Chapter 31

Rowan

"Why do you look so tense?" Rhys had said to me earlier when we had been organizing the event, and I had shrugged my shoulders because I couldn't explain it either.

From the moment we had begun organizing, a restless unease had gnawed relentlessly at me. I knew that security was paramount, and I had spent countless hours meticulously planning every detail with my team.

Every guard was handpicked, every precaution meticulously considered. I had gone out of my way to go through the expected members list that were set to attend over and over again, until I was satisfied by those that were supposed to be in attendance. Yet, a nagging sense of impending doom clung to me, and I still couldn't tell where it was coming from.

The feast was now in full swing and so far, everything had been going really well. The mating ceremony had been more than perfect and the exhilaration that I felt from it was still buzzing in my veins. I felt like the happiest man alive and everything seemed to be going according to plan.

"Congratulations Alpha Rowan, that was such a beautiful ceremony, and this feast is one of the best I've attended in a while," Freya said to me, stopping me as I moved through the crowd in an attempt to interact with the pack members.

"Thank you very much, Freya. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," I said to the smaller woman, offering her a smile before walking away.

"There's the man I've been looking for!" Ekon exclaimed when I walked by him, and I accepted the hug that he engulfed me in.

"Congratulations man, that ceremony was so beautiful," he complimented me, and I laughed at his excitement.

"Thank you so much. Thank you for also keeping order and making sure the security was tight," I said to him.

"That's my job, man. Everything has been going smoothly so far. I think everyone's a little too happy and full to be causing any trouble anyway, but I'm still on the lookout. The alcohol is running out fast and you know…" he was still talking when I caught a whiff of something familiar.

Honeysuckle and plum.

The scent caused a shiver to run down my spine. Scarlett. How was it possible? She should not have been able to even enter this place.

My heart pounded in my chest as I scanned the crowd, my senses honed in on her unique fragrance. I tried to search desperately, my gaze sweeping across the crowd, but she was gone. Her scent had vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and it made me even question whether or not she had been here.

"Are you okay, man? What are you looking for?" Ekon asked, snapping me back to reality.

"Yeah of course. Just keep an eye out for any unusual activity and make sure that security remains tight," I told him, patting his shoulder before walking away.

A wave of frustration washed over me at the thought that Scarlett could be roaming within this hall. I wasn't completely sure of what damage she could cause, but she wasn't invited and the thought that she was here regardless of that worried me to the very core. Plus, she had brought chaos and destruction to the pack once. Who was to say that she couldn't do it again?

Regret filled me when I realized that I had let her slip through my fingers once before. I should have just killed her the last time that I encountered her, but I had been so taken aback by the news of Elara being a Siren that I had let her go. I headed back up to the stage, trying to immerse myself in the ongoing festivities, to appear calm and collected, but the presence of Scarlett was a gaping hole in my consciousness. It brought back the unease that I had felt earlier in the day.

I returned to find Elara gone and my heart skipped a beat. I pulled Rhys, who was closer to me, out of the conversation he was having with some people, apologizing as I did.

"Where's Elara?" I asked, unable to hide the panic in my voice.

"Calm down. She was exhausted and wanted to go home, so I told Pierre to take her and also keep her safe," he informed me, and I felt a sense of relief go through me. However, it was one that was very short-lived.

I had seen Pierre just minutes ago, eating and drinking with the other guards.

"Are you sure you're okay, man? You've been uneasy all day."

"Isn't that Pierre over there?" I asked, and before Rhys could respond, the tranquility in the hall was shattered by a deafening roar. Flames erupted from nowhere, casting dancing shadows on the terrified faces of the guests. Chaos ensued as fire engulfed the hall, the initial beauty of the evening transforming into a terrifying inferno.

"On me!" I screamed out in command to my warriors, and they gathered around me, our bodies moving almost as one to repel the attackers.

Adrenaline surged through me as I joined the fray. The attackers were skilled, their movements swift and deadly, and the element of surprise on their end allowed them to penetrate our group. But even without transforming, I fought with a ferocity I hadn't known I possessed. Every blow was calculated, every move a desperate attempt to protect my pack and to prevent them from getting to my mate. The scent of smoke and blood filled my nostrils, a stark contrast to the sweet perfume of the earlier celebrations.

"There are some elderly and children around Rowan. You need to get them to safety. We'll handle things here," Kai said, transforming into his large wolf and launching into the crowd that was now mixed with our attackers.

"We'll come with you. There's more outside. You will not be able to handle them on your own," Lyra offered, and I could see that Ekon already had two small children in his arms.

"This way. Come on! We'll take another path. Hopefully they haven't discovered it yet." I pushed open the emergency exit, leading out the elderly, children, and those who couldn't defend themselves that Lyra had managed to gather.

The path led straight to the pack house and more warriors joined us to keep them safe. True to Lyra's words, there were more of them scattered around the pack lands, and it was obvious that this was a carefully planned attack. The good thing about being an all-Alpha pack, was the fact that everyone above the age of sixteen and below the age of fifty could fight and defend themselves. The attackers were well-matched.

We were halfway down the path when I caught Scarlett's scent again. She was here. She had managed to infiltrate our pack again, and this time, I knew it was my fault. I knew that I had to put an end to her ever doing it again.

"Lead them straight to the pack house and protect them with your lives! You come with me," I instructed Ekon, and he nodded. I began moving in the direction of Scarlett's scent with the guard I had chosen.

It wasn't very hard to find Scarlett the moment I stepped off the path. As expected, she was fighting. Her movements were lethal, almost matching the ferocity with which our warriors fought, but the sight of her ignited a fury within me that eclipsed even the adrenaline of the ongoing battle.

I had given her a second chance, and she had repaid my mercy with treachery once again. I lunged at her, my hands reaching for her throat. The rage that consumed me was with a force that I had never known before.

Scarlett's laughter cold and mocking and it rang in my ears, igniting the fire within me.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance!" I roared, but she managed to laugh even with my hands wrapped around her throat.

"You should have! Letting me go two times was the biggest mistake of your life," she mocked me through gritted teeth and my grip around her throat tightened. I could feel her life slipping away as she gasped for air, and for a moment, I reveled in the power I held over her.

"I won't be making a third mistake," I spat out.

"Killing me now, w-will be the b-biggest mistake of your life. You'll never see your mate again if y-you kill m-m-me." Her words sounded choked, and her voice came out weak, but the effect of her words on me felt like I had been doused in cold water. It seemed to sober me up immediately.

The realization hit me like a blow, and panic surged through me, replacing the rage in a second.

"Arrest her! Take her away and make sure to keep her under watch," I instructed the warrior with me, signaling for more to join in taking her away.

Then, I raced back to the pack house, my heart pounding heavily in my chest. The house was heavily guarded and the warriors at the gate were doing their very best to make sure the attackers didn't get within the compound. I moved upstairs, pushing the door to our room open. Darkness greeted me as I stepped inside and I fumbled with the switch until light flooded the room. A cold dread settled in my stomach once the lights came on.

The air was thick with the scent of blood. It was in disarray, and there was evidence of struggle everywhere. There was no sign of Elara, only a trail of blood leading toward the open window.

I collapsed to my knees, the weight of the world crashing down on me.

Elara was gone.