XADEN
For two years, I'd been searching for her. Two years of wondering where she'd gone. Two years of not understanding why she'd just got up and left me like that. I thought we had something special. I was so sure when I met her again that this was for real, for life. All I had to do was get rid of Celeste, and we'd be set. But I was wrong about her.
She just left. No note, no call, nothing.
And I was angry. Angry with her, angry with myself. A part of me wondered if it would have been better if we hadn't met at all. Then I'd still be stuck with Celeste, but at least I wouldn't have had my hopes raised only to be shattered.
I'd go over and over it in my head. Was it something I did? Did I say the wrong thing? Or was it just her? Was she incapable of commitment? Was she using me? I couldn't figure it out.
Sometimes, I'd think I saw her. I'd see a woman with the same curly brown hair, big brown eyes, and the same build, and I'd get my hopes up. My heart would stop and then begin to race. I'd follow her, hoping she'd turn around and it would be her. But it never was.
I'd dream about her. I'd dream that she was back, that she'd never left.
I'd stalk her social media, looking for any sign of her. Any clue as to where she'd gone. But there was nothing. Her accounts were completely blank. It was like she'd never existed.
At one point, I started to blame Celeste. Maybe she'd done something to drive her away. But she didn’t know that I had found my mate. If she had then maybe this could have been a possible reason.
I sat in my car, still feeling the anger that had been burning for two years. Hating the fact that the other side of me knew something had been wrong. Soraya couldn't have left like that, forfeiting her scholarship only to disappear without a trace. But what could have possibly happened?
I ran through every possible scenario in my mind. Had she been kidnapped? Had she met someone new and fallen in love? Had she been involved in an accident? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that none of these reasons seemed plausible. Soraya was not the type of person to just up and leave without a word.
A chill ran through my spine. What if she was dead? The thought was so terrifying that I tried to push it away.
Days had turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months when I was looking for her. I couldn't concentrate on anything. My work suffered, my relationships suffered. All I could think about was Soraya.
I started to become obsessed with finding her. I spent hours online, searching for any mention of her name. I contacted private investigators, hoping they could turn up something. But nothing came of it.
I was about to attend a meeting I wanted no part of. The thought of sitting through it sent a round of fatigue through me. I had been avoiding social gatherings for years, ever since Soraya disappeared. I wasn't myself anymore. I was a shell of the person I used to be. But I knew I had to go. It was important for my pack.
It wasn't as if I even liked any of the Alphas that would be present. They were a bunch of self-important jerks who thought they were better than everyone else.
I drove to the airport, the route blurring around me. As I checked in, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was making a mistake. My plan to attend the meeting was a mistake. I should have just stayed home. I could have come up with some excuse, anything to avoid this.
Too late!
I boarded the plane, sinking into my seat.
Minutes later, the air hostess approached, driving a trolley, smiling at me, her eyes sparkling. "Would you like something to drink, sir? We have a variety of juices, sodas, and alcoholic beverages."
I shook my head, not in the mood for anything. "No, thank you," I said curtly.
She seemed undeterred. "Are you sure? We also have a selection of snacks and light meals.” The air hostess persisted. "Perhaps you'd like a cup of coffee or tea?"
I gritted my teeth, erupting with anger. "For the love of the moon goddess, just leave me alone!" I shouted, gripping the armrest whilst looking up at her. She went away and I tried to focus on something else, anything but the meeting that awaited me. But my mind kept racing, replaying the last time I had seen Soraya.
As the plane took off, I stared out the window, watching the city shrink below us.
The flight seemed to last forever. I tried to sleep, but my mind was racing. I replayed the last time I had seen Soraya over and over again. I tried to remember every detail, hoping to find some clue that I had missed, some sign that she was planning to leave. But there was none.
I made my way to the hotel where the meeting was being held.
As I stepped into the hotel lobby, the receptionist greeted me with a wide smile. "Welcome to the hotel, sir! How was your flight?"
I tried to muster a smile. "It was fine," I replied.
