Tristan’s POV
The news hit me like a punch to the gut. Mia was being accused-because
of me. The words echoed in my mind, each one more infuriating than the
last. I had been away for days, handling pack matters, and now I returned
to chaos. How could things have spiraled so far out of control?
I stormed into Alpha Diego’s grand hall, my steps echoing off the marble
floors. My men followed closely behind me, tension radiating from them.
Diego stood at the head of the room, his expression hard and unreadable,
surrounded by his sons-my rivals.
“Where is she?” I demanded, my voice slicing through the tension in the
room.
Xavier smirked from his spot near the fireplace, crossing his arms.
“She’s no longer your concern, Tristan. You’ve already caused enough
trouble.”
I strode toward him, my hands curling into fists. “What the hell is that
supposed to mean? Where is Mia?”
Nathan stepped forward, his eyes cold. “She was exiled. We don’t owe
you any explanations.”
My blood boiled. “Exiled? For what? What lies have you spun now?”
“She’s a traitor,” Rolex interjected, his tone flat. “She was caught spying
on the pack and trying to kill Scarlet and Layla. We did what was
necessary to protect our pack.”
I barked a bitter laugh, my chest tightening with rage. “Do you hear
yourselves? You’re accusing your own mate of murder based on the lies
of those two snakes?”
Xavier’s smirk faltered, but Nathan’s scowl deepened. “You’re in no
position to lecture us, Tristan. You’ve been interfering with our mate
bond from the beginning. You’ve been poisoning her against us.”
I stepped closer, the tension in the room palpable. “I’ve been protecting
her. Something you’re incapable of doing.”
Diego, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. “Enough.” His voice
was calm, but the authority behind it silenced everyone. He turned to me,
his expression guarded. “What do you know, Tristan?”
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. “I know Mia didn’t do
this. She’s innocent. Scarlet and Layla set her up, and you all fell for it
like the fools you are.”
“Prove it,” Nathan challenged, his eyes narrowing.
I clenched my jaw, knowing I didn’t have solid evidence-only my
instincts and the truth I saw in Mia’s eyes every time we were together.
“You don’t need proof. You just need to think for once. Mia would never
hurt anyone. You know that.”
“She hurt Scarlet and Layla,” Rolex pointed out. “They were nearly dead
when we found them.”
“And you didn’t stop to think why?” I snapped. “Maybe they pushed her
too far. Maybe they were the ones who attacked her first. But no, you
chose to believe them over the one person who’s done nothing but suffer
under your care.”
Diego’s expression softened for a brief moment before he steeled
himself. “It’s done, Tristan. The decision has been made.”
“No,” I growled, stepping closer to him. “It’s not done until I say it’s
done. I’ll find her, Diego. And when I do, I’ll make sure everyone knows
the truth.”
Before anyone could stop me, I stormed out of the hall, my men trailing
behind. My heart was racing as I mounted my bike, my mind consumed
with one thought: finding Mia.
The search was grueling. Days turned into weeks as we scoured every
inch of the territory, my frustration mounting with every dead end. I
refused to believe she was gone. She had to be out there, somewhere.
We searched the cliff where they said she’d been taken, combing the area
for any trace of her. I shouted her name into the void, my voice hoarse
and raw, but the forest remained silent.
“Tristan,” one of my men called out, his voice hesitant. “We’ve covered
this area twice already. Maybe we should-”
“No,” I cut him off, my voice sharp. “We keep looking. We’re not leaving
until we find her.”
But the days dragged on, and still, there was nothing. No scent, no
tracks, no sign that she had survived.
On the seventh day, as I stood at the edge of the cliff, staring down at the
jagged rocks below, a sinking realization settled in my chest. I had lost
her.
I clenched my fists, the rage building inside me until I could no longer
contain it. “Damn it!” I roared, punching the nearest tree. The bark
splintered under my fist, but the pain was nothing compared to the ache
in my heart.
“She’s gone,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
When I returned to Diego’s pack, my fury was barely contained. I barged
into the brothers’ quarters, my blood boiling as I faced them.
“You killed her,” I snarled, my eyes locking onto Xavier.
“She brought it on herself,” Nathan replied coldly, his arms crossed.
“You don’t get to decide that!” I roared, lunging at him.
We collided, fists flying as the room erupted into chaos. Xavier joined the
fight, his claws slashing at my arm, but I didn’t care. The pain only
fueled my rage.
“She was your mate!” I shouted, landing a punch on Xavier’s jaw. “How
could you betray her like this?”
“She betrayed us first,” Rolex argued, trying to pull me off his brothers.
“No,” I growled, shoving him back. “You betrayed her. You let her take
the fall for something she didn’t do. And now she’s gone because of
you.”
The fight was brutal, blood staining the floor as we went at each other
with everything we had. I didn’t care about the consequences. All I cared
about was making them pay.
“Enough!” Diego’s voice boomed as he entered the room, his power
radiating through the air.
We froze, panting and bleeding, as he stepped between us.
“This has gone far enough,” Diego said, his voice firm. “Tristan, you
need to leave.”
I glared at him, my chest heaving. “I’m not going anywhere. Not until
they pay for what they’ve done.”
“Leave,” Diego repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.
I turned to the brothers, my eyes burning with fury. “If I never find her,
if she’s truly gone, I’ll make sure you all pay for this. Every single one of
you.”
With that, I stormed out, my heart heavy with grief and anger. But even
as I left, one thought remained clear in my mind: Mia might be gone, but
I wouldn’t stop until I avenged her.