Found By The Lycan King novel Chapter 18

XANDER'S POV

I sat in the council room, my mind racing as I tried to come up with a plan for how Daciana and I would talk to Donavan about his current misbehavior concerning Adriana. I had just sent Aiden to the dungeon, knowing full well that the warrior would be locked up for a long time. But as I sat there, lost in thought, Daciana burst into the room, her eyes wild with panic.

"Xander," she panted, "have you seen Adriana?"

I hadn't seen Adriana since the previous night. My heart skipped a beat as I saw the panic on her face.

"No," I said, trying to remain calm. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"She's gone," she said, her voice breaking. "I went to check on her right now, and she wasn't in her room. I've looked everywhere, and I haven't seen her yet."

I had a cold dread wash over me. I knew that Adriana would surely be upset about Aiden's incarceration, but I never thought she would run away or do anything stupid. I facepalmed, groaning as I thought about it.

I stood up abruptly, my chair scraping against the stone floor. "Summon the guards immediately. They must find her," I said, determination in my voice.

Daciana nodded, a look of relief on her face. "Thank you, Xander," she said, as I walked out of the room. I made my way through the Packhouse, my heart pounding with frustration. I knew that Adriana was out there somewhere, alone and vulnerable. I couldn't let anything happen to her. At the same time I wondered why she couldn't just make everything easy for us, why she would always expose herself to danger even after I had clearly warned her that I didn't want to see her outside on her own because she might be hurt.

I searched the Packhouse, but she was nowhere to be found. I searched the gardens, the training grounds, and even the forest near the Packhouse, but there was no sign of her. I sat in silence, my mind racing as I tried to process the events of the past few days. I couldn't believe that Adriana had run away, and the thought of her being out there alone filled me with a sense of dread. I knew that I needed to find her and bring her back, no matter what.

"F*ck!" I yelled in anger before slicing my claws through the air. I turned when I heard the crunch of pebbles behind me. Daciana was running towards me, a concerned look on her face. I turned away immediately, wondering where she could be.

Daciana stood before me, a concerned look on her face. "Xander, what's going on?" she asked. "Have you seen her yet?"

"I'm guessing that bastard took her. I pray he's not the one. I pray Donavan didn't take her, because I would kill him if he did." I growled, clenching my teeth as an image of Adriana struggling against him formed in my head.

"So she hasn't been seen yet?" Daciana asked, getting on my nerves. There were guards running around the Pack, and the bells were already ringing, signaling the guards to come together at once. Some of the Pack members were gathered around us, wondering what was going on.

"I should be asking you that, Daciana. I warned you not to be soft on her. Stubborn people like her only need mean treatments that will shave those bold notions from their head. Let's hope she didn't run away on her own. If she does, I'll lock her up and make sure she doesn't come out for the rest of her fucking life. She will stay there until she fully understands what I'm capable of." I growled. "I'll make sure she suffers when I get her back."

"Have you checked her room?" I asked her, grimacing as a terrible feeling settled in my gut when she shook her head. With that I headed back to her room, with hopes of finding her through her scent.

I burst into my mate Adriana's room with my sister Daciana by my side. The room was empty, but her scent was still fresh. I inhaled deeply, trying to pick up any clues about where she might have gone. My sensitive nose picked up a faint trail leading towards the back of the room.

"She's gone," I growled, my anger rising. "But her scent leads this way." Daciana nodded, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of a struggle.

"She's definitely been here recently," she said. "But where could she have gone?" I didn't have an answer, but I knew one thing for sure: Adriana was in danger.

Without hesitation, I followed her scent out of the room and down the corridor. Daciana followed closely behind me, her senses on high alert. As we turned a corner, I suddenly caught a familiar smell: the distinct scent of the secret passageway that led out of the palace.

My heart sank as I realized that Adriana had left the safety of the palace on her own. "She's gone through the secret passageway," I said, my voice tight with emotion.

As we stood there, I turned to my sister, Daciana. My voice was low and dangerous as I spoke, "How did Adriana know about the secret passageway?" Daciana's eyes dropped to the ground showing her guilt, she hesitated before answering.

"I-I may have shown it to her," she stuttered. I felt a wave of fury wash over me.

"You what? Do you have any idea the danger you've put her in? And our entire Pack for that matter?" Daciana was wearing a puppy dog look.