As the receptionist was talking, I noticed her eyes wandering over me. She was twirling her hair and playing with the pendant lying on her chest. Her shirt was undone at the top, revealing a glimpse of cleavage. She was clearly flirting with me. I wasn't sure how to respond. I didn't want to be rude, but I also didn't want to encourage her.
Okay! I was uncomfortable with her attention. I tried to ignore her, but it was difficult. She kept trying to make conversation, asking me personal questions. I wondered if she did this with all her customers, or if she was just particularly interested in me.
Finally, I decided to put a stop to it. "Excuse me," I said politely, "but I'm a little tired. I just want to check in and go to my room."
The receptionist looked disappointed. "Oh, of course, sir. I'll get your room key for you right away."
I checked into my room and collapsed onto the bed. I was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. I closed my eyes and tried to relax.
I paced around the room, trying to calm myself down. But nothing worked. I was a bundle of nerves, my heart pounding in my chest. I tried to focus on the meeting, but that simply annoyed me.
I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. I reminded myself that I was here for a reason.
I shook my head and headed to the bar. I needed something strong, something to numb the pain.
At the bar, I slumped onto the stool, my eyes gazing blankly at the rows of bottles behind the bar. The bartender, a young-looking woman with a warm smile, greeted me, but I just grunted in response. She nodded sympathetically and asked, "What can I get you, sir?"
I hesitated, my mind a jumble of dark thoughts. Then, I remembered a drink I'd heard of, one that seemed fitting for my mood. "Death in the Afternoon," I muttered.
The bartender raised an eyebrow. "You mean the Hemingway cocktail? Absinthe and Champagne?"
I nodded, vigorously. "Yeah. That’s the one."
She nodded and began mixing the drink. As she poured the Absinthe into a chilled glass.
The bartender handed me the glass, and I gazed at its pale green contents. "Enjoy," she said softly.
I downed the drink in one swift motion, feeling the bitter Absinthe and sweet Champagne collide on my tongue.
“Another!” I ordered.
I took another swig of the Death in the Afternoon, feeling the Absinthe's bitter bite.
XADENI nursed my drink, the liquid warming my palms as I gazed into the crowd, all up in my head, trying to drown my sorrows. I felt a nudge below the stool. At first, I thought it was just the nail on the stool that was catching my trousers, so I shifted my leg to adjust my position. But then, I felt the tug again - a gentle tug on my trousers. I looked down, annoyed, expecting to see a stray thread and misplaced nail. And that's when I saw her - a small, curious face peeking out from beneath the stool, her big green eyes gleaming, a little smile gracing her lips. She was the one tugging on my trousers.I placed my cup back on the table, my mind foggy from the alcohol. I glanced around the room, scanning the sea of faces to see if anyone was missing their little one. How did this kid even end up here? Who would be so irresponsible to let their child wander around in a setting like this? The bar was no place for a kid, with its loud music and rowdy patrons.My gaze returned to the k
SORAYAI sipped my fizzy drink, the bubbles tickling my nose, when Ava appeared at a distance. Her eyes scanned the room. Then, they locked onto mine, and her expression turned serious. She mouthed the word, "emergency"My mind went blank as I stared at Ava, my thoughts racing. Something was wrong. Oh God, was it the baby? Was Ava going into labor? I felt my heart pounding in my chest. I quickly set my drink down.I followed Ava through the throng of people, the music growing fainter as I approached her. Ava's long hair swung as she turned to face me. For a moment, I studied Ava's face. As I looked at her, my heart calmed. She didn't look like she was in labor. Her face wasn't contorted in pain, and her eyes didn't have that frazzled look I'd seen in pregnant women about to give birth. Whatever was wrong, it didn't seem to be about the baby's arrival. Yet, the worry in Ava's eyes told me something was still off."Kaylee's been wandering off all night," she said. "I've had to chase af
