Chapter 4 An Alpha's Regret

CALIX LEIGHTON POV

It was a long day for me, visiting the neighboring kingdom, meeting with other alphas and sparring with my King's guard as training. I had chosen specific dates to perform my husbandly duties to Astoria and today was one of those days. I guess that was the only thing that provided me with the relief I needed.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the castle doors and I stepped down to head inside for a long bath. The scene I witnessed before me was rather confusing.

"Punish us your Majesty for our incapability!" The guards of the castle all knelt before me echoed in unison.

"What is going on here?" I felt my brows furrow as I stared at them in utmost confusion and surprise.

"Punish us for our incapability, your Majesty!" The maids also on their knees exclaimed with their heads bowed down.

"What in the bloody hell is going on here?!" My voice raised higher than I had intended.

Astoria's chambermaid crawled towards me on her knees and stopped a few feet from me. "Your Majesty, we are deeply sorry for our mistake, we have all been kneeling here waiting for your arrival." Tears rolled down her face.

I went on one knee and raised her head to look at me. "What happened? What mistake did you make?"

She blinked back her tears and gulped down saliva. "Her Majesty... Your... Your... Queen is missing." She stammered as tears gushed down her cheeks.

"What did you say? Astoria is where?" I moved closer to her with pricked ears.

She cringed backwards in fear. "We have searched the entire castle but... We couldn't find her."

I sighed as I felt my shoulders drop in disappointment, I had wished I heard wrong. I rose to my feet and clenched my sword in anger.

She fell to the ground, kissing the earth with her forehead as she pleaded for mercy. "I have failed you my king, please forgive me for my mistake!"

The others instantly followed her movements and bowed their heads to the earth. "We have failed you our king, please forgive us for our mistake!" They all echoed.

"What are you all still doing here?! Begging for my mercy when you should have the best of the best werewolves on her tail at this instant! Scatter! All of you!" I yelled at the top of my voice.

Immediately, they all rose to their feet and began pacing about.

"Come back and beg for my mercy with her in your arms for letting her out of your sight or don't come back at all!" I sighed as u rubbed my aching temple.

"Your Majesty, I will ask around in the village if they noticed any girl in royal attire." My King's guard stated.

"Just do as you wish Lancelot but be sure to find her."

He bowed his head before switching with his wolf and running off, howling into the moon that shone brightly over us.

"Somebody get me a horse! What am I saying? It's time for you to run, Rand." I said to my wolf.

Without hesitation, he switched with me and began running at a fast pace. Rand was the strongest, keenest of sight and the fastest of all werewolves, he was me.

Relentlessly searching through the village all night, we found no trace of her. I decided on retreating for the night and resuming the search as soon as the golden yellow sun appeared in the sky.

Laying on my bed, I felt like a part of me had left me. Why did I feel that way? Why was I feeling guilty for the way I treated her? Guilt was a feeling I never allowed myself experience but no matter how hard I tried, it refused to leave.

At that moment, her beautiful smile surfaced in my mind, how she would stare at me with her beautiful set of pale blue eyes. How much she loved to braid her back length brunette hair in two and how cute it made her look.

If she really was my mate, then I was grateful to the moon goddess. I knew I would not give up on her, I could not and I must not, whatever it would take, I must find her.

I watched the sun rise into the sky as my feelings didn't allow me a single moment of shut eye. For the first time, I was worried, not about myself but about someone else, a little woman who crawled into my heart without my consent.

I went into the wash room to have a quick bath before resuming the search mission. As I dressed myself and got to the main hall, everyone was already waiting for me and they all bowed their heads.

"I am guessing you all couldn't sleep because of the guilt you feel, neither could I..." I mumbled the latter to myself. "Today is another day to ask the moon goddess for assistance and guidance on finding this missing girl soon because starting from today, every single day you all return without her, your punishment will be very severe and you will only be provided with one little meal per day."

They all mumbled in disagreement which forced rage to erupt in me. "Do you all have something to say to me? Are you not satisfied with my judgment?" My brows furrowed.

They all turned mute instantly.

"I don't care what you do within these walls, whether you cut the flowers in the garden or you cut open a chicken or lay a bed... This punishment goes for all of you for your incompetence and incapability! And you are not to stop searching until the moon shines at its brightest! Away with all of you!" I snapped.

They all obediently walked away. Lancelot approached me. "I have an update your Majesty."

"What is it?"

"A villager reportedly claimed to have seen a girl while he was in the forest and she was being carried away by a stranger with an unusual horse as black as the night sky."

I gritted my teeth in anger. "There is only one wolf with such a horse around here. Ready the horses, I think it's time we pay the outlawed a visit."