The Exiled Alpha's Human Male Mate.[BL]

~THIRTY MINUTES AGO~

"Mr. Walker, is something amiss? I don’t think you’ve been listening to me at all."

"I have everything you need, Mr. Ashton. I’ll have your trophy completed within two weeks, right on schedule. If you have any concerns, you can reach me directly. Thank you for your consideration. I’ll keep you informed of the progress at every stage."

With that, Vincent turned and walked out of the boardroom.

Just outside the door, a set of signs pointed toward the washrooms, and he headed in that direction without hesitation.

It had been almost ten minutes since Bryce had claimed he was going to the bathroom.

Vincent had already been restless before Bryce left, but when nearly five minutes passed without him returning, the uneasiness inside him became impossible to ignore.

He couldn’t determine whether Bryce’s absence was simply taking longer than expected or whether some deeper instinct was warning him that something was wrong. He only knew that the feeling wouldn’t leave him alone.

When he reached the washroom, he pushed open the door and strode inside.

"Bryce?"

He called the name with an unspoken hope that Bryce would answer from somewhere inside.

Nothing.

Not even a sound.

Vincent couldn’t feel Bryce’s presence anywhere around him.

He was almost certain Bryce wasn’t there, but he checked anyway. He knocked on each stall, opening the doors whenever no one responded, searching every corner of the washroom despite the growing certainty that Bryce wasn’t in the washroom.

Eventually, he stepped back outside and pulled out his phone. He dialed Bryce’s number immediately.

For several seconds, the call continued without an answer before it abruptly disconnected.

Vincent tried again, but still, nothing.

A thin layer of sweat began forming across his skin.

He called a third time as he headed toward the elevator, but before he reached it, he changed his mind. Rather than wait, he turned toward the stairs and summoned his speed, descending several floors within moments.

He tried to reason with himself.

Maybe Bryce had gone downstairs because he was hungry. Perhaps he’d decided to grab something to eat and was waiting in the dining area.

That explanation was enough to keep Vincent moving.

When he reached the lower floor, the dining area was crowded with people talking, eating, and drinking.

Vincent scanned the room, searching through the tables and faces, but he couldn’t see or sense Bryce anywhere among them.

His uneasiness deepened.

"Where could he have gone?" he muttered.

He glanced toward the entrance.

"Back to the house?"

The possibility didn’t sit right with him.

"Or is he somewhere around this building?"

His gaze swept across the room again, then spotted Rivers.

The man was seated at a table with the three men who had accompanied him to the boardroom, eating as though nothing unusual had happened.

The sight immediately brought back everything that had happened upstairs- Rivers shamelessly staring at Bryce.

His insinuations.

His attempts to draw Bryce into conversation.

His warning about Vincent.

The memories collided in Vincent’s mind, reigniting the anger he had struggled to suppress in that moment.

Before he could think through what he was doing, he strode toward Rivers’ table.

People began turning to look at him as he crossed the dining area. Some stared openly, while others whispered his name in recognition.

A few even gasped in admiration at his presence, but Vincent barely registered any of it.

His attention remained fixed on one person.

Rivers.

He stopped beside the table.

"Where is he?"

The question came out low and controlled, but the fury underneath it was impossible to miss.

Rivers looked up, his brows drawing together when he realized who was standing before him.

"Who is where?" he asked, genuine confusion evident in his voice, and the response only intensified Vincent’s already fraying temper.

"Don’t fuck with me, Rivers," Vincent said through clenched teeth, his voice low but carrying a dangerous edge. "I’m in a very bad state right now, and if you keep pushing me like this, I might do something I won’t be able to take back. So answer me. Where is he?"

Rivers flinched at the threat and the fury behind it, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Talking about your pretty boy?" he asked, an amused smile curving across his lips, as though the mere thought of Bryce had brought the memory of him back to mind and pleased him, but the amusement vanished the instant Vincent seized him by the throat.

"Don’t use that name for him with your filthy mouth," Vincent said.

The commotion immediately drew attention from the surrounding tables. People craned their necks to see what was happening as startled gasps spread through the dining area.

Rivers’ men rose instinctively, but Vincent ordered them to sit down. His power took hold of them before they could resist, forcing them back into their seats.

Vincent released Rivers’ throat, and Rivers immediately pushed himself to his feet. His own anger had clearly awakened, but despite the humiliation and the fury in his expression, he didn’t dare touch Vincent or raise his voice.

"Why are you asking me about him?" he demanded. "I don’t even know how I got down here. I don’t know why I don’t have my phone either, and these men keep telling me that I smashed it, and I have no memory of doing that. I’m sitting here trying to figure out what the hell is going on with me, so how exactly would I know where he is?"

His voice threatened to rise, but he forced it back down, keeping it low.

"Just because I showed some interest in him earlier doesn’t mean I kidnapped him. Although, now that you’ve brought it up, I suppose I should have thought of doing that earlier."

He paused for a moment, as though he were actually picturing it, before continuing.

"Anyway, all the men I came with to this country are sitting right here with me. I don’t have any connections here. So tell me, how exactly do you think I’m holding him hostage?"

Vincent stared at him while he spoke, and with every word, the panic clawing through him intensified because through his abilities, he could sense that Rivers was telling the truth.

He didn’t know where Bryce was.

Rivers hadn’t taken him.

"Why don’t you just sit here with us and relax?" Rivers suggested, settling back into his chair. "I’m certain someone is recording this confrontation, and it’ll probably be all over the news within minutes. We might as well confuse them by having a meal together. Mr. Jones could have simply left the hotel or gone somewhere nearby."

He shrugged.

"But he isn’t a child who can simply get lost. He’ll come back, won’t he?"

Vincent’s expression remained grim.

Rivers studied him for a moment before a faint, knowing smile returned to his face.

"I never pictured you as someone who could become this panicked and worried over anything. Love can actually do wonders."

He hadn’t even finished speaking when Vincent turned away and strode toward the exit.

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