Zane dashed through the woods and toward the border, his feet flying over the leaves. The wind whipped his hair back, filling his lungs with cold air. At this speed, he could barely see a few yards away from him.
His mind was frantic with thoughts, 'How come I got so distracted? How?'
Adrenaline coursed through his veins. His heart pumped harder. His footfalls quickened with each bound forward. A layer of sweat covered his brow and the back of his neck. His breath came in short gasps.
He felt as if his entire body was spent up. His calves burned, and his gut wrenched. His breathing became more frantic to meet the increasing demand for oxygen.
He couldn't keep running further. He bent down, his hands on his knees, panting. His eyes were on the grassy undergrowth. Drops of sweat rolled down from his forehead to his cheeks.
He raised his head and gazed ahead. The border was a couple of kilometers away. His body was crashing. However, his mind was not ready to give up.
He straightened up and sprinted, ripping the air. After some time, he finally arrived at the border and found the guards patrolling.
"Where are the troops?" He asked, approaching them.
The guards bowed to him.
"They have already left," one of them replied.
"Where?"
"They are going to ambush the rogues," another one said. "We have no idea where they are. They can be anywhere ahead, hiding in the woods."
Zane looked ahead, a gloomy expression on his face. He realized he was late. It was pointless to go looking for them. Besides, Connor had already taken charge. Even if he joined the group, he had to work under his command. That was something he would never be able to do.
Frustration, anger, and disappointment mingled in his heart. It made him increasingly agitated. His fingers gradually curled into tight balls.
He pivoted and dashed away. He tripped and landed flat on his stomach. His right cheek pressed against the dry leaf-covered ground.
He felt humiliated. He envisioned Connor mocking him for his pitiful state. Brushing the dirt away from his face, he sat up gradually, his knees bent in front of him. He had his hands on his knees, his head bowed. He reflected upon what had happened in the past couple of days.
He could remember nothing other than spending time with Ruby. It was as though he had cut himself off from the rest of the world.
"What on earth has happened to me?" He muttered, his face turning pensive. "How come I do not know anything about the rogues? Why didn't Lucas inform me?"
He shoved his fingers into his hair. He felt cheated. His best friend, who used to tell him everything, kept him in the dark and followed Connor. And his father blamed him for everything.
"Damn it." He slammed his hand onto the ground. Anger began to build up inside his stomach as he assumed his father was behind it. "I am sure he has stopped Lucas from informing me about it to punish me. How can he do that to his own son?"
He swatted away the dry leaves. He was so mad that he wanted to break something.
His eyes switched from black to hazel as he sprang to his feet and rushed to a big tree.
Patter-Patter…
Zane came to an abrupt halt when he heard the rustling of the leaves. He perked up his ears and sniffed.
Patter-Patter…
The rustling continued. Zane figured someone was nearby. He moved towards the source of the noise, his feet light on the ground. He detected the presence of a male werewolf. It was not a rogue. But what surprised him was the faint aroma of dewy floral perfume. The scent was familiar to him.
'What is she doing here?' He wondered, moving forward.
Patter-Patter-Patter…
He noticed a figure in a black cloak running away. "Hey..." he yelled as he dashed over. "Wait…"
The person ran away faster than him.
Zane sniffed the air. To his surprise, he couldn't detect any smell of the person, nor did he get the scent of the perfume. All he got was the musky scent of the wet ground tinged with the aroma of wildflowers.
"Fuck…" he shouted, throwing his punch in the air. He had no idea who that person was or what he was doing here.
"That perfume," he murmured. "I know that smell. It is Ruby's." His expression turned gloomy.
"Ugh…" He had a sharp pain at the back of his head. He felt like his head was going to split in half.
During these two days, he had frequent headaches. Only Ruby's massage could relieve his discomfort and soothe him.
"Ruby…" he muttered her name. "What was she doing here with that man?" His eyes turned cold as his rage was directed at her. He rushed back to the packhouse.
He arrived at the house in no time and headed straight to his room. He didn't find her there. Then he went to her room. Ruby was not there either. When he couldn't find her, his suspicions grew.
"She was there," he snarled, clenching his jaw. "With another male." He walked down the hallway with dangerous momentum. His headache worsened as his anger grew. He had the impression that someone was splitting open his skull. But he was so enraged that he refused to rest.
His best friend, who was once loyal to him, switched sides and joined forces with his archrival. His mate, who always claimed to love him the most, was meeting someone in the woods. On top of that, he had the worst argument with his father.
Everything made him very upset. Zane felt as if he was left alone in the world. No one wanted him. His friend, his mate, the soldiers, and even his father didn't need him.
He dejectedly walked into the dining hall and sagged on a chair. He held his head, keeping his elbows on the table.
"Your breakfast." He saw a woman slam a plate of bread loaf and bacons in front of him. The rage in her eyes made him scowl.
'How dare she?' He gradually remembered it was Cecilia, Lucas' mate. 'Oh, she has the nerve to mess with me.' He leaned back on the chair, his burning gaze on her.
"Are you free now from your girlfriend?" Cecilia asked fiercely.
"How dare you talk to me like that?" Zane growled. "Don't think that I won't punish you just because you are Lucas' mate."
"Hah." Cecilia let out a bitter chuckle. "I don't care. Lucas is all that matters to me. And he was upset with you."
"Upset! He?" Zane burst out laughing. "I should get angry with him." He got up and kicked the chair backward.
Thump…
The chair screeched on the marble floor before falling.
"He didn't consider informing me about the rogues," he continued. "But he readily agreed to team up with Connor. He is no longer my friend." He turned to leave.
"You are wrong," Cecilia snapped, causing him to stop on the track.
"He went to inform you," Cecilia continued. "But your girlfriend stopped him. Why don't you ask her instead of blaming Lucas?"
Zane turned back to her, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Lucas didn't team up with Connor," Cecilia added. "He is doing his duty. And his duty is to protect the pack. It makes no difference to him if the leader is you or Connor. What are you doing as the future alpha of the pack?"