The Missing Piece
1015 Words
A week had passed without a single update from Alpha Greythorn.
Surely it couldn't be that difficult to identify a beautiful redhead and tell him whether she had survived the accident.
Harvey growled low in his chest.
He paced the length of the cabin, turning sharply each time he reached a wall. His phone sat on the table beside him, and it took every ounce of restraint not to throw it across the room.
Ever since the accident, sleep had become impossible.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her.
Saw her body slam into the tree.
Heard the sickening crack.
Watched her disappear into the darkness.
The memory replayed endlessly.
That night, he had run toward her without hesitation.
Every instinct screamed at him to reach her.
To carry her.
To protect her.
Then a voice had stopped him.
"It's not time, Harvey."
The words had whispered through the forest.
Soft.
Powerful.
Impossible to ignore.
"She isn't ready for you yet. But soon she will be."
Even now, he couldn't explain what had happened.
He hadn't seen anyone.
Hadn't scented another wolf.
Yet the voice had carried enough authority to stop him in his tracks.
Literally.
His body had frozen.
No matter how hard he fought, he couldn't take another step.
Helplessly, he had watched strangers rush to her side.
Only after she was loaded into the boat and taken away had the invisible restraint disappeared.
When he returned to the cabin, he immediately called Alpha Greythorn.
The conversation had been infuriating.
Harvey had demanded answers.
Greythorn had offered none.
The Alpha simply informed him that he was heading to the hospital before ending the call.
Since then?
Nothing.
Not a single word.
Harvey finally dropped into a chair and buried his face in his hands.
His phone rang.
He snatched it up before the second ring.
"Alpha Greythorn."
"Harvey, I need a favour."
Harvey immediately straightened.
"Not until you tell me how she is."
A weary sigh echoed down the line.
"She's fine, Harvey. Barely a scratch on her. She's already returned home."
Relief flooded through him.
Then confusion followed.
"Returned home? What does that mean? Who is she? Where is she?"
His questions came rapid-fire.
"Harvey."
Alpha Greythorn's tone hardened.
"You are currently residing within my territory. While you may be Alpha of your own pack, you are still expected to show proper respect while on my lands."
Harvey closed his eyes and dragged a hand through his hair.
His frustration was getting the better of him.
"I apologise, Alpha."
The words tasted bitter.
"But my concern for this girl goes beyond witnessing an accident."
Silence.
"What do you mean?" Greythorn asked.
Harvey hesitated.
How was he supposed to explain something he barely understood himself?
"When I saw her..." he began slowly, "it felt like I'd found something I'd been missing."
The words sounded ridiculous.
Yet they were true.
"Like a piece of my soul recognized hers."
His voice softened.
"And for the first time in years, I felt peace."
The silence that followed lasted just a little too long.
Finally, Alpha Greythorn cleared his throat.
"She's an attractive girl, Harvey. I wouldn't read too much into it."
Harvey's wolf rumbled unhappily beneath the surface.
Attractive?
That wasn't what this was.
Not even close.
Before he could argue, Greythorn continued.
"Regardless, I called because I need a favour."
Harvey forced himself to listen.
"Two of my pack members are being temporarily banished following the accident. I would like them to join Hope Paw and train with your warriors during their sentence."
That immediately had Harvey's attention.
"You know they're welcome."
His answer came without hesitation.
"I'll have Orion meet them at the pack house."
The relief in Greythorn's voice was obvious.
"Thank you, Harvey. I appreciate it."
"If you appreciate it so much," Harvey muttered, "tell me who she is."
The line went dead.
Harvey stared at his phone.
Then swore loudly and tossed it onto the sofa.
He was done waiting.
If Alpha Greythorn wasn't going to answer his questions, Harvey would find the answers himself.
The walk to the Goodhaven homestead took less time than usual.
The closer he drew, the more nervous he became.
Children laughed in the distance.
Pack members moved between houses and gardens.
The scene was so normal.
So peaceful.
Harvey almost turned around.
Then he heard it.
A laugh.
Soft and musical.
His head snapped toward the sound.
And there she was.
Sitting on a swing beneath a flowering tree.
His breath caught instantly.
She was every bit as beautiful as he remembered.
Sunlight danced through strands of fiery red hair.
The gentle breeze lifted the loose curls around her face.
For a moment, Harvey simply stared.
A strange warmth spread through his chest.
Then something even stranger happened.
Images flashed through his mind.
A little girl playing with dolls.
A dining room filled with elegant guests.
Sparkling gowns.
Jewels.
Lonely dinners.
Laughter.
Sadness.
Longing.
The images appeared and vanished so quickly he couldn't make sense of them.
Harvey rubbed his eyes.
When he lowered his hand, her head shot up.
Their gazes locked.
The world seemed to fall away.
The sounds of the homestead faded.
The distance between them disappeared.
Harvey felt himself leaning toward her.
Drawn by something he couldn't explain.
As if an invisible thread connected them.
He took a step forward.
Heat surged through his body.
Her eyes followed the movement.
Every instinct urged him to cross the remaining distance.
To touch her.
To make sure she was real.
To ask her name.
Instead, he clenched his fists at his sides.
Then a man burst from the kitchen doorway.
"Natalia!"
The spell shattered.
Concern flashed across her face as she turned toward the newcomer.
Without hesitation, she hurried toward him.
Harvey's heart sank.
Just before disappearing inside, she glanced back.
One final look.
One final moment.
Then she was gone.
The door closed behind her.
And for the first time, Harvey finally had an answer.
Natalia.
Now he had a name.
The rest, he vowed, he would discover for himself.
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