Kane POV:
The patrols had brought to the tracks—a wolf’s paw prints pressed into the dirt near the border of the forest. My chest tightened as I stared down at them.
It could only an two things: either Elena had shifted and crossed out of my pack’s borders, or a rogue had managed to slip in and out undetected.
Neither option felt like anything less than a stab to the heart.
If it was Elena, it ant she’d gone farther than I ever thought possible, right into danger, where rogues or worse could harm her. If it was a rogue...then who’s to say she hadn’t already encountered one?
But if I had to choose between the two, I found myself desperately hoping it was a rogue. That would an she hadn’t gotten far, that she wasn’t entirely lost to yet.
The patrols stood silently behind , waiting for my orders. I knelt down, inhaling deeply to catch a scent, any clue that might tip the scales. But the trail was faint, barely there, like it had already been masked by the earth and trees.
"Keep searching," I ordered, my voice a low growl. "Follow the tracks as far as they go. I want every inch of the border combed."
For the rest of the day, we searched. I led the trackers deeper into the forest and also to the neutral boarder, my wolf on edge, snarling and snapping at the scentless trails. But the farther we went, the colder the trail beca. It was as if she’d vanished into thin air.
Again.
By the ti the sun dipped below the horizon, I was defeated, bitter, and exhausted. My wolf was clawing at my mind, howling with frustration, but even he couldn’t deny we were at a dead end.
"Elena..." her na left my lips in a whisper as I stood on the edge of the forest, staring out into the black expanse of trees. "Where are you?"
The patrols trickled back one by one, reporting nothing of value. No sign of rogues. No sign of Elena. Just the empty, quiet forest mocking .
When the last of my trackers returned, I dismissed them all, telling them to get so rest and start again in the morning. anwhile, I shifted back into my human form and began the long walk back ho, each step heavier than the last.
By the ti I reached the house, the weight of failure pressed down on . My mate—my one, irreplaceable mate—was still out there, and I had no idea where to look next.
The house was dark and silent when I stepped inside, just as it had been when I left.
Closing the door behind , I leaned back against it and exhaled a long, shuddering breath.
Exhaustion clawed at , but sleep wouldn’t co easy tonight. My wolf was restless, pacing in the back of my mind, snarling at for stopping the search, for letting her slip through our fingers.
Standing at the door, the mont I stepped inside, her scent hit —Ashley’s. A low growl rumbled from my chest as my wolf instantly stirred, irritated and agitated. Then, a rustle on the couch caught my attention.
There she was, sprawled out and naked. The sight was anything but appealing.
Ashley shot up, her eyes wide as she locked onto , startled, and quickly fell into a submissive position, lowering her gaze and folding her hands in front of her. She was completely naked.
"Master," she whispered, her voice dripping with submission.
I clenched my fists so tightly my nails bit into my palms. My wolf growled louder, the sound reverberating in my chest. The sight of her bare body disgusted to my core. My wolf snarled in my head, furious at her audacity. My mate—my mate—was out there, alone, scared, possibly hurt. And this...this was what I ca ho to?
"What the fuck are you doing here?" I growled, my voice low and dangerous.
Ashley flinched but didn’t move. Her gaze darting to the floor as she whimpered. I was seconds away from losing control and snapping her neck right then and there. she had the nerve to open her mouth.
"I..." she began, but her words were cut short by a snarl that ca from deep within . My wolf surged forward, eager to rip her throat out, but I held him back—barely
"Get. Out." My voice was sharp, commanding, dripping with venom. "Before I kill you."
She whimpered softly, but instead of leaving, she stretched out her hand, holding the stupid, stupid contract.
Fuck.
She extended it toward , and my wolf’s anger surged.
My wolf surged forward, clawing to take control, wanting to rip her throat out. In his eyes, this woman was trying to replace our mate—a mate he would never allow anyone to take the place of.
"You need to leave. Now," I barked, my Alpha tone forcing her body to tremble as she scrambled to get up.
Ashley hesitated, her voice shaking but still daring to speak. "You forgot Chapter 3, Clause 5 of the contract, sir."
Her audacity made my blood boil, and my wolf snarled loudly in my head. As she stood there, slowly dressing, taking her ti with her bra as if trying to tempt . I snatched the folder from her hands and flipped through it, my vision tunneling as I searched for the clause she referred to, switching on the light to read the specific clause.
