Alpha's Loss, Chasing his Rejected Maid

Chapter 4

Ryker's POV

My wolf wouldn't shut the hell up.

He was pacing in my head like a caged animal, whining and scratching at my mind. It was driving me insane.

"What's wrong with you?" I muttered, rubbing my temples. But he just kept pacing, getting more and more agitated.

It started the moment Aria left my office. The second she walked out that door, my wolf went crazy and I hated it. I hated that it felt like I actually cared about that girl.

I checked my watch again. We were supposed to leave for the Blood Moon Festival twenty minutes ago, and Aria still wasn't ready.

I was about to storm down to her room and drag her out myself when Malik walked in.

"Where is she?" I snapped. "We're f*****g late!"

Malik looked uncomfortable. "Alpha, I... I can't find her."

My wolf stopped pacing. "What do you mean you can't find her?"

"She's not in her room and she's not in the kitchen or the laundry room either. I checked everywhere but I couldn't find her."

Something hot and violent twisted in my gut and I growled. "Check again."

"I already did about three times and she's not here, Alpha."

Before I could respond, Derek burst through the door, his face pale and sweating.

"Alpha, I—" He swallowed hard. "I think she ran away."

The room went silent that I could feel my wolf surging forward, pushing against my control. My hands started shaking and I had to grip the edge of my desk to keep from shifting right there.

"What did you say?" My voice came out low and deadly.

Derek dropped to his knees. "I'm so sorry, Alpha! She said she was taking out the trash, and I—I let her through the gate. I didn't know she was going to run!"

"Trash?" I repeated slowly. "You let her leave the pack territory at night to take out trash."

"Rita always makes her do it at worst times, I swear, Alpha, I thought—"

I grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall so hard the picture frames rattled. "You thought what? That it was normal to send an omega out alone after dark?"

"I'm sorry!" he choked out.

I wanted to kill him. I wanted to snap his neck right there but then I remembered something.

The scent, that sweet different scent I'd noticed on Aria earlier and I could swear on my mother's grace that she was pregnant with my child and I'd just let her walk out into a forest full of rogues and predators.

I released Derek and he crumpled to the floor, gasping for air.

"Get every wolf in this pack out there and search for her," I ordered, my voice shaking with barely controlled rage. "I want every inch of the territory searched. The forest, the borders, everything."

"Yes, Alpha!" Malik said immediately.

"And if anything happens to her, I will personally rip out the throat of every single wolf who failed to find her. Do you understand?"

The room erupted into chaos as wolves scrambled to obey.

I stood there, my chest heaving, trying to calm down but I couldn't. Because all I could think about was Aria out there running alive when she's supposed to be under my mercy.

"Alpha," Malik said carefully. "You need to go to the festival. As Dark Moon Pack is expected to be there. If you don't show up—"

"I don't give a damn about the festival!" I roared.

"I know but the other Alphas will see it as a weakness. We can't afford that right now, especially with the Lycan King visiting next week."

I wanted to argue. I wanted to tell him to go to hell and go search for Aria myself.

But he was right. I had responsibilities as an Alpha. I couldn't just abandon everything because one omega ran away.

"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "But I want updates every five minutes. If they find her, I want to know immediately."

"Of course, Alpha."

The drive to Crystal Lake Pack was torture. Every minute felt like an hour. I kept checking my phone and waiting for news but there was nothing.

My wolf was going insane, clawing at my insides. When we finally arrived at the festival, I wanted to turn around and leave immediately. The place was packed with wolves in fancy clothes, laughing and drinking like they didn't have a care in the world.

I hated all of them.

"Alpha Ryker!" Alpha Cain of Crystal Lake approached me with a huge smile. "Welcome! We're honored to have you here!"

"Thank you," I said stiffly, barely looking at him.

"Can I get you a drink? Some food? We have—"

"I'm fine," I cut him off.

He looked taken aback but nodded. "Of course…Well, if you need anything, just let me know."

I walked away before he could say anything else but I looked up to see a man in a white coat hurrying toward me as he looked nervous.

"What?" I snapped.

"I'm Dr. Hayes, the pack doctor here. I'm sorry to bother you but there was an incident earlier this evening."

My blood ran cold. "What kind of incident?"

"Some rogues attacked a young woman in the forest. Our patrol found her unconscious and brought her here for treatment."

My heart was pounding so hard I could barely hear him. "And?"

"Well, she has the Dark Moon Pack mark on her wrist, so I thought you should know—"

I grabbed him by the collar. "Where is she?"

"In the medical center! Room 7! But Alpha, she's—"

I didn't wait for him to finish. I took off running, pushing through the crowd of festival guests.

Malik was right behind me and calling after me. "Alpha, wait!"

I burst through the doors of the medical center and ran down the hallway, following the room numbers. 5... 6... 7.

I threw open the door but the room was empty despite her scent around here, she was definitely here so I believe the Doctor.

Dr. Hayes came running up behind me, panting. "She was here! I swear she was here! My colleague left her to rest for just a few minutes—"

I spun around and slammed him against the wall. "You left her alone? She's injured and you left her alone? You all had better find out or this Festival will be a f*****g disaster!"

I released him and stepped outside the room, trying to catch her scent but it was gone.