_Kayden’s POV_

I stormed into the packhouse. I was furious. How in the hell had she escaped? I had personally ordered my guards to keep that cellar heavily guarded. No one should have been able to slip in or out without my explicit command. And yet, Leah was gone. Disappeared, as if she had vanished into thin air.

The guards had searched everywhere, combing through the packhouse and the woods surrounding the territory. There was no sign of her. No scent. No tracks. Nothing. It was as if she had never even existed.

I slammed my fist against the wall, the impact cracking the wood paneling. “Find her!” I roared to the nearest guard. “I don’t care what it takes. I want every inch of this land searched again. Do you understand?”

The guard flinched, but he nodded quickly before running out the door to relay my orders.

Where could she have gone? I paced back and forth, my mind racing with questions. Who had helped her? There had to be a traitor in the pack. Someone had betrayed me, had defied my orders, and let Leah out. It was the only explanation. But who? I trusted my guards, or at least I thought I did. Now, I wasn’t sure who to trust anymore.

My hands clenched into fists at my sides, the anger boiling hotter. Leah’s escape was a direct threat to everything I had built. If she was free, she could cause problems for Selena and me. She could reveal things that would tear this pack apart, and I couldn’t let that happen.

I should have killed her when I had the chance. The thought gnawed at me like a relentless beast. If I had just ended her miserable life, I wouldn’t be in this mess right now. She wouldn’t be a danger to us. But I had hesitated, thinking I could break her, punish her into submission. Now I was paying the price for my mistake.

The door behind me creaked open, and I turned to see Selena walking in. Her expression was calm, but I could see the slight worry in her eyes.

She walked over to me, placing a hand on my arm. “Kayden, you need to calm down. You’re going to drive yourself mad like this.”

“How can I calm down, Selena?” I snapped, my voice harsher than I intended. “Leah is gone. We have searched everywhere, and there is no trace of her. She could be out there plotting something right now, for all we know.”

Selena frowned, but there was a softness in her eyes that I couldn’t ignore. “I understand, Kayden. But you have to remember that we have already increased security around the pack. There is no way she could get back in without being caught. And if she’s still in the area, the guards will find her.”

I shook my head. “But what if she’s already gone too far? What if someone took her out of the territory?”

Selena stepped closer, her hand resting gently on my chest. “Kayden, listen to me. It is possible that she is already dead. If she escaped into the forest, there are rogues out there. She wouldn’t have survived long on her own in her condition.”

I frowned, the thought swirling in my mind. Could that be true? Leah had been weak when I last saw her. Broken. The beating I gave her was meant to make sure she wouldn’t be a threat. If she had somehow made it out of the pack’s territory and crossed paths with rogues, they would have finished her off for me. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she might survive, that she might find a way to come back and ruin everything.

“I hope that you are right,” I muttered while running a hand through my hair. “I can’t afford any mistakes, Selena. Not now.”

Selena gave me a small smile and leaned into me, pressing her body against mine. “You worry too much,” she said, her voice soft and sweet. “Leah won’t cause any problems for us. And even if she does, we will handle it together. We are stronger than she is.”

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close, though my mind was still racing. Selena had always been able to calm me down, but this situation felt different. It wasn’t just about Leah being gone. It was the uncertainty, the feeling that I had lost control.

Selena tilted her head up to look at me, her eyes shining with excitement. “Instead of worrying about Leah, why don’t we focus on more important things? Like our engagement. I can’t wait to get married to you, Kayden. To finally be your wife and mark you as mine.”

Her words should have made me feel better. I should have been thrilled by the thought of our engagement, of marking her and making her my mate in every way. But a part of me, small and buried deep inside, felt uneasy. I had pushed aside my bond with Leah, convinced myself that it didn’t matter, that Selena was the one I truly wanted. But now, with Leah gone, that small part of me twisted in confusion and regret.

I forced a smile, trying to push the thoughts away. Selena was my future. Leah was nothing but a memory, a mistake that needed to be erased.

“You’re right,” I said, brushing my fingers through Selena’s long, golden hair. “We should focus on us. Leah is gone. She won’t ruin what we have.”

Selena smiled brightly, standing on her toes to kiss me softly on the lips. “That’s better. No more worrying about her. Soon, we’ll be married, and everything will be perfect.”

I kissed her back, trying to let go of the tension in my chest. “I love you, Selena,” I whispered against her lips.

“I love you too, Kayden,” she murmured, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “And I’ll always be by your side. Nothing can come between us.”

Her confidence was reassuring, and for a moment, I let myself believe her words. Leah was out of the picture now. Whatever had happened to her, whether she was dead or hiding somewhere, it didn’t matter. I had Selena. I had my pack. Nothing could threaten that.

But deep down, a nagging feeling lingered. A sense of unfinished business. I couldn’t shake the thought that Leah was still out there somewhere, plotting her revenge. And if she was, I would have to deal with her once and for all.

_Leah's POV_

Later that afternoon, while Tariq was outside tending to chores around the house, I found myself in the kitchen with Susan. I offered to help her prepare dinner, not wanting to sit around doing nothing when they had already done so much for me.

