Alpha's Dark Desires
Chapter 55: Lost Her

Chapter 55: Lost Her

Kane POV:

Where the hell is she?

It’s been hours—half the damn day, and still, no sign of her. I clenched my fists, feeling the frustration boil over, threatening to snap the tenuous control I had over my wolf.

We found the motorbike. Just sitting there, abandoned against a tree in the middle of the dense forest, like a mocking reminder of her defiance. Her scent had been strong around it at first, faint traces of her panic and determination still lingering. But after that? Nothing. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

I paced around the area where the bike was found, my wolf restless and snarling. He wanted to tear through the forest, to howl until she heard us, but it wouldn’t do any good. She’s hiding. And she’s good at it.

"How the hell did she pull this off?" I muttered to myself, kicking at the dirt. My jaw clenched so tight it hurt. "She’s one woman, one stubborn, frustrating, maddening woman, and yet..."

I trailed off, glancing up at the treetops as if she might suddenly appear. No sign of her. Nothing but the whispers of leaves in the wind and the occasional sound of my patrols combing through the forest.

"Alpha," a voice came through the mind-link. "We’ve checked the northern edge of the forest and found nothing. It’s like she disappeared."

"Keep searching," I snapped. "She’s here somewhere. Double back if you have to, check under every damn rock if you must. She’s not leaving this forest without me."

The wolf on the other end stammered a quick acknowledgment and cut the link.

I leaned against the motorbike, taking a deep breath to calm myself. Think, Kane. Where would she go?

Elena wasn’t the type to act without a plan. She didn’t just bolt into the forest without knowing what she was doing. She had something up her sleeve; she always did. My mate was cunning, resourceful...and apparently, far too good at evading me for my comfort.

My thoughts raced as I replayed the events in my head. The way she bolted out of the house, the way she panicked when I caught sight of her near the gate. She must’ve been planning this for longer than I realized. My wolf growled low in my chest. She thinks she can get away from me? She doesn’t understand who she’s dealing with. My wolf was hurt by the betrayal of our mate. He couldn’t understand how a mate wouldn’t want to be with his other mate.

Doubt gnawed at me. Her scent disappearing entirely wasn’t normal. She couldn’t mask her scent without help. Could she?

I froze as a thought hit me like a freight train. Wolf Intoxia.

The plant was rare but potent. It could mask a wolf’s scent entirely if used properly, and the forest was one of the few places it grew naturally. My mate was stubborn, but she wasn’t stupid. If she found any, it would explain how her trail went cold so suddenly.

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath. "Of course, she’d think of that."

I opened the link again. "All units, listen up. She might be using Wolf Intoxia to mask her scent. Stop sniffing her out try looking for broken branches other things that can track her."

I got a series of acknowledgments, but the tension in my chest only tightened. It was almost half a day now, and I was on the verge of losing my mind. My wolf was clawing at the surface, restless and enraged.

For fuck’s sake, Elena. Where are you?

I slammed my fist against the motorbike’s seat, the sting of it doing nothing to ease the frustration. Every possible place she might hide, I’d already searched. Every logical trail, every instinct, had led me nowhere. And now, the thought of her out there alone—vulnerable, reckless, angry—made me want to tear through the forest until I found her.

"Dammit," I growled, pushing off the bike and stalking toward the treeline. I wasn’t giving up. Not now, not ever.

Although I gotta admit—she had me this time. She fucking managed to evade me.

I’ve hunted rogues who were skilled at hiding, dealt with spies and traitors trying to slip through my territory, but her? My mate? She outsmarted me. Completely.

I sat in my car, parked near the edge of the forest, gripping the steering wheel so hard I thought it might snap. My wolf was pacing inside me, furious and frustrated. He hated this—hated the fact that we couldn’t find her, that she was out there somewhere, alone, with no one to protect her.

"I have a mate," I muttered to myself. "A mate who can’t just sit still or talk things out. No, she has to run. Has to fight me at every turn." I let out a humorless laugh, shaking my head.

My phone buzzed in the console, but I didn’t need to look to know what it was—another patrol reporting nothing. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. She’d covered her tracks so well, I almost wanted to applaud her. Almost.

I leaned back, staring at the trees, the sun beginning to dip lower in the sky. She could be anywhere, and I had no idea where to look next. She’d beaten me this time, and my pride didn’t like it one damn bit.

But the truth? Beyond the anger and the frustration, there was something else—something I didn’t want to admit. I was worried. Genuinely worried. What if she got hurt out there? What if something happened to her while I was busy chasing shadows?

"Fucking hell," I muttered under my breath, slamming my fist against the dashboard.

The bond between us tugged at me, a constant reminder that she was out there. That she was mine. I couldn’t shake the image of her riding off on my bike, flipping me off with that damn smirk on her face. Defiant. Bold. Beautiful.

She had no idea what she did to me.

I closed my eyes, exhaling sharply. "Alright, Elena," I murmured to myself. "You got me this time. But don’t think for a second this is over."

I grabbed my phone, dialing a number I rarely used.

"Alpha Kane," came the voice on the other end.

"Pull the trackers in. I want them sweeping the forest west of my estate. I don’t care if it takes all night—find her scent, find anything. She’s out there, and I want her brought back."

"Yes, Alpha," the voice responded quickly before the line went dead.

I tossed the phone onto the passenger seat, my mind already racing with plans. She thought she could outrun me, that she could hide. But I wasn’t the type to give up.

I was going to find her.

And when I did, she’d have a lot to answer for.

No one escapes me, Elena. Not even you.