Chapter 15


    Alpha Ryker


    I’m excited about spending the day with Astrid. Every day, she trusts me more and more. She is


    thankfully adjusting to werewolf life. After my shower, I knock on her door. There’s no answer. I knock


    again.


    ‘Astrid, are you awake?’ I open the door. Her bed is neat and creaseless. She hasn’t slept in it.


    Strange. I knock on the ensuite door. She isn’t there either. One of her drawers is open. Inside, Astrid’s


    clothes are strewn about. She must have been in a hurry. My stomach sinks. Her bag is gone. I sprint


    downstairs to the dining room. Seth and Mia are at the table with Kane, Hayley, and Vanessa. They all


    stand as I enter.


    ‘Has anyone seen Astrid?sk. They shrug and say they haven’t.


    ‘Is she still asleep?’ Mia asks.


    ‘No, she isn’t there, and her bag is gone too,’ I say in a panic.


    ‘Ryker, I’m sure she’s around somewhere. I’ll mind-link the pack to keep an eye out for her, Seth


    suggests. I call out for Astrid, running through the house, searching every room and end up back in the


    dining room.


    ‘She isn’t in the house!’ I panic.


    Alpha Ryker, your breakfast is ready, Alice says.


    ‘You haven’t seen Astrid, have you, Alice?’ | ask.


    ‘No, Alpha, I’ve been in the kitchen since 6 am. She smiles and says she hasn’t seen her. I run out the


    front door and pick up her scent. I rip my clothes off, shift into my wolf, let out a loud, sad howl and race


    toward Astrid’s scent. An hourter, I’m deep in the woods when her scent vanishes. I run in different


    directions, bing more and more distressed. Astrid, I don’t understand why you’d leave me. Where


    would you go? I think about where she might have gone. The diner is the only ce Astrid would go.


    There’s no way she would have gone back to her Dad. I run to the diner and shift back into my human


    form, not caring that I’mpletely naked.


    ‘Jim! I shout. Jim!’ All the customers freeze in shock at my nudity. An overweight man catches his wife


    grinning. He covers her eyes with his hands and gives me an unimpressed look.


    ‘Ryker! Damn it. Get some clothes on! We’re full of customers!


    Jim yells.


    ‘Astrid! Have you seen her?’ I ask in a rush.


    ‘No, I haven’t seen her since she left with you,’ he says.


    ‘Shit! She’s missing. Her bag is gone. I don’t know why she would run away, I panic.


    I’ll call you if I see her. But, in the meantime, you need to leave. My female customers are gawking, and


    their husbands want to give you a ck eye!’ Jim says.


    Frustrated, I leave the diner and shift back into my wolf, searching the woods, hoping to pick up her


    scent and find nothing, not a trace of her anywhere. I mind-link Seth and Kane and tell them to


    organise search parties. I don’t return home for 24 hours until I have no choice but to rest.


    Afterwards, I continue searching for her.


    In bed, a hand rests on my chest.


    ‘Astrid!’ I sit up and see Vanessa asleep in my bed next to me. I let out a loud growl, waking her up.


    ‘Ryker, don’t growl at me! It would help if you got over her. Astrid left because she doesn’t love you.


    Astrid doesn’t want you or the responsibility of being Luna, Vanessa says.


    ‘Get out of my bed and out of my room now, Vanessa!’ I yell.


    ‘Fine! But eventually, you’re going to have to ept me as your chosen mate, whether or not you like


    it! You know the elders don’t want a weak runaway as Luna! She says, getting out of my bed.


    Jumping out of bed, I pin Vanessa to the wall with my hand around her neck.


    Don’t you ever call my mate weak again! Do you hear me?’ |


    yell.


    ‘Ryker, you’re hurting me, she says. I let go, letting her drop to the floor. She holds her neck and looks


    up at me, her eyes well.


    ‘Get out now and never return to the Packhouse!’ I yell. She stands and runs out of the room.


    Making my way downstairs, I find Seth.


    “Alpha Ryker, we had five search parties look for her while you slept. We found no trace of her. We will


    keep searching until we find her, Alpha.’ Nodding, I sit at the dining table.


    ‘Seth, tell Alice to be quick with the food. I need to continue looking for Astrid, I order. Seth nods and


    retreats to the kitchen. Momentster, Alice brings me a te of food and puts it on the table in front of


    me.


    ‘Alpha Ryker! I’m very displeased with your behaviour toward my daughter. She has done nothing


    wrong. Why can’t you ept her as your chosen mate? At least she won’t run away!’ Alice snaps.


    ring at Alice, I let out a growl of warning.


    ‘Alice, I suggest you get back in the kitchen because my wolf is not in the mood today to tolerate you or


    your daughter!! suggest you ept Vanessa will never be my mate!’ I snap back. Alice res at me


    and storms back to the kitchen. I


    finish my meal and walk out the door, adamant I’ll find Astrid.


    ‘Alpha Ryker!’ I see one of my best warriors, Leon, racing toward me.


    ‘Leon,’ I greet him.


    ‘Alpha Ryker, we have some good news and some bad news. First, we picked up Astrid’s scent in the


    city. It’s faint, but it’s her. The bad news is we haven’t found her yet, but with this lead, we’ll hopefully


    have your mate home soon,’ he says. So what would Astrid be doing in the city? She doesn’t know


    anyone there.


    ‘Excellent, Leon. I’ll join you in the city. Show me where you picked up her scent,’ Imand.


    I’ll get Seth to drive us. It would be quicker in wolf form, but we can’t look for her naked, Leon points


    out. Nodding, I mind link Seth to get the car. On the way there, I’m hopeful we’ll find her. I should have


    her back in my arms today. I want to inhale her scent, feel the sparks between us, and taste her lips.


    We split up when we arrive in the city. It’s her scent, but it’s so faint that we can’t follow it. So I decided


    we’ll spend the day in the city looking for her.


    Mind-linking Leon and Seth, I tell them: Maybe she is working in a shop? It might be worth looking in


    the stores for her. I enter hundreds of stores. There is no sign of her, and I can’t trace her scent


    anywhere else,


    Nightfall nears when Seth mind-links me and says he’ll stay the night in the city to keep searching.


    Leon drives me back to the house for food and rest, promising to go back in the morning when we’ll


    take over from Seth.


    It’s an arduous drive home. I was so sure we would find Astrid today. Arriving, Alice opens the front


    door.


    “Alpha Ryker, I want to apologise for this morning. Unfortunately, I was out of line. I hope you’ll forgive


    me,’ she says. I can’t be bothered arguing with her. Forgiveness is easier.


    ‘I forgive you, Alice, if you ept Astrid as your Luna, Alice pauses in thought and nods.


    ‘Of course, Alpha,’ she says with a hesitant smile.


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    ‘I made a special dinner for you tonight, Alpha,’ she says.


    She was gesturing to the food on the table. I sat at the table and ate alone. Everyone else ate and left


    before I got home. After eating, I feel unnaturally tired.