Chapter 5

Chapter

Five

GHOST

T he corridor stretches before me, shadows dancing on the stone walls. I can almost taste the excitement of the upcoming hunt in the air. But something's off. A nagging feeling in my gut that I can't shake.

Suddenly, Eve emerges from the shadows, as if she's been lying in wait. Her hands are on my chest before I can react, fingers splaying across my muscles. A growl rumbles inside me, low and warning.

Eve. The Omega I've spent more time with than I care to admit, but that's all it's ever been—ruts, a physical release, nothing more. She's a distraction, a way to kill time on this godforsaken island. There are only so many hunts a man can go on before he starts to lose his mind.

I'm no fool. I see the crazy in her eyes when she looks at me, the obsession that was endearing at first but now grates on my nerves.

"Ghost," she purrs, batting her eyelashes in a way that's meant to be seductive but just comes off as desperate. "If you're in the mood, we can go back to my room."

I groan, partly in frustration, partly in disgust at my own weakness.

"Is everything ready for the hunt?" I ask, ignoring her comment.

"Of course." She nods, not moving an inch from where she's pressed against me. "But are you sure you don't want to… warm up first?"

My patience snaps. I run my hands down her hair, grasping it aggressively and tugging her head back. "Don't push me today, Eve," I growl in her ear, my voice low and dangerous.

She whimpers, and I hate how much I love that sound. She's prey, helpless and afraid. And I consider it, then shove the idea away.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, her voice trembling, but she doesn't move away. Instead, her chin quivers, and she looks up at me with those big, manipulative eyes. "Ghost, there's something you should know. About the new Omega."

I stiffen, my mind instantly going to the blonde spitfire I rescued. "What about her?"

Eve's voice drops to a whisper, as if she's sharing some dark secret. "She's dangerous, Ghost. She controls the weather. What happens if she gets really angry at us or if someone hurts her? Will she bring a hurricane down on us, killing us all?"

I blink, anger bubbling in my chest like lava ready to erupt. "Who told you she has abilities?" I growl, feeling Eve tremble against me.

"She did," Eve squeaks. "She was proud of it, almost bragging. Or no, more like a threat. I don't think she belongs with us. Maybe we should feed her to the Alphas in the hunt. There are worse ways to go." She shrugs nonchalantly.

Her brutality shouldn't surprise me. Eve's always had this dark anger in her, a residue from her past. Most days, I don't give a shit about it, but today, that side of her infuriates me. The thought of Hel being torn apart by feral Alphas… it does something to me. Something I'm not ready to examine too closely.

My hands fall to Eve's shoulders, and I shove her off me, harder than necessary.

"Listen to me," I snarl. "You don't breathe a word of this to anyone. Not a single fucking soul. Or I'll feed you to the others myself. Understand?"

Fear blanches her face, and she nods frantically before slipping away, disappearing back into the shadows she came from.

The hunt suddenly seems less important.

"Ghost! Need your help," Knut's voice echoes down the hallway, interrupting my thoughts. He waves a hand for me to join him, an expression of urgency on his face.

I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose under my mask.

"What the fuck now?" I state more to myself than to him.

A fter helping Knut with a brawl that broke out between four Alphas, I've been in my study. Instead of joining the hunt, I'm here, trapped within these walls by my own racing thoughts. My fingers trace the edge of my mask, the bone-white skull smooth under my touch. It's a reminder of who I am, what I've become.

Howls pierce the night as the hunt has started in the woods.

But fuck, I'm distracted. The new Omega hasn't left my mind. I've kept my distance since yesterday to give her time. But hell if she doesn't invade my thoughts every second of the damn day and night. And the constant hard-on isn't helping matters, either.

Finally, I can't take it anymore. I stride out of the room and head toward my room—her room now. My pulse thumps in my veins as I approach the door. The need to get her out of my thoughts wars with the memory of her impending heat. That sweet scent… it's making me damn near obsessed.

