Liz’s POVThe world seemed to narrow as I stared at the shape hidden in the overgrowth.It was a car.Old. Faded paint. Covered in vines, someone had tried to hide it in a hurry. Arthur moved forward first, pushing aside branches, his posture rigid. Alert. I followed closely, every nerve in my ghostly body taut with something between fear and hope.Please let this be it.Please let this give us something.The closer we got, the more the dread clawed at my chest.This was it.This was the car.My wolf stirred again, sharp and anxious. I had been in this car, and my fear-filled scent still lingered.Arthur stopped at the driver’s side door. His hand hovered above the handle, and for a second, he just stood there as if preparing himself for what he might find inside.I stood behind him, holding my breath.What if my body was in there?What if this was the end of the search? Part of me wanted it. Not because I wanted to be dead but because I needed the truth. I needed to know where I h
Arthur’s POVI closed my hand softly around hers.Her fingers were cold but solid, no longer smoke, no longer a fading flicker I couldn't touch. I held her hand like it was the most fragile thing in the world like letting go might undo whatever miracle had just happened.I looked up, studying her beautiful face. Her eyes were wide, locked on our joined hands, her lips parted in quiet disbelief. I didn’t speak. I didn’t breathe.I couldn’t.My blood had done this. Somehow, it had bridged the space between us somehow.It made no sense in my mind, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that I could touch her.She looked up at me, her eyes shining with tears, one slipping from her eyes without thinking. I reached out, whipping it from her cheek. And then, like the dam inside her finally burst, she crumbled.She stepped into me, her body folding against mine, and I caught her without hesitation. My arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her like she was the most precious thing in
Liz’s POVWe pulled up in front of the packhouse. Arthur killed the engine, but neither of us moved right away. I was still trying to wrap my head around everything that had just happened.Arthur reached for the door handle, but as he did, I saw something, or rather, someone. “There,” I said, pointing to the girl walking down the pack house steps. “That’s Sura.”Arthur didn’t hesitate. He stepped out of the car and called to a nearby guard, “Inform Alpha Lumian we’ve recovered the vehicle connected to Luna Liz’s disappearance.”Then he started walking, and I followed him, matching his pace as we moved toward her. “What are you going to say to her?” I asked.Arthur’s expression was unreadable. “That I want the truth.”Sura looked up just as we reached her. Her eyes widened for the briefest second before she schooled her face into something polite. Too polite.“Alpha King Arthur”, she bowed her head to him.Arthur didn’t return the greeting. His voice was calm, but there was a chill behi
Robert's POVArthur's expression was as unyielding as ever as he relayed the details. The finding of the car is linked to Liz's disappearance and Sura's confession to drugging Liz. As Beta, it was my duty to inform Lumian. He might take the news better coming from me."I'll handle it," I said, meeting Arthur's gaze. "He'll take it better if it comes from me."Arthur studied me for a moment before giving a curt nod. "Very well. But ensure he understands the gravity of the situation."I found Lumian in Judy’s hospital room. She was sitting up in bed, draped in a silk robe, her face pale but smug. He was sitting by her bed like she was his mate and Luna.I cleared my throat. “Lumian, could I have a minute of your time?”He glanced at me, his jaw tight. “Can it wait?”“It’s about Liz,” I said evenly. “It’s important.”His shoulders stiffened. Judy gave him a faint smile and touched his arm. “Go. I’ll be fine.”He nodded, then followed me out into the hallway.The door clicked shut behin
Liz’s POVArthur’s room was quiet.The kind of quiet that settled not just around you but inside you. I sat near the window, staring out at nothing, fingers curled around the edge of the chair.Arthur was across the room, watching me.My mind was a tangled mess. So much had happened today.I looked over at him. He didn’t look away. Not even for a second.“I trusted her, Arthur. I let her into my life. My home. I shared everything with her, and she… she drugged me. For what? To seduce Lumian?” My voice cracked. “I can’t wrap my head around it. None of it makes sense.”He exhaled slowly, the sound soft but weighted. “Some people want things they don’t deserve.”That made me look at him properly. His eyes didn’t waver.“And some people never see the value of what they have,” he added.My chest tightened. I didn’t know if he was still talking about Sura anymore, and something inside of me told me that he wasn't.I wanted to go to him. To feel that warmth again. The comfort of his touch. To
Liz’s POVWe stood just outside the ballroom.The hum of voices, laughter, and music all blended into a distant murmur behind the heavy double doors. I stared at them, my fingers curled slightly at my sides. Arthur’s voice broke through the stillness beside me, gentle. “We don’t have to do this, Liz. Not if you don't want to.”I turned to him. His expression was steady, but his eyes held a softness and caring.“I want to,” I said. “Maybe something in there can help us… something will trigger a memory.” Arthur gave a single nod. He didn’t question me. He never did.We stepped into the room. Every inch of this celebration reeked of her. Judy.My eyes found her instantly. She stood near the centre of the room, dressed in a shimmering gown that clung to her like the lies she wore so easily. Her smile was wide, poised. Her fingers curled possessively around Lumian’s arm as she leaned into him like she belonged there.And he let her.He didn’t flinch. Didn’t pull away. He wore the suit I
