The Guardian's Mate

Chapter Seven: Gone

Ethan Pov

After showing Sophia to her room, I closed the door behind me and leaned against the hallway wall.

For the first time since finding her on the roadside, I allowed myself to breathe.

The night had been exhausting. Finding my mate should have been one of the happiest moments of my life.

Instead, it felt like the beginning of a war.

A human mate. Even now, I struggled to understand it. My wolf had recognized her instantly. There had been no hesitation. No uncertainty. The bond was undeniable. Yet part of me still found it difficult to believe. A human. My mate was human.

Growing up, I had always imagined my mate would be a she-wolf. Someone who understood our world. Someone who already knew our customs and traditions.

Someone who wouldn't be terrified every time she looked at me.

Sophia was none of those things. She looked at me the same way prey looked at a predator. And honestly? I couldn't blame her. The only wolves she had ever known were monsters.

Damien and his pack had made sure of that. A growl rumbled through my chest.

The thought of him made my blood boil. I forced myself to calm down. Losing control wouldn't help Sophia. It wouldn't help anyone.

I headed toward my room and stepped into the shower. Hot water poured over me as I stood beneath it. Normally, a shower helped clear my mind. Tonight it did the opposite. My thoughts remained fixed on Sophia. The fear in her eyes. The bruises on her body. The way she flinched whenever someone moved too quickly. None of it sat well with me.

Someone had hurt her. Repeatedly. For a very long time. And now she was carrying the scars. Visible and invisible.

The longer I thought about it, the angrier I became. By the time I finished showering, my wolf was pacing restlessly. Protect her.

The instinct was overwhelming. I pulled on a fresh shirt and ran a hand through my damp hair. Then I headed down the hallway. I wanted to check on her. Nothing more. At least that was what I told myself.

The bond tugged at me. Making it impossible to ignore her presence. Or rather… Her absence.

The moment I approached her room, something felt wrong. My wolf noticed it too. The scent. It was weaker. Fading. I frowned.

Then I pushed open the door. The room was empty. My heart stopped.

"Sophia?"

No answer. I stepped inside. The bed remained untouched. The bathroom was empty. The closet was empty. The room was empty.

A cold feeling settled in my stomach. Then I saw the window. Open. My blood ran cold.

"No."

I crossed the room in seconds. The curtains fluttered in the night breeze. Below, I spotted disturbed grass. Footprints. Signs of a hard landing. My wolf exploded with panic. Mate. Gone.

I was already moving. Within moments, I was downstairs.

"Nathan!"

My brother appeared immediately. The look on my face must have said everything.

"What happened?"

"She's gone."

The atmosphere instantly changed. "What?"

"She climbed out the window."

Nathan cursed. A second later, three other Guardians joined us. Their expressions darkened as I explained what happened.

Nobody wasted time. Within minutes, we were outside. Searching. Tracking. Hunting. Not because she was prey. Because she was alone. Injured. Terrified.

And completely unaware of the dangers surrounding her.

The scent trail wasn't difficult to follow. Sophia's fear lingered in the air. The farther we tracked her, the more frustrated I became. Not at her. At myself. I should have known. I should have realized she wasn't ready.

To me, my home represented safety. To Sophia, it looked like another prison. Another pack. Another cage. The realization stung.

Because she hadn't run from me. She had run from her memories.

We followed her trail all the way to the main road. Then the scent changed. My wolf immediately became alert. Other wolves. Many wolves.

A growl escaped my throat. Damien. We jumped into the vehicles and followed the trail.

The farther we drove, the stronger the scent became. Fear. Sophia's fear. I gripped the steering wheel tighter. Too late. Please don't let us be too late.

Finally, headlights illuminated a familiar scene. My stomach dropped.

Sophia stood in the middle of the road.

Surrounded. Damien and his wolves blocked every escape route. Fear radiated from her. The sight nearly shattered my control. The vehicle hadn't even fully stopped before I climbed out.

My wolf surged beneath my skin. Furious.

Protective. Ready for blood.

The moment Sophia saw me, something changed in her expression. Relief. It was small. Brief. But it was there. And somehow that mattered more than anything else.

I moved directly to her side. Positioning myself between her and Damien. A clear message. If he wanted to reach her, he would have to go through me first.

The confrontation that followed felt inevitable. Words were exchanged. Threats were made. Lines were drawn.

And throughout it all, Sophia remained behind me. Safe.

Exactly where she belonged. Not as property. Not as possession. As someone under my protection.

Eventually, Damien stepped back. The smile on his face made my skin crawl. It wasn't the smile of a man accepting defeat. It was the smile of a man making plans. Dangerous plans. His gaze locked onto mine. For several long seconds, neither of us looked away. Then he smiled.

Slowly. Deliberately. Like a man promising violence.

And in that moment, I understood exactly what was coming. This was no longer about a runaway human. This was no longer about a mate bond. This had become something much bigger. A b

attle.

A challenge. A war. And judging by the look in Damien's eyes, it was only beginning.