SORAYAJeremy nodded, picking up Kaylee as he spoke. "Xaden has been away for two years," he explained. "It only assumed he wouldn't be here this year either,” he paused, fighting back a small smile creeping to his lips, a smile that warmed my heart. “Which was why I thought it was a good idea for you to join me as my date this year."A smile spread across my lips, but was soon stolen away by a torrent of worrying thoughts. What did Xaden want? Why was he here?Jeremy reached for my hand, slowly caressing it. “I'm sorry. I had no idea he would show up. I wouldn't have brought you here if I knew."I shook my head, my eyes meeting his. "It's not your fault.” Then, I grabbed Jeremy's arm and whispered urgently, 'But Jeremy, we need to leave. Now."Jeremy nodded in understanding, giving my hands a soft squeeze. He offered a customary handshake to the people whom we had been sharing a table with. “I’m so sorry, but we have to leave.” Pleasantries were exchanged, and Jeremy rested Kaylee'
XADENAfter two years, I saw her. She saw me. That really just happened, didn't it? I couldn't believe my eyes, when I stared at her. I refused to believe my eyes. Only minutes ago, I had shamelessly longed for her. I was the sailor longing for a lady who wasn't even lost at sea. She wasn't lost. She had a freaking family. It was clear that I had been a fool. Now, I was stone cold sober."How could she do this to me?" I thought, my mind racing with millions of questions per minute "How could she have a child with my enemy, of all people? And be with him, when we hadn't even properly ended things between us? How could she just leave me like that, without even a word of explanation?I couldn't take my eyes off her, even though every fiber of my being screamed at me to turn away. I had to stop looking. I whipped my head, turning around. I slammed my fist on the table, making the glasses rattle. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. I couldn't return to that meeting, not now. I neede
XADENDax, my private investigator stammered, "Y-yes, Alpha Xaden. I'll try.""Try? You'd better do more than try. You’d deliver!" I squeezed the phone so hard it creaked, the plastic digging into my flesh. I kept squeezing, crushing the phone in my hand, the device shattering into pieces. I smashed what was left of it against the wall, the remains flying across the room.I would stop at nothing to get what I needed. Nothing.I sat on the floor, my back against the bed. A knock reached my ears. It kept probing, but I couldn't will myself to answer it. My eyes traveled around the room, landing on the plastic pieces scattered on the floor. Hell, I was going to need a new phone.I dialed the telephone, at the bedside table. “Hello, I need a phone. Any phone will do," I said. "Just make sure it works."As I waited for the phone to arrive, I got up and walked over to the wall where my previous phone had met its demise. I gazed down at the scattered pieces, my eyes scanning the floor unt
SORAYAThe second I saw the guard standing there, my heart nearly burst out of my chest.Xaden? He was here? What was he doing here?My breath caught in my throat and I took a glance at my child, I instinctively pulled Kaylee closer to me, her body pressing against mine. He's here to take her away. I can't let him take her. I turned on my heel, heading upstairs, but stopped in my tracksWait.He already knew I had a daughter.What was I supposed to do? Even if he did, I couldn't just let him take her, especially if he knew the truth. My feet felt glued to the floor. I turned to face the guard. His expression was as stunned as mine. For a moment, I couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. My stomach twisted, my hands shaky, and my legs felt wobbly.“Send him away,” I finally blurted out, my voice tight and trembling at the same time. “Tell him I’m not home.” I nodded for him to leave, but he didn't budge. I watched as his eyes flickered back to mine then away. His breath caught, and he hesi
SORAYAXaden stood there, casually leaning against his car like he hadn’t turned my entire world upside down. The sight of him made my stomach burn. His arms were crossed over his chest. The morning light slashed across his face, cutting sharp angles on his jaw. His gaze pierced mine, making my throat squeeze together. I swallowed hard, feeling dryness scrape down my throat. My mouth felt parched, my lips tight. He wore a blue shirt and white pants, looking like he just stepped out of a country club. The outfit gave him a preppy, put-together look that screamed old money.Why did he have to look so damn good? Why did he have to make me feel like this, even now? I hated the way my body reacted without my permission, my pulse quickening, my chest tightening. There was this flutter in my chest. And his gaze made my skin feel warm and fuzzy. But I shouldn't feel this way. I couldn't.I wanted to flee, to turn around, run back into the house, hide away from these feelings, from him. But my
