Kael's POV
I couldn't think straight. My mind raced as I paced around my office, my frustration growing with each step. How could I have been so blind? Melora was gone, vanished like a thief in the night. My disappointment was a storm, but it was the betrayal that twisted the knife. Ava and Kellan had warned me, said they didn't trust her, but I brushed them off. They'd always said she was too hard to read, that her intentions were unknown. Now those warnings echoed in my head like a taunt.
I ran my hands through my hair, gritting my teeth as I considered my next move. She had to be found, and she would answer for everything.
A sharp knock at the door broke my thoughts.
"Leave," I snapped, my voice harsh and unwelcoming.
There was a pause, then a voice that made my blood freeze.
"Alpha?"
My head snapped toward the door. That voice—it was impossible. I crossed the room in three long strides and yanked the door open.