I knock, the sound sharp and demanding in the quiet hallway. The door swings open with a slight creak at my knock. I shove it the rest of the way, only to find the room empty. The bed is untouched, the sheets still messy. Her scent lingers in the air, teasing me, mocking me.

"Hel?" I call out, my voice gruff with frustration. I cross to the bathroom, my steps quick and agitated. Empty. Fuck!

I make a beeline for the kitchen, hoping she's there for a meal. Eve and Mara are often there together. Though Eve doesn't get along well with the other fifteen Omegas in the pack, preferring the company of Alphas. I've seen her flirting with them, her hands lingering a bit too long, her laugh a bit too breathy. But with over one hundred men in my pack needing attention, I don't give a fuck what she does.

Right now, though, I'm fuming. I march down the corridors, my footsteps echoing off the stone walls. The mansion is a maze of hallways and rooms, a relic of the island's past inhabitants. Tapestries, faded and worn, line the walls, depicting hunts and battles long forgotten. The air is thick with the scent of old wood, dust, and the faint metallic tang of blood that never quite fades.

I burst into the kitchen, the heavy oak door slamming against the wall. The girls lounging around the large wooden table jump, startled by my sudden entrance. Mara stands by the old stone oven, her weathered hands kneading dough. She doesn't even flinch at my arrival, her eyes downcast as always.

My gaze locks on Eve, who scrambles to her feet. Her eyes are wide with worry or maybe fear. Good.

"Ghost?" she mumbles, her voice small.

I stride up to her, barely containing my anger. The other two Omegas in the kitchen shrink back, their gazes are darting between us.

"Where did you last see Hel?" I demand with a growl. "She's not in her room or here with you."

Eve blinks rapidly, looking like a lost puppy. It's an act she's perfected over the years, one that usually works on the other Alphas. Not on me. Not today.

"Last I saw her, she was headed back to your room, but she was acting weird."

"How so?" I press, looming over her. I can smell the fear rolling off her in waves.

"Like… glancing at every staircase, door. Like she was searching for a way out or something." Eve's words tremble slightly. "She seemed… I don't know, nervous? Distracted?"

One of the other Omegas, a petite redhead whose name I can never remember, pipes up, "I haven't seen her at all today." She shrinks back when I turn my gaze to her, nearly knocking over her chair in her haste to put distance between us.

Frustration gnaws at me, hot and insistent.

I stare at Eve. "Did she say anything to you? Mention any plans?"

"No, nothing." She shakes her head, her brown curls bouncing with the movement. "She just seemed… off. I didn't think much of it at the time. I mean, she's new here, right? I figured she was just adjusting."

"And you didn't think to mention this earlier?" My patience wears thin.

"I… I didn't think it was important," Eve stammers, taking a step back. Her hip bumps against the table, rattling the plates and cups.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. It doesn't work.

"The moment you see her, take her to her room and stay with her until I return. Understood?"

"Of course." Eve nods, a hand to her chest in a show of sincerity that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

I march out, my mind racing. Where could she have gone? The mansion is huge, but it's not infinite. There are only so many places she could hide. Her scent had been strong in the bedroom, but I can't pick it up here at all. I check all the stairways leading from my room, questioning the guards posted at each entry point. They all give the same answer—no one has passed through or seen her.

She's bound to have used one if she tried to escape. All entries are guarded, and the underground way out is locked from the inside. She has to be in the mansion. She has to be.

I search frantically, moving from room to room. The Omega quarters are on the second floor, a series of rooms with shared common areas. I throw open doors, ignoring the startled cries of the Omegas inside. Some are alone, some in pairs or small groups. None of them are Hel.

The few Alphas who report directly to me have rooms on the third floor. I burst into their quarters without warning, met with growls and challenging stares. But one look at my face, at the fury barely contained behind my mask, and they back down.

The rest of my pack lives outside in huts scattered around the mansion grounds, but she couldn't have made it past the guards. Could she?