XADENI had her right where I wanted her. But damn it all, why did she have to look so good? Standing there all disheveled and soft and so early in the morning at that. I knew she'd just woken up since I’d made sure to show up early. I needed the upper hand for what I’d decided to do and I knew catching her off guard was the best place to start.My eyes lingered as they traveled over her frame— the way her tousled hair cupped her face and her lips parted in surprise at the sight of me. I could relate, but I doubt my surprise was unpleasant— unlike hers.Still, I hated the way my breath caught in my throat at the sight of her.It grated at me that Jeremy— that bastard— had gotten to see her look this way every morning for the past few years. My blood boiled at the thought, but I kept my expression neutral. It took everything I had to school my features into a blank mask when all I wanted was to pummel that son-of-a-bitch into the ground. But I reigned it in because soon enough, she’d b
SORAYA ONE YEAR LATERSo this was what bliss felt like. It was everything I had heard it would. A mate whom I had gone through hell and back with, a daughter we both would give our lives for without hesitation and a happiness that knew no bounds.Xaden was the mate he had promised me he was going to be. “Earth to Soraya…” I heard him whisper in my ear. His hands held firmly against my waist. I didn’t realize when he got so close to me. “What’s wrong, love?”Nothing is.I turned around to face him and met his gaze. “Sometimes, I still feel like she's going to show up.” I answered. I knew she was gone, there was no way she could have survived the poison but still, at the back of my mind, there was once in a while this nagging feeling. Xaden sighed and shook his head, cupping my face as he did so. “Have I given you any reason to feel so?” I shook my head. “Nothing, and absolutely no one is going to come between us again. I love you, Kaylee and our little boy…” he said as he dropped on
XADEN“Of course not. I loved you Evan and I really wanted to be with you. Killing you was completely Malcolm’s idea. He wanted the connections that came with being married to Xaden so he forced me to go along with all of it. I felt like I had no choice, you really have to be believe me Evan.”I couldn’t help but chuckle at the load of bullshit she was spewing all in a bid to save her worthless life. Hopefully this Evan guy saw right through it.“You loved me?” He asked and I felt my blood boil at what a stupid question it was.“What the hell are you doing Evan? You can’t possibly believe that Celeste ever loved you!”“Let her speak!” He bellowed. “Come here Celeste. You really wanted to spend your life with me?”I could only watch in anger as Celeste made her way to him, holding him in a warm embrace as she spewed more lies.“I’ve spent every minute of everyday thinking about you since Malcolm had forced me into that heinous act. I’m really sorry I wasn’t bold enough back then to spe
XADEN I thought to myself as I tiptoed slowly to get a good idea of whom it was, she was fighting with. The fella seemed to really be in quite the sour mood but I was still unable to make out the voice clearly. I decided that there was no point sneaking around, I hastened my steps and headed straight for the living room.Upon opening the door, I was greeted with the sight of the kind of vermin I never thought I’d ever have the displeasure of seeing again.“What the fuck are you doing in my house?! You sacrilegious sack of shit!” I yelled as I found Jeremy in my living room, about to pounce on Celeste.“Xaden!” She screamed. “Be careful, he’s gone completely crazy! He keeps saying...”“Shut up Celeste!” I snarled. “You did this! How could you let this unrefined buffoon into my house?”“What did you just call me?!” He turned to face me and I finally got a good look at him. He looked dastardly, almost inhuman as he was beginning to appear like some unholy alchemy of man and beast.I kn
XADEN It had been almost three days since I’d heard last from Soraya and I could feel the fear, slowly creeping in. It was unlike her to stay radio silent and even on the days she didn’t feel like talking, she would always try to send a message at least.I looked at my watch and saw that it was past 7am already. Three days and not a peep, it definitely wasn’t looking good. I went for a quick run, in the hopes of clearing my head. I didn’t want to entertain the wild thoughts that were beginning to plague my mind.When I got back to the house, Celeste was already waiting in the kitchen. I had been hellbent on avoiding her all week and she was almost never awake this early in the morning. I winced, knowing I’d inadvertently walked into a well calculated trap. “Good to see you can still show your face.” She spat out derisively. “I thought you finally decided to run after Soraya like the lovesick puppy you’ve proven to be.”I steadied myself, choosing to remain calm and silent as I too