Lumian’s POVJudy’s scream split through the music like a knife, high-pitched and shaking with something deeper than shock and fear.Everything froze.Laughter died. Movement stilled. Judy was clutching my arm so tight her nails dug into my skin. I followed her gaze.And then I saw it.Saw her.All the air in my body painfully ripped out of me.Liz.She lay there.Unmoving.Dressed in the same clothes she wore the morning, she disappeared. Her hair was a mess, her skin pale as snow. But it was her. My mate. My Luna.Dead.No.No, no, no.The room tilted. My knees weakened.The buzzing in my ears drowned out everything. The party, the people, Judy’s panicked breaths beside me it all fell away as my world collapsed.This couldn’t be real.I blinked once, twice, trying to force it away, but she was still there.Cold.Silent.Dead.My chest constricted painfully, my wolf howling inside me, ripping and tearing like it finally understood what I’d done.What I’d lost.She Asked for my hel
Carlos’s POVI couldn’t breathe. Everything around me blurred. The laughter, the chatter, and it all dissolved into static. My ears rang, and my vision narrowed.She was lying there in the centre of the ballroom like some cruel offering. Her skin was pale, her lips parted, and her body was still. The dress she wore was the same one from the morning she vanished, now creased and stained. Her hair looked like it had been torn at by wind and panic, knotted from a fight.My heart hammered inside my chest like it was trying to break free and escape the truth unravelling in front of me.It couldn’t be her. It couldn’t.I stumbled forward, my steps clumsy, unsure. “Liz?” My voice cracked.She didn’t move.She always moved. She was never still. Never this quiet. She had something to say about everything, even if it was just a sarcastic jab in my direction.“Liz, come on… say something,” I tried again, louder. Nothing.The room around me had fallen silent, but I didn’t care. I only had eyes fo
Liz’s POV Everything happened so fast from there. Lumian still stood frozen; his lips parted, eyes locked on Robert like he couldn’t comprehend the words. He didn't want to believe that his trust beta would say them. Arthur took a step forward, his face filled with rage, and his body tensed like a coil ready to strike. I thought he was going to grab Robert, demand answers, throw him against the wall, and do something. But he didn’t get the chance. The door slammed open behind them, and Carlos stormed in. “What the fuck did you just say?” Carlos growled, eyes wild and locked on Robert. He didn’t wait for a reply. Carlos lunged forward like a bullet, slamming into Robert so hard they both crashed to the floor. Robert didn’t even try to defend himself. He just lay there, eyes hollow, mouth slightly parted like he’d already surrendered to whatever punishment Carlos had in store. “You killed her!” Carlos screamed, his fists crashing down onto Robert’s face with bone-snapping force.
Liz’s POVI was tired of listening to the fighting, the shouting, and the way Lumian’s voice filled the room as if it still held weight as if he had the right to speak for me. As if anything he said could undo the damage.Arthur was trying. I could see that. Every word he flung was for me. He wanted the truth no one else was willing to dig deep enough to face. And for that, I was grateful in ways I didn’t know how to say out loud. If I still had a heart to give, I think it would’ve reached for him then.But Lumian?He was still trying to protect his own comfort and reputation as alpha. Still denying, hiding behind “my Beta wouldn’t lie” and “Sura confessed,” as if that was enough. One scared omega could’ve done all of this alone. He hadn't just failed me. He had failed the whole pack by being so wrapped up in Judy and letting someone come into his pack and take one of his own. I could feel it in my bones that soon, the pack would begin to question him as their alpha.I couldn’t stand
Arthur’s POVI told myself I was going to be civil. That I would walk into Lumian’s office, ask a few questions, and keep my temper buried beneath whatever scraps of control I had left.But the moment I neared his door, I felt the pressure building again tight and hot, like a dam ready to burst.I stepped inside without knocking.Lumian looked like hell. He was slouched over his desk, elbows pressed into the wood, his hands running through his hair like he’d been clawing for clarity that wouldn’t come. A cup of coffee sat untouched beside him, long gone cold.When he lifted his head, the shadows beneath his eyes were deeper than I’d ever seen them. But the tension between us crackled instantly.“Alpha King Arthur,” he said, flat and guarded.I didn’t waste time. “Did you speak with Robert?” He nodded once. “Yeah. I did.”“And?”Lumian leaned back. The chair creaked beneath him. “Same as before. He said he didn’t see Liz that day.”My jaw tightened. “That’s a lie.” “You don’t know that
