Vincent.
The moment my eyes cracked open, a cold dread seized my chest—Anabel was nowhere in sight. The space beside me on the mattress was empty and cold, and instant panic flared violently through my veins.
Why wasn’t she in my bed?
Wasn’t that the right thing expected of her?
Where exactly could she have gone?
She was my mate. By every law of nature and instinct, she was supposed to be wrapped around me, clinging to my side all day long without thinking of moving.
How could she possibly have left without me knowing?
How could she walk away from my side?
I couldn’t even begin to articulate the chaotic tangle of emotions flooding my head, but deep down, my wolf was clawing at my consciousness, absolutely restless and demanding her presence.
"Alaric!" I bellowed, my voice echoing off the walls of the room.
Almost instantaneously, the door flew open and he barged into the chamber, dropping his eyes with his head slightly bowed in respect.
"I need you to look for Anabel right now!" I commanded without missing a beat, the urgency lacing every word. "Find her, and ensure she never leaves my sight for a single second ever again!"
As the silence stretched, I felt my heart begin to hammer wildly against my ribs, pounding at a frantic speed as though I had just spent hours sprinting after something slipping away from my grasp.
The sudden, agonizing acceleration of my pulse snapped what little patience I had left.
"Now!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, the roar vibrating through the room.
"Yes, Alpha!" Alaric barked immediately. He turned on his heel and bolted out of the room at full speed to execute my command and hunt down Anabel.
Left alone once more, I forced myself to stand up slowly from the bed. I moved straight to the washroom to freshen up, washing away the lingering drowsiness, though the restless agitation beneath my skin refused to settle.
Once finished, I draped myself in my grand ceremonial robe. As the rich fabric settled over my shoulders, a faint, lingering smile slowly curled across my face as my mind drifted toward another thought—I couldn’t help but wonder what Maria would look like draped in her own matching attire today.
Under normal circumstances, I would have already rushed straight to her room to lay eyes on her immediately, but the total silence from Alaric kept me rooted in place. I hadn’t heard back from him yet, and I needed confirmation before moving.
I continued dressing, carefully fastening the remaining garments and pulling on my formal shoes. I had specifically ordered my attendants to leave me be today, insisting on dressing myself down to the final detail. I wanted everything to be flawless. I wanted to look absolute perfection standing right beside Maria today.
Today was the day. She would officially, undeniably become mine in front of everyone. And tonight, once the grand spectacle was finally over, I would claim her as my own without a single second of hesitation.
Isn’t that nice?
A boisterous laugh escaped my throat, echoing loudly off the walls of the grand chamber.
I stood up from the edge of the bed and stepped directly before the full-length mirror, taking a moment to admire my own reflection.
Savoring the moment, I reached down, picked up my signature mask, and fitted it securely over my features.
The smile beneath it deepened into a triumphant smirk. Today was no ordinary occasion—as per ancient tradition, today would be the precise day I finally unmasked my face to the entire world.
I was getting married, and on this glorious day, the whole world would formally receive me as their undisputed ruler. But the glory didn’t end there. Noah would finally be gone for good, eliminated from my path once and for all. As for those troublesome quadruplets? Daniel would personally ensure they were taken care of.
Isn’t that just wonderful?
There were simply so many sweet victories to celebrate today. I had successfully conquered the entire territory with absolute, effortless ease. I had the most wanted woman in the realm standing right by my side, and soon, a mate who would be delightfully, endlessly clingy.
They were all merely pieces on my board—I could use and discard every single one of them exactly as I pleased.
I was completely lost in the intoxication of my own thoughts when the quiet of the room was shattered.
The door burst open, and Alaric stumbled into the chamber, his shoulders heaving as he panted heavily for air.
I raised my brows in sharp curiosity, my eyes narrowing behind the mask as I stared at his disheveled state.
"What’s wrong?" I asked, my tone instantly laced with suspicion as my eyes narrowed on him.
The urgency in his appearance was impossible to ignore, and every instinct I possessed immediately went on alert, waiting for whatever bad news had driven him to me in such a state.
"Alpha—" he began, only for the word to catch in his throat.
He bent forward, gasping frantically as he gripped his knees for support, his chest rising and falling in rapid, uneven breaths. He struggled desperately to draw enough air into his lungs, clearly trying to steady himself before forcing out a proper sentence. His mouth opened more than once, but no coherent words came, only laboured breaths that betrayed his frantic condition.
Watching him wheeze and falter instantly obliterated my mood. Whatever patience I had left evaporated in a split second, replaced by a dark, bubbling anger that steadily burned hotter with every passing second he remained unable to speak. The delay grated on my nerves, each moment of silence stretching my temper even thinner.
"Speak!" I ordered, my voice dropping into a heavy, command-laden rumble that rolled through the room like distant thunder.
The force behind the single word left no room for hesitation, its authority filling the silence as I fixed him with an impatient, unwavering stare.
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