Page 44 of The Alpha's Bullied Pregnant Mate

“Her name’s Juniper and she gave me this barrier ring to hide myself from enemies on the battlefield while I treated our soldiers. The way she tells it, nobody would ever be able to find you as long as you have it on… something about hiding your energy. She’s very stong, and this ring worked. I think Fannar won’t be able to find you if you have it on. Keep it.”

Isla accepted the ring with tears in her eyes and hugged her mother again. “Thank you so much, mom. I promise to stay in touch. I think you should go back home tonight. I don’t want anyone to know you saw me before I left.”

Her mother nodded but hesitated. She hugged Isla and sniffled. The two women held each other for a long moment, crying and saying nothing. Her mother broke the hug and walked to the door. She glanced back once. “Take care, Isla.” And she was gone.

Isla had wasted enough time already. Still naked, she rushed up to her bedroom and got out the shoebox filled with stacks of cash and thrust it into a back pack. She added some toiletries and a change of clothes. Everything else she wanted, she could always get on the go.

She spared her house one look before she shut the door behind her. She shifted into her wolf form and tore down the mountain as fast as she could. She was free now. She had no idea where she was going, but dammit she was finally free. And that was all she’d ever wanted.

Chapter 18 - Fannar

Something felt wrong. Fannar didn’t know what it was yet, but the feeling was unmistakable. He had fallen asleep in an armchair in front of the fire shortly after leaving Isla, but something had roused him awake.

His whole body hurt and he stretched. How long had he been asleep for? Not too long, he was certain. The nagging feeling was persistent and he frowned, searching for what was wrong.

He made his way up to his bedroom. He considered looking in on Isla, but his mother had already asked him to give her time to rest till morning. She also didn’t want his presence to upset her. She was too volatile at the moment, and unpredictable.

He settled into bed and stared at the high ceiling. The lingering sensation now felt like an itch he couldn’t scratch, and it irritated him. He knew something was wrong, he felt it deep in his bones. Had something happened to Isla? He would have noticed it, but he sensed nothing.

Fannar sprang upright. I sense nothing. I always sense Isla when she’s around, but she’s just one floor below and I sense nothing. He scrambled out of the bed and bolted down the hallway, leaping steps three at a time.

When he got to her bedroom door, he forced himself to slow down. If he was wrong, he’d wake her up for nothing. Standing just a few feet away from her, her presence should have felt like a blanket around him. There was nothing.

Sweat trickled down his head and he felt every racing heartbeat reverberate through him. Taking a deep breath, he eased the door open. Fannar already knew what he would find before he stepped into the room, but it still took him by surprise. The room was empty, and apart from the rumpled sheets, there was no proof that anyone had been there before.

Slowly, he searched the walk in closet and the bathroom. It was an exercise in futility, but he didn’t know what else to do. Isla was gone. How could he have let that happen? He shouldn’t have listened to his mother in the first place. He should have been here, watching her.

He walked to the window and stared out into the garden. Snow was falling lightly outside, covering everything in the usual coat of white. Where are you, Isla? He opened the window and a cold wind blew into the room. He sniffed in deeply, and caught her scent on the wind.

He took off his clothes and laid them in a heap in the bedroom, then hopped out of the window, landing softly in the snow. The trail was at least an hour cold, but their bond made it easy for him to pick up her scent. He shifted into his lupine form and took in a deep breath, focusing on that sweet and familiar scent. And then he took off running.

Isla had run away. Fannar had no idea why, and he was too unsettled to attempt that particular puzzle. He dismissed the possibility of an abduction, like was the case with Josie. He had picked up no other scents in the room save for Isla’s.

He wondered what she was planning. He was both terrified and angry. Angry that Isla had run away the way she did, and terrified for her safety and that of his child as well. He could think of two places where she could have gone. Her house or her mother’s. He decided to try hers first.

The wind whipped through his fur, the snow soft and cold under his paws. He ate through the distance as quickly as he could, and got to Isla’s without so much as breaking a sweat.

He shifted back into his human form and pounded on the front door. “Isla! Are you in there? Open up.” He struck the door again and without hesitating, smashed it in. He strode into the living room and worked his nose.

The house was empty, he was certain, but she had been there and recently. He searched all the rooms hoping that he was wrong, but knowing deep inside how futile his search was.

A deeper fear settled on him. The possibility that she had left the town. The thought was so chilling that sweat broke on his bare back, despite the coolness of the night. The thought wrapped itself firmly around him and left him incapacitated.

He stepped outside and sat heavily on the front porch. She’d asked for their bond to be broken a few hours ago. Was that why she left in such a hurry? From the state of her bedroom, Fannar could tell she had left in a hurry.

What was the reason for her haste? Why was she so eager to get away? He couldn’t place a finger on her motive. The realization settled heavily on him that Isla was gone, and with realization came devastation.

His mother had been right, but Fannar had not considered the possibility of her running away. And with our child too. Where are you going, Isla? Why are you doing this? What are you up to?

So many questions, and he didn’t have answers to any of them. What was worse, he couldn’t feel Isla anymore. While her scent had been weak before, Fannar could still feel her presence in his mind. That had changed. He couldn’t feel her anymore, as if she had disappeared from the face of the earth.

He quested far, searching for the bond they shared and he came up empty. The discovery filled him with fear and anxiety. He had no idea what had happened to her, and there was no way for him to confirm that she was still alive and well.

Discouraged, Fannar switched again and headed back to the palace. He couldn’t locate Isla on his own, and he needed help in finding her. He held onto a sliver of hope that his mother would be able to help him, but the closer he got to the palace, the faster his hope dwindled.

He found his mom waiting for him outside, a worried expression on her face. He shifted into his human form and approached her. “She’s gone,” he said. “She snuck out of the palace, and when I tracked her home, I found her house empty. I think she’s run away,”

“Oh no…” She leaned on the door post for support and rubbed her eyes with one hand. “I should have known. That one was always too unpredictable to begin with. That was careless of me. Terribly careless.”

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