A Queen's Dark Prison

Chapter 9: A Cold Trail

-Valerio-

Time was moving painfully slowly. Hunter was supposed to call me half an hour ago. He was going to provide me with an update and let me know if Raiden or Kenzo had uncovered anything—any clues or if they were closing in on her.

Yet here I was, trapped inside this castle, still sifting through months of neglected work, unable to leave. It didn’t help that many alphas were dissatisfied with me, and I knew I had a lot to mend.

Rebuilding trust wouldn’t be simple, unfortunately, and I couldn’t divert my attention to these alphas right now when I needed information about my mate.

Finally, my phone began to ring, and I hastily picked it up from the table, pressing it to my ear.

“About time!” I growled.

"Someone’s impatient."

“Not the moment for jokes,” I scolded Hunter, who chuckled on the other end. “What do you have for me?”

There was an unsettling silence, lingering far too long, and I didn’t like it.

“Hunter?”

"She appears to have vanished."

“What does that even mean?” I demanded.

"Raiden and Kenzo found no trace of her. It’s as if she’s disappeared."

My heart seemed to freeze in my chest. All I could think about was that haunting dream I had a few days ago, where she was being pursued by rogues. Could it be... No, I couldn’t predict the future or anything of the sort, but the images replayed in my mind. Perhaps she was injured. Maybe something had befallen her, causing her to vanish.

“I can’t believe I’m stuck here...” I sighed.

"You could leave. You are the king, after all."

“What kind of king am I? No one supports me right now.”

"Your mate is out there, running around, not herself. Who would make a good king if they were in your shoes?"

“People are turning against me. I can feel it. Connor has amassed himself an invisible army!”

"Then regain their trust."

“How?! No one liked Octavia to begin with, and now I’ve neglected everyone for her. Why would they ever side with me?” I questioned.

Hunter was probably the best person to seek advice from right now. In a sense, he was also a king. Not officially, but he certainly wielded power. It was reassuring to know he was now on our side. I really didn’t need him as an adversary as well.

"Perhaps it’s time you took a proper look at who stands with you, or at least assigned someone to work on improving your reputation," Hunter suggested.

That elicited a chuckle from me.

“I was never good at making friends,” I admitted.

"We both know that’s not true. Your priorities have simply shifted. So have mine."

Yes, we both found mates who changed us and redirected our focus. Mine had just been k*dnapped and tortured, but who’s to say Connor wouldn’t come for Hunter’s mate too?

Angela was his daughter, but she had turned against him, and we all knew what he did to his children when they defied him. Chris was... I had no words to describe him.

I overheard the argument between Kate and him last night. Now he had moved to a different room, and he hadn’t shown up for breakfast or even left the room today.

Garrett attempted to talk to him, but it felt like we had regressed, back to a time when none of us had mates, nothing to anchor us or heal us. I wasn’t sure if Chris would overcome this. I hoped he would, not just for his sake, but if he could, then maybe Octavia could too.

So far, my optimism was dwindling, but I refused to give up. I wouldn’t, not until I had exhausted every possible avenue.

“They certainly have...” I murmured.

"We’ll locate her."

But would I get her back? I didn’t voice it aloud, though, and for a moment, I just gazed into space, unsure of what to think or say. However, I wasn’t alone in the office.

The fat cat wouldn’t leave me alone and was currently napping on my desk. She had curled into a ball, tucking her small paws under her big body to keep them safe and warm.

Occasionally, her eyes would open a little, checking if I was still there, but I hadn’t moved, so she didn’t either. I reached out, not entirely sure why, and started to scratch the top of her head. She quickly began to purr and rub her head against my hand, indicating I hit the right spots.

“Keep me posted,” I said.

"You know I will."

I hung up, placing my phone down on my desk, but I continued to scratch the little furball.

“Why can’t I seem to get rid of you at the moment?” I asked.

She didn’t answer. She just kept on purring.

Octavia... My wolf didn’t speak much at the moment, but when he did, he was asking about our mate, wondering if she was back yet.

He was confused and disoriented because our mate had been away from us for so long. I had been able to break out of the fog, finally! But he was still trapped in it, and when I couldn’t reassure him that she was back, he seemed to retreat somewhere far into my mind, hiding away and waiting for our mate to return.

But she wouldn’t come back. We had to find her and bring her here. If I couldn’t go myself just yet, who could I send? Chris was out of the question at the moment. I needed James and Garrett here. I could send Damian, perhaps, or Lucian.

Yes, Lucian might be the best choice, but he still had one foot in the upper-class world. I might need him to find his charming self and advocate on my behalf with some of the upper-class individuals.

I groaned a little, annoyed that I felt trapped here when I wanted to be out there. I couldn’t send my brother. He needed to stay here. Evan needed to be with his pack.

There just weren’t many options unless I demanded they go, but I didn’t need to make more enemies. I needed my friends now more than ever.

There was a soft knock on the door, and I instructed the person on the other side to enter. Lily poked her head inside, smiling as her eyes landed on her cat.

“There she is!” she said and stepped inside.

“Please. Do take her away.”

Lily chuckled at that, but she didn’t come to take the cat away.

“I think she’s just where she needs to be,” she said, making me smile a little.

“Something you needed?” I questioned.

She nodded.

“I was thinking about something,” she said, positioning herself in front of my desk.

I looked at her, puzzled.

“I want to go search for Octavia," she informed me.

Now, I looked at her in shock. “What?”

“I’ve talked it over with Garrett, but he just said no. I know you guys want us girls to stay here, but Octavia is not just our queen or your mate. She’s our friend, and I think many of us could actually be of help if we joined the search for her.”

“Lily...” I sighed.

“I would be careful!”

“It isn’t about that,” I clarified.

“What then? You want to be the one to find her?”

I shook my head. “At the moment, I’m stuck here, and I’d love to send someone I trust to find her. But it’s dangerous out there. I can’t tell you how many enemies I encountered just trying to search for her. I can’t, in good conscience, send you out there, especially if Garrett has already said no.”

“Because Garrett somehow owns me now?” she asked, crossing her arms.

I groaned, pressing my fingers to my eyes.

“How sexist is that?” she exclaimed.

“Lily, I’m not having this discussion now. I’m not putting you in danger. I know you want her back too, but you need to stay here,” I said.

“Because I’m not a man?" she challenged.

“Honestly?”

She nodded.

“Yes.”

She drew back, shocked that I had said this, but I wasn’t lying when I said I encountered enemy after enemy out there. Not just Connor’s people, but rogues and shady people. Lily would get hurt. I knew it.

Octavia wasn’t running around in cities, and if she did, she stayed in less busy areas, which meant a lot of unsavory characters inhabited those places. I had already lost my mate. No one else needed to as well.

“Maybe if you could fight like Octavia, I’d let you go. But you can’t, and I’m not letting you risk your life like this. I’m not doing it to be cruel. I’m doing it because I know what’s out there, and I know you’ll get yourself killed. Not because I don’t think you can protect yourself, but because I know many of Connor's men are out there, and they’re also looking for Octavia. Lily, we’ve already lost so much. Please don’t be another person we lose. We can’t take it.”

Lily relaxed her stance, realizing I had a point, and slowly nodded. I really wasn’t trying to be a bad person or sexist. I was just trying to keep the pack together as best I could.

Even though it would be nice to have everyone else out there searching for her, I needed to ensure we weren’t too vulnerable at home.

Otherwise, Connor would strike again, and he would ensure we couldn’t get back up. I couldn’t let that happen. We needed to stay strong and stay together, or we would all die.