EVAN“I honestly can’t believe this. Celeste actually tried to have you murdered because she wanted to be with Xaden?”“To her, I was simply an obstacle. A mere nuisance that she had to get rid off so she could enjoy the splendor and lifestyle that came with being married to a man like Xaden. She poisoned me while I was asleep and thinking I was dead, her father bundled me into his car and they drove deep into the woods to bury me. When I came to, I tried to beg Celeste for help. That was my biggest mistake. They pummeled me with their shovels till they thought I’d stopped breathing and buried me in a shallow grave.”I took a deep breath and looked up at her. She seemed completely lost for words. “You shouldn’t look so surprised. I mean, she poisoned your two year old daughter. Such a person is capable of doing anything.”“I know Celeste can be ruthless but I always thought she became this way over the years. This incident happened more than ten years ago. I’m just surprised that she’
EVAN“That’s what the nurse said but I doubt there’s much you would be able to do for her.” She said in her tone that was completely crippled by fear and resignation.“Well, this is an hospital ma’am. Why are you so certain that we would be unable to get her the help the needs?” I asked, doing my very best to sound as genuinely oblivious as I could. I was fishing for information and I didn’t want to spook her just yet.“I know you won’t be able to save her because this has happened before and the doctors who attended to her then were just as clueless. All they did was stabilize her but it was only a half measure. Without the antidote, she wouldn’t be alive for long.” As she spoke, I could feel the weight behind every word, the immense gravity behind each statement and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for all the pain she had to be going through in that moment.“Well, I’ll advise you don’t give up hope just yet. Things like this always have a way of working out in the end.”“I don’t need
EVANEven as I held on to the hospital file, I still found it hard to believe what I was reading. The file had the biodata as well as the personal information of a two year girl who was rushed in on account of a terrible high fever and loss of consciousness of a one day duration but it was the name of the patient I found most intriguing.Could it really be possible? I looked through the name again as bewilderment washed over me, Kaylee Sinclair. I flipped to the page that had the information on the parents and primary care givers.The father was a Xaden Sinclair and the mother, Soraya Summers. I couldn’t help but feel a bit jittery as a wave of excitement surged through my entire body, filling me with an immeasurable sense of glee.If this turns out to be accurate, then my opportunity had finally come.As I leaned against the counter of the nurses’ station, I went through the previous bloodwork of the patient, trying my best to make sense of what I was reading but I still couldn’t get
CELESTE “He fooled you, Celeste. I, on the other hand was a fool for ever thinking you were competent enough to get anything done.”“There’s no way I could have known. How can you possibly blame me for this?”“I don’t give a fuck how you get information from Xaden but the least you can do is verify and make sure it’s at least authentic before sending me on a wild goose chase.”“What’s done is done Jeremy. The blame game isn’t going to do anyone any good. She could be anywhere, so I suggest you had better forget about her and best move on.”“What’s done is done? Is that what you just fucking said to me?” He asked in a much tamer and colder tone. It was more unnerving whenever he spoke like this compared to the yelling and shouting.“There’s nothing that can be done. Xaden isn’t going to give up the information. They could be anywhere in the country. Even if they were still in the city, which I highly doubt, it would still be almost impossible to find them. So what can you do?”He rema
CELESTE “Your intel was complete horse shit! Are you trying to fuck me over Celeste? We had a deal!” Jeremy’s voice rang out angrily as I switched the call to hands-free and tossed it on the bed.“What the hell are you yapping about? It’s fucking 8am in the morning Jeremy. Who even calls someone this early in the morning?” I asked sleepily as I tried to find my morning voice.“Well, unlike you, some of us have to work for everything we own. We don’t just get rich through blackmail and manipulation.”“Watch your fucking mouth Jeremy! You don’t speak to me that way. Instead of being this much of an insufferable prick, why don’t you tell me what’s gotten your pants in such a twist?”“Wow! Look at the millionaire growing wings all of a sudden. You’re now telling me how and how not to speak to you? Insane!”“Please why did you wake me up so early? I need to get back to sleep!”“I guess it’s easy for you to sleep when you’ve got everything you ever wanted. So you feel you can now screw me