Page 7 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

I lean into my chair, pulling my fists under the table to hide how tightly clenched they are. An angry vein throbs in the corner of my head.

She's testing me. One of those stupid push-and-pull games women play to get you eating out of their palm.

A power move. She's somewhere in the woods, waiting for me to come crawling after her. The thought alone leaves a bitter aftertaste. Too bad I don't play into anyone's hands.She can wait.

She can drag this out for hours, sulking and pouting at what happened, but she'll come back. It's not like she has anywhere to go. She was born and raised in this pack, and as far as my memory goes, she's not in contact with the human side of her family, and she barely made any friends in college.

She'll eventually see the wisdom in my offer and realize the gravity of the sacrifice I'm willing to make for her.

Hell, I told the woman she'll always have me, and my mate will only be relevant in title. I told her I'd give her the best life, practically promised myself to her, and all I got in return was a disappearance act. Any girl in the pack would die to be in her position. Why is she making this out to be something else?

"Lucien?" Selene's soft voice pulls me out of my reverie. "I wanted to thank you for your kind words."

I blink twice, a fleeting veil of confusion clouding my thoughts before I remember what she's talking about. Noting the eyes on us, I force a smile on my face. "They're not kind, dear. They're true."

It's funny how much I have to force a smile, affection, and fake touches when I'm with her.These things come to me with ease whenever I'm with Aurora. I feel this pull to her that I can't resist. I want to hold her. I want her close to me at all times, and the laughter is never forced. It's warm and hearty. Now that I think about it, I can't recall a moment with her where I didn't feel like I was transported to another universe.

I discreetly pull out my phone, swiping through my call log and voicemails, and there's no call from her. It's all I can do to keep myself from throwing the phone at the wall.

The chattering at the table only adds to my growing irritation. Seven days. Seven fucking days. It's how long it's been since she ran out of her house expecting me to pull a Prince Charming and chase after her.Don't get me wrong, I know women love that type of shit, and on a very good day, I don't mind indulging, but she's supposed to know it's hardly ideal with the situation at hand.

Dinner finally comes to an end, and I'm very happy to call it a night. Somewhere between dropping Selene off and making my way home, I end up in Aurora's house.

I'm yet to make up my mind about what I'm going to say to her when I see her. I initially planned to wait for her to come to me, but it seems I'll have to take charge of this one like I always do.

It's dark by the time I get to her house, and the small cluster of trees behind casts a darker blanket on the surroundings. If she's playing a game of hide and seek, she should at least come home to get some food. I suck in a deep breath, reminding myself to stay calm before knocking.

No response.I knocked harder, and when nothing happened, I twisted the doorknob, and the click that followed sent a tinge of suspicion through me.Rora never leaves her house open. No matter how urgent the situation is, she has always been a bit too security-conscious, especially with the situation with Silver Pack and her living alone. It doesn't matter what the situation is; Rora always locks her door.I let myself in, flicking the light bulb in the process. Then I freeze.

The air is stale. The windows are closed, and the blanket she was snuggling in the last time we spoke remained at the same spot.Even her scent was barely there. I had to strain my nose to pick up muted whiffs. The alarms in my head immediately went off. Something isn't right.

"Aurora!"I made my way to her bedroom to find her bed neatly made. Her brush on the table had collected a bit of dust, and her nightwear lay carefully folded on the reclining chair in the corner.

"Aurora!" I call again, my voice louder and more urgent this time. I throw the bathroom door open—nothing. I check the adjoining room and kitchen—nothing. Even the fridge was half-stocked, and most of the groceries in the kitchen had gone stale.To my right, there is a butter knife with leftover butter and crumbs of bread collecting mold on it. The little alarm in my ears shifts to loud sirens with an increasing heartbeat to match.

I throw the back door open and march into her makeshift garden. Her little plants withered and dying is all the confirmation I need. Rora would rather starve than let anything happen to these plants.

My breath turns sharp, my pulse a hammering thing in my chest as I move frantically now, tearing through the house, throwing open cabinets and drawers, anything to give me a cue. Still nothing.

Where would she go? I rack my brain to see if I can recall her mentioning a new friend in the pack or somewhere else, and I come up with nothing.

I remember her musing about how it'd be cool to at least know her human family, but she never said anything about meeting any of them. Her father's side pretty much cut her off after her father's death, claiming her mother tainted their bloodline with her human genes. Rora would sooner bleed to death than go to them.

So where would she be?A sharp pain lances through my chest, making me stumble. Not the tangible kind of pain. Something deeper, and it's immediately followed by a sinking hollow feeling.

I don't pay much attention to it. It's probably my wolf acting up over the perceived danger our mate might be in. I reach into my pocket, pulling out my phone.

A few taps and the number of my best tracker pulls up. I waste no time in dialing.

The line connects, and I don't bother with pleasantries. "Aurora Belmont. I need you to find her before sunrise."His answer is quick and affirmative. I ended the call after offering a few helpful details and returned the phone to my pocket. I will my heart rate to slow down and my pulse to quiet, but a beep from my phone almost startles me.

Did the tracker find her already? I knew she was just hiding in the corner. I open my phone, and the bitter taste of bile climbs to my tongue.An updated wedding program from my father. He has succeeded in bringing the date two weeks closer, making the day exactly eleven days away. At this point, he might step up and be the groom himself since he is so invested. From the day the news was broken to me, it's been one occasion or the other. An appearance at the court or pack gatherings together.

Photoshoots at strategic positions, cake tasting, cloth fittings, and even mindless walks around the pack to show ourselves to the members. I do my best not to make Selene look like a fool or disrespect her family. A division between the families would bring everything to dust, but I've intentionally decided not to take part in the planning and only make an appearance when I must maintain the fantasy we are selling to the pack members.

In the beginning, it was mostly because I didn't want Rora to see us being all cuddly in public too soon. Eventually, I just figured out I didn't appreciate being paraded. I've agreed to marry the girl. We can all give it a rest.Arranged marriages are not foreign to my kind, especially for those in power. If anything, it's more common than a fated bond. Regardless, it's important to maintain a unified front. The slightest sign of division in the family is a sign of weakness, and it's only a matter of time before someone decides to make a funny move.

I didn't bother sending a reply to my father. Despite my irritation and rising worry about Aurora's actions, I find myself slightly wishing she stays wherever till the mating ceremony blows over. The last thing I need is for her to witness the entire thing. With one last look at the house, I turn off the lights and make my way out with a heavy sense of foreboding I can't put a finger on.

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