The palace halls were vast, but Luna was nowhere to be found. Alex checked her usual spots—the library, the courtyard, even the garden where she sometimes lingered—but she was gone. His brow furrowed as a sense of unease settled in his chest."Charlie," Alex called as he found his beta discussing patrol schedules near the entrance hall. "Have you seen Luna?"Charlie shook his head, confused by Alex's urgency. "No, Alpha. Not since this morning. Is something wrong?"Ignoring the question, Alex moved on, seeking out the female cook in the kitchen. She, too, shook her head. "She didn't come by for dinner," she admitted. "I assumed she was busy elsewhere."The guards on duty had no answers either, and Alex's frustration grew. By the time Timothy and Charlie joined him in searching the pack house and surrounding areas, Alex's unease had deepened into something sharper—an ache that clawed at his chest."She's nowhere," Timothy finally said after they had combed through the palace grounds and nearby buildings. "No one's seen her.""Maybe she left," Timothy added with a casual shrug, his tone light, but the words struck Alex like a blow. "She's not one of us, after all. She came out of nowhere, so maybe she left the same way—magically?"Alex's glare was fierce, anger and something else—hurt, perhaps—simmering beneath the surface. "You're not helping," he snapped, his voice low but laced with frustration.Charlie quickly nudged Timothy. "Seriously? Not the time for jokes."Timothy raised his hands defensively. "I'm just saying it's possible."Alex turned away, his mind racing. Did she really leave? The thought gnawed at him. But she said she was here for me. Did she change her mind? Did I push her away?His throat tightened as he considered the possibility. She had left without a word, without a goodbye, and the thought unsettled him more than he cared to admit."Keep looking," Alex ordered, his tone brooking no argument. "Ask the guards on patrol. Check the outskirts. She has to be somewhere."The search continued, but as the minutes stretched into hours, Alex felt the weight of defeat creeping in. Reluctantly, he returned to his room, his steps heavy with frustration and doubt.The moment he entered his room, the faint scent of her hit him—a mixture of lavender and something uniquely hers. It lingered in the air, on the sheets, on the very walls. His heart twisted as he sat on the edge of the bed, his hands gripping the edge tightly.Falling back onto the mattress, he closed his eyes, the ache in his chest intensifying. The bed smelled of her, teasing him with her absence. He let out a shaky breath, his thoughts spiraling.Why would she leave? Without saying anything?A sharp knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts. Before he could respond, the door opened, and Charlie stepped in, his expression urgent."Alpha," Charlie said, his tone breathless. "One of the patrol guards saw her—near the eastern border."Alex shot up from the bed, his heart pounding. "The eastern border?" he repeated, his voice rising with alarm. That was where the rogue activity had been reported.Without another word, Alex brushed past Charlie, his strides turning into a full sprint as he headed for the border. His mind raced, fear gnawing at him with every step. Why would she go there?Behind him, Charlie called out, struggling to keep up. "Alex! Wait!"But Alex didn't stop. The thought of Luna near the rogue-infested area sent a cold dread through him. The image of her hurt—or worse—was unbearable. His wolf stirred within, urging him to move faster, to find her before it was too late.The eastern border was a forgotten wasteland, tangled with overgrown vegetation and steeped in silence—a silence that held secrets too dark to name. Shadows loomed between the towering trees, their gnarled branches stretching like claws against the faint glow of the moon. The place reeked of abandonment, a haven for the kind of chaos Alex despised: rogues.Alex's breaths came in sharp bursts, each one dragging through his lungs like fire as he sprinted through the dense forest. His heart pounded against his ribcage, a relentless drumbeat fueled by panic and something darker—an unbearable sense of foreboding. The cool night air kissed his skin, but it did little to soothe the rising heat within him, a storm of emotions he couldn't contain.His wolf stirred violently beneath his skin, clawing at his resolve, desperate to break free. Every fiber of his being screamed to move faster, to find her. The bond he didn't fully understand yet pulled at him like an invisible chain, yanking him forward with unrelenting force. Images of Luna—defiant, fiery, and vulnerable—flashed through his mind. The thought of her in danger was a knife twisting in his chest, cutting deeper with every second she remained lost to him.The air around him thickened, chilling to a bitter cold that gnawed at his senses. His sharp ears caught the faint rustle of leaves, the distant cry of nocturnal creatures, but underneath it all, there was something else—something wrong. A metallic tang teased the edge of his senses, faint but unmistakable.Blood.His steps faltered for a fraction of a second, his heart lurching painfully. Then he surged forward, his body moving before his mind could fully process the scent. Each step brought him closer, the once-faint tang growing stronger, heavier, until it filled his nostrils and turned his stomach. The wind carried it to him like a cruel messenger, whispering of death and violence."Alex!" Charlie's voice rang out, distant and strained, but Alex didn't stop. He couldn't. The scent of blood consumed everything else, blocking out reason and drowning him in dread.The forest grew darker, the trees pressing in as if trying to bar his way. His vision blurred with the speed of his movements, but he didn't care. His mind was fixated on one thought: Find her.And then, as he crested a ridge and broke through the dense underbrush, he saw it. The clearing opened before him like the mouth of a graveyard, the moonlight casting a pale, sickly glow over the scene. His legs faltered, his breath catching painfully in his throat.It wasn't just a fight.It was carnage.The ground was littered with broken bodies, the severed limbs of wolves scattered like gruesome markers of a war waged in silence. Blood pooled in uneven patches, soaking into the earth and staining it dark. The metallic scent was overpowering now, clinging to the air like a curse. The rogues lay in grotesque positions, their twisted forms a testament to a brutal and merciless end.And then his gaze landed on her.In the