Sebastian’s POV

I stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office, staring at the moon through the clouds. Over a month had passed, and I still couldn’t bring myself to face Thea. Every time I thought about talking to her, my throat closed up like someone was choking me.

“Weak,” my wolf mocked inside my head. “You’re an Alpha who can’t even manage a fucking apology.”

He was right. How could I explain to her? How could I tell this woman I’d coldly rejected for seven years that I’d been wrong about her the entire time? I’d single-handedly destroyed her reputation, made the entire Pack look down on the “wolfless” Luna. I’d never been wrong about anything. I was always right, goddammit—except when it came to Thea.

I picked up my coffee from the desk. It had gone cold. The bitter liquid slid down my throat but couldn’t wash away the guilt inside me. I’d let Pack members mock her behind her back. I’d allowed family and friends to blame her for everything. And worst of all, I’d personally told Leo his mother wasn’t fit to be Luna because she had no wolf. Because she had no wolf. What a bullshit excuse that seemed now.

I was disgusted with myself.

A knock on the door interrupted my self-loathing. Rayne, my Beta, stood in the doorway with a serious expression.

“Alpha, Roman Sterling is here. He looks…extremely agitated.”

“Send him in.”

Everything had gone to shit since that damned security footage came to light. Damien had insisted on telling everyone the truth, and now both Packs knew Thea hadn’t deliberately seduced me. But Aurora still maintained that Thea shouldn’t have had feelings for a male who had chosen his mate.

Aurora…things between us hadn’t improved either. This woman I’d once been obsessed with kept pushing, but for some reason, I just couldn’t bring myself to give in. Especially after she’d threatened Leo. Something in me had died after that.

Roman strode in, anxiety written all over his face. His appearance immediately put me on alert.

“What’s wrong?” I asked directly, gesturing for him to sit.

Roman’s hands were balled into tight fists, his knuckles white. “I got a call from Thea. She barely spoke before I heard a scream, and then the call dropped. I’ve called back countless times, but no answer. Iris isn’t responding either. It’s been almost two hours now.”

My heart skipped a beat. Thea would never voluntarily contact Roman unless something extreme was happening. My wolf also became alert, pacing anxiously within me.

“Do you know where they went? Any idea at all?” I asked, already pulling out my phone.

“No clue. Iris didn’t tell me their exact location.”

I immediately contacted Kestrel: “Track Thea’s car. Now.”

“On it, Alpha.”

Without Thea’s knowledge, I’d installed a GPS tracker in her car. It was the most direct protection I could think of, especially after she’d adamantly refused to let me assign bodyguards to her.

My phone vibrated seconds later. Looking at the message, I frowned. “Her car is parked near one of my nightclubs. Let’s go.”

The club was dim and the music deafening, but the security immediately cleared a path when we arrived. Roman followed close behind as we headed straight to the bar, showing the bartender photos of both Thea and Iris.

“Yeah, I remember them,” the bartender nodded, leading us to a private booth. “Their stuff is still here.”

Roman rummaged through the bags on the table, looking up in alarm. “Iris’s phone, wallet—everything’s still here.”

A sense of foreboding gripped me. I turned to the bartender: “When did they leave? Did you see them after that?”

“The deep violet-black haired girl went to the bathroom first, then out the back door. The honey-brown haired lady followed not long after. They never came back.” The bartender shrugged. “I figured they’d called an Uber or something.”

Anger bubbled up inside me. I grabbed the bartender by his collar, nearly lifting him off the ground. “Two unaccompanied females disappeared right under your nose, and you didn’t think there might be a fucking problem?”

He trembled under my Alpha aura, his face pale. “I—I’m sorry, Alpha. It was busy tonight. I didn’t notice—”

“Sebastian, calm down,” Roman’s hand landed on my shoulder, trying to keep me rational.

My vision was beginning to tinge with red, feeling my wolf claws twitching under my skin.

“Alpha Ashworth?” The club manager cautiously approached, clearly recognizing me. “What’s happening here?”

I released the bartender and turned to the manager. “Pull up all security footage, especially from the back exit. Now.”

The manager hesitated for a moment before understanding the gravity of the situation and quickly led us to the security room.

Through the black-and-white footage, we watched the whole thing unfold: Iris left the club first, apparently answering a phone call. Then Thea, who had barely stepped outside before a blond man struck her down and quickly dragged her into a nearby vehicle.

My heart felt gripped by an invisible hand. It was clear—Thea had been kidnapped.

“Who the hell is that?” Roman’s voice was shaking. “And where’s Iris?”

We continued checking different camera angles, finally catching more details from a street corner camera: Iris was followed by another person, then attacked around the corner. We could only see her being pushed into a different car.

“This isn’t some random mugging,” my voice dropped dangerously low. “They were targeted specifically.”

We rushed out of the club, searching the back alley for any clues. Just as I was about to give up, my foot kicked a hard object. Looking down, I found a phone. Not just any phone—I recognized it as the new one I’d bought for Thea.

“At least we have the suspect’s face and the license plate,” Roman said, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Damien’s number. If anyone could track down the kidnappers quickly, it would be him.

“I need your help,” I went straight to the point. “Thea and Iris have been kidnapped. I’m sending you the security footage and license plate numbers. Use whatever resources necessary—I want them found before dawn.”

After hanging up, I felt a resolve stirring within me that I hadn’t experienced in a long time. This time, I wouldn’t let Thea face danger alone.

We’ll find her, my wolf and I vowed together, and tear apart anyone who hurts her.