Adriano's POV
I saw her standing there in her slutty maid outfit. She looked so fine and I just wanted to get her for myself and rip her away from all prying eyes, but the few seconds my attention wasn't focused on her, was enough for her to disappear. After a woman was almost knocked over because of her, I heard Wenn screaming in a pure rage after her. What did he think he was doing with my mate? I give him a warning growl to get himself together before I lose my composure. He looks taken aback by me but straightens up again.
"I'm so sorry about this Alpha Adriano. That girl has been giving me problems all day long and now this as well. As if her punishments weren't enough already."
Do you dare want to punish what is mine? You'll see what happens to you if you lay a hand on her.
"Who is that girl, Wenn?"
"She's...she's our maid. She's been with us since young."
Liar.
"I see."
"Why the sudden interest in such a trash girl, Alpha?"
My face stiffens, Daco wants to emerge to the surface, but why wouldn't he? This lowlife is slandering our mate and speaks about harming her. I give him a warning stare, my eyes now their golden orange colour. He yelps a little but keeps his composure.
"I'm sorry. I was out of line. It won't happen again."
It better not.
I turn my eyes back to their normal colour and look out over the number of people chatting and having a good time.
"Alpha Wenn."
"Yes, Alpha Adriano?"
"Send your best trackers and warrior wolves out into the forest to find that girl. If they can't find her," I look back towards him, "I won't think twice about putting an end to our ally agreement."
I could see him gulp before nodding his head and mind-linking the other wolves before coming back to me.
"Consider it done, Alpha Adriano."
"You'd best not disappoint me."
"I assure you, I won't. Our pack has few of the best trackers in the world. I promise you, they'll be able to find her."
"Good. Well then, enjoy your anniversary."
"Thank you, Alpha."
I depart from them and disappear into the crowd myself. One of the waiters pass me and I grab a glass of champagne. As I stood there, a girl with brown hair, brown eyes and a slender, lean build comes strolling towards me. I give her a charming smile to match the seductive one she is currently wearing.
"Good evening, Alpha Adriano."
"Evening beautiful. And to whom do I owe the pleasure to be graced with your presence, miss..?"
"I'm Arilyn, daughter of Alpha Wenn and Luna Qua."
"Well, I can see the resemblance. You do take after your mother."
"Thank you, Alpha Adriano."
"My pleasure."
As the words leave my mouth, a song comes up and the people start moving towards the dancing hall. I take the opportunity and hold my hand out towards Arilyn.
"May I have this honour?"
Arilyn's face seems to lit up a bit at my offer and takes my hand kindly.
"I'd be my honour."
I smile and lead her onto the dancefloor. I just had to get a distraction to get my mind off of my runaway mate. I hope they find her and if they so much as lay a hand on her or hurt her by any means, I will show no mercy. If it means I'll have to tear this whole pack apart, I will gladly do so without hesitation.
••••♠••••
Nadira's POV
I come to a stop at a cave near the edge of the forest. I don't even know if I'm on pack grounds anymore but I don't care. I just had to leave everything. As if it wasn't enough that I was going to be starved for 3 days, the universe just had to give me the notification of 'Hey, it's me, your mate'. That would've been fine, but my mate is THE Alpha of all Alphas! Like, why does the universe hate me so much? I've done nothing to offend you! Why me?
I want to scream in rage. Dea keeps nagging and nagging for me to let her speak and I finally cave in.
"What is it with you?"
You ran away from our mate. OUR MATE, DIRA!
"Well, it was either that or we both would've been dead anyway."
How could you say something like that about our mate? He's probably worried sick about you right now and not only that, but the fact that you sort of ran away from him must've stung.
"Oh, listen to you now. Lecturing me about being in a relationship. What would you now about that anyway?"
Well, by the looks of it, a lot more than you.
"Toche."
What is wrong with you?? Like do you even have a heart?
"You know damn well why I don't have one."
Dea remains silent. I think she probably got the message that nothing she's going to say to me now is going to change my mind about any of this. Probably a good thing too.
I look outside the opening of the cave overlooking the forest with its tall trees. Probably a good thing I chose to come this high up the mountain. Most wolves and trackers won't go as far as to search up the mountain.
As the thought crosses my mind, my wolf hearing zones in on a rustling down below. I keep my hearing zoned in on where I heard it. That's when I started to hear the voices.
"Where did that little trash go?"
"I don't know. Her scent stops here at the foot of the mountain."
"You think she might have gone up the mountain?"
"Impossible. She doesn't even train with us and not even of our skilled warriors could climb this mountain that easily."
"You're probably right. She's as weak as it gets."
OH, I'll show you weak.
"Let's just go back. Said she travelled off of pack grounds."
"No. That's the easy way out."
"And?"
"Let's do it."
I could hear them laughing at their lame joke. It took a few minutes before they drew out of my hearing range. Luckily, they didn't think about climbing the mountain. I sigh in relief. I only just realized how tired I am. I look around the cave for a place to rest. It might be easier if I shift for the night. That way, if something happens, I could be on my feet and out of the cave as soon as possible.
••••♠••••
I don't think I got much sleep before I heard another rustling of leaves in the forest. I zone in on the sound again and was terrified when I heard that it was suddenly dead silent. Was it just my imagination playing tricks on me?
That thought was quickly dismissed when I heard someone enter the cave. How could I not hear him coming up on the mountain? What is this?
I remain silent. I keep my breathing very low and refuse to move the slightest bit of a muscle. Luckily Dea is a pitch-black wolf. The only thing odd about her is her icy blue eyes. I stay behind the boulder I was currently sleeping against. The exact chill I felt at the party crept up my spine once more. No, it couldn't be him. It just couldn't be him.
My thoughts were corrected when I heard him speak, almost a whisper.
"I know you're here, mate."
He spits the last word out as if it was poison in his mouth. Ouch. That might have hurt just a little bit. I hear him walking deeper into the cave. I know he can trace my scent, that's why I've been shielding it. It's something I learned I could do when Alpha Wenn usually puts a tracker on my ass when I go on my night runs. That way, they don't know where I am or where I'm heading to. That's what I did when I climbed the mountain. I shielded it so they could only track me to a dead end. But how'd he know I was here?
He keeps moving deeper into the cave. At one point he was standing right in front of me. Heck, any wolf could see me now with their night vision. Even he, but just as he was standing in front of me, he turns around and goes back to the cave entrance and looks into my direction once more.
"You won't be able to hide from me forever."
With that said, I hear him shift and exit the cave. I wait until I hear the rustling on the forest floor and wait a few minutes more before I open my eyes. If I dared open them while he was here, he would've instantly see me.
I scan the cave and as soon as I confirmed that it was safe, I breathe out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I think about what Adriano said before he went. 'You won't be able to hide from me forever'. Just try me, Adriano. I'll show you how good I am at hide-and-seek.
As I lay there plotting my escape plan, I see that the darkness outside is slowly fading. The sun is rising slowly which means I don't have much time to escape before the sun is out. I get up on all fours and make a run for it out of the cave and over the mountain.
As soon as I land on the ground on the other side of the mountain, I sprint as fast as my legs could carry me and as far as my stamina could take me. I take one final look around me in the direction of my pack grounds. I don't feel any bit of remorce for leaving everything behind. They were never my home. I turn my head back to look out in front of me and continue my journey forward. I won't ever regret running away from them. EVER.