Chapter 65: The Desperate SearchThe silence in the castle was unnatural, oppressive. It suffocated everything, thick and heavy like a storm that refused to break. Jarrel stood in the grand hall, his fists clenched at his sides, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts. He stared at the large doors that led out to the courtyard, the air around him crackling with barely restrained rage. She was gone.Hana had run. No one had seen her since she walked out of the garden. No one knew where she had gone, or how far she had gotten. Jarrel’s pack, usually so vigilant, had failed him. They had let her slip away. Behind him, Magnus stood near the fireplace, eyes red-rimmed, his shoulders slumped. His guilt was written all over his face. He had been tasked with keeping an eye on Hana, with making sure she stayed within the castle’s walls. But he had failed, and the weight of that failure was crushing him. “I’m sorry, Alpha,” Magnus whispered, his voice barely audible. His hands were tremblin
Chapter 66: Hana’s Escape The wind howled through the dense trees, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and pine. Hana crouched low, pressing her back against the rough bark of a towering oak, her heart pounding loud enough that she feared it would betray her. She had been running for hours, maybe even days, though the passage of time had blurred. Her lungs burned with each breath, but she wasn’t ready to stop. She couldn’t stop.The bond that tied her to Jarrel tugged at her, a faint pull in her chest that made her want to turn around, to return to him. But she fought it, the memory of her pack’s accusations ringing in her ears. Coward. Traitor. They had spat at her, looked at her with such disgust that the guilt had settled in her bones like a sickness. Hana wasn’t sure if she was running from them or from herself. Her body trembled, partly from the cold seeping into her bones, but mostly from exhaustion. She hadn’t slept properly since she fled the castle. She couldn’t. Every
Chapter 67: DesperationThe castle felt different. It was quieter, more suffocating, as if the walls themselves were closing in on everyone inside. Jarrel paced the length of his study, his footsteps heavy, each one making the room tremble. His hands clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms. The air around him crackled with the barely-contained rage coursing through him. Hana was still not found. She was gone. Gone.It had been hours since she disappeared, but it felt like an eternity. His mind raced with every possible scenario—where she could be, who might have taken her. But worse than the uncertainty was the gnawing feeling of loss. She left on her own accord. She ran away from him. She chose to leave him because he was her monster.Magnus who had just returned with the troops stood by the door, head bowed, his guilt and sorrow palpable in the room. He had promised Jarrel that he was going to find her no matter what, and now the beta’s shame hung over him like a stor
Chapter 68: The Hunt BeginsThe dawn broke, but the sky was still heavy with the weight of Jarrel’s growing impatience. The entire pack had assembled, men eager and ready, trackers prepared to scour every inch of the kingdom in search of Hana. The energy was tense—fearful even. Jarrel’s rage was palpable, radiating from him like a storm cloud ready to break. No one spoke unless necessary, each word carefully measured, fearing the Alpha’s fury.Jarrel stood at the front of the pack, his gaze sharp and unyielding. His eyes, glowing faintly with the presence of his wolf, scanned the horizon as if willing Hana to appear. Every breath he took was ragged, his mind consumed by thoughts of her, of the bond they shared that now felt like a raw wound in his chest. Magnus stood beside him, tense but focused, still bearing the guilt of Hana’s escape. He had barely slept, and the haunted look in his eyes mirrored Jarrel’s relentless. But there was a difference between them—while Magnus was drowni
Chapter 69: Betrayal in the ShadowsMagnus clenched his fists as he walked just ahead of Jarrel now, the dense forest closing in around them. His steps were deliberate, leading Jarrel away from the direction where Hana’s faint scent had disappeared. His heart pounded in his chest, not from the exertion of the search, but from the guilt that gnawed at him with every step.“You’re heading us in circles, Magnus,” Jarrel growled, his wolf hovering near the surface. Jarrel’s patience was running thin, the bond with Hana pulling him in another direction, but Magnus pressed forward. “I just think we should be thorough,” Magnus replied, forcing his voice to remain steady. “We can’t miss any details. It could lead us to her.”Jarrel’s eyes narrowed. His wolf stirred, suspicious now. Magnus had always been his most trusted ally—his beta, his brother in arms—but something felt off. Still, he didn’t argue. Not yet. As they moved deeper into the woods, the memories started creeping up on Magnus.
Chapter 70: A Trail of Betrayal.The wind was heavy now with the scent of the woods as Jarrel moved swiftly through the forest, his senses on high alert. His wolf form itched beneath his skin, eager to be set free, but Jarrel kept a tight hold on it. He couldn’t afford to lose control, not now. Not while Hana was still missing and Magnus was the key to finding her. His heart pounded in his chest, the primal need to find her gnawing at him with each passing second.Behind them, the pack warriors searched in scattered groups, their movements efficient, but there was a growing frustration among them. They had been combing the forest for a while now with no sign of her. Little scent, with no main trail. It was as if she had vanished at some point. But Jarrel knew better. Something wasn’t right, and it wasn’t just a fruitless search. He could feel it in his bones. He had a sixth sense for these things, especially when it came to Hana. Every time he questioned Magnus about the search, abou
Chapter 71: A Fragile PleaThe air inside the abandoned house was thick, suffocating, as Jarrel pushed through the doorway, his heart pounding in his chest. He had forced himself to keep a level head as he confronted Magnus, but now, all his thoughts were on one thing—Hana.His wolf growled, an impatient beast clawing beneath his skin as he scanned the dark room. There, in the far corner, bound and slumped on the chair, was Hana.For a split second, Jarrel froze. Her head was bent forward, her body still. Too still. “No, no, no.”He surged forward, dropping to his knees beside her. Her wrists were tightly bound, the ropes digging into her skin, leaving raw, angry marks. His hands shook as he reached for the ropes pulling at the knots with more force than necessary.“Hana….” His voice was a strained whisper, his throat tight as fear gripped him. “Please wake up.”She didn’t move. Her breathing was shallow, barely noticeable. Panic swelled inside him, but he pushed it down, focusing on
Chapter 72: Whispers from the MoonHana wandered through an endless darkness, the heavy silence weighing on her chest like a boulder. The world around her felt both familiar and alien, an abandoned forest with trees that twisted like nightmares. The air was damp, heavy with a fog that clung to her skin, chilling her to the bone. As she moved through the eerie terrain, her feet seemed to carry her without purpose, without direction. And then, she heard it.“Hana…”A voice, soft but unmistakable, floated on the wind, whispering her name. It was distant at first, barely a murmur, but it echoed through the forest like a haunting melody. Her heart began to race. She spun around, searching for the source of the voice, but saw nothing but the dense fog that encased her. “Hana…”There it was again, clearer now, almost urgent. Her breath hitched as she squinted through the thick mist, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever—or whatever—was calling her. She wanted to ignore it, to turn away and