Page 32 of Alpha's Unclaimed Mate

It’s all my fault.

Three weeks have passed since Seren disappeared, and there are still no leads. A week ago, I reluctantly took the mantle of alpha of the Blackwood pack—a moment I envisioned her celebrating with me. And tomorrow...

Vanessa’s fingers tap my thigh with practiced subtlety. I turn to her, forcing a smile. Then I glance at the clock and nod along to whatever she’s saying, trying to appear engaged, but my gaze drifts to the window.

Another tap pulls me back.

“Honey, for our girls’ trip to Paris this summer, Effie has generously proposed a weekend cruise for all the ladies in the south of France, provided we wrap up our shopping a day early,” Vanessa announces, her palm now rubbing my arm. “Isn’t that charming?”

I have no interest in the alpha king’s daughter or her useless suggestion, but I have to fake it now that we’re business partners. “A cruise, huh? That sounds like a brilliant cover for a boys’ weekend. I guess we guys should also align our schedules.” I add a wink, and the guffaws signal I’m safe from further queries for now, but it only takes a minute for someone else to try to pull me into a conversation.

“Alpha Theron, where are you taking your mate after your mating and marking ceremony tomorrow?” a gamma from the king’s pack inquires, unaware of the fresh sting it inflicts on my chest. The words “mating and marking” feel like a knives twisting in me, making it hard to breathe. I pause for a moment before sliding an arm around Vanessa’s shoulder, the gesture feeling foreign.

“We’re planning a trip for early next year.” I notice Vanessa’s smile falter and offer an added explanation. “With my parents, the pack’s former alpha and luna, traveling extensively, Vanessa and I thought it best to delay our plans.” I manage a smile that conceals the hurt this inflicts on my wolf…and maybe me too.

It’s too late to back out now, especially since Vanessa has managed a coup and gathered all the West Coast alphas here tonight. The alpha king’s daughter is hosting our pre-mating dinner. Dropping her now to hunt for Seren would be suicide for the pack.

Throats clear, and murmurs of agreement follow. A guest laughs. “It doesn’t make much sense to plan a holiday right after the marking. The first few months are chaotic—you’ll be locked inside your room all day.”

More guffaws, winks, cheers.

I wait for Titan’s usual roar of dissent, his frustration at the mating ceremony, his resistance to accepting Vanessa. But there’s nothing. No cuss words, no screams, no pacing inside. Just a profound, unsettling silence.

I try to mind-link him, but there’s no response. I sense his distress, though.

By the time we’re done with the pre-mating ceremonies and are back in our pack, it’s late. I call my private investigator the moment I’m alone in my room.

“It’s been three weeks since I put you on the case,” I growl into the phone, pacing my room. “Tell me what you’ve got, and it better be something concrete. I’m sick of these dead ends.”

“Alpha Blackwood, I do have something which may or may not mean much to you.”

“Cut to the chase,” I snap. Every second is precious. The pack resources haven’t been used to look for her since Seren’s letter mysteriously appeared on my father’s desk. I can only use external sources, and none of those have helped.

“While Ms. Smith traveled alone, someone powerful is covering her tracks. We haven’t been able to trace her location since her name’s not on any flight records, and the airport footage for that night is gone.”

My jaw clenches and my knuckles turn white around the stress ball in my palm.

“So what? There are a hundred other ways to find someone. After three weeks, all I have from you is that you don’t know anything. Get me a name, a lead, or something concrete. Otherwise, stop wasting my time.”

As I angrily end the call, I walk over to the window.

What do I do now, Seren? Had you been here, you could’ve stopped me from going through with this. But now, everything is already set in motion.

The only way it can be stopped is if my fated mate turns up before I mark my chosen.

I’m not sure if she even knows about this ceremony tomorrow. Since Ella quit her job and moved away from here, I don’t think Seren’s in touch with anyone in Mammoth Lakes.

Fuck!

I’m ready to smash something when two dainty arms wrap around to me from behind. A wet kiss lands on my neck. Her heavy vanilla scent is jarring, and it feels like a kick to my senses.

“Vanessa, I think we’ve both had a long day,” I murmur, gently untangling her arms. The forced smile I offer feels brittle on my chapped lips. “I’m going to spend the night with my wolf. Let him out by the lake.”

The moment she steps back, I leave without looking back, racing to the forest.

The mountain air hits me with an unexpected chill, and the forest is eerily silent. I reach the base of the creek and take my wolf stance, calling out to Titan, but nothing happens.

The air turns suffocating as I call his name repeatedly,meeting only silence. My heartbeat pounds in my ears, and a cold sweat breaks out on the back of my neck.

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