KIDNAPPED BY MY FORBIDDEN MATE

The Missing Princess

The royal trumpet echoed through Winterfang Palace, signaling the end of Elara's coming-of-age ceremony. The sound spread through the enormous palace, announcing the end of the public celebration. The guests slowly began to disperse, leaving the ballroom one after another, congratulating Alpha Lucius and the royal family. The music faded, and the ballroom slowly emptied, leaving only the royal family, the guards, and a few palace servants remaining. The servants began clearing the tables and cleaning the hall.

Alpha Lucius then glanced towards the entrance before looking at his Luna, Celeste.

"Have you seen Elara?" he asked.

"No, darling," Celeste replied as she looked around the ballroom before frowning.

That was when she realized she hadn't seen Elara in hours. She had been busy attending to the guests and trying to manage everything.

"Maybe she's with Zayden and Ryan, or she's already gone to her room. She must be preparing for the final ritual," she said.

Lucius nodded slowly. The final ritual was different from the public ceremony. It was meant to be performed privately, with only Elara, her parents, and the Seer present.

"It's already midnight. Someone needs to call her to get prepared," Lucius said.

Celeste nodded before ordering a servant to call Elara from her room.

The servant bowed and hurried away.

Lucius and Celeste waited.

Several minutes passed.

Then the servant returned alone.

"Alpha."

Lucius turned towards him.

"Where is the princess?"

"She isn't in her room, Alpha."

Alpha Lucius frowned.

"What do you mean she isn't in her room?"

"I checked the room properly. She wasn't there, Alpha."

Lucius's expression immediately changed. Zayden, Ryan, and Lucian walked into the hall towards them.

"Dad, all the guests have returned home," Ryan said to Lucius.

"What's going on?" Zayden asked as he observed his parents' expressions.

"Wasn't Elara with you guys?" Celeste asked Zayden.

"No, she wasn't. What's wrong?"

"It's Elara. She isn't in her room."

"Have you guys checked the study and your bedrooms?" Ryan asked.

"Not yet. I was just about to send for the guards to search the palace now."

"Father, do you think something happened to her?" Ryan asked his father, clearly disturbed.

"I don't know," Lucius replied. "That's why I want every corner of this palace searched."

The brothers immediately turned towards the guards before them.

"Alright. Ryan, you go with him to check the study and bedrooms," Zayden told Ryan and a servant standing nearby.

"You and you, check the western wing. Lucian, you go with that guard and search the royal garden, while I'll check the eastern royal wing together with these two," Zayden said, giving orders.

Everyone immediately left to begin the search while Lucius remained in the ballroom with Celeste and the Seer. The Seer looked increasingly uneasy.

"Something feels wrong," she whispered to herself.

A few minutes later, Ryan returned with the servant he had left with to check the rooms.

"Dad, Elara isn't there. We checked the study, bedrooms, sitting room, as well as the living room, but she was nowhere inside."

Lucius's heart began pounding.

"Where could Elara have gone?"

Several minutes later, a guard suddenly shouted from the garden.

"Alpha!"

Lucius, Celeste, and Ryan rushed towards the voice. The guard stood beside a patch of disturbed grass. Pieces of torn clothing were scattered across the ground. Celeste and Lucius froze.

They recognized the clothes. They were the exact clothes they had picked out together for their daughter for her coming-of-age ceremony.

"These are Elara's clothes," Ryan said as he crouched down and picked up a piece of fabric.

Ryan's voice became unsteady.

"What happened here?"

Lucian crouched beside a large stone.

"Alpha..."

Everyone looked at him.

"There is blood on this stone."

Celeste covered her mouth.

"No... Elara..."

Lucius immediately moved closer. His eyes fell on the stone.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then one of the guards pointed towards the ground.

"Alpha, look. Footprints."

Massive paw prints were pressed deeply into the wet earth, and beside them were smaller footprints.

Lucius's face hardened as he observed the footprints.

"A wolf."

"The large footprints belong to a fully grown wolf," Ryan said, then, pointing at the smaller tracks. "These were made by someone running beside him."

Celeste stared at the tracks.

"Someone was chasing Elara?"

"No, Mum. I think the footprints were from Elara."

Zayden arrived with his guards moments later.

"Dad, we found massive tracks leading directly to the wall of the eastern palace. We believe someone entered the palace tonight."

He then noticed the torn dress.

"Isn't this Elara's clothes?"

"Yes, it is. We think she was kidnapped," Ryan said.

"Lock down the palace now. Zayden, give the order. No one enters or leaves until Elara is found."

"Alright, Dad," Zayden said before stepping away to give the order.

Lucius looked at Lucian and Ryan.

"Take the warriors and search beyond the eastern wall. Follow every track you find. Elara must be found tonight."

"We will," Ryan and Lucian answered before walking away to carry out the order.

Lucius immediately turned towards Celeste, who was silently sobbing. He comforted her as he reassured her that their daughter would be found and that whoever was responsible for her kidnapping would be dealt with appropriately.

Lucius stared at the palace.

Only hours ago, it had been filled with music and celebration.

Now, his only daughter was gone.

And somewhere beyond the eastern wall, the person who had taken her was already disappearing into the darkness.

Lucius clenched his fists.

His voice was low and filled with fury.

"Find my daughter."

"Bring her home."