Silence filled the chamber, thick and oppressive. The weight of Alec's words hung between them, heavy with implications.
Soren had vanished.
Rain's pulse pounded in his ears, though his expression remained carefully blank. His mind raced with possibilities—had Soren been taken? Had he gone willingly? Was this a move to protect him, or had Soren finally given up on him altogether?
Nathaniel, on the other hand, radiated controlled fury. His golden eyes darkened as he processed the news, his lips curling in displeasure. The room felt smaller, suffocating, as the intensity of his presence bore down on Rain.
"How?" Nathaniel's voice was sharp, commanding. "Explain."
Alec stepped forward, his stance rigid. "He slipped past our patrols sometime after dusk. No one saw him leave, but we found traces of his scent leading past the western border."
Nathaniel's jaw clenched. "So he ran."
Rain's stomach twisted, but he refused to let it show. "You don't know that."
Nathaniel turned his gaze on him, sharp and knowing. "Then tell me, Rain, what do I know?"
Rain held his ground, but his fingers twitched at his sides. "Soren wouldn't just abandon me."
Nathaniel's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Are you so sure?"
Rain hated the seed of doubt Nathaniel was trying to plant, hated that it was already taking root.
"Soren has been my beta since the beginning," Rain said, his voice quieter but firm. "He was willing to die for me."
Nathaniel took a slow step forward. "And yet, here we are. With him gone."
The words stung more than they should have.
Rain turned away, pacing toward the balcony as his thoughts warred with one another. Why would Soren leave now? There had to be a reason. If there was one wolf Rain had trusted with his life, it was Soren.
Nathaniel watched him carefully, then spoke, voice softer, more deliberate.
"You think you know loyalty, Rain," he said, stepping closer, "but loyalty wavers. Even the strongest bonds can break."
Rain exhaled sharply. "Like you would know anything about loyalty."
Nathaniel's expression didn't change, but the air between them thickened.
"I know enough to recognize when someone is deceiving themselves," he said, reaching for Rain's wrist. His fingers brushed over the mark once more, a silent reminder of what bound them. "And I know that no matter how much you fight it, you feel this too."
Rain jerked his hand back, his silver eyes flashing. "Stop using this bond as an excuse to control me."
Nathaniel's golden gaze darkened. "You think this is control?" He stepped even closer, their bodies nearly touching. "No, Rain. This is claiming."
The words sent a dangerous shiver through Rain's spine, but before either of them could act on the tension crackling between them, Alec cleared his throat.
"We don't have time for this," Alec said, exasperated. "Soren isn't the only problem."
Nathaniel barely looked away from Rain, his attention still fixed on him.
"What else?" he asked, voice low.
Alec hesitated. "We found evidence of a meeting site beyond the eastern ridge. Someone's been gathering forces, and they've been watching us."
Rain's stomach tightened. "Who?"
"We don't know yet," Alec admitted. "But it's clear they're not just rogues. They're organized. And they're waiting for something."
Nathaniel's expression hardened. "Then it's time we stop waiting."
Rain watched him, his pulse still unsteady from their previous exchange, but he forced himself to focus.
Nathaniel turned to him fully now, golden eyes gleaming in the dim light. "You're coming with me."
Rain frowned. "Excuse me?"
Nathaniel smirked, but there was no humor in it. "If you want to find your loyal beta, then we do it my way."
Something in his tone sent a thrill of frustration and anticipation through Rain.
He knew, without a doubt, that whatever came next would test him in ways he wasn't prepared for.
But he would not back down.
To be continued…