The Lycan King's Rejected Omega

25 – Gone

Asmeria's heart plummeted at his words as reality hit her like a sledgehammer. She immediately rushed towards the guard that stood near the entrance, her breath coming in ragged gasps as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She reached him, her hands trembling as she grabbed hold of his shirt, her voice choked with fear.

"What happened to my son?" She demanded, her voice quivering with raw emotion. The guard's eyes widened in alarm as he struggled to find the words to answer her.

"W-well, the t-trainers... they—" he stammered, but Asmeria's desperation overpowered his stuttering attempt to explain.

"What happened to my son?" she yelled, her voice rising with each word as she shook him forcefully, her eyes blazing.

Thorian reached out to touch her shoulder,"Calm down, Asmeria. Don’t—," He said softly. But before he could finish his sentence, Asmeria tilted her head back to meet his eyes, glaring at him.

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down," she spat, her voice quivering. "It wasn't your son who got missing." she added, her voice lowering. "So you don't even know what it feels like," she muttered, her voice barely audible over the pounding of her own heartbeat.

“He is my son!" Thorian's voice rang out like a thunderclap. "Evander Blackthorne is my son, my blood flows in his veins, and my spirit resides in him. He is the crowned alpha prince and the next crowned alpha of the Obsidian Moon pack. My son! So, I do very much care about him."

Thorian's attention turned sharply towards the guard, "And I will cut the throat of whoever is responsible for my son's disappearance," he declared. The guard visibly paled under Thorian's scrutiny, understanding the gravity of the threat.

Asmeria couldn't bear to look at Thorian any longer. She turned her gaze away from him, feeling a pang of bitterness and resentment seep into her heart. She couldn't shake the feeling that Thorian cared about Evander only as his next heir, not as a son.

He wasn't the one who had countless sleepless nights she had spent worrying about Evander, the times they had faced hardship together, enduring homelessness and harsh weather conditions, he wasn't the one who pushed him out and nearly died in the process. She did all of that. All alone, while Thorian was up in his palace and didn't give a f**k about her.

Asmeria's grip on the guard's shirt with such force that it felt like iron bands around his chest. He stumbled backward, his feet slipping on the smooth floor as he struggled to regain his footing. For a moment, it seemed as though he might topple over, but he managed to steady himself just in time, his hands reaching out to grab onto the nearest piece of furniture for support.

Her nails dug into the fabric as she fought to maintain her hold. A sardonic chuckle escaped her lips, filled with bitterness and disbelief.

"It must be a joke, right?" she scoffed, "My son is supposed to be in his room, getting ready for dinner. Right?"

The guard shook his head, "He had gone for his horse riding training earlier today, and..." he trailed off, hesitating to deliver the devastating news.

Asmeria's patience snapped. With a fierce shake, she demanded, "What happened?"

The guard swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper as he delivered the final blow. "They found the horse and his tutors dead, no trace of Evander."

Slowly, Asmeria released her grip on the guard's shirt, her fingers loosening their hold as the weight of the news settled upon her like a heavy cloak. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed and she gripped her chest, grimacing. With a heavy sigh, she stepped back from the guard and turned around, heading towards the window.

Her baby was gone.

"Immediately, launch a search party," Thorian instructed. "Close all the borders and inspect all goings and comings of the members of this pack."

Thorian grabbed hold of his collar, "None of you should return back to this palace without the boy... alive," he declared, with stern emphasis on his words.

The guard nodded fervently and then Thorian let go of him, so he hastily departed. Thorian turned back and saw that Asmeria was also making her way towards the door. Just as she reached for the handle, Thorian's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Where are you going?"

Asmeria turned to face him, her expression resolute despite the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "I'm going to my chambers to get dressed,"

Thorian furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why?"

"Because I'm following the search party,"

His eyes widened in shock. "What?"

She held his gaze. "No way will I sit here in my bedroom and send people to look for my son while I sit here, sip tea like nothing is happening," she declared, "I will be in the front of that search party looking for my son as well."

"Do not leave this mansion, Asmeria. I command it!" Thorian's voice thundered but she paid no mind to him. She turned away from him and continued to head towards the door.

Thorian’s fists clenched at his sides, “I said, don't go anywhere Asmeria!” he seethed through gritted teeth.

Again, she didn't listen. She continued to move towards the door and reached for the handle of the door. But then, Thorian's strong grip closed around her arm, pulling her back into the room with surprising force.

She stumbled backward, her eyes wide with shock as Thorian's hands gripped her shoulders tightly. She looked up at him, her breath catching in her throat as she saw the sternness etched across his face.

