KAI’s POV
Each passing second, I was rotting away.
My muscles were constricted like that of a mummy, cramped in one position all day. The room smelled of weed and alcohol.
My throat burned for the umpteenth time as I slurped the last contents of the gin down my throat, shutting my eyes briefly. With the stem of the glass in my grip, it nearly fell before someone’s hand caught it upright.
"You’re wallowing, and the Pack doesn’t need that right now," Clawface whispered into my ear, as though outside these walls were thorns and spikes waiting for us.
A chuckle ripped out of me as I rose to my feet, staggering badly enough to hit almost every object before finally finding my balance.
Behind me, Clawface’s boots followed. "The usual spot. Ready the car."
"Sire, we’ve been going there quite frequently now. If people catch wind of it, they’ll talk, and you’ll be in trouble with your father again, Sire. Please, reconsider." He spoke the truth.
But what was a drunken man’s approach to reason?
I waved him off. "Do as you’re told."
"I’m your subject, Sire. Believe me, I am. However, if I may ask, is this still about the Omega you’re determined to find?"
"Get the car ready. Now!" I snapped, the words grinding through clenched teeth.
One glare from me, and he dipped into a deep bow before leaving to execute my order.
A while later, I slumped in the backseat, the back of my hand pressed against my forehead as my thoughts reeled into the distance.
It had been about a week since I isolated myself. I needed the time away, and when it became too difficult to endure the mental strain, I derailed into external distractions.
When my father first decided to step back and let me lead, a profound act carried out by every Alpha King to determine whether their heir could rule the throne in their absence, especially when death came and the Jury would pass judgment, I had been enthralled.
The sensation had been mind blowing.
However, now... now, after Alex, I couldn’t be certain anymore.
My father was deeply involved in the arrangement with Leo, his mind fixed on what Leo’s uncle had to offer the Pack, and in times like this, I understood why.
War was imminent, especially with so many rivals surrounding us.
"Some fucking headache," I hissed under my breath just as the car pulled to a stop.
From the driver’s seat, Clawface murmured, "We’re in downtown."
"Good. Wait here. I’ll let you know when to pick me up."
Without another word, I stepped out, heading in my usual direction. Having walked these streets enough times in the past few days, I had come to recognize them even when my eyelids felt so heavy they might shut completely.
I walked into the familiar building and stopped, as usual, in front of Room 21. My knuckles hovered before the door.
It had become a habit.
I’d come looking for Alex, hoping he was finally back home, then when reality settled in, I’d head inside and once again hope he’d walk in on me.
My cock tightened in my pants as though the mere thought of him had suddenly brought him before me in real time.
Entering his self contained room, I dropped onto his bed. Alex wasn’t the type to stay away from home, which made it all the more surprising now that it had been nearly a week since he’d last been here.
I’d sniffed his scent countless times to the point it had almost faded. Pulling the duvet closer to my face, I inhaled deeply like it was my lifeline, letting my body sink into the familiarity.
"Wish you were here, sweet peach," I muffled into the thick fabric. "Where the fuck could you be?"
What made the situation even more suspicious was the fact that Alex’s phone was no longer traceable, and that could only mean one thing. He wasn’t in the Pack anymore. Otherwise, the surveillance system would have picked him up.
Each Pack had its own tracking system, but another Pack could not merge theirs into ours. That would be considered a breach and, ultimately, trespassing.
A ringing sound from my pocket stirred me. "Yes?"
"Sire, one of the post guards has a report."
"Ignore it. I’m tired of the false alarms."
"Sire, this one may be credible. He said he saw a raven haired Omega with a known rogue passing through the border. It was Nathan Blackwell."
I bolted upright from the bed. Within minutes, I was back at the car. Clawface looked stunned, eyes widening at the sight of my rush.
"Get the engine running now. Take me to that guard."
He nodded and immediately picked up speed.
Minutes burned into what felt like eternity. Tapping my toes against the car floor, chewing at my nails, lips quivering, heart slamming against my sternum, the agitation intensified alongside the certainty settling inside me.
"That bastard," I spat, glaring death into the darkness ahead.
I should have killed him right there on the spot, buried him six feet deep so he would never have the chance to touch Alex again.
"Sire, there..."
Without wasting another second, I stormed toward the station. Clawface barely managed to keep up with my pace, pointing toward the guard already waiting for us.
"When?"
The man stuttered, diving into a deep bow and muttering greetings I completely ignored.
"A few days ago, Alpha Kai."
My frame towered over him, my Alpha aura pressing down hard enough to send icicles through his skin. He visibly squirmed beneath it.
"Why did you say nothing? I asked for reports much earlier."
"I tried to send letters, but I’m only a mere post guard. It wasn’t taken seriously, Your Highness," he explained.
My eyes met Clawface’s, burning with the inferno of my wolf’s rage, chest rising and falling heavily.
"Promote this man to lead border warden. Fire the former one. Reason: neglecting his duty."
Clawface stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Sire, you’ll do this for this Omega?"
"I will not repeat myself, Clawface. Don’t make me."
Immediately, he straightened, crossing no further line and giving a curt nod. "Yes, Sire."
"If Nathan crossed this border, where would he have gone?"
"MoonBlade Pack, Sire. My reports show he became Frederick’s close adviser."
"The Alpha’s son?" I asked, and Clawface nodded.
"Yes, Sire."
"Well then, we’re going to MoonBlade. Get my envoy ready within the next hour." I called him back before he could disappear. "I will not be delayed, not for a second longer. Understood?"
"Yes, Sire," he replied before hurrying off.
My gaze settled on the border not far away, beyond the clearing that led into the distant wild forest, and my heart sank.
Nathan could have done anything to Alex by now, and it was all because I let him go, because I failed to keep enough watch over him.
Not anymore.
This time, I was bringing him back, and I didn’t care who stood against me.