Chapter 15

The darkness outside pressed against the windows, thick and suffocating, swallowing up the faint glow of the moon. I slid into the waiting car, the leather seat cool against my skin. My breath hitched as I settled in, the clock reading 3 a.m., the hour when secrets were safest in the shadows, and the pack grounds lay in an eerie silence, as if they, too, were holding their breath.

The driver, a shadowy figure in a sharp suit, shut the door with practiced ease and took his place behind the wheel. My heart thudded in my chest, every beat loud against my ribs. It wasn't just fear, it was excitement, twisted deep inside me, undeniable and overwhelming. I glanced back at the packhouse as it disappeared into the mist, its towering silhouette slowly swallowed by the fog.

This is really happening. I took a shaky breath, pressing my palms together in a weak attempt to steady myself. The weight of everything I was leaving behind, a life full of familiar faces, daily routines, memories both joyful and painful, hung heavy in the air, fading with each passing second as the car carried me further away.

A new life. A fresh start. I had repeated those words to myself a thousand times, but now, as I sat there, they felt heavy, inescapable, real. Soon, I'd stand beside my mate, the Alpha King. Soon, I would be his.

I'd imagined this moment so many times, but now that it was actually happening, my thoughts turned to him. What would he be like? Would he be as ruthless as they said, with eyes cold enough to cut through stone? Or would he surprise me, soften in ways I couldn't predict?

Does it even matter?

No. I reminded myself. This wasn't about who he was or how he'd treat me. It was about survival. It was about finally finding relief from the pain that had haunted me for so long. My lycan blood had always burned within me, wild, untamed. Every transformation was agony, leaving me raw and weak. But now, there was hope. His bite would stabilize me. It would tether me to something powerful enough to calm the chaos running through my veins. No more sleepless nights writhing in pain. No more feeling like a stranger in my own body.

The car hit a bump, jolting me from my thoughts. I clenched my hands tighter, refocusing on the road ahead. I didn't care what he looked like, whether his gaze was cold as winter or if he was every bit the warrior the stories painted him to be. This was my path. I had no choice but to walk it. My fate was bound to him now, a choice that had been made long before tonight.

This was my destiny. Despite the racing in my chest, a strange calmness settled over me as the car glided through the night.

As dawn broke over the Shadow Pack grounds, Kayden stirred in bed, blinking against the weak light creeping through his window. His sleep had been restless, filled with strange dreams of Malinda slipping away from him, vanishing into the shadows. He tried to dismiss it, but the knot of unease in his gut wouldn't let go.

He dragged himself out of bed and padded to the kitchen, where Francis stood by the counter, nursing a mug of coffee.

"Rough night?" Kayden asked, noting the exhaustion in his brother's eyes.

Francis gave a single, tired nod. "Couldn't sleep," he muttered.

Kayden poured himself a cup of coffee, frowning. "Why?"

Francis ran a hand through his hair, frustration pulling at his features. "It's Malinda," he said quietly. "I dreamt she was running away from us."

Kayden tried to laugh it off, though the sound was strained. "She's probably just sleeping in," he said, forcing a light tone. "She was acting a bit secretive yesterday, but she wouldn't just leave."

But even as he said it, Kayden felt a tightness in his chest. The way Malinda had been cold, dismissive, it wasn't like her. And the mountain of gifts... something had shifted. She was hiding something, and he didn't like it.

"Should we check on her?" Francis asked, his eyes narrowing as he studied Kayden's expression.

Kayden hesitated, then set his coffee down, determination flickering in his gaze. "Yeah."

The two of them stepped outside, the silence around them feeling almost oppressive, as if the entire pack was holding its breath. They crossed the grounds to Malinda's quarters, the air thick with the quiet. When they reached her door, Kayden knocked, listening for any movement inside. But there was nothing.

"Malinda?" he called, knocking again.

Still, no answer.

With a glance at each other, Francis twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open. The sight that met their eyes made Kayden's stomach drop. Her room was empty. Completely empty. No clothes. No bags. Not even a trace of her scent in the air.

Francis's voice was hoarse, thick with a mixture of anger and hurt. "She's gone."