Chapter 9

_Kayden’s POV_

I stormed into the packhouse. I was furious. How in the hell had she escaped? I had personally ordered my guards to keep that cellar heavily guarded. No one should have been able to slip in or out without my explicit command. And yet, Leah was gone. Disappeared, as if she had vanished into thin air.

The guards had searched everywhere, combing through the packhouse and the woods surrounding the territory. There was no sign of her. No scent. No tracks. Nothing. It was as if she had never even existed.

I slammed my fist against the wall, the impact cracking the wood paneling. “Find her!” I roared to the nearest guard. “I don’t care what it takes. I want every inch of this land searched again. Do you understand?”

The guard flinched, but he nodded quickly before running out the door to relay my orders.

Where could she have gone? I paced back and forth, my mind racing with questions. Who had helped her? There had to be a traitor in the pack. Someone had betrayed me, had defied my orders, and let Leah out. It was the only explanation. But who? I trusted my guards, or at least I thought I did. Now, I wasn’t sure who to trust anymore.

My hands clenched into fists at my sides, the anger boiling hotter. Leah’s escape was a direct threat to everything I had built. If she was free, she could cause problems for Selena and me. She could reveal things that would tear this pack apart, and I couldn’t let that happen.

I should have killed her when I had the chance. The thought gnawed at me like a relentless beast. If I had just ended her miserable life, I wouldn’t be in this mess right now. She wouldn’t be a danger to us. But I had hesitated, thinking I could break her, punish her into submission. Now I was paying the price for my mistake.

The door behind me creaked open, and I turned to see Selena walking in. Her expression was calm, but I could see the slight worry in her eyes.

She walked over to me, placing a hand on my arm. “Kayden, you need to calm down. You’re going to drive yourself mad like this.”

“How can I calm down, Selena?” I snapped, my voice harsher than I intended. “Leah is gone. We have searched everywhere, and there is no trace of her. She could be out there plotting something right now, for all we know.”

Selena frowned, but there was a softness in her eyes that I couldn’t ignore. “I understand, Kayden. But you have to remember that we have already increased security around the pack. There is no way she could get back in without being caught. And if she’s still in the area, the guards will find her.”

I shook my head. “But what if she’s already gone too far? What if someone took her out of the territory?”

Selena stepped closer, her hand resting gently on my chest. “Kayden, listen to me. It is possible that she is already dead. If she escaped into the forest, there are rogues out there. She wouldn’t have survived long on her own in her condition.”

I frowned, the thought swirling in my mind. Could that be true? Leah had been weak when I last saw her. Broken. The beating I gave her was meant to make sure she wouldn’t be a threat. If she had somehow made it out of the pack’s territory and crossed paths with rogues, they would have finished her off for me. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she might survive, that she might find a way to come back and ruin everything.

“I hope that you are right,” I muttered while running a hand through my hair. “I can’t afford any mistakes, Selena. Not now.”

Selena gave me a small smile and leaned into me, pressing her body against mine. “You worry too much,” she said, her voice soft and sweet. “Leah won’t cause any problems for us. And even if she does, we will handle it together. We are stronger than she is.”

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close, though my mind was still racing. Selena had always been able to calm me down, but this situation felt different. It wasn’t just about Leah being gone. It was the uncertainty, the feeling that I had lost control.

Selena tilted her head up to look at me, her eyes shining with excitement. “Instead of worrying about Leah, why don’t we focus on more important things? Like our engagement. I can’t wait to get married to you, Kayden. To finally be your wife and mark you as mine.”

Her words should have made me feel better. I should have been thrilled by the thought of our engagement, of marking her and making her my mate in every way. But a part of me, small and buried deep inside, felt uneasy. I had pushed aside my bond with Leah, convinced myself that it didn’t matter, that Selena was the one I truly wanted. But now, with Leah gone, that small part of me twisted in confusion and regret.

I forced a smile, trying to push the thoughts away. Selena was my future. Leah was nothing but a memory, a mistake that needed to be erased.

“You’re right,” I said, brushing my fingers through Selena’s long, golden hair. “We should focus on us. Leah is gone. She won’t ruin what we have.”

Selena smiled brightly, standing on her toes to kiss me softly on the lips. “That’s better. No more worrying about her. Soon, we’ll be married, and everything will be perfect.”

I kissed her back, trying to let go of the tension in my chest. “I love you, Selena,” I whispered against her lips.

“I love you too, Kayden,” she murmured, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “And I’ll always be by your side. Nothing can come between us.”

Her confidence was reassuring, and for a moment, I let myself believe her words. Leah was out of the picture now. Whatever had happened to her, whether she was dead or hiding somewhere, it didn’t matter. I had Selena. I had my pack. Nothing could threaten that.

But deep down, a nagging feeling lingered. A sense of unfinished business. I couldn’t shake the thought that Leah was still out there somewhere, plotting her revenge. And if she was, I would have to deal with her once and for all.