Page 57 of The Alpha's Forbidden Heir

"He's gone," Lila says, her own voice trembling now. "No one can find him. He... he just vanished."

Chapter Seventeen

Bane

"Idon’t care if you have to tear this place apart! Find him!" I slam my fist against the edge of a desk, sending papers scattering to the floor.

The guards around me flinch but scramble to obey, their movements frantic.

"How the hell does a child go missing under your watch?" I roar, pacing the room. My wolf is on edge, clawing to get out, demanding blood.

Rook strides into the room, his expression grim but focused.

"Bane, we have a lead," he says, his voice low and tight.

I whirl on him. "Spit it out, Rook. What the hell happened?"

He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "The guards assigned to Elias’s room—both of them were drugged. Knocked out cold. It was clean, professional. Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing."

My chest tightens as his words sink in. "Vittorio," I snarl, my teeth grinding together. "That bastard doesn’t know when to quit."

Rook nods grimly.

A growl rumbles in my throat as I turn back to the table, gripping its edge hard enough to splinter the wood.

Before Rook can respond, the door slams open, and a whirlwind of fury storms in. "Bane!"

I whip around to see Aria, her face pale but her eyes angry. "What the hell are you doing here?" I snap, turning to the guards outside the door. "Who the fuck let her through?"

The guards shrink under my glare, but Aria doesn’t back down. She steps closer, her fists clenched. "Don’t you dare blame them. I came here because my son is missing, Bane. My son! And you think I’m just going to sit around and wait for updates?"

"You don’t understand—" I start, but she cuts me off, her voice sharp.

"No, you don’t understand. That’s my child out there, Bane. I’m not staying behind while you play Alpha and bark orders.If you’re going to find him, I’m coming with you. End of discussion."

My wolf bristles at her defiance, but something in her eyes stops me from snapping back.

Rook, standing off to the side, clears his throat. "She has a point, Bane. Two sets of eyes are better than one."

I glare at him, then back at Aria. "This isn’t up for debate." I growl.

"Neither is my decision," she fires back, her voice trembling but steady. "We waste more time arguing, Bane, and Elias gets further away. Is that what you want?"

My jaw tightens, and for a moment, the room is silent except for the pounding of my pulse in my ears. "Fine," I bite out finally. "But you stay close. If you get hurt—"

"I won’t," she interrupts, already heading for the door. "Let’s go."

The woods are dark and dense, the scent of damp earth and pine filling my nose as we move through the underbrush. I lead the way, my senses sharp, every instinct tuned to finding Elias. Aria follows close behind, her breathing steady despite the strain.

"Do you smell anything?" she asks, her voice low but tense.

I shake my head. "Not yet. Whoever took him was smart. They’re covering their tracks."

"Then how do we find him?"

I glance back at her, my jaw tightening. "We’ll follow the smallest signs if we have to. Broken twigs, faint scents—anything. We won’t stop until we find him."

She nods.

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