Episode:7
1184 Words
Chapter 7: Where Is She!
Tristen-
Glass exploded against the stone wall, whiskey splattering down like blood. Shards scattered across the floor at my feet, but the sting in my knuckles barely registered.
Another failure.
Another useless report.
Over two months had passed since the day Zariah walked out of prison… and straight out of my life.
Out of the pack.
Out of her family.
Out of me.
My jaw clenched at the thought, irritation flaring hot and sharp in my chest.
“What the hell do you mean she severed her bond?! How?!”
Evander’s voice echoed in my memory—loud, outraged, as Zariah stormed out of the room after learning Aramis had handed those ancient texts to Thailia.
I still didn’t understand why she’d made such a scene.
She knew Thailia was training to be my Keeper. The texts would’ve been useful to her. It wasn’t as if Zariah needed them.
So why had she reacted like that?
“She had to.”
My own voice—tight, restrained, already fraying.
“I noticed when I picked her up… I couldn’t sense her wolf. No link. No presence. Nothing.”
I’d known the moment she stepped into the car. Something was missing.
“That’s impossible!” Elias had snapped. “How the hell could she have done that? Silver-Chain would never allow it!”
That question still lingered, gnawing at the edges of my thoughts.
Because he was right.
It should have been impossible.
“I’d like to know that too,” I muttered now, dragging a hand through my hair.
“What was the name of the guard we assigned to her? Vega?”
Elias nodded. “Vega Cortez.”
I exhaled slowly.
When Zariah was imprisoned, I’d made sure she was looked after. Cortez had been handpicked. Reliable. Efficient.
I’d… owed her that much.
For forcing her to take the fall… I had at least ensured she wouldn’t suffer for it.
I hadn’t visited. I couldn't. As far as the pack was concerned, she was a criminal. Many were already calling for exile. If I'd gone to visit her...it would have been a political nightmare. Besides, there hadn’t been a need. I received constant updates—through Thailia.
Zariah had been fine. Safe. Taken care of. So why had she come back acting like she’d been betrayed?
It had only been three years. And yes… circumstances had changed. I couldn’t make her my Luna anymore. But I hadn’t cast her aside. I’d made plans for her. She would’ve stayed close. Provided for. Protected. Valued.
She would’ve had a better life than most.
So why—
“Alpha.”
Jerimah’s voice snapped me back to the present.
“I’m sorry. We’ll keep searching, but—”
“I don’t want your excuses,” I growled, my voice dropping low and dangerous. “I want her found.”
The air in the room thickened as my Alpha aura surged.
“I don’t care what you have to do. Tear this entire gotdamn region apart if you must!”
My gaze locked onto him.
“Find her.”
Jerimah swallowed hard. “Yes, Alpha. I’ll get right—”
“I want her found before Thailia’s bonding ceremony.”
His posture stiffened.
“She wants her sister there,” I continued coldly. “And you will not fail me again.”
“B-But, sir… the bonding is in three—”
“Then you’d better move faster.”
The snarl in my voice cut him off completely.
“Get the hell out of my office. And do your job!”
He didn’t hesitate. Turning quickly, he rushed out, nearly colliding with Elias on his way.
Elias watched the door close before turning back to me, his expression tight.
“We’re focusing on the wrong problem.”
My eyes narrowed.
“This is the problem.”
“No,” he said sharply, stepping further into the room. “This is a distraction.”
A growl built in my chest, low and volatile.
“I don’t remember asking for your opinion.”
Elias stilled, his gaze darkening.
“I thought that was part of being your Beta.”
I scoffed.
“Your job as my Beta is to do what I tell you to do.”
Silence fell between us, heavy and tense.
Then, quieter—
“And as your friend?”
The words hit harder than I expected.
“Am I just supposed to follow orders there too?”
Guilt flickered, brief and unwelcome. I exhaled through my nose, forcing my tone to steady.
“No. That’s not what I meant.”
I turned away, fists tightening at my sides.
“This is exactly why I need to find her. Zariah being out there… it’s unsettling. For me. For Xarlic.”
At the mention of my wolf, Elias’s expression shifted slightly. He circled around my desk slowly.
“Thailia is your Luna, Tristen,” he said carefully. “You and Xarlic need to adjust to that.”
My jaw tightened.
“Zariah—”
“Is a liability,” I cut in.
Elias froze. Finally… he was seeing it.
“If she starts talking,” I continued, my voice low, measured, “if even a fraction of what happened gets out—especially to the council—everything we’ve built falls apart.”
Elias glanced toward the door, then back at me.
“Thailia said Vega made sure no one would believe her,” he said. “No matter what she claimed.”
I let out a humorless huff.
“And you’re willing to bet everything on that?”
Silence.
Then—
“As for Vega…” I added, my lip curling slightly, “he’s dead. So he’s not exactly useful anymore.”
That part still didn’t sit right. Healthy wolves didn’t just drop dead from heart failure. It was too clean. Too convenient. But the healers had confirmed it. Over and over again. No foul play.
Still…
Something wasn’t adding up.
“I don’t want her causing problems at the bonding,” I said finally.
Elias studied me.
“Do you really think she would?”
I shrugged.
“She disappeared for a reason. And she’s angry.”
That much had been obvious.
“She believes she was wronged,” I added, my voice hardening. “That she was entitled to become my Luna.”
Elias didn’t respond. Didn’t argue. Which meant he understood.
“I’m doing what’s best for Thailia,” I said, more firmly now. “So make sure they find her.”
A beat passed before he nodded.
“Alright, Alpha.”
Then he exhaled slowly, tension still evident in his posture.
“But while you’re chasing her…”
His gaze met mine again.
“We have a bigger issue.”
I frowned slightly.
“The Central territory.”
The words pulled my focus immediately.
Elias’s expression darkened.
“Whoever we hired… failed.”
The irritation I’d been holding snapped into something colder.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
Fine.
If the easy route didn’t work—
We’d find another way.
- Writer
