I’m excited to spend the day with Astrid; every day she trusts me more and more. She is thankfully adjusting to werewolf life. After my shower I knock on her door: there’s no answer. I knock again.
‘Astrid, are you awake?’ I open the door; her bed is neat and creaseless; she hasn’t slept in it. Strange. I knock on the ensuite door; she isn’t there either. One of her drawers is open; inside her clothes have been flung about like she was looking for something in a hurry. My stomach sinks; her bag is gone. I sprint downstairs to the dining room. Seth and Mia are at the table with Kane, Hayley and Vanessa; they all stand as I enter.
‘Has anyone seen Astrid?’ I ask; they shrug and say they haven’t.
‘Is she still asleep?’ Mia asks.
‘No, she isn’t there and her bag is gone too,’ I say in a panic.
‘Ryker, I’m sure she’s around somewhere. I’ll mind-link the pack to keep an eye out for her,’ Seth suggests. Running through the house, I call out for Astrid, searching every room. I come back to the dining room.
‘She isn’t in the house!’ I panic.
‘Alpha Ryker, your breakfast is ready,’ Alice says, smiling.
‘You haven’t seen Astrid, have you Alice?’ I ask.
‘No, Alpha, I’ve been in the kitchen since 6am. I haven’t seen her,’ she replies, smiling. I run out the front door; I can just pick up her scent. I rip my clothes off and shift into my wolf. I let out a deafening, sad, howl and race toward the scent. An hour later, I’m deep in the woods when her scent vanishes. I run in different directions becoming more and more distressed. Astrid, I don’t understand why you’d leave me. Where would you go? I think about where she might have gone. The diner is the only place I can think of; there’s no way she would have gone back to her Dad. I run to the diner and shift back into my human form, not caring that I’m completely naked.
‘Jim!’ I shout. ‘Jim!’ All the customers freeze in shock at my nudity. An overweight man catches his wife grinning; he covers her eyes with his hands and gives me a very unimpressed look.
‘Ryker! Damn it. Get some clothes on! We’re full of customers!’ Jim yells.
‘Astrid! Have you seen her?’ I ask, in a rush.
‘No, I haven’t seen her since she left with you,’ he says.
‘Shit! She’s missing. Her bag is gone. I don’t know why she would run away,’ I panic.
‘I’ll call you if I see her. In the meantime, you need to leave. My female customers are gawking, and their husbands want to give you a black eye!’ Jim says.
I sigh, leaving the diner and shift back into my wolf; searching the woods, hoping to pick up her scent. I find nothing; not a trace of her anywhere. I mind-link Seth and Kane and tell them to organise search parties. I don’t return home for 24 hours, until I have no choice but to rest; afterward I continue searching for her.
In bed, a hand rests on my chest.
‘Astrid!’ I sit up and see Vanessa asleep in my bed next to me; I let out a loud growl waking her up.
‘Ryker, don’t growl at me! You need to get over her. Astrid left because she doesn’t love you. She doesn’t want you or the responsibility of being Luna,’ Vanessa says.
‘Get out of my bed, and out of my room now, Vanessa!’ I yell.
‘Fine! But sooner or later you’re going to have to accept me as your chosen mate whether you like it or not! You know the elders don’t want a weak runaway as Luna!’ She says, getting out of my bed.
Jumping out of bed, with my hand around her neck, I pin Vanessa to the wall.
‘Don’t you ever call my mate weak again! Do you hear me?’ I yell.
‘Ryker, you’re hurting me,’ she says. I let go, letting her drop to the floor. She holds her neck and looks up at me; her eyes well.
‘Get out now!’ I yell. She stands and runs out the room.
Making my way downstairs, I find Seth.
‘Alpha Ryker, we had five search parties look for her while you slept. We found no trace of her. We will keep searching until she is found, Alpha.’ Nodding, I sit at the dining table.
‘Seth, tell Alice to be quick with the food. I need to continue looking for Astrid,’ I order. Seth nods, goes to the kitchen, and moments later Alice brings me a plate of food and puts it on the table in front of me.
‘Alpha Ryker! I’m very displeased with your behaviour toward my daughter. She has done nothing wrong. Why can’t you just accept her as your chosen mate? At least she won’t run away!’ Alice snaps.
Glaring at Alice, I let out a growl of warning.
‘Alice, I suggest you get back in the kitchen because my wolf is not in the mood today to tolerate anyone’s shit! And I suggest you just accept that Vanessa will never be my mate!’ I snap back. Alice glares at me and storms back to the kitchen. I finish my meal and walk out the door adamant I’ll find Astrid.
‘Alpha Ryker!’ I look up to see one of my best warriors, Leon, racing toward me.
‘Leon,’ I greet him.
‘Alpha Ryker, we have some good news and some bad news. We picked up Astrid’s scent in the city; it’s faint but it’s her. The bad news is we haven’t found her yet but with this lead, we’ll hopefully have your mate home soon,’ he says. The city? What would Astrid be doing all the way in the city? She doesn’t know anyone there…
‘Very good Leon. I’ll join you in the city. Show me where you picked up her scent,’ I command.
‘I’ll get Seth to drive us. It would be quicker in wolf form, but we can’t look for her naked,’ Leon points out. Nodding, I mind-link Seth to get the car. On the way there I’m hopeful we’ll find her. I should have her back in my arms today. I just want to inhale her scent, feel the sparks between us, and taste her lips.
We split up when we arrive in the city. It’s definitely her scent, but it’s so faint that it can’t be followed. I decide we’ll spend the day in the city keeping a look out for her.
Mind-linking Leon and Seth, I tell them: Maybe she is working in one of the shops? It might be worth looking in the stores for her. I enter hundreds of stores; there is no sign of her and her scent can’t be picked up anywhere else.
Nightfall nears when Seth mind-links saying he’ll stay the night in the city to keep searching. Leon drives me back to the house for food and rest, promising to drive back in the morning when we’ll take over from Seth.
It’s a very difficult drive home; I was so sure we would find her today. Arriving, Alice opens the front door.
‘Alpha Ryker, I want to apologise for this morning. I was out of line. I hope you’ll forgive me,’ she says. I sigh; I can’t be bothered arguing with her; forgiveness is easier.
‘You’re forgiven Alice, if you accept Astrid as your Luna,’ Alice pauses in thought for a moment and nods.
‘Of course, Alpha,’ she says, with a hesitant smile.
‘I made a special dinner for you tonight, Alpha,’ she says,
gesturing to the food on the table. I sit at the table, and eat alone; everyone else ate and left before I got home. After eating, I feel unnaturally tired.
