Chapter 6

• Jaxon’s POV
• The bond was becoming overwhelming, it was draining strength out of me. I couldn't eat. Anything, not to talk of sleeping. It seemed as if a piece of my heart was partly cut off from me; immediately, Liora disappeared into thin air. Liora hurriedly walked out of my life, without saying goodbye. I was foolish thinking I would get over her in days. I had imagined myself getting over her only in my imagination, but ignoring her was a huge job to do. It kept getting worse every day, making all my efforts useless. Every day, every hour, I yearn to see no one but only her, to behold her beautiful face.
• Sitting down but absentminded, I kept glancing at the letters before me, ranging from alliance requests here and there, training scheduled for the week against stabilizing the pack, and scheduled patrol routes; everything seemed meaningless without Liora by my side. I hardly do anything or focus on what I was reading before me. My chest was aching terribly and unbearable at the same time.
• Seraphina suddenly stormed into the room without permission, her eyes roaming around, and stylishly calculating and checking out everywhere, ensuring to mark her territory. I clenched my fist in anger. She's been doing her best to get my attention, pressuring me to marry her and make her my Luna, a position she so desires with everything in her. But I know it won't work out. How will it be possible to marry someone and be happy in such an ion when my heart and my whole being belonged to another?
• "Jaxon, please," she says with concern. "You are looking very terrible. Haven't you recovered yet?"
• I tried holding myself from flaring up, but she interrupted my beautiful moment because of her desire for power. "I'm very fine, Seraphina, and thank you for asking."
• "Fine, just fine?" She furrows her eyebrows. "I have watched and couldn't help but notice how you’ve been blank all week, like a lovesick puppy."
• I shot her an angry look, but she cared less about what I had in mind. "What exactly do you intend to achieve by dwelling on this topic right now, Seraphina?"
• She pouts, trying to deceive me. "I'm just a concerned fiancée. And I think the sooner we get married, the sooner, the better. It’s a great move to solidify the alliance we just agreed on and strengthen the capacity of the pack." Her voice appeared very smooth while she talked, sounded perfectly like a serpent’s hiss.
• "I am not cut up for unnecessary dramas like this, at least not at this moment," I sternly warned, while standing up. The room was already against me spinning slightly, but I managed to get hold of myself.
• She observes my countenance with curious eyes. Your mind is occupied with her thoughts, right? The weak and timid Omega."
• My heart was almost out of my chest. "That shouldn't be bothering you at all; your business is not with the weak Omega."
• "Oh, but all of that is my business," she replied angrily. "But you are supposed to concentrate on me now. What do you think will happen if my pack gets to know how you are treating me? My Alpha won't take it lightly with you."
• I looked at her with anger. "Didn't I agree to marry you again? We are still making plans for our engagement."
• She sneers at me unconcerned. "Yes, but you can change your mind anytime, Jaxon, just as you are doing now. Especially when you have another person occupying your heart."
• I watched her for some moments. "Why are you so concerned about rushing into marriage now, especially when the next person is not really into you, what do you intend to achieve, Seraphina?"
• She remained unshaken, "Nothing else if not power, of course. The influence that comes from being the Luna, the respect, everything that comes out of being in power. The same way, you are willing to sacrifice your mate for your pack, to be seen as the good Alpha."
• "I thought I would be okay doing those things before," I explained genuinely. "But what is going to benefit from something capable of making us miserable for the rest of our lives? Why can't we reconsider everything?"
• Seraphina’s eyes flashed with anger. "Did you just say happiness? Are you forgetting that you are an Alpha, Jaxon? You are not supposed to indulge in childish fantasies, something very childish like love and happiness. Your sole duty is to protect the interests of your pack."
• I tried maintaining a gaze with him but lacked the courage. She’s right to some extent but also very wrong at the same time. My main duty is to focus on the pack, but who leads a pack while broken into pieces? I need to consider my interests also.
• "I need to do everything possible to find her," I said to myself. "I can't relax and pretend that all is fine when Liora is missing."
• Seraphina raised her head furiously. "You must be joking right now! You want to abandon our engagement plans, just to go in search of a common and weak Omega?"
• "I never intended to make you understand," I replied flatly. "But this me letting you know what I am going to do. Something I cowardly avoided from the start."
• She sits down beside me, trying to stay collected. "Do you realize there are consequences attached to you revoking our pack agreement? You will be causing more harm than good to us. Immediately you walk away from us, Jaxon."
• I pulled my arm away from her as she tried to hold me. "Fine, I'm ready for the consequences then. I’ll gladly face them without regrets. But you see living a day without doing something about Liora's whereabouts anything, I can't try that one even for a day again."
• >>>>>>>>
• Days have passed since I last set my eyes on Liora. It wasn't like I was enjoying the torture and humiliation; it was my way of showing the pack that I was not interested in her while I tried to work out something with her in secret. I became very empty with each passing hour. The emptiness did not go unnoticed by most pack members; they gathered in twos, in threes, whispering but not getting answers on why I appeared distant to every activity of the pack.
• I started heading towards the direction of the training grounds. I didn't know my purpose in taking that route, but maybe I could distract myself by doing some light training like sparring or drills. Maybe I would find someone there for a good fight, just something that would help clear my head. But as I got closer, I noticed a presence at the training ground already, but on a closer look, I saw it was Mira, Liora’s only friend. I saw her diligently doing alone.
• I noticed she looked sad and lonely without the presence of Liora. The usual laughter that I got to hear each of them were training in secret was gone. I halted on my track and watched her for some moments before moving closer.
• “Mira,” I called her with a stern voice, trying so hard to keep a straight face.
• She turns her face in the direction of my voice, and on seeing me, her facial expressions became rigid.
• "Long live the Alpha," she replies, but with disdain.
• Well, I'm not here to exchange pleasantries or show off myself. "Where’s Liora's bearing?" I asked her bluntly, praying for her to give me an answer.
• Mira’s eyes darkened, and her expression unreadable, and for a moment, I thought she might charge at me for a fight. "Why do you care all of a sudden, Alpha Jaxon? You have finally forgotten how you rejected her. You announced before everyone that she's weak, and can't be your Luna."
• Her words were the bitter truth, but I can't be weakened by her words. Not now, not later. "I know I made a terrible mistake," I admitted sincerely, but I was confused about how I became that soft even to my subject. "I just need to look for her, and if it's not late, bring her home. I need to right my wrongs."
• Mira stood still and carefully observed me, and I knew she was trying to detect sincerity in my voice. Finally, her eyes soften as she decides to hear me out. "I don’t even know where she ran to, that's if she's still alive," she replied almost breaking down. "I noticed she left the pack not quite long after you engaged her in a challenge, and since then, I haven't set my eyes on her."
• A cold ran through my spine. "Did you just say left? How, Why?"
• "What do you think was the reason then?" Mira snapped at me immediately. "She was humiliated beyond her limit, rejected openly by her mate, and also encouraged the whole pack to make a mockery of her. You were expecting her to stay back for more of your wickedness?"
• I tried holding myself from breaking down because my emotions were betraying me. "Do you have an idea of the possible places she might be hiding?"
• Mira hesitates helping or leaving me to swim in my mess, "No, I don't have any idea. But she may have gone to some of her favorite places for her alone time. Maybe she has gone to the forest or the river this time around."
• "Forest, how, why?" I exclaimed. My heart sank at how I ended up exposing her to danger. What if rival packs or rogues catch her, or worse still, is devoured by wild animals?
• "I’ll sacrifice and go with you. We can search for her as a team. After all, she's my friend." Mira volunteers.