The Alpha's Runaway Queen

Chapter 11

Reagan POV

When everyone else had left the beta’s house, I found myself sitting in the kitchen with Uncle Brandon. The room was eerily quiet except for the occasional clinking of cups and saucers as Aunt Audrey busied herself preparing tea. I knew she wanted to keep her hands occupied, a way of coping with the emotional turmoil that had descended upon us all. I had initially declined her offer for tea, but now I was grateful for the small distraction.

“Can we really say Jasmine ran away? Have you checked the possibility of abduction? How was she the past few days?” I asked, breaking the silence that hung heavy in the room.

Uncle Brandon sighed deeply. He looked like he aged a few years with worry and regret etched on his face. “There’s no sign of abduction, Reagan. I saw her go to her room last night.” He paused, shut his eyes, and then ran his hands down his face before opening his eyes again. “She was…troubled. More than we realized. She asked us if she could study in the city. We didn’t allow it. We suggested the nearby college instead. It turned into an argument, and we haven’t spoken about it since.”

Aunt Audrey’s quiet sobs filled the background, each one a dagger as he continued. “If only we could go back. There were so many ways we could have worked it out, but I didn’t think of them. There’s no excuse. I blame myself.”

I could not say I blame Uncle Brandon. He was Jasmine’s father and must know what was best for her, but he was right also to say there were ways to work it out. I always knew that Jasmine would excel in the field of science. It was her strongest point. She could have been a good chemist as she had loved herbs and potions. If she wanted to level it up, she could be a great doctor, probably a pediatrician, as she loved kids.

The weight of Uncle Brandon’s words settled over us like a shroud, I pulled out my phone, the gadget feeling heavy in my hand. I needed to see Jasmine’s messages, to understand what she had been trying to tell me. I hadn’t looked at them, focusing on my work, convincing myself that I would catch up once I was home. The guilt gnawed at me as I unlocked my phone and opened my inbox.

Message after message from Jasmine filled the screen, each one a reminder of my negligence. I scrolled through my heart sinking with each unread text. She had been reaching out, and I had been too wrapped up in my own world to notice. My throat tightened as I read her last message, sent just the previous day: “I miss you so much, Ray. I wish you were here.”

I cursed under my breath, wanting to throw my phone across the room. I had sent her a message, too, on the other messaging app we had been using. Telling her to be good because I had a surprise for her birthday. The irony stung. She had surprised me instead, running away when I had promised to be home to be with her. The worst of it all, the message did not f*****g go through. How could life be so f*****g cruel?

Aunt Audrey placed a cup of tea in front of me, her eyes red and puffy from crying. She tried to smile, but it was a weak attempt.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“Perhaps we can check the colleges and universities and see if she has inquired or registered?” Uncle Brandon asked, frustration evident in his expression.

“Uncle, I don’t think that is her priority right now. She would be looking for a place to stay…unless she had already booked a place. Have you tried to hack her email or social media?” I didn’t want to violate Jasmine’s privacy, but that was a start to locate her. “The nearest city is two hours away. I don’t think she was thinking of staying there if she wanted to run away. It would be too easy to locate her. I’m sure she will go further. Please check all bus and train stations, also the airport.”

Uncle Brandon nodded as he took down notes. His expression then went blank as he mindlinked someone.

I got in my own headspace thinking of other things that would help us find Jasmine. I then remembered her friend, Tania. I didn’t have her number but I was sure Kaia had her number or maybe Jasmine’s parents knew. “Aunt Audrey, do you have Tania’s contact number? Tania, her friend from the academy?”

“I’m sorry, Reagan. We don’t have her number. Actually, Brandon tried to contact her through her social media but she had not yet replied. Perhaps because of the time difference,” Aunt Audrey said in response to my query.

“That’s okay. I’ll just step into the living room and call Kaia.” I stood up and then noticed the cup of tea in front of me. Not wanting to put it to waste, I lifted the cup to my lips and gulped its contents. It was still hot, but not enough to burn my tongue.

Once I was in the living room, I called my sister. “Kaia,” I greeted her as calmly as I could when she answered my call. I didn’t know how to drop the news to her, but somebody had to. “Is it a good time to call?”

“It’s okay. You’re a bit ahead of my alarm clock. What’s up?” Kaia asked before I heard her yawn on the other line. It was still early in the academy, their morning was just about to start.

“I’m sorry but I have to tell you something.” I took a deep breath before continuing. “Jasmine is missing. She ran away from home, from the pack.”

“Wait. Wha-what do you mean? What do you mean missing? Ran away? Are you sure that’s Jasmine? She would never do that. Are you sure she ran away? Maybe she got kidnapped or something?” Kaia’s voice was filled with worry. My news got her very much awake.

“No, she was not kidnapped,” I answered then relayed the summary of what happened. “I had to be quick, Kaia. Do you know the number of Tania?”

It took a few seconds before Kaia could answer me. She must be still in shock. “Yes. I’ll send it to you.”

“Thanks, Kaia. I’ll wait for it. And if you get any news about Jas, please let me know.

“Yes, of course. Reagan, bring her back, okay?”

“I will. I promise.”

It had not been a minute after we ended our call when Kaia sent Tania’s number. I dialed the number not caring what time it was in her location. I needed to get in touch with her, even though I was almost certain of what she would say. There was a need to hear it for myself, to leave no stone unturned.

I waited as it rang a few times, and finally, she picked up. Her voice was still hoarse from sleep, but then quickly tinged with worry when I told her it was me.

“Reagan? What’s going on?”

“Tania, have you talked to Jasmine recently? Do you have any idea where she might be?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line. “No, Reagan, I haven’t. Why? What happened?”

For the second time within the span of a few minutes, I explained the situation. “Jasmine ran away. We’re trying to find her, but…she didn’t leave any clues.”

Tania gasped, the shock evident in her voice. “Oh my goodness gracious, Reagan. No, she didn’t say anything to me. We talked a few days ago, but she didn’t mention anything about leaving. Are you sure she’s gone?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” I replied. “She left a letter. She didn’t want to be found.”

“Oh, Reagan, I’m so sorry,” Tania said. “If I had known, I would have tried to help. But she didn’t give me any hints. She was always so private about her struggles.”

“I know,” I said, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “I just…I had to confirm. I had to make sure I wasn’t missing something.”

“I completely understand. If there’s anything I can do, please let me know,” Tania said.

“Thanks, Tania,” I replied. “I’ll keep you updated if we find anything.”

“Please do. And Reagan? Don’t lose hope. She’s strong. She can do it out there. But I know she needs you too. You’ll find her. You’ll find each other.”

Something in Tania’s words hit me. “I hope so, Tania. I hope it will be sooner than later.”

I sat there for a moment, the silence of the room was closing in around me. Helplessness began to attack me, thinking of Jasmine’s letter. She didn’t want to be found, but that didn’t mean I would stop looking.

I asked if I could stay for a moment in Jasmine’s room and I was given permission. I went back to Jasmine’s room and stood in the middle