corner of the battlefield, where the shadows seemed darkest, Luna lay motionless on the ground. Her figure was small and fragile against the backdrop of destruction, her skin pale and marred with streaks of crimson. The clothes she had worn earlier were torn, barely clinging to her, and she was drenched in blood—so much blood.Alex's legs locked beneath him, his body frozen as his mind raced through possibilities. Was she injured? Was she alive? His heart stopped, suspended in a moment of sheer terror, before he forced his body to move again."Luna!" The name ripped from his throat, raw and desperate, as he sprinted toward her.Dropping to his knees beside her, his hands trembled as he reached out, brushing against her neck, searching frantically for a pulse. The seconds stretched into eternity, each one heavier than the last, until—there.A pulse. Faint, but there.Alex's body sagged, his knees giving out as relief flooded through him. His chest heaved with the weight of it, his hands shaking as he cradled her face. Her skin was cold—so cold it felt like death itself—and her breath was shallow, but she was alive."Luna," he whispered, his voice cracking. "What the hell have you done?"His fingers brushed over her hair, smoothing it away from her face as his eyes swept over her again. There were no deep wounds, no signs of fatal injury. The blood that soaked her wasn't hers. The realization sent a shiver down his spine. But as Alex glanced around the clearing once more, he couldn't shake the questions burning in his mind.Was she truly capable of this? Or was there something more at play?His mind churned with questions, but they were drowned out by the overwhelming need to protect her, to keep her close. Shrugging off his jacket, he wrapped it around her, the fabric swallowing her fragile frame. His hand lingered on her cheek, his thumb brushing over the cold, blood-streaked skin."You're safe now," he murmured, though the words felt hollow. Safe? From the rogues, maybe, but not from whatever storm had driven her here. Not from herself.Lifting her carefully into his arms, Alex stood. She felt so fragile, so small, and the blood covering her didn't help the image. He held her close as Charlie and Timothy caught up, their faces pale as they took in the scene."Alpha..." Charlie started, but Alex cut him off."She's alive," he said firmly, his voice leaving no room for doubt. "Get someone to clean this up. We're going back."As he carried her through the forest, his grip on her tightened. He wasn't letting her out of his sight again.The walk back to the pack house felt eternal, every step a battle between desperation and dread. Alex's arms tightened around Luna's lifeless form, his instincts screaming at him to protect what little spark of life she had left. Each measured step carried the weight of his growing fears, his breath hitching every time her body shifted against his. Her cold, fragile form felt wrong—Luna was supposed to be invincible, untouchable, the embodiment of feral strength and defiance. Now, she seemed like a ghost of herself, a faint flicker where there had once been a blazing fire.Behind him, Charlie and Timothy murmured commands to the guards, their voices steady and urgent, but to Alex, they were no more than distant echoes. The metallic stench of blood still clung to him, mingling with the faint, familiar scent of her—wildflowers and moonlight. A storm raged within his mind, each thought a jagged shard tearing at his composure.How could this have happened? How could she end up there?The eastern border was a wasteland, abandoned and wild—a breeding ground for rogues and chaos. No one in their right mind would wander there, let alone someone like her. But the scene he had found... the carnage, the blood-drenched earth, the severed limbs—it was impossible to reconcile with the woman now limp in his arms.His mind whirled with questions that had no answers. Was it self-defense? A trap? The thought of her standing against an onslaught of rogues, human and defenseless, made his stomach twist painfully. Yet, the sheer destruction left behind suggested something far more terrifying.As the pack house loomed ahead, its warm glow cutting through the darkness, Alex's chest tightened. The sight should have been a relief, but instead, it only deepened the ice lodged in his ribs. The moment they entered, the murmurs began, soft gasps and hushed questions rippling through the gathered pack members."Alpha, is she—""Not now," Alex snapped, his voice cutting through the room like a blade. The sharpness of his tone silenced them instantly, their concern swallowed by the authority in his words.His strides didn't falter as he carried her to the infirmary, his focus unshakable despite the storm raging in his chest. He refused to let them see how shaken he was—how the sight of her, pale and broken, had torn something irreparable inside him.Miriam, the pack's elder healer, was already waiting. Her sharp, experienced eyes widened at the sight of Luna, but she said nothing. The silence was heavier than words as Alex gently lowered Luna onto the cot, his movements uncharacteristically tender.The ExaminationMiriam worked with practiced precision, her hands steady as she examined Luna. "These scratches are superficial," she muttered, her voice calm but edged with concern. "She's not wounded, at least not physically. But...""But what?" Alex's voice was tight, barely masking his frustration.Miriam hesitated, her fingers brushing against Luna's wrist. "Her pulse is weak. And her body..." She paused, her brow furrowing. "It's unnaturally cold, even for someone exposed to the night air. This isn't normal, Alpha."Alex's jaw clenched, his gaze fixed on Luna's face. Her usually vibrant complexion was ghostly pale, her lips tinged blue. Every shallow breath she took felt like a fragile promise, one he wasn't sure she could keep."Then fix it," he demanded, his voice low and commanding.Miriam looked up, her expression softening with an empathy that only deepened his frustration. "I'll do what I can. But whatever she's been through, it's not just physical. Something is draining her, Alex. Something beyond my understanding."Her words hit him like a blow, the helplessness they carried igniting a fire of anger and fear within him. He prided himself on control, on his ability to face any threat head-on, but this... this was something he couldn't fight.His fists tightened at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. "Keep her stable," he said finally, his voice laced with barely restrained emotion.Miriam nodded, returning to her work.