As I round a corner, I nearly collide with Knut. He's dressed for the hunt—shirtless, with intricate war paint covering his muscled torso and face. He's one to go completely wild on hunt nights. When he sees me, his eyes widen.

"What's going on?"

"She's gone," I growl, the words tasting bitter in my mouth. "I can't fucking find her."

"Hel?" Knut asks, his brow furrowing.

"Yes, fucking Hel!" I snap, my control slipping. "Who else would I be talking about?"

"Easy, Ghost." Knut holds up his hands, palms out. "We'll find her. Where have you looked?"

"Everywhere," I spit out, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "Her room, the kitchen, the common areas. It's like she fucking vanished into thin air."

"Could she have used the underground passage?" he suggests, an eyebrow arching upward.

I shake my head, the movement sharp and angry. "I locked those myself last night. There's no way…" But even as I say it, a nagging doubt creeps in. What if I missed something? What if she found a way? "Go search for her in the mansion once more," I command. "Take whoever you need. I want every inch of this place turned upside down."

"You got it, boss." Knut nods, already turning to go. "We'll find her."

As he marches off, barking orders to the nearest Alpha since most are in the hunt, I stand there, indecision gnawing at me. Then, on an impulse, I head for the staircase leading to the underground passage.

The stairs are narrow and steep, carved directly into the bedrock. At the bottom, a heavy iron door blocks the way. It's always locked from the outside, preventing unauthorized entry, but it has a separate lock that can be controlled from the inside, allowing me to decide wether anyone can leave the mansion. I keep the master key back in the study.

I reach for the handle, my heart pounding.

It turns easily, the door swinging open with a groan of protest.

"What the fuck?" I mutter, examining the lock. I know I locked it from the inside. It doesn't look tampered with.

I step outside, the door shutting behind me, the cool night air hitting me like a slap. The soil is still soft from yesterday's rain, and fresh footprints lead away from the door. They're small, delicate… definitely hers. Smart girl didn't shift—she knows she'd be harder to scent in human form. But of all the times to escape, she chooses now, with the ferals out hunting.

"Fuck," I growl, plunging into the woods.

The forest is alive with sounds—rustling leaves, distant howls, and the scurrying of small animals. The Blood Moon casts a red glow through the canopy, turning familiar shapes into twisted shadows. I sniff the air, trying to catch her scent, but there's nothing. Just the earthy smell of damp soil and vegetation, the sharp tang of pine, and something else… something old and musty, which is mostly this island.

I push deeper into the woods, my eyes scanning the ground for signs of her passage. Every now and then, I spot another footprint, half hidden under fallen leaves or partially washed away by lingering puddles. Each one spurs me on, a breadcrumb trail.

The farther I go, the denser the forest becomes. Ancient trees loom overhead, their gnarled branches reaching out like grasping fingers. Roots snake across the forest floor, threatening to trip me with every step, but I press on.

The sun has almost set, the last streaks of orange and pink fading from the sky. Soon, it will be fully dark, and even my enhanced vision will struggle in the gloom. Howls echo from all directions, sending a chill down my spine. My pack is out there, hunting, their bloodlust fueled by the Blood Moon. And Hel is out here, alone and in danger.

I push myself faster, worry and anger warring inside me. I should have watched her myself. I should have known she'd find a way out, but something still feels off about that lock… about this whole situation.

Branches whip at my face and arms as I run.

Finally, I burst into a small clearing. The Blood Moon hangs low in the sky, huge and ominous. Its red light bathes everything in a surreal glow. I pause, chest heaving, and scan the ground.

There—a footprint leading to the right. Away from the mansion and the hunting grounds. My gut tightens as I realize where she's heading. Wreckage—the old ghost town where humans once lived, back when humanity still existed in this world. It's a place so haunted by the past that none of my pack will set foot in it. But for me, it's always been a sanctuary, a place to find peace and solitude.

With a guttural growl, I swing right and bullet toward Wreckage.