Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Mia Heartman

Mia woke up to a new day, one she hoped would be different from the previous.

She got out of bed and made her way to her extravagant bathroom. She stared at her reflection and couldn't believe her present state. Her eyes were a bit swollen from crying and her lips looked quite pale. Her hair, that was on another level; to say it was unkept would be an underestimation. It was beyond disheveled.

She walked to her solace... the garden. Today, she was going to try mind linking Alex since he wouldn't let her see him.

The weather was still cold, not as bad as before, but not quite good either because it still caused goosebumps to crawl up her arms. She rubbed her cold palm together before she resumed tending to the flowers.

When the cold intensified, she had no other choice but to return into the warm walls of the castle.

She was determined to get Alex to talk to her in one way or another but when she got to his study, there weren't any guards at the door. Her eyes gleamed with delight and hope sprouted in her stomach.

She rushed into the study and her lips fell into her grim line when she scanned the empty room and realized he was not there. She tried to find out where he was through the bond but the the bond is severed.

That only happened when there was great distance between mates.

Her heart sank when realization hit her. He must have left while she was sleeping. Was that how much he wanted to avoid her?

Where had he even gone?

She knew it was furtile to ask his guards anything because they wouldn't tell her shit.

The feeling of emptiness and loneliness engulfed her.

She felt tears threatening to spill from her eyes as her heart ached in her constricting chest. She fisted her palms, she wouldn't let her tears spill. She was tough and Alex wasn't going to break her. Not now, not ever.

She shoved all the sadness away and decides to do something that'd make her happy

Mia was a resilient person, and even though she felt like crying, she decided to put on her big girl pants and face the day head-on.

The one thing that can actually made her happy was telling stories to the eager ears of her maids, and that was what she was going to do.

•••••••••••

Meanwhile, Alex was still out there, worried about Mia's safety. The moment he gor closer to his pack, his body shook in anticipation to see Mia. He coulsn't shake off the feeling that something might have happened to her even though he knew she was a strong and capable woman.

The fact that he couldn't still hear her heartbeat even when he was close to his kingdom filled him with dread.

Finally, her heartbeat became audible and it was steady and strong. The feeling of relief washes over him as he realized that she was safe. He released a breath he didn't know he had held in, and he finally relaxed backward against his seat.

"Your majesty," Hendrix started but hesitated unsure of himself as he was sure the Alpha was pissed at him.

The Alpha raised a questioning brow at him.

"We must turn back. If we refuse the invitation of the Alpha, it would be considered as disrespectful." Hendrix pointed out

"And what makes you think I give a fuck about that?" Alex felt his anger rekindle against Hendrix.

"If we don't, Sire, and the Alpha takes offense, it wouldn't look good to the Council members and Alpha Jayden would finally have a reason to drag you there."

Alex gritted his teeth in anger. He knew Hendrix was right but he didn't want him to be. Alex sighed and gave the order to turn the carriage around and the riders obeyed.

Alex couldn't help but think about Mia, he hoped she was indeed safe. He could still hear her heartbeat but he knew it wouldn't be for long once he ventured further away from her.

This thought was accompanied by a weird and uncomfortable feeling and he wanted to rid himself of it.

He pondered on what she was probably doing and he caught himself smiling at the thought of her telling her numerous stories to her maids. He had listened in on most of them from his study and he couldn't lie, they were interesting to listen to. He had even found himself waiting for them most of the day he spent in his study.

It relaxed him and he was intrigued on how she could make up so many stories and still make them seem perfect.

He closed his eyes for a while, trying to concentrate on the memory and he began to hear her voice, telling a story.

It was so loud, it almost seemed real.

Alex snapped his eyes open and tried to pry thoughts of her out of his head. It could be detrimental to his work here.

H couldn't afford being distracted on this trip. It was important he stayed focused.

They arrived back at the Diamond Shadow Pack, and the gates were already wide open for them, leading to a hassle-free entry.

He hadn't stopped to even check the poison expert's house before because of how worried he was for Mia's safety but he would now.

Once they got there, he instructed his men to search the area. The man's body was still hanging down his ceiling fan and he made them bring it down.

It would be taken for autopsy.

He couldn't take the body with him because it wasn't his pack so he had to stay back and monitor it. He didn't trust Mia's father. He never had and never would.

He basically didn't trust anyone who would gain something from his death, abd Alpha Jayden would gain a lot.

Call it paranoia or what not, Alex wouldn't change his perception.

As his guards searched the man's house, Alex went around outside, searching for a break in.

There was none and his suspicion grew a tad more.

Whoever had killed the expert was either a friend or just someone he was familiar with.

"Sire, you need to see this." Theo startled him a bit as he wasn't concentrating on his surrounding and didn't hear him approach.