The sudden brightness disrupted the dim, seductive atmosphere she had been trying to create. My eyes skimd over the words, and my rage only grew as I read.
The words jumped out at : "The dominant is responsible for providing satisfaction to the submissive if they feel neglected, upon request.
Motherfucker.
She’d cornered with the one clause I had barely paid attention to when signing the contract—a clause ant to give her a asure of control. It stated that the Dominant was responsible for fulfilling the Submissive’s needs if they felt neglected. She had manipulated this to her advantage, using it to force my hand.
I could barely see straight, anger and disgust clouding my vision. It was my own damn fault for including that clause, thinking it was a way to keep the arrangent balanced. But now? Now it was a weapon she was wielding against .
Ashley poured herself a glass of wine, and one for , which she slid across the table. She leaned against the couch, her eyes glinting with triumph as I read the clause again, as if daring to challenge it.
"For fuck’s sake," I muttered under my breath, my frustration mounting.
I grabbed the glass of wine she had poured and downed it in one go, hoping the alcohol would dull the anger that was threatening to take over completely. But even as I did, I turned back to her and growled, "I said I want out of this fucking contract, not to fuck you."
She didn’t flinch this ti, her lips curling into a small, knowing smirk.
That smirk was the last straw.
She opened her mouth to respond, but she didn’t get the chance. My hand shot out, wrapping around her throat as I lifted her off the ground.
Ashley struggled in my grip, her hands clawing at my wrist, but I didn’t care. My wolf was on the brink of taking over, his bloodlust demanding retribution for her audacity. Her hands clawed at my wrist, her eyes wide with fear as I held her there, suspended.
"I fucking told you to leave," I snarled, my voice barely human. "You should have done that when you had the chance."
My wolf was on the brink of taking full control, and I was struggling to hold him back. But then, sothing strange happened.
Heat.
A burning sensation spreading through my entire body, consuming .
Ashley slipped from my grasp as I doubled over, clutching my stomach.
"What the fuck did you put in my drink, you stupid bitch?" I growled through gritted teeth.
Ashley stood, her eyes gleaming with victory as she reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the floor. She didn’t answer ; instead, she slid her panties down her legs and stepped out of them, completely naked now.
My wolf growled in fury and desire, the lines between the two blurring as the fire inside intensified. She crawled toward .
"Let take care of you, sir," she purred, her voice dripping with false innocence as she lowered herself onto the couch, spreading her legs for .
Fuck.
I could feel the arousal building, the heat driving my body to betray my mind. My wolf was clawing at , confused, furious, but unable to fight the primal urges overtaking us.
The heat in my body intensified, and my mind scread in fury and panic. I knew what she had done—she had drugged with sothing, sothing that was forcing my body into heat.
I tried to back away, to fight the primal urge surging through , but my body wasn’t cooperating. My wolf was confused, torn between rage and the uncontrollable desire that the drug was amplifying.
I stumbled back, gripping the edge of the table for support as I tried to fight it off. "You..." I growled through gritted teeth, "You drugged ."
Ashley just smiled, a triumphant, predatory smile, as she reached out to .
But even through the haze of heat and arousal, one thought remained clear: Elena.
My mate. My only mate.
Ashley reached for my pants, her hands brushing against my hardened length, and I nearly lost it. The drug was working its dark magic, pushing closer and closer to the edge.
But then, sothing snapped inside —a desperate, last-ditch effort to resist. I shoved her back, putting just enough distance between us to keep her filthy hands off .
"Stay the fuck away from ," I growled, though my voice lacked the usual force.
But the bitch was persistent. She crawled forward again, her eyes gleaming with triumph as she reached for .
And just when I thought I wouldn’t be able to hold out any longer, a blur of movent ca from the side.
Ashley was yanked away from and thrown to the side with such force that she skidded across the floor.
I blinked, my vision hazy from the drug, and then I saw her.
Elena.
She stood there, radiating power and dominance, her eyes blazing with fury as she glared at Ashley.
Mate.
My wolf howled in triumph, surging forward with renewed strength.
Mine.
I could only stare, my mind reeling as Elena turned her gaze to , her presence washing over like a storm. She was here. She had co back.
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