Chapter 263 Crash Out

Chapter 263: Chapter 263 Crash Out

_Alaric’s POV_

My heart was beating like crazy against my ribs. I couldn’t stop pacing back and forth across the floor of my office. The whole room felt way too small, way too quiet, and super suffocating.

Rowena was missing, no matter how many guards I sent out or how many traffic cameras Kasper hacked into, her phone was dead and her location was totally gone. I was terrified. What if something awful happened to her? What if Kyle already hurt her? Just thinking about it made my blood run completely freezing cold.

“Calm down, Alaric,” Phillip spoke up inside my mind. His voice was usually strong, but right now he sounded pretty stresseout too. “Panicking isn’t going to help us find our mate. Nothing bad is going to happen to her.”

“I can’t calm down,” I growled back in my head, running both my hands through my hair. “I feel this weird chest pain, Phillip. It feels like my heart is literally being connected. What am I feeling right now?”

“I don’t know,” Phillip admitted, sounding totally clueless. “It could be the mate bond reacting, or maybe it’s just your own anxiety messing with your head. Just try to breathe.”

I ignored him and tried my best to force my mind to go quiet. But it was impossible. Everything in my life was turning into a giant, annoying mess.

On top of Rowena vanishing into thin air and Ezekiel lying half dead in the hospital, the pack elders were forcing me to get married in two days. The next two days. ℴℴ𝘮

They were decoratineverywhere, printing out stupid wedding invitations, and acting like I was actually going to stand at an altar with someone else. Everything was just so ridiculously irritating. I felt like I was about to explode.

Suddenly, the door of my office swung open without anyone knocking.

Brielle stepped inside, wearing a fancy dress and a fake, sugary smile on her face. She closed the door behind her and walked straight over to my desk, acting like she owned the entire place.

"Alaric, sweetie," Brielle cooed, making her voice sound all soft and loving as she reached out to touch my arm. "I saw your car outside. Why are you hiding in here? You left me at the dress shop earlier and it was rude. But I forgive you. We have so much wedding planning to do for Saturday—"

That was the absolute last straw.

I completely crashed out.

"Get your hands off me!" I roared, swinging my arm away so hard that she stumbled backward. My eyes flared bright, and my aura blasted through the room, knocking a stack of papers right off my desk. "Disappear from my sight right now, Brielle! Get out!"

Brielle blinked, looking totally stunned for a second, but then she put her hands on her hips. "Alaric, stop yelling at me! I’m your future queen, and you can’t talk to me like that!"

"I will never marry you!" I screamed at her, my chest heaving up and down. "Do you hear me?! Never! I don’t care what the stupid elders signed! I never touched you that night at the party! I know I didn’t! And something deep inside my gut is telling me that you aren’t even pregnant!"

The whole room went dead silent.

Brielle froze like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water over her head. Her mouth dropped open, and her face turned completely red with pure shock and anger.

"What did you just say to me?!" Brielle shrieked, her voice screeching high. "How dare you! You must marry me! You have to! The council already approved it, and the whole territory knows about us!"

"I don’t care about the council!" I growled, stepping closer to her. "Get out before I throw you out myself!"

"I am carrying your child, Alaric!" Brielle screamed, totally losing her mind. "You slept with me, and now you’re trying to act like a victim just because of that woman! You are a terrible man!"

Before I could even react or push her away, Brielle raised her hand and slapped me straight across the face.

The sound echoed loudly off the walls. My head snapped to the side from the force of it. My cheek burned, but I didn’t move an inch. I just slowly turned my head back to glare at her with pure hatred.

Brielle was panting heavily, her eyes wide as she realized what she had just done.

Right at that exact second, the office door pushed open again, and Kasper walked in holding his tablet. He stopped dead in his tracks, looking back and forth between my red cheek and Brielle’s trembling hand.

"Guards!" I yelled out, my voice booming through the hallway. "Guards, get in here right now! Detain Brielle and throw her into prison!"

Kasper instantly stepped between me and the door, holding his hands up in a quick stopping motion. "Alpha chill, wait! Stop! Relax for a second!"

"Get out of my way, Kasper!" I growled, my claws starting to slip out of my fingertips.

"Alpha, listen to me, you can’t lock her up right now!" Kasper said, keeping his voice calm and urgent. "The pack elders are literally standing downstairs in the main hall waiting for your official wedding schedule. If your guards drag the pregnant daughter of a reputable family to prison two days before the ceremony, the elders will use emergency laws to strip your Alpha title instantly. You’ll lose everything, including the authority to search for Rowena!"

Kasper’s words hit me like a brick wall.

I stopped. My claws slowly receded back into my hands. My whole body felt heavy, exhausted, and completely defeated. Kasper was right, and it made me feel sick to my stomach.

I let out a frustrated groan, turned around, and slammed myself down into my office chair. I buried my face in my hands, rubbing my temples as a terrible headache throbbed behind my eyes. I felt so completely powerless.

Brielle smoothed down her dress, giving me a nasty, victorious glare. She rolled her eyes at Kasper, turned around, and strutted out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

I sat there in the room, staring blankly at my desk, feeling trapped while the person I actually loved was somewhere out there in the dark.