Nikolai
I had just told Ava the truth. I revealed my identity as a wolf, and more importantly, that she was a hybrid. But the moment those words left my mouth, fear crossed her face. She bolted, and I let her go. I figured she needed space.
But as the minutes turned into hours, something gnawed at me. She didn't come back to her dorm, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. I had to find her. I focused, trying to catch her scent in the middle of the woods where we were earlier.
Instead of Ava's sweet, familiar scent, I caught a whiff of Liam's. That made my blood run cold. Liam was a known rival, always lurking around, always looking for a chance to stir up chaos.
I rushed to his dorm room, my heart pounding, but when I got there, the room was empty. No clothes strewn about, no sign of life, just silence. My gut twisted.
I whipped out my phone and called my pack members. I needed them to search for Ava.
"Ava's missing. Look for her. Anywhere. Everywhere." I hung up and tried to focus.
The more I thought about her, the more I feared her safety. Ava was raised as a regular human being. A hybrid like her could be the most powerful being, but her powers remained dormant since she was young, so she was still vulnerable in ways she didn't understand.
Minutes felt like hours as I paced outside Liam's dorm. I couldn't shake the image of Ava's frightened face from my mind. I couldn't help but feel disappointed at how I handled everything earlier.
Just then, my phone buzzed. It was one of my pack members.
"Alpha, we may have found her. Her scent led as far as the old warehouse by the river."
Relief washed over me, but it was mixed with dread. What had she been doing there? I took off, my feet pounding against the pavement.
I stepped inside the old warehouse, the darkness swallowing me. I called out Ava's name, but only silence answered, so I felt my heart race again. I rushed forward, sniffing for clues until I was led into a small makeshift room.
The room was empty, save for the faint smell of dust and something metallic, the smell of human blood. My eyes landed on the floor, where a tiny vial lay shattered. Rage surged through me.
I could almost hear Ava's voice in my head, urging me to stay calm. But how could I? She was missing, and the empty vial of blood told me everything. My mind raced with thoughts. Had she drunk it?
I rushed out of the warehouse. I had to gather my pack. I needed them with me. We had to confront Liam’s pack. I wasn’t even sure if he was involved in Ava’s disappearance, but the anger inside me didn’t care about uncertainty. I had to do something. I had to act.
As I reached the clearing where my pack gathered, their faces turned serious. They could see it on me—the desperation, the fury. I told them what I found. Their eyes widened. Whispers spread through the group. They knew what it meant. They knew how dangerous this was. I felt the weight of their eyes on me, waiting for directions.
"Liam's pack may have Ava," I announced. "You know what this means, right?" Some members hesitated, but others nodded. They knew the stakes.
When we reached Liam's territory, I could see the shadows of his pack. They were already waiting for us. I stepped forward, my pack flanking me.
"Where is Ava?" I shouted.
Liam arrogantly stepped out from the shadows, a smirk on his face.
"Looking for her, are we? What's wrong? Did she finally realize what a loser you are?" he taunted.
I clenched my fists. I wanted to lunge at him, but I held back. I needed answers. "Did you take her?"
When he didn't answer, I stepped closer, fists clenched. "Did you take her?"
Liam shrugged, his indifference infuriating. "Search the territory if you want. She's not here."
