Chapter 7

• *Help me*
• Before I could open the door, he did it himself. There he stood, a medium-sized towel loosely wrapped around his waist, droplets of water cascading from his hair down to his shoulders, abs and coming to settle in front of the v- line, my eyes widened as I followed the movement droplets of water settling and been absorbed by the towel hanging loosed in his lower waist
• I couldn't take my eyes off him, he was handsome seeing him up close I wouldn't lie, but there was something more to him, something compelling about this man, perhaps the fact that he was an Alpha and all she-wolves would be technically attracted to the Alpha.
• With another towel, he dried his hair with his thin lips protruding. Everything about this man exuded a commanding presence.
• "Why did you come here?" he asked, his voice different from earlier—perhaps a figment of my imagination.
• "Uhmm..." I faltered momentarily. He seemed about to shut the door in my face when I recalled why I'd come. Holding the door open from my end, I said, "I want to talk to you. It's important." With that, he stepped back, allowing me to enter.
• Our arms brushed pass each other as I cautiously entered his room, the scent of fresh flowers lingering in the air, mingling with the faint fragrance of sandalwood. A king-sized bed adorned the center, neatly arranged with an untouched bedspread. My gaze wandered to the wardrobes, noting the towering stacks of books and the impeccably organized clothes in a huge closet. He was clearly an orderly person.
• Seated at the edge of the bed, still drying his hair, his hazel eyes stared at me expectantly. My nerves intensified, making it hard to start the conversation. My hand fidgeted, and I struggled to find the right words.
• "Uhmmm... Elara. My name is Elara Williams," I began. "The nurse said you saved me and brought me here. Thank you for that." He nodded briefly, prompting me to continue after a brief silence.
• "I know you are the most famous lawyer in this city, and only you can help my father. Please help me, I will do anything to save my father.," I blurted out, desperation evident in my words.
• A trace of concern flickered across Arthur's face, but he maintained composure. "I'm sorry to hear that, but it's late, and I don't handle legal matters at this hour. Come back tomorrow," he stated firmly, gesturing towards the door, signaling the end of our conversation.
• Disappointment filled me, but I knew I couldn't give up yet. I needed to at least share the story behind my plea and learn my fate, whether he could help or not.
• "Sir, my father is being held against his will by the Scorpio pack. They've falsely accused him and confined him. I'm deeply worried because he's very ill," I pleaded, hoping for a glimpse of empathy in his eyes.
• "I understand your distress, Miss Williams, but I can't involve my pack in another's affairs, especially without concrete evidence or authority."
• "But they'll harm him! He's innocent," I exclaimed, emotion cracking my voice.
• While his expression momentarily softened, Arthur stayed unwavering. "I sympathize, but risking my pack's involvement is something I can't do," he responded, his tone gentle yet final. He turned back to his work, a clear dismissal.
• "Please, just a moment! My father needs help, he's sick..." Tears welled up, and I scanned the room, searching for any hint of compassion in his demeanor.
• " You should go back to your room."
• "You can leave now, Ms. Williams," he said, and before I could comprehend that he wouldn't help, he opened the door, ushering me out.
• "Take care of yourself before you leave. I can still sense blood from your wounds."
• Morning***
• I picked up the business card, studying the address before making a decision. If I wanted to save my father, I'd have to set aside any shame and assert myself until he agreed to help. The office wasn't far away.
• Hovering near the front desk of Arthur's office, clutching the business card, I felt a mix of nerves and determination. The secretary's apologetic shake of the head confirmed my fears. "I'm sorry, you need an appointment to see Mr. Graham."
• As I turned away, a striking woman approached. She exuded elegance and an aura that seemed capable of achieving anything.
• "Good morning, Grace," she greeted the frowning secretary.
• "Good morning, Lady Amber," Grace responded.
• "Is the Alpha in his office?" she asked. Grace nodded. As she attempted to enter, she was stopped.
• "I'll need to call him first to confirm if he's ready to see you." She dialed the number but received
• no response. I was the first to notice him descending the stairs toward the front desk.
• "Sir," the secretary bowed,
• "Lady Amber wants to meet with you," she reported. He glanced at me, scrutinizing me from head to toe, making me squirm, but he said nothing.
• The lady hurried to his side, taking his arm. "Arthur, your secretary won't let me see you."
• "Because you don't have an appointment," he replied curtly.
