playing. I was starting to feel restless about it, and it made me want to talk sense into her.

But I had already told her she was the woman of my dreams. What else was I supposed to say to convince her? The way she had looked at me was still burned into my mind.

No one could imagine what it was like to see your whole future before you, and yet your present seemed so painfully dull.

I looked down at the city from the glass hall I was standing in. This was one of the rare places I had all to myself.

It was like my sanctuary, and no one dared disturb me here. From this place, I could see everything and everyone. It helped me think, clear my mind, and meditate.

I hated that Rory hated me. She probably thought I had enslaved her people and she wasn’t entirely wrong.

But there was more to this invasion than she could possibly know. Until I could get Rory to accept me, I couldn’t share the truth with her.

The memory of her face, defiant even as she trembled, flashed through my mind, making me groan. I wondered when she would ever see me the way I had seen her in my visions.

The door opened, and I frowned when I saw Selene Nightwind and Lyra Stormclaw walk into the room. I was rarely disturbed here, so what had changed?

“What’s wrong?” I asked them.

“We had to give you these documents,” Selene replied calmly.

I sighed and took the parchment from her. Lyra, as always, had a mischievous look on her face while I casually flipped through the report.

“What’s wrong, Alpha?” she asked in a teasing voice, tossing her wild blonde hair over her shoulder.

I scoffed. “You know I don’t like that title when it’s used like that.”

Selene shrugged. “It’s still your title.”

“So… woman trouble?” Lyra pressed, her eyes gleaming mischievously.

She was always known for being free-spirited, reckless, and annoyingly perceptive.

I looked away, and Lyra squealed in delight, almost like she’d been handed a rare treat.

“I knew it,” she smirked.

“What do you think you know, Lyra? I don’t have time for this,” I tried to deny it.

“Leave the Alpha alone. You wouldn’t dare tease Alpha Darius like this,” Selene muttered.

Lyra scoffed. “That one’s all stiff and business. Alpha Draven is friendly and accommodating.”

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat. Deep down, I knew Darius’s harshness was partly my fault.

“Is this all the report?” I asked, trying to redirect.

Lyra shook her head. “No, Alpha. We’re not going to discuss this when you have that sour look on your face.”

I sighed and sat down on the chair. Once Lyra set her mind on something, she wouldn’t stop until she got her way.

“We’ve already established you’re stressed because of a woman,” Lyra continued. “But why let her stress you? You’re an Alpha. Claim her, and she’ll stop making your face so sour.”

Selene tapped her arm. “It’s not that simple. You can’t force it. If he wants her, he has to earn her by being gentle, showing his intentions, and waiting for her to come around on her own.”

I liked Selene’s reasoning more. But what would they say if they knew the woman I wanted wasn’t a wolf at all but a human girl?

“Enough,” I said, standing. “Let’s talk about this report.”

Selene gestured to the pages in my hand. “It was another dead end. No matter how hard we pushed, we couldn’t uncover anything. Whoever’s behind this, it’s like they’re ghosts.”

Frustration clawed at me. Despite my foresight, I couldn’t see who led The Red Hand, the group terrorizing my people.

“I feel like I’m letting the pack down,” I admitted. “I should see these things before they happen, but there’s nothing, no visions, no warnings.”

Selene placed a steady hand on my shoulder. “I’ve known you since you were a boy, Draven. You’re the best Alpha the Bloodfang could ever ask for.”

“You’re only saying that to make me feel better,” I sighed.

Selene smiled faintly. “Is it working?”

I let out a short laugh. “Maybe a little. But I still can’t stop thinking about it. Why can’t we find them? What are we missing?”

Lyra tapped her claws lightly against the glass wall. “We’ll try again, Alpha. We’re not giving up.”

“There’s no option to quit,” I agreed. “We have to know who’s behind these abductions before they pick us off in greater numbers.”

Just then, the door was shoved open with force. I turned, already exasperated, only to see a furious Darius standing there, silver eyes blazing.

“What happened?” I asked sharply.

“Something’s wrong,” Darius growled. “Luna Astrid never came back from patrol this morning.”