Denderick’s POV
It had been hours already.
The fork in my hand paused halfway to my mouth, the eggs on my plate suddenly less appetizing. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen Aria. My mind flicked back to yesterday, then the day before. It had to have been at least twenty-four hours since I’d last caught a glimpse of her. Something inside me curled in unease.
I shoved the plate aside, the sound of metal scraping against wood grating against my nerves. After our last conversation, when she’d complained about Giselle, I hadn’t seen any sign of her.
What was she up to now? Aria had a way of disappearing, thinking no one noticed, but I always noticed.
“Dammit,” I muttered under my breath as I pushed back from the table and stood. I needed to find her. My head was already throbbing with everything going on in the pack and the Council lately, and now Aria had just disappeared.
I stepped out of the dining hall, my frustration mounting, and that’s when I saw her. Giselle.
She was heading toward her chambers, her head held high, as if she ruled the world. I didn’t have time for her nonsense, but maybe she knew something. She and Aria had their little rivalry, and that meant Giselle always kept tabs on her. I was already irritated by the thought of dealing with her, but there was no choice.
“Giselle,” I called out. She turned slowly, a smirk already forming on her lips.
“Dendrick,” she greeted, her tone sweet, but there was that ice underneath it. Always cold, always manipulative.
“Have you seen Aria?” I asked, not bothering with pleasantries.
Her smirk widened, and she crossed her arms, leaning her weight onto one hip. “Why would I know where she is?”
My jaw gritted. “You live under the same roof. She hasn’t been around for over a day. Don’t act like you don’t know something.”
Giselle shrugged, examining her nails with the same dismissiveness she always carried. “Maybe she’s run off. Wouldn’t be the first time, would it?”
I took a step closer, trying to keep my temper in check. “This isn’t a game, Giselle. Where is she?”
Her eyes flicked up to meet mine, but there wasn’t any concern there, only amusement. “Why do you care, Denderick? She’s always been nothing but trouble for you. Running off, getting into danger. Maybe this time she finally realized she’s not cut out for this life.”
I glared at her. “Watch your tone, Giselle. Because I let you stay in this mansion with me doesn’t mean I will tolerate your whims.”
She raised an eyebrow, her voice filled with condescension. “What? It’s not like she belongs here, anyway. She’s just a distraction. You’ve said it yourself, remember? She complicates things.”
My stomach churned at the memory of the times I’d lashed out at Aria, the times I’d let my frustration speak louder than my reason. But this was different. She wouldn’t just leave like this without a word.
“Don’t act like you care what’s best for this pack,” I snapped. “You’ve never given a damn about anyone but yourself.”
Giselle’s expression darkened, her playful expression vanishing. “Maybe I do care,” she spat back, stepping toward me. “Maybe I care enough to want this pack to survive, and Aria is only a liability. She always has been. You can’t be blinded by whatever feelings you have for her, Denderick. She weakens you.”
“Enough!” I barked. I could feel the anger boiling over now, my patience gone. “You don’t get to make that call. Aria is part of this pack, and you’d better start acting like it.”
Giselle sneered, stepping closer so that we were nearly face-to-face. “You’re the Alpha. You should be protecting your position as Alpha, not chasing after some reckless girl who doesn’t deserve your loyalty. She’s only going to drag you down.”
My vision blurred with rage. “Get out of my sight,” I hissed. “I can’t deal with you right now.”
I turned on my heel, storming away before I said something I’d regret. I couldn’t afford to waste any more time arguing with Giselle. My mind was spinning with possibilities, and none of them were good. Where the hell was Aria?
I barked an order to one of my guards standing in front of my study. “Find Lady Aria. Now. Call her. Check every corner of the pack house. And report back to me immediately.”
The guard nodded and hurried off, and I ran a hand through my hair, pacing back and forth. How had I let things get so out of control? I’d been so focused on everything else, that I’d let my relationships fall apart. I’d pushed Aria away, dismissed her concerns, and now I couldn’t even find her.
Dammit, I felt like an idiot.
Minutes later, the guard returned, looking uneasy. I stopped in my tracks, my heart thudding in my chest. “Well?” I asked.
The guard shifted uncomfortably before speaking. “She’s nowhere to be found, Alpha.”
My blood turned cold. “What do you mean ‘nowhere to be found’?”
The guard hesitated, before speaking again. “Some other guards spotted her leaving the pack, sir. In a hurry. She was alone.”
My stomach twisted painfully as the guard’s words sank in. She left? In a hurry? “And you didn’t stop her?” I asked, my voice low, dangerous.
The guard flinched, his head lowering. “We… we didn’t think…”
“You didn’t think,” I muttered. Of course, they didn’t. They never took her seriously. No one ever did. But I should have. I should have been the one to protect her.
Suddenly, every word I’d said to her came crashing down on me. All the times I’d dismissed her, pushed her away… I’d driven her to this.
“We need to track her down,” I said, more to myself than anyone else. “Now.”
The guard nodded, quickly falling in behind me as I strode toward the gate. I could feel the panic rising in my throat, threatening to choke me. If something happened to her…
I couldn’t finish the thought. I wouldn’t let myself. Something told me this wasn’t going to be a simple search.
Aria was in trouble. I could feel it in my bones, and something told me that Alpha Logan had a hand in it.