• "I'm here now. Can we go out for lunch? I'm starving."
• "Sorry, Amber. I'm too busy to eat. You can have lunch alone. I'll leave you now." He turned from her to Grace, instructing, "Send those files by afternoon," then walked back inside without acknowledging me.
• Summoning courage, I followed him upstairs before he disappeared behind his office door. "Alpha Graham," I called out, my voice trembling slightly.
• He turned, surprise flickering in his eyes at my interruption. "Miss...?"
• "Elara, sir. Elara Williams," I said, gripping the card tightly. "I urgently need to speak with you."
• His expression softened slightly. "I apologize, Miss Williams, but I'm in the midst of a busy schedule. If it's a legal matter, you'll have to book an appointment with my assistant."
• "How did you get past her, by the way?" he asked a hint of surprise in his tone. Ignoring his question, I went straight to the point.
• "If I may ask, why won't you help me?" I asked. "Is it because of the close relationship with the Scorpio pack? Your sister is married to Harden, right?"
• Yes, I pieced it together last night—the shared last name and his status as the current Alpha of the Dawn pack meant he had to be Caitlin's brother.
• "No," he responded, but observing him closely, he didn't seem entirely truthful.
• "Now, if you would let me work."
• Harden's POV:
• I paced the length of my study, urgency fueling my steps. Jack, my Beta, stood nearby, concern etched into his features.
• My mind wandered back to the day I first met Elara, we were two teens with promises back then. We'd understand each other so well without needing to speak. As I continued to gait my study, my thoughts wrestled with the memories, my wolf's persistence conflicting with my loyalty to Caitlin.
• I clenched my fist, forcing myself to take her out of my mind but it wasn't so easy. I turned to Jack,
• "Have you found any trace of Elara?" My voice was a mix of worry and frustration.
• "I've tried calling her number several times, Alpha, but there's been no response. It's as if she's vanished into thin air," Jack replied, his tone reflecting the urgency of the situation.
• My furrowed brow deepened, and I pounded my shoulder. "I also tried calling her, but it didn't go through... I need to find her soon. It's about the bond. It should have severed the moment I rejected her. I don't know why I still feel her," I complained.
• Jack nodded in agreement. "That's what I thought initially, but it seems the bond remains intact. According to the words from the pack witch, it is your wolf that is refusing to break the connection, seemingly to keep a tether on Elara so you can feel her."
• The revelation hit me hard. My wolf's unexpected persistence caught me off guard, a mixture of frustration and concern swirling within me.
• The wolf bond from years ago had suddenly started to ache, the pain in my shoulder immense. The mark where we had bitten each other years ago, that mark which I thought was just for fun, had something else to it.
• Days had passed since she left, and each moment without any news heightened my concern.
• Jack and I poured over every lead, every hint, tracking the faint traces of Elara's existence. The scent of her lingered in the periphery, haunting and yet elusive.
• "She's out there, Alpha, and we'll find her, do not worry," Jack assured me. But I couldn't take his words anymore. In the last few days, we hadn't found anything about her, and her phone had switched off. Yet the only thing he had to say was that he would find her. My wolf was becoming aggressive, wanting to tear out anything in front of it.
• "Now, I don't believe we'll find her. What if she gets hurt by the rogues before we find her?" I asked him.
• "That's why we're doing our best, Alpha. Because she has lost her wolf, we know that she's more vulnerable than anything. We don't want those rogues outside the boundaries to hurt her."
• "I'll talk to the mem so we continue our search," he said and bowed respectfully before leaving the room.
• A few moments later, I felt my heart ache again. My wolf was tensed and restless, and I could sense that she had fallen into some sort of trouble, but it was impossible to locate her. At my wolf's order, I mind-linked my Beta again, and he arrived in the room, taking a call before giving me attention.
• "Alpha, I've found something. The guards at the borders said they saw her leaving and suggested that she shouldn't have gone far. The Dawn pack is the closest to ours; she must be there. And by the way, your wolf can still feel her." He said, indicating that she mustn't have gone far. But I couldn't locate her. The only thing my wolf is capable of doing is sensing her emotions and nothing more.
• After hearing she was at the Dawn pack, I made sure he confirmed if the information was true, and it was.
• I weighed between going there to see for myself or not. Our relationship with the Dawn pack was that of family, and going there to find another woman would indicate something else.