Usher suddenly had a bad feeling when he saw the Omegas running through the corridors of the palace. It was his usual time to visit Vione in the infirmary. He wanted to check on her, even though Scott always gave him daily reports. For him, visiting Vione wasn’t just about knowing her progress; it was also about satisfying the longing he couldn’t contain.
For Usher, seeing Vione was a necessity. It was like a multivitamin that kept his sanity intact amidst the chaos. That’s why he made sure that no day went by without their meeting, even though Vione hadn’t woken up yet.
Physically, according to Scott’s explanation, it was clear that Vione’s wounds had improved significantly. Her body was healing rapidly. But the only reason she hadn’t woken up in days was because her wolf spirit was weak.
As an Omega, Vione wasn’t only unlucky because of her lack of strength, but her wolf spirit couldn’t recover quickly once it was injured. That’s why it took her longer to wake up than other werewolves with similar cases.
Still, Usher believed that Vione could hold on. He believed that she could get through this and wake up again.
Unfortunately, Usher’s faith was put to the test. That afternoon, he witnessed the panic of the Omegas as they rushed out of Vione’s infirmary. His footsteps stopped and his thoughts immediately turned to Vione.
Something had happened to Vione. Usher could feel it clearly. Especially as his heart began to race, filled with countless terrible possibilities.
Usher tried to push these dark thoughts away, but he couldn’t. Maybe something had happened to Vione.
Usher’s face grew pale. In his heart he prayed. Oh God, please. Don’t tell me that…
Usher shook his head quickly to dispel the thought. Then he calmed himself again. Nothing bad would happen to Vione. Scott had guaranteed it. She would be fine.
But his worries weren’t so easily calmed, and Usher broke into a run. He quickly asked an Omega, “What’s going on?”
The Omega looked startled when he saw Usher. It seemed he hadn’t expected to meet him, so he stammered his reply, “Vi-Vione is missing, Alpha.
At first, Usher feared that something had happened to Vione’s condition, perhaps that she was showing life-threatening symptoms. But the Omega’s response only left him confused.
“W-what?” Usher tried to confirm. “Missing?”
The Omega nodded nervously. “Yes, Alpha. Vione is missing. She’s not in the infirmary.”
It wasn’t a report about Vione’s deteriorating condition, but this news shocked Usher even more. “What did you say?” he asked quickly, his confusion growing. “Vione is missing? How could she be missing?”
The Omega lowered his head. His brow furrowed in fear as heat radiated from Usher’s body. “Forgive us, Alpha. We don’t know, but Vione is not in the infirmary. She has disappeared.”
Usher felt the world around him begin to tremble. The Omega’s words echoed in his mind like a hammer being pounded over and over again. Impossible. There was no way Vione could have vanished.
Worry filled Usher’s mind and his thoughts became chaotic. He ran to the infirmary, hoping the Omega’s information was wrong, but what he found was just the opposite.
“Alpha.”
Usher’s eyes immediately fell on the bed. That’s where Vione usually rested, with medical equipment attached to her body. But now the bed was empty.
“Vione.” Usher looked around the room. But there was still no sign of Vione. Then he turned to Scott, who was approaching him. “Scott,” he said, gripping Scott’s hands in panic. “What happened? Where is Vione?”
Scott replied helplessly. “I’m sorry, Alpha, but Vione is gone. I and-”
“What do you mean, Scott?” Usher’s voice rose in frustration. He couldn’t control his emotions as fear and worry swirled in his head. “She can’t just disappear!” He growled, his voice shaking the air around him. “Who entered this room?”
Before Scott could answer, Berg rushed in. Usher turned to him, and Berg immediately reported the results of his investigation after Scott had contacted him moments earlier.
“Alpha, a woman took Vione.”
Usher was struck with disbelief. “So, Vione was kidnapped by a woman and none of the guards in this palace knew about it?”
Usher’s anger exploded like a thunderclap. His roar echoed like lightning in the midday sky. His eyes burned red, like the eyes of a demon ready to lash out at anyone.
Everyone-Scott, Berg, the Omegas and the guards-immediately bowed their heads. No one dared to raise their faces as Usher vented his anger. They all understood the deep worry that consumed him.
“Garth!” Usher shouted, unable to contain the panic that overcame his rational mind. His thoughts felt blocked. He couldn’t think clearly without knowing where Vione was. “Call Garth right now. I-”
“Alpha, what’s going on?”
A small voice interrupted Usher’s outburst. He turned to see Ayla and Rowena approaching.
Usher swallowed hard. Rowena’s presence made him freeze. “Ro-Rowena.”
“What’s going on, Alpha?” Rowena asked as she approached. Her eyes swept the infirmary, sensing the strangeness of so many people gathered there. “Why are so many people here? What…” Her eyes finally fell on the empty bed. She blinked, then turned back to Usher. “A-Alpha, where’s Vione? Why is her bed empty? D-did-”
Rowena couldn’t finish the sentence. Fear had gripped her entire body and her eyes began to fill with tears.
“No,” Usher said quickly, taking Rowena’s hand. “Vione is fine. Nothing bad happened to her. I promise you.”
Knowing that Vione was fine was good news, but Rowena sensed that something was still wrong. She waited while Usher explained.
“But now I don’t know where she is. She’s missing, and according to Berg, a woman took her.”
Rowena’s heart felt as if it had dropped. Her life seemed to be ripped from her body. “Y-you mean…” She struggled to breathe. “… she was kidnapped?”
Usher nodded helplessly. “Yes, she was kidnapped, but don’t worry. I’ll send the guards to find her immediately. I promise she will be all right. I promise.”
Rowena couldn’t hold back. Tears fell and fear, like a black hole, tried to consume her. She whimpered and squeezed Usher’s hands.
“Vione. O-oh, God.” Rowena sobbed, her shoulders shaking with the fear of losing her. “Please, not Vione.” The fear of losing her made her body weak, and only Usher’s grip kept her standing. “Don’t let anything happen to Vione. I-”
A strange sensation coursed through Rowena’s heart, pure and soothing, as if trying to calm all her worries and fears.
Rowena was stunned. She tried to calm herself and took a deep breath. A sudden premonition made her turn around. Her gaze was drawn to the window, looking far into the distance, and she spoke. “She is in the Amerotha Forest. She’s at the Mystoria Falls.”
*