Alpha’s Rue: His Shunned Luna (Athena Enchanted) novel Chapter 422

KINGSTON

The first thing that I notice when I start to feel awake again is how empty my arms feel. The weight of Aeliana pressed against me seems to have shifted. I try to reach for her, touching the spot she should be in but isn’t. My eyes fly open, and I notice Aeliana is gone.

I roll out of bed and check the bathroom, but she isn't there. She seems to have gone to her bedroom, so I slip on some shoes and look for her there.

Panic sets in when I don’t find her there, I go around the house calling her as I check all her favourite places, every room with a mirror and the cinema. I call both her names, but she doesn’t answer.

The seconds of looking for her easily turn into minutes, and with every minute that passes, I’m on the edge, searching every corner of the house. “King?” Rowan calls from the top of the staircase, nursing a bottle of beer. “Why are you yelling?”

“I can’t find Aeliana,” I rasp. “She-she’s gone.”

“Gone?” He hastily jogs down the stairs. “What do you mean she's gone?”

“I don't know,” I shake my head. I can’t even explain how she got away from me, she was asleep before me, and I made sure of it. “I woke up just now, and I didn’t find her. I looked in her room, in the kitchen, in the cinema, I looked everywhere.”

“She couldn’t have gone far.”

“Have you tried Maddox’s room?”

I turn around to find Danielle, also nursing a bottle of her own. “What?” I frown. “Why would I check for Aeliana in his bedroom?”

Danielle shrugs, “She’s obsessed with him, she might have gone there.”

“I’ll check.” Rowan offers.

I nod, “I’ll look outside.”

Aeliana stares at me from inside, looking every bit annoyed and lightly flushed. I hastily make my way to the car, but she steps out on her own, slamming the door hard. “Happy?” She turns to Maddox, who nods.

“Watch her,” he warns, his voice quieter now that I’ve gotten closer. “She wandered too far, I found her at the bar…well, she found me, recognised me as soon as I stepped in the club. Thank the goddess for that,” he tells me. “And me, tomorrow…let’s go, boys!” He slaps the car, and the next second, it drives off.

My eyes take on Aeliana, and I examine her for injuries, but she looks fine, not a single hair out of place. “Why did you leave the house without telling me?” I ask her. “You know you can't leave without me or someone accompanying you.”

She sighs, “I needed to think.”

“To think?” I snap. “What the hell could you possibly—” I catch myself too late, she’s already glaring at me for yelling. The thought of having lost her again was killing me. I tried to remain hopeful, but really anything could have happened to her. I was here telling myself she couldn't have gone far, but she was one and a half hours away, in a different pack. She got through border security, and I didn’t even get an alert. “I’m sorry for yelling,” I suck in a breath.

“I was worried about you, Aeli. You can't just go out any time you want, Riley. There are consequences for that, and I am not ready to pay the price.” I tell her. Had anything happened to her tonight, I wouldn’t be able to move on. I would have failed yet another fucking time, and I wouldn’t survive it. I can’t fail her again. “You need to stay with me, stay by me, stay with the people I’ve entrusted with your safety.”