Chapter 6 Search

When Rustyn finally reached Alpha Idris's chambers, the elderly man was seated beside a reading lamp, his eyes buried in a book. Despite Rustyn's arrival, Idris continued reading, but Rustyn knew the old man had sensed his presence from a mile away. He stood, waiting patiently to be addressed. After ten minutes of excruciating silence, Idris finally spoke. "What happened between you and Ava that caused her to not only leave you, her fated mate, but also abandon her pack?"

Hearing the accusatory tone and seeing the seriousness on Idris's face, the alpha in Rustyn wanted to take offense, but he restrained himself. Idris was a man he respected, reminding him so much of his own father, whom he had lost at an early age. Calming his wolf, he replied, "I didn't do anything to warrant such actions from her. We were good together. I'm still in shock over how everything turned out." Alpha Idris studied the boy, searching for any signs of deceit, but found none. Instead, he asked, "What do you suggest we do now about the merger and your mate?"

Hearing Idris refer to Ava as his mate made Rustyn chuckle. "So, this is what we're doing now? You're right, though. I can't fault you there. She is my mate, and I want her back." They exchanged knowing looks, silently agreeing to do whatever it took to bring Ava home.

Meanwhile, Beta Federick was performing his nightly routine, checking the border to ensure all patrols were in their designated positions. He was deeply disappointed in the young squad they had been training. The fact that on the one night the high-ranking guards took a break, leaving them in charge, the alpha's daughter was allegedly missing or a runaway bride, as some would call it, made it seem like they hadn't trained the squad well enough. What hurt the most was that they all claimed no one had crossed the border that night.

Suddenly, a thought struck Federick: what if the alpha's daughter had left through the left side of the border? But that didn't seem right, only a fool would take the left gate after hearing the stories of those who had gone that way and never returned or were captured by creatures from other realms. To ease his mind, he went to check the perimeter of the left gate, and that's when he saw it, a piece of the princess's dress torn and hanging on a tree. Grabbing the fabric, he sprinted through the forest back to Alpha Idris's chambers, alerting the alpha through the mind link as he ran. When he arrived, Idris was already waiting anxiously. The beta handed him the piece of clothing he had found. The discovery of part of his precious daughter's dress by the left border terrified Idris. He had thought she had left through the right gate and was staying in one of the packs within their realm. In fact, he and Alpha Rustyn had already sent word through their connections, labelling it a kidnapping so that everyone would treat it as an emergency, avoiding political uproar while the merger continued. They had hoped to find Ava within the week, bring her home, and discuss her reasons for leaving, allowing her and Rustyn to become a happy couple and rule in peace. But this new information threatened to prolong the search and risk everything.

Only a few people knew that Ava had left the pack willingly. Alpha Idris trusted only his Beta Federick to deliver the news to Rustyn, as they could not yet communicate through the mind link since Rustyn hadn't marked his daughter.

When Rustyn arrived at the chambers with Beta Federick, there were three others in the room: Nanny Kate, who he found suspicious but had been told was like a second mother to his mate, stood by the wall, her head bowed in submission. Luna Sera sat beside Alpha Idris, with the alpha rubbing comforting circles on her back while holding her arm firmly to soothe her nerves about the possibility of their daughter being lost forever. Rustyn briefly admired the display of affection between the two before suggesting his plan to retrieve his mate. "I've decided to find my Luna myself, with some of my men. As her mate, I should've realized sooner that she wasn't feeling sure about everything. I should've protected her better, even if it was from herself. It's a decision I've made after careful thought. My beta, Luke, will manage my pack and the merger, with your help, of course, Alpha Idris and Luna Sera. With any luck, my men and I will find her and return within two months. I may not be fully bonded with my mate yet, but the bond we do have is strong enough to know she's alive. I'm sure it's even stronger for you, who've known her all her life. If anything had happened to her, we would've felt it. She's alive."

After listening to Rustyn speak, Alpha Idris knew the boy was right and was impressed with how quickly he had formulated a plan. He would have loved to go after his daughter himself or at least accompany Rustyn, but he wasn't as young anymore. Besides, it wouldn't make sense for both leaders of the merger to leave. Despite it all, Ava was Rustyn's fated mate. He didn't know how the young man was keeping so calm; if it had been him, he would've probably gone feral by now. Maybe it was because they hadn't marked each other yet, which also surprised Idris and showed how much self-control Rustyn had. When he met Luna Sera, they had marked each other within hours. A small smile tugged at the alpha's lips at the memory before it was replaced by a frown, worry clouding his mind, not only for his daughter but also for his son-in-law. Yes, in his eyes, Rustyn was his son-in-law.

After the meeting, Rustyn returned to the quarters assigned to him and his mate in the Viridian Moon pack. He packed the personal items he would need for the search and sat down to rest. By nightfall, they would be leaving through the borders, hoping to end up in the same realm as Ava. As a child who had lost his parents early and was raised by his father's beta to lead his pack, Rustyn had always dreamed of starting his own family, a family full of joy, love, and peace. He was also raised to be ambitious, smart, and ruthless, taught to seize every opportunity. And that's exactly what he did when he found out Ava Green, heir of the Viridian Moon pack, was his mate. Before seeing her as his mate, he saw her as a means to strengthen his pack's power and land. That's why he went behind her back to meet with her father, despite her asking him not to. The guilt gnawed at him, knowing he had pushed his mate the greatest gift the Moon Goddess had given him away. He knew Ava was smart and must have seen through his deceit, which is why she left. As the hour of departure approached, Rustyn swore to himself that he would bring Ava back in one piece, and that all his men would return safely.