“I can chop the vegetables,” I said and grabbed a knife from the counter.

Susan smiled warmly at me. “Are you sure? You should be resting, Leah.”

“I am sure,” I insisted. “I need something to keep my hands busy.”

She didn’t argue with me after that, and soon enough, we were working side by side, preparing the meal. It felt... nice. There was a certain ease to being in Susan’s presence. No judgment, no pressure. Just warmth. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed this simple, domestic normalcy. It felt like... family.

I was slicing carrots when Susan suddenly spoke up. “You’re a good girl, Leah. Your mother would be proud of you.”

Her words took me by surprise. I hadn’t thought about my mother in such a long time, not like this, anyway. The memories of her were too painful. But hearing Susan talk about her now, it made something inside me stir.

“I hope so,” I whispered. “I never knew she was... who she was.”

“She loved you more than anything,” Susan said softly. “She gave up everything to protect you.”

A lump formed in my throat, and I nodded. “Thank you for telling me that.”

We worked in silence for a while after that, but it was a comfortable silence. I found myself smiling a little as I chopped the vegetables and watched Susan knead the dough for bread. There was something soothing about it all, something that made me feel like I belonged here, even if just for a little while.

As the sun began to set, Tariq came back inside, his face flushed from the cool air outside. He glanced over at me, his gaze lingering just a little too long, and I felt a small flutter in my stomach. Was he looking at me that way on purpose? Or was I imagining things?

We sat down to dinner together, the three of us at the small wooden table. The meal was simple but delicious—roast chicken, vegetables, and freshly baked bread. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I started eating, and for a while, the conversation was light, mostly between Susan and Tariq as they talked about the chores around the house and what needed to be done tomorrow.

But as we ate, I noticed something strange. Every now and then, Tariq would catch my eye, a small smile playing on his lips. Once, when I reached for the bread, his hand brushed mine, lingering just a second too long. My heart raced, and I quickly looked away, my cheeks flushing.

Was he... flirting with me?

I wasn’t sure. He hadn’t said anything outright, but there was something in the way he looked at me, the way he smiled at me. It was subtle, but it was there. Or maybe I was imagining it. I had been through so much in the past few days—maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me.

“Tariq, don’t tease her,” Susan said suddenly, her voice full of affection but with a hint of reprimand. “Leah has been through enough.”

I blinked and looked up in surprise. Had he been teasing me? I hadn’t even noticed.

Tariq just chuckled and gave his mother an innocent look. “I am not teasing her, Ma. I am just being friendly.”

“Hmm,” Susan hummed. She was clearly unconvinced. She looked at me, her eyes softening. “Don’t mind him, dear. He has always been a bit of a flirt.”

My heart skipped a beat at that, and I quickly looked down at my plate, trying to hide the blush creeping up my neck. Was that what this was? Flirting? Did Tariq... like me?

But before I could dwell on it for too long, Susan’s voice broke through my thoughts.

“You know,” she said, glancing at Tariq with a playful smile, “I keep telling my son that he needs to find his mate. He is getting older, and I am not getting any younger. I want to see some grandchildren before I am too old to enjoy them.”

I froze, my heart suddenly pounding in my chest. Mate. Of course. Tariq hadn’t met his mate yet. That’s why he was single. That’s why he was still living here with his mother.

I swallowed hard, trying to push down the strange wave of disappointment that rose up inside me. Of course, Tariq would find his mate someday. And when he did, he wouldn’t need me anymore. I was just... passing through.

Tariq sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I know, Ma. Believe me, I know. But I am already twenty-nine, and I haven’t met her yet. Maybe the Moon Goddess hasn’t blessed me with a mate. Or maybe... I’ll have to take a chosen mate instead.”

He said the words casually, but as he spoke, his eyes flickered to me, locking onto mine for just a moment too long. My heart stuttered in my chest.

What was he trying to say? Was he implying something? Or was I just reading into it too much?

I quickly looked away and focused on my plate. My mind was racing. Did Tariq... want me to be his chosen mate? No, that couldn’t be right. I was just an omega, a broken girl with no real future. He deserved better than that. Better than me.

But still... the way he had looked at me. The way he had smiled at me. It made me wonder.

“Don’t worry, Tariq,” Susan said with a soft laugh. “The Moon Goddess has a plan for everyone. I am sure that you will meet your mate when the time is right.”

“I hope so,” Tariq said, his voice low. “But sometimes... I wonder.”

There was a strange tension in the air after that, and I couldn’t help but feel like Tariq’s words were meant for me. But I couldn’t let myself believe it. He was just being kind, and I was just... confused. That was all.

After dinner, I helped Susan clear the table, my thoughts still spinning. Tariq had been nothing but kind to me since I arrived, but now I wasn’t sure what to think. Was he just being nice, or was there something more?

I found myself glancing at him as we worked, wondering what he was thinking. But every time our eyes met, my heart would race, and I would quickly look away.

By the time we finished, I was more confused than ever.