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1004 Words
Nikolai walked out of the packhouse without sparing a second glance toward the master bedroom.
The image of Selene crying remained in his mind, but instead of feeling guilty, irritation settled inside him.
In his eyes, Selene had been overreacting for days. Everything had become a problem even the tiniest things.
Bianca.
The anniversary. phone call, and the apology. It felt like she was deliberately making things difficult for her. Maybe it's because he doesn't come home often that Selene took out her frustrations on Bianca and Nikolai hated that. Bianca is innocent.
Nikolai shoved his hands into his pockets as he headed toward his car. The morning air was cool, but it did little to calm his mood.
He started the engine and drove toward the pack office. Throughout the drive, he convinced himself that Selene simply wanted attention.
That was all.
She would eventually calm down. She always did. She would always follow him around and this time he's sure she's going to do it too.
By the time he arrived at the office, Nikolai had already pushed thoughts of his wife to the back of his mind.
Work came first because the Ironfang Pack wouldn't run itself.
The warriors standing guard immediately straightened upon seeing him.
"Alpha."
Nikolai nodded and entered the building.
The familiar scent of paper, ink, and coffee greeted him. Once inside his office, he sat behind his desk and immediately began reviewing documents.
Reports, territory disputes, supply requests, training schedules, and the paperwork seemed endless.
For the next thirty minutes, the only sounds inside the office were the scratching of his pen and the turning of pages.
Then the office door suddenly burst open. A warrior rushed inside. His breathing was uneven. His face had turned pale.
"Alpha!"
Nikolai immediately looked up. The warrior looked terrified. Nikolai's expression hardened.
"What is it?" Nikolai asked. The warrior swallowed.
"I have terrible news!" he exclaimed. A strange feeling settled in Nikolai's chest. He slowly put down his pen.
"What happened?" Nikolai said. The warrior took a deep breath.
"Ambush!"
Nikolai's chair scraped loudly against the floor as he stood.
"What?" Nikolai exclaimed.
"Beta Jeffrey and his wife were ambushed!"
The room suddenly became silent. For a brief second, Nikolai stopped hearing everything around him. His thoughts immediately rushed toward one person.
Bianca.
His heart slammed violently against his ribs.
"What?!" Nikolai said, slamming his hands on the table. The warrior lowered his head.
"We just received the distress call," the warrior said.
"Where are they?" Nikolai asked. Nikolai was already moving toward the door. "Send warriors immediately!" he added.
"The last distress signal from Beta Jeffrey came from the lake area," he said. Nikolai didn't hesitate.
"Let's go!" he said.
Within minutes, vehicles were racing out of the pack grounds and several warriors shifted into their wolf forms and ran ahead, straight to the forest.
The atmosphere inside the convoy was tense. Nobody spoke. Nobody dared.
Nikolai sat in the front vehicle, his jaw clenched tightly. His mind refused to stop imagining worst-case scenarios.
Bianca injured, Bianca captured or Bianca dead. Each possibility made his chest tighten.
The drive felt endless. Twenty minutes later, they finally arrived near the lake.
The area was quiet. Too quiet. Nikolai stepped out immediately. The scent of blood hit him first. His stomach twisted.
"Spread out!" he barked. The warriors quickly obeyed. "Search everywhere!" he added.
The forest instantly erupted into activity. Groups moved in different directions. Some followed scents. Others searched the surrounding area.
Several warriors transformed into wolves. Nikolai himself moved deeper into the forest. Every broken branch, every bloodstain, and every footprint made his heart pound harder.
One of the warriors approached him.
"Alpha."
Nikolai turned.
"What?" Nikolai asked.
"We found signs of a fight," he said.
The warrior pointed toward a nearby clearing. Trees had been damaged. The ground was torn apart and blood stained the grass. Nikolai's expression darkened.
"Rogues?" he asked. The warrior nodded.
"The tracks suggest multiple rogues and fought Beta Jeffrey," he replied. Nikolai clenched his fists.
"Damn it. What about Bianca? Has anyone's saw her?" he asked, but warriors shook their heads.
The search continued. Minutes turned into an hour. An hour became more. The warriors searched every corner of the forest.
Yet there was no sign of Jeffrey and no sign of Bianca. The tension grew heavier with every passing minute. Nikolai refused to stop searching.
He couldn't. Not until he found her. Then suddenly—
"Alpha!"
A distant voice echoed through the forest. Nikolai immediately turned. One of the warriors emerged from between the trees.
His face showed excitement.
"We found someone!" he exclaimed. Nikolai's heart nearly stopped.
"Where?" he asked. The warrior pointed ahead.
"This way!"
Nikolai sprinted. Branches whipped against his clothes. Leaves crunched beneath his boots. Several warriors followed behind him.
The closer he got, the stronger the scent of blood became. Then he saw her.
Bianca.
She was curled up inside the hollow formed by the roots of a massive oak tree. Mud covered her clothes. Cuts marked her skin. Blood stained her sleeves and her entire body trembled violently.
The moment Nikolai saw her, something inside him shattered.
"Bianca!"
Without hesitation, he rushed forward. Bianca lifted her head. The instant their eyes met, tears flooded her face.
"N-Niks..."
Her voice broke.
"Niks! Oh my God! Jeffrey! Have you found him? There were too many of them!" she exclaimed.
She burst into uncontrollable sobs. Nikolai immediately pulled her into his arms.
"It's okay," Nikolai said. Bianca clung to him desperately. "It's okay. We will find him. We will find Jeffrey. I need to secure you first," he repeated.
Her body was freezing. Covered in dirt. Covered in blood. Nikolai held her even tighter.
"Shhh, I'm here," Nikolai said. He gently stroked her hair. "I'm here now," he added. Bianca cried harder.
"Niks...."
"You're not alone now, Biancs," he said.
She was alive. Bianca was alive and got minor injuries. And at that moment, nothing else seemed to matter.
- Writer
