Page 77 of Rejected By The Alpha Heir

I dread facing my mate and telling her that I have failed her and our daughter. As Alpha, my job is to keep my pack safe. And today, I failed. Under my leadership, Highland Pack members were able to sneak in and steal my own daughter from the woods. They were able to come onto our land andtake her.

Shame, anger, and a myriad of other emotions swirl inside me until I feel like I might vomit. I want to lash out, but I have to stay focused.

Moon Goddess, watch over her until I can get to her,I pray fiercely.

The fact that the Highland Pack was so bold as to take Cleo from our lands is disturbing. I can’t imagine what Alpha Paxton can be thinking to risk his men and his pack like this unless….

My mind drifts back to the interactions we’ve had with Sylvie over the last few days. Our pack knows better than to speak a word of Cleo’s gifts outside our borders, but could Sylvie haveheard it somehow?Did they kidnap her to use her gifts, or is this still all about revenge against me?

Either way, we have to get her back.

“We need a plan,” I snarl, turning to Vincent. “Post guards along the border. If a bird so much as farts out here, I want to know about it. Then meet me back at the house. We’re getting her back.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Vincent says immediately. He turns to follow my orders but stops, looking back at me with kind eyes. “We’re going to get her back, Austin. The whole pack will fight to get her back, if that’s what it takes. She’s ours, too.”

Emotion clouds my eyes for a moment, and I clear my throat, clapping him on the back.

“Thank you, my friend,” I whisper hoarsely.

My mind races with possibilities as we head back toward the pack houses. We need a plan. Not getting Cleo back isnotan option, but we likely only have one shot at this. If we botch it, Cleo could become collateral damage, and I refuse to let that happen.

My feet are heavy when I approach our house. People are bustling in and out, including the healers.

“Aurelia barely survived. Can you believe what would have happened if the Luna hadn’t found her? She’s so lucky!”

My hackles rise as I overhear the two healers in conversation. Rushing forward, I interrupt them, suddenly terrified that something has happened to Yelena as well.

“Where is my mate?” I growl, grabbing a young healer by the shirt.

“A-alpha,” he stutters, looking wide-eyed. “The Luna has locked herself inside her bedroom.” He looks at me nervously.

“What is it,” I bark.

“It’s just…she kind oflost it,” He whispers, looking from side to side, “One minute, she was composed and giving us orders, telling us we needed to do everything we could for Aurelia, but then she just kind of got a far-off look in her eye and started….”

“What? She started what?” I growl, stepping forward.

“She started talking to herself, Alpha. And then she ran off to her quarters and locked herself in.”

Shit.

Pushing past him, I run through the house, ignoring all others until I get to our bedroom door. I can hear movement inside and I rest my forehead against the wood, letting myself calm down.

“Yelena?” I call out, hoping she can hear me through the door. The movement shifts, and I hear rapid footsteps approaching. I have barely enough time to step back before she wrenches open the door.

Her eyes are wild, and her hair is disheveled.

"Austin," she cries. "They took her, they took our little girl!"

She collapses against my chest, and I wrap my arms around her shaking frame. "I know, love. I know." I stroke her hair, even as my own heart threatens to shatter.

We stand like that for a long moment, taking comfort in each other's embrace. When Yelena's sobs finally subside, she steps back, wiping her tear-stained cheeks.

“I swear, I heard her,” she whispers softly. “I could hear her in my mind, telling me she’s okay, but that she wants to come home. I wasn’t sure at first, I came running in here where it was quieter so I could hear her. But Austin, I swear I did. I heard her. Clearly. That can’t be possible, right?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. There have been stories about Seer abilities that are hard to believe. What did you hear?”

Yelena gulps in air, turning away from me as she fidgets with her hands. I can feel her panic rising.

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