18|Dead end.
786 Words
Ace barged into his study, his sharp gaze immediately landing on Lucas and Sophia, who sprang to their feet and bowed in respect at the Alpha's arrival.
With a curt nod of acknowledgment, Ace strode to his seat with the confidence of a man who commanded the world. He sank into the chair, leaning back lazily as his piercing eyes narrowed for a brief moment.
It was happening again—the daze. Only this time, it wasn’t Eleanor, the woman who constantly haunted his thoughts. No, this time, it was Dorothy. Troublesome. Annoying. A constant thorn in his side.
His lips twitched as if caught between a scowl and a laugh. He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose before snapping back to reality, his eyes cold and detached as he asked, "Have you gotten any information about him yet?"
Lucas and Sophia exchanged a brief, hesitant glance, pausing for a moment.
Damn it. The Alpha seemed angrier and more terrifying than usual. Who would've thought Ace could get any scarier? They hadn't imagined it was even possible, but the tension in the air was enough evidence to prove them wrong.
They'd expected Ace's new mate to bring some light—sunshine, rainbows, and the warmth of spring to the cold walls of the packhouse. But in just one day, she'd already managed to anger Ace, and now that fury was likely going to be aimed at them.
"Answer him. You're his Beta, not me. You should be the one to die instead," Sophia said casually through their mindlink, her voice unbothered. Lucas's eyes widened, as though he'd just heard the most insane thing imaginable.
"Y-You want your mate to die? Why was that decision so easy to make?" he shot back, glaring at her, but she merely shrugged.
"I love you, but I love myself more. If I had to pick, I'm sorry then I will pick me" She replied without as much as blinking an eye.
Ace sighed, his gaze shifting between them. His patience was already worn thin, especially when his thoughts turned to that blonde, who looked more like a girl than anything else. He couldn’t help but feel irritated at the thought, especially since the way he had looked at Eleanor in the past was the same way he had been eyeing Dorothy earlier.
“I asked a question, and you know I do not like repeating myself,” Ace’s voice was calm, yet carried an edge that stopped Lucas and Sophia mid-discussion.
“Y-yes, Alpha, and Lucas has the answer for that,” Sofia quickly replied, pointing toward Lucas. His glare sharpened, but after a deep sigh, he spoke.
“We were not able to get any information about Ethan’s whereabouts this time either,” Lucas said, his voice softer now, tinged with frustration.
He was truly disappointed in himself. After all these years of searching for Ethan—the traitor who had betrayed them and killed their previous Luna—there was still no lead. No matter how hard he tried, he always ended up at a dead end, all the while silently watching his Alpha slowly spiral into sadness and guilt.
“I’m sorry, Alpha,” Lucas bowed his head, a gesture that tugged at Sofia’s heart as she saw Ace’s brief flicker of sadness before his usual cold, detached expression took over.
“Make sure you check all the packs. He might be hiding somewhere we least expect. Do not only check the deserted areas of the land,” Ace commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument, before standing and walking out of the study.
Lucas didn’t raise his head even after Ace left. Sofia gently patted his back, her voice soft.
“It’s okay, everything will be okay,” she whispered, hoping—praying—that Dorothy, Ace's new mate, would be the one to change him.
As Ace walked to his room, his steps light, he ignored the greetings from the maids.
As soon as he closed the door, his clothes fell to the floor in heaps as he moved toward the bathroom, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts he couldn’t control.
Why did the goddess hate him so much? Why had Eleanor been taken from him, leaving nothing but a hole in his chest? And most of all, why did his heart ache when he saw Dorothy cry? It made no sense—she was nothing like Eleanor, yet in that moment, something inside him had shifted.
“You know, I didn't want to say anything before but they are similar" Damien said and Ace instantly narrowed his eyes into a glare.
They weren't similar, Eleanor couldn't be similar to that girl.
- Writer