Robert’s POV I left Judy’s room in silence. Her denials, her hurt expression they, echoed in my mind, but I couldn’t focus on any of it. I didn’t know if she was lying or not. At this point, I didn’t know anything. My head was spinning, my chest tight. I just needed to think to work it all out. I headed toward the edge of the compound, away from the crowd, away from the whispers and the guilt I could feel crawling under my skin. The further I walked, the heavier my legs became. I sat on a bench just outside the old training ring, elbows on my knees, palms pressed together. And then I started to go over it minute by minute. The day Liz disappeared. I had been stationed near the south gate. I remember it clearly because nothing felt unusual… until Judy linked me. She had sounded panicked. Said Liz forced her to leave. Said she was scared. Told me I had to stop her. So, I left my post. Fifteen minutes. That’s all. I found Liz. Running errands being the perfect luna tha
Robert’s POV I didn’t stop to think. I just went straight to her. Her room was as pristine as ever, with flowers in a vase by the window and a book half-open on the armrest. She looked up as I walked in, surprised but not alarmed. “Robert?” Her voice was soft, light. “What’s wrong?” I closed the door behind me. “We need to talk.” She sat up slowly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “Of course. About what?” “You,” I said, keeping my voice low. “And Liz.” Her eyes didn’t change not right away. But I saw it. A flicker of tension beneath the calm. “I remembered something,” I continued. “The day Liz went missing… You mind-linked me. Said she forced you to leave. That you were upset and scared that she was going to do it again.” She nodded slowly. “I remember.” “I left my post,” I said. “Because of you.” She blinked at me as if waiting for the point. “I need to know the truth, Judy.” I stepped closer. “Did you lie to me? Did Liz really force you out of the pack or had
Robert’s POVThe mind-link came through.“Robert. Come to my office. Now.” Lumian’s voice was clipped, strained, barely masking the edge of something darker beneath.I hadn’t slept. Not properly. Not since they found her. Not since I saw her lying there, cold and still, and realised it was too late to fix the things I never said.I didn’t ask questions. Just shifted direction and headed straight for his office.When I stepped in, he was already pacing. His movements were restless, the way they got when something didn’t sit right.He stopped when he saw me. “Arthur seems to believe you saw Liz the day she went missing,” he said, getting straight to the point.His words knocked the wind straight out of me, and I struggled to stand there. I did.But I hadn’t told anyone that. The only other person who knew… was Liz. I stared at Lumian, my mouth suddenly dry. “Why would he think that?” Lumian narrowed his eyes. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I coul
Arthur’s POVI sat at the side of the room, arms crossed tightly over my chest, as one by one, the guards and staff filtered in. Liz sat beside me, quiet, unmoving.Lumian asked most of the questions. His voice was clipped and mechanical as if he were just trying to get through the process.The guards answered everything the same way. No, they hadn’t seen her leave again after coming home from shopping. Yes, they had been on duty. No, nothing unusual. It felt rehearsed like they’d all convinced themselves there was nothing to question in the first place.My eyes drifted toward Liz. Her face was unreadable, but her hands were clenched tightly in her lap. She studied everyone, even Lumian. And every time he brushed past a detail or cut off a question, her jaw tensed.The last guard exited, and silence fell over the room. Lumian leaned back in his chair with a frustrated sigh, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.“We’ve gotten nothing,” he muttered. “All of them saying the same thing
Lumian’s POVI hadn’t moved all night.The ballroom was quiet now. The scent of her still lingered, soft and haunting beneath the sharp tang of blood and grief. I had been sitting there beside her body for hours through the silence, the dark, and the ache that wouldn’t leave my chest.Her lifeless face was the only thing I saw when I closed my eyes… and when they were open.She didn’t look angry. Or scared. She looked peaceful. And somehow, that made it worse. Because she hadn’t died peacefully, she had died scared, alone. Begging for someone to help her. Begging for me.And I hadn’t come.I’d failed her.Not just as her mate but as her Alpha.My legs ached when I finally stood. The early light of morning bled through the high windows, pale and unwelcome. A new day had started. But it didn’t feel like something new had begun. It felt like something had ended.I gave her one last glance.“I’m sorry,” I whispered, though it wasn’t nearly enough.I don’t know how I made it to the hallwa
Liz’s POVIt should’ve felt satisfying. Seeing Lumian fall apart, Carlos screams and fights like his heart has only just started beating again. I should’ve felt vindicated.But all I felt was hollow.There was a part of me that had clung to the idea that maybe they cared. That maybe somewhere deep in their souls, they’d felt me slipping away and regretted it. But what I saw in that ballroom wasn’t regret. It was a reaction. They panicked as they realised it was too late.Carlos had looked broken, his grief so raw it had cracked open the room. But I didn’t know what to do with that. He was my brother. He was supposed to protect me. He was supposed to know me better. And Lumian… he was supposed to love me.Instead, I lay in the middle of a room full of strangers who once called me their Luna, and not one of them had come looking for me.Not even him.Arthur’s hand never left mine. He held onto me like he knew that if he let go, I might vanish completely. When he pulled me from that room