ROWAN
Everything is moving too fast, yet not fast enough.
Wolves are running, voices are shouting, and I feel trapped in a slow-motion nightmare, each second dragging on while the urgency inside me screams for action.
My heart is racing in my chest, fear gripping every part of me, and I know -I just know- that Jhenelle is no longer here.
Dominic… he was here.
He must have taken her out of the park.
The bastard.
“She is not here,” I whisper, more to myself than to anyone else.
But Viktor, standing close, hears me.
“Rowan, we are doing everything we can,” he says firmly. His voice is calm, but I can see the tension in his eyes.
He is scared too.
But that fear, it is not enough.
It will not bring her back.
We have to do something.
I have to do something.
Sitting here, waiting for others to find her, is not an option.
It just will not work.
“No,” I say louder now, my throat tight as I turn to face him. “No, Viktor. You do not understand. She is not in the settlement. He would have taken her out. I need to go. I need to search beyond the borders.”
His hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist before I can move, his grip firm but not painful.
“You are not going anywhere,” he says sharply, his voice leaving no room for argument. “You are too close to this. You are not thinking straight. If you go out there like this, you will fall right into Dominic’s hands.”
Anger flares inside me and I yank my hand out of his grip, my breath coming in short, sharp gasps.
“I am her mother, Viktor! I have to find her! I can’t just stand here and do nothing.”
“And you think running out there with no plan, no backup, is going to help her?” His voice rises in frustration, matching my own. “Do you think Jhenelle wants you walking straight into Dominic’s trap? Do you think he won’t be expecting you?!”
I open my mouth to argue, but the words die on my tongue.
Deep down, I know he is right.
I am acting on pure emotion, pure panic, and that is exactly what Dominic would want. But the thought of staying here, of not doing everything in my power to find her and it is unbearable.
“She is not here,” I say again, my voice breaking. “I can feel it, Viktor. She is gone.”
He softens slightly, his eyes searching mine, trying to find the balance between comforting me and keeping me grounded.
“We do not know that for sure,” he says. “We are still searching. Let us not jump to conclusions yet.”
But I cannot shake the certainty in my gut.
I know Dominic too well.
He would not leave her here.
My mind races with images of her, scared and alone, in his clutches and the thought of it makes my stomach churn with fear and fury.
“I can’t just sit here,” I say, my voice barely more than a whisper now, all the fight draining out of me. “I have to do something, Viktor. Please.”
He sighs, running a hand through his hair.
I can see the struggle in his eyes.
He does not want to let me go, but he knows me enough to understand that I will not stop pushing until I do something.
“Fine,” he says after a moment, his voice firm again. “We will compromise. I will send some of my wolves and yours to search outside the settlement. We will cover as much ground as we can. But you-” He points at me, his eyes sharp. “You stay here. We cannot afford to lose you too, Rowan. Not now.”
I clench my fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms, but I nod.
It is the best I can hope for right now. At least we will be searching beyond the borders.
At least we will be doing something.
“Fine,” I grit out. “But I want updates. Constant updates.”
He nods, turning to bark orders at the wolves nearby.
“You heard her! Split the teams. Half of you search the settlement. The rest of you spread out beyond the borders. Report back if you find anything- anything.”
The wolves spring into action, some heading towards the trees that border the settlement, others continuing their frantic search within. I watch them go, my chest tight with frustration and fear.
Every second that passes feels like another nail in my coffin, another reminder that Jhenelle is still out there, alone.
With him.
With that brute.
That monstrous, evil,. twisted brute.
Oh, goddess.
Please.
Please keep her safe.
“She is a fighter,” I whisper to myself, trying to hold onto some shred of hope. “She is strong. She will hold on.”
But even as I say the words, I can feel the doubt creeping in.
Dominic is ruthless, and I know he will do whatever it takes to hurt me.
This is not just about Jhenelle.
It is about me- about Dominic’s need to control, to dominate, to make me suffer.
It is about me constantly rejecting him and making him look like a fool.
This is revenge.
And he really knew where to hit
I try to push the thought away, focusing instead on the wolves around me, on the search.
But the fear will not leave.
It is like a shadow, clinging to me, reminding me with every breath that my daughter is in danger.
The minutes tick by, each one stretching longer than the last. I pace the ground, my mind racing, my heart aching. Every time a wolf passes by without news, the weight in my chest grows heavier.
And then, like a sudden flash of lightning, it hits me, the question I should have asked from the moment she went missing, a question that sends a fresh wave of terror crashing over me.
How the fuck did Dominic know about Jhenelle?
And what does he want with her?