Zade’s POV
“So what do we do now? We’ve checked all the packs in this country and we’ve checked with all the airports. One thing we’re sure of is that she’s still here and she doesn’t want to be found,” my beta said to me.
I rested my face in my palms and tried not to scream out in frustration. My pack was in danger and it was all my fault.
“Zade, I have a suggestion,” he said.
“Let’s hear it,” I replied.
“Why don’t we involve others in this search?” He asked.
“What do you mean?” I wondered.
“We should discuss with the heads of the other packs about placing a price on her. Whoever finds her is going to be well rewarded. People will be more motivated to look out for her if they stand to gain a lot,” he reasoned.
I suddenly felt hopeful. “That’s brilliant. Why didn’t we think about doing this before?” I wondered.
“Sometimes fear and stress affect our thinking and our ability to handle things effectively. Which is why I’m suggesting now that the troops should be allowed to return home and recover even if it’s for a little while.”
“They’re already becoming too stressed out and easily irritated by one another. So many fights have had to be settled amongst them.”
“You’re right, Tommy,” I nodded in agreement. “We all need to recharge. Inform the troops that we’re to return tomorrow.”
He nodded and left to address the troops.
Getting the alphas of the packs to help with my quest wasn’t going to be much of a big deal. I could just call a meeting with them.
I turned on my cell phone. I had turned it off because Victoria had been blowing up my phone with calls and numerous texts. She had already started to drive me nuts, making it difficult for me to concentrate, so I did the only thing I could think of.
I knew I was not going to hear the end of it when I returned home. For the first time, I wondered if making Victoria my Luna was the right choice.
A part of me felt justified about my decision. A cursed wolfless Luna was not good for the pack. And the worst thing was that if we had children together, they would be cursed too.
I couldn’t bear to subject innocent children to that kind of life.
Another part of me told me that I could have tried harder to help Malia break her curse if I had truly loved her. In our world, there is always a way. The curse had been placed through magic. There was always a loophole when it came to that.
As expected, I turned on my phone, and there were several messages from Victoria. I chose not to read any. I was going to be home soon anyway.
That night while the others slept in their tents, I just roamed the area. I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t think I had had up to five hours of sleep in the last three days which was pretty bad and had a way of messing with your brain.
Tommy was right. Going home to recharge was the best decision. After all, we needed all the strength and mental alertness we could get to be able to find the solution.
I finally started to feel sleepy at dawn and I crawled back into my tent.
I was able to get an hour of sleep before we began our journey back home. I had made a few calls. There was going to be a meeting with the other Alphas. They had to help just as my late father and I had helped them in the past.
The elders were already waiting for us when we arrived at the palace. There had been two more mysterious attacks since we left and this time it had been the ranch. Severely animals had died. I addressed the elders briefly and made my way to my room.
Now that I was home, I just wanted to crash for hours. I plopped down on my bed and was out like a light within seconds.
I woke up and immediately knew that something was wrong. I checked the time and my eyes widened in surprise. I had slept for eight hours.
Victoria. I thought. It was all wrong. The fact that when I had arrived earlier she had not come to even pick a fight with me for putting off my phone and not replying to her texts.
I wasn’t so naive to believe that she had suddenly come to her senses and understood that I needed rest and space. This was the proverbial calm before the storm.
My stomach growled in hunger. I reached for my phone and placed a call to the kitchen.
A few moments later, there was a knock on the door and to my surprise, Victoria entered with a tray of food and a sweet smile.
My guard went up immediately. She was supposed to be angry.
She placed the food in front of me and lovingly caressed my cheek. I tried so hard not to recoil from her touch.
“You were sleeping so soundly I didn’t have the heart to wake you up. I missed you so much. We missed you,” she said smiling and rubbing her large belly.
I nodded and forced a smile. “It wasn’t an easy journey for any of us. I barely slept throughout. I’m sorry I couldn’t reply to all your texts. I needed to think,” I said in a rush.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to explain to me. I understand perfectly,” she replied with a sickeningly sweet smile.
“You should eat your meal before it gets cold,” she urged.
I hesitated and she smiled in understanding. She took a spoonful of the meal and swallowed.
“You see. I’m still alive,” she said.
I chuckled nervously. “I wasn’t thinking about that.”
“Like hell, you weren’t,” she giggled. “Just relax. You know I don’t bite. Well, except in bed.”
I grinned but still didn’t let down my guard fully. I devoured my food with gusto. All fears of poisoning were forgotten at that moment.
“I learned that you couldn’t find Malia. So what’s next?” She asked.
“Well, I’ve decided to reward handsomely, anyone who can find her and bring her here. So we’re going to increase the number of people searching for her,” I said.
“We can’t do that!”