FIND HER FIRST

KATRINA

“I don’t believe you right now,” I sighed, relaxing back on the neck rest that protected me from what I was having my hair washed in. As luck would have it, Kane was free enough to take it up from the maid… He was just rinsing the soap off but the brilliant movement of his fingers on my scalp was extremely distracting. “I tried to tell them. I really did but Aurora… where did you learn to wash hair like this and why are you just doing this?”

He smirked.

I was just in a satin underdress and he had no more than a towel over his waist. The only thing missing was he in my front, letting me feast my eyes on his drool-worthy body. I wished I had more than one of him.

‘I can’t believe I just said that.’

‘You’ve always had a bad mouth.’

I was too busy melting under his touch to realize that Kane was reaching for me. His lips found mine and I had a spicy taste of his succulent passion—the only thing I can never get tired of. It felt like hours before we let go and he started washing again.

“Aurora’s always liked attention. She could have all the attention in the world and still not be satisfied.”

“I hate that you’re right. She needs to understand that we are leading a pack of more than four thousand wolves.” I replayed her words. It was painful but I couldn’t get rid of them when it was her voice ringing in my head like that. “And Hilda… Hilda’s having a tough time. She just…” I sighed again and succumbed to Kane’s magic fingers.

“She’s our daughter, Kat. Don’t take what she said to heart.”

“Easy for you to say. She wasn’t targeting her words at you.”

Kane’s rubbing was harder but the cool water complimented it. “She has us both.” His tone dropped. “It was aimed at you as much as it was at me.”

I huffed a breath out my nose, using my fingers to search for a mirror as Kane took a towel and dried my hair. “Do you think it’s a good idea? Telling her about her mate and who he is?”

He said nothing for a while. Kane wasn’t a big fan of the Dark Alpha and he hated him from the moment he heard his name. I knew that if he had a choice, he’d never let him take Aurora. None of us would… if we had a choice.

“We should have told her weeks before her birthday.” I felt hope flash in his eyes and I knew I’d have to crush it soon. “It’s been a month. It’s possible he doesn’t want her.”

I placed the mirror on my chest and looked up at the finely designed ceiling. “I would love that to be true but there were probably delays.”

He frowned. “I hope his delays persist. If I could help it, I wouldn’t let my daughter near that fucking asshole.”

Just when Kane was done and I was drying my hair off, thinking of ways to make our free time useful, a knock sounded on the door. Connectively, we looked at each other and Kane nodded.

I turned to the door. “Come in.”

The Alpha went to his closet to get some clothes while I got up and looked for my hair dryer.

“Alpha, I…” When the Beta saw our conditions, he drew his words back. “Pardon me, Alpha, Luna.”

“It’s okay, Alan,” I said, placing my hair dryer on the table and going to get some clothes. “What’s the news?”

He took a step in. “We have a visitor.”

“Tell Kendra we’ll be with her soon.”

He cleared his throat deeply. “I’m afraid it’s not Kendra… or Alpha Hades.”

A dressed Kane walked up to him, a stern look in his eyes. “Who is it?”

Alan’s hesitation was not a good sign. “Alpha Adrian of the Silverclaw pack.”

Fuck.

~~~

The Dark Alpha—the only name that suits him—refused to remove his sunglasses or his hoodie. I didn’t know what he was hiding beneath it all but to say the truth, I wasn’t eager to know. My greatest fear was how Aurora would react to this.

I didn’t get the chance to tell her or her siblings at breakfast yesterday and I haven’t seen Aurora since then. How the fuck would I pass the information down to her when the Alpha was right in our living room, seated like he owned the place with a dozen Sigmas behind him. She blocked me off the mind-link so that’s out of it.

It had been four years since I felt his dark aura. It’s something you can’t get used to. Kane hadn’t stopped glaring at him since he arrived and I couldn’t blame him.

From the little I could see, his mischievous smile was still there and his perfect nose was still pierced. The hoodie he wore, the gloves he had on, and the pants he was in were all made of black leather.

“There was a delay.”

As he spoke, Hilda and Dash came down to the living room with heavy eyes. But sleep left their eyes when they saw this Alpha and his Sigmas. Dash got restless and Hilda kept adjusting her glasses at odd times.

I knew they had questions but now wasn’t the time.

“I would’ve been here earlier…” He continued, tensing his shoulders. “…but some rogues thought they could challenge us.”

His Sigmas laughed heartily and a raise of his finger cut their laughter short.

I gathered my voice. “Dash, go to Aurora’s room and get her down here. Make sure she dresses and more importantly, make sure she gets here.”

“Yes, Luna.”

He cast a glance at the Dark Alpha and the volume of his steps dropped as he went up the stairs.

“Been having rogue attacks too?” Kane asked.

Hilda took the seat next to mine and I knew what she wanted.

‘Mom, what’s going on? Why is the Dark Alpha here?’

It was times like these I wished my daughter weren’t so knowledgeable. ‘Hilda, I can’t talk right now.’

‘But why is he here? I’ve heard things about him! He brings bad omens and the moon goddess herself cursed him!’

‘I thought you were smarter than that. That’s all lies.’

‘Fine, why is he here then?’

‘Let Aurora get here first, okay?’

“I’m surprised they dared. They met their worst deaths.” I felt Kane’s eyes on me but he said nothing. “You didn’t inform them?” I swallowed hard. “Thought I wouldn’t come?”

“But you’re here, aren’t you?”

His smile died out to his darkness and I felt his choking aura once again. “Where is she?”

Footsteps climbed down the stairs but they were fast and didn’t sound like they belonged to two people.

“Alpha! Luna!” Dash announced as he appeared, looking disheveled and worried. What happened now? “Aurora isn’t in her room. I can’t find her anywhere.”

A perilous flash highlighted in the Dark Alpha’s sunglasses and I sensed danger.

Kane got on his feet. “What do you mean you can’t find her?!”

Dash went up to the Alpha and handed a piece of paper to him. “She left this behind.”

Dash’s eyes darted to the Dark Alpha who had his fists clenched as Kane took a look at the note, silently reading it out.

‘Dear mom and dad,

I’ve decided that it’s time for me to leave and make my way, now that I’ve come of age. The packhouse doesn’t feel like home anymore and I’ve left to find somewhere that will.’ He paused and looked at me with furrowed eyebrows.

‘Don’t bother trying to find me because you won’t. I’ll be fine wherever I am so don’t worry either. I will be back eventually but until then…

Love, Arie.’

Kane destroyed the note and tossed it on the floor, waves of anger rolling off him. “Find her! Search the whole packhouse! Search the whole pack! She couldn’t have gone far!”

Kane called for his Beta and Gamma as I turned to the Dark Alpha who had found his feet. His Sigmas took a step closer and I stood up as well.

“What games are you playing, Alpha?!” His tone was nothing like before. Hard and murderous. “Where is my mate?!”

“Mate?!” Hilda asked, realization dawning on her. She turned to a shocked Dash before staring at me. “It can’t be! Aurora can’t…”

“To your room, Hilda.”

“No, I’m not leaving! This man can’t be Aurora’s mate! He just can’t!”

“Dash!” I screamed, my eyes still on Alpha Adrian. “Take your sister away from here! Now!”

Dash hesitantly did as I said and Hilda didn’t leave without a fight. Our Sigmas had scattered all around the packhouse, searching for Aurora, and I could already feel the pressure rise in the air.

What was she thinking? Why did she do this… and now of all times?! I was confident that she could take care of herself but what about the rogue attacks? No single wolf stood a chance against a whole rogue mob.

‘Why Aurora?’

“You’ve hidden her!” His claws popped out through his gloves and I had never seen ones so thick and sharp.

“We know nothing about this,” Kane stated, getting closer to the dangerous Alpha.

“You can’t keep her away from me! She’s mine and I will find her.” He took backward steps, eyes still on us. “And when I do, you’ll never see her again. That I promise.”

He looked away and walked out of the packhouse with his dozen Sigmas at his tail. I turned to Kane and could already see his eyes pacing.

“Kane…”

“Where could she have gone? What’s wrong with her?” His wrinkled eyebrows presented how frustrated he was but deep down, I understood how Aurora felt.

Maybe I wasn’t a good enough mother. Maybe all she said about me was true. I’ve been trying so hard to be a Luna and a mother. A mother that would be nothing like mine. It’s difficult and I was always confident that everything would be fine.

But Aurora left… and it’s my fault.

I collapsed on the couch behind us, covering my eyes with my palm. Kane dropped beside me and wrapped his arms around my back.

“It’s not your fault, Kat. It really isn’t.”

He knew me so well.

I shook my head. I’ve been through worse and I’m not going to let a motherfucking rogue or a shitty Dark Alpha find my daughter first.

“We have to find her, Kane.” I turned to him with swollen eyes. “And we have to find her first.”