"You won't go out there, Asmeria," Thorian's voice boomed, "We do not know who took him. It may be someone who is after you as well, and I cannot risk losing you again!"

She blinked, taken aback by the intensity of his words. She was dumbfounded and didn't know what to think of it. Did he genuinely still care for her or was just bothered about her safety simply because of what he would lose if she was gone?

"I won't allow you to go out there," Thorian's voice reverberated through the room. "Hell, I will lock you up if I have to."

And then his voice softened, "Trust them to do their duties," he said, "I trust my men. Evander will come back to us."

Asmeria looked up at Thorian, her eyes meeting him. With a nod, Asmeria accepted Thorian's words, allowing herself to believe in the hope he offered.

-:-

Two days had passed since Evander's disappearance, and frankly speaking, Asmeria was losing it. She sat at the dining table, her untouched meal in front of her and her coffee had turned cold. She stared blankly at nothing and simply sat there frozen. She had barely said a word to anyone for the past two days.

Meanwhile, Thorian paced in Vanrad's room, worried.

"Till now, they haven't returned with any good news," He relayed.

Vanrad's response was weak but resolute. "It must be one of your enemies who took him," he coughed afterwards.

Thorian nodded grimly, "Obviously," he replied, his tone clipped. "But I can't go around accusing anyone without evidence."

"Are you truly worried about the boy, Thorian?" he paused, "Or is it simply the loss of your best chance at securing an heir before your demise that worries him?"

Thorian's gaze shifted to his father, his expression unreadable as he processed the question. Deep in his mind, he wrestled between the two. He was worried about Evander being missing — that was his son, but he was also worried about never getting another heir if Evander was dead.

However, he reasoned his father may see his silence as a negative answer. And he didn't want to give his father that satisfaction.

So he met his father's gaze with a steely resolve. "I care about Evander genuinely," he stated firmly.

Vanrad's weakened chuckle filled the room, but it held no mirth. It was a bitter sound and his frail form shook with the effort, and he leaned back against the pillows with a heavy sigh.

"That sounded so false, Thorian," Vanrad remarked, "Even you yourself can't believe those words."

Thorian's jaw tightened at his father's words, a flicker of frustration crossing his features before he composed himself.

"You don't expect me to not also worry that my only heir was taken and the lineage would die in my hands” Thorian snapped,

Vanrad remained silent, tilting his head to meet Thorian's gaze. After a tense moment had passed, Vanrad spoke again, his voice softer this time but no less resolute. "That proves my point," he stated simply.

Thorian’s fists clenched at his sides and he fought the urge to walk over to the man and squeeze out whatever life that remained in him. But that would be a felony. Instead, he turned around and left the room, slamming the door shut.

He made his way to the dining table, where Asmeria sat alone, her untouched meal before her. He took a deep breath and sat beside her.

"Please eat," Thorian said, settling down in front of his meal and picking up his cutlery, “You’ve barely taken any meals for two days now.:

Asmeria glanced up at him, her expression guarded as she met his gaze. "Maybe you can eat," she replied quietly. "After all, you do not genuinely care about him."

Thorian's jaw clenched at her words and his grip tightened on his cutlery, but Asmeria continued speaking anyways.

"But I do," she resumed "So I cannot eat when, for all I know, that boy has not eaten since he left here."

And then he slammed his cutlery down on the table, causing the utensils to clatter loudly against the wood. "I'm sick and tired of you saying I don't care about him. I do!"

Her eyes flashed with anger, mirroring his own. "Act like it then!"

“I am," he retorted,"I do care, and I am acting like it. I've sent numerous search parties, the kingdom is in a state of emergency, yet he has not been found. What else do you want me to do?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Obviously, since they aren't coming back with any worthwhile information, then you should take matters into your own hands," she insisted. "You know who might want to target him. Outline them and launch an investigation!"

Thorian fell silent upon hearing that and he tried to wrap his head around the situation. Who would have taken Evander? The list of potential suspects seemed short, yet the implications were dire.

Definitely not any of his enemies: Alpha Seth, Alpha Zed, and Alpha Draven. The guards at the borders would have most likely noticed any unauthorized entrance from someone who did not belong to our pack.

He paused, considering the possibilities. So it was either an insider who kidnapped the boy for his enemies, or the insider kidnapped him for himself... or herself…

And then the realization settled heavily upon him and everything made sense.

"Asannah," he breathed, the name escaping his lips almost involuntarily and then he turned to face Asmeria,

“Asannah.’ he repeated, more loudly and both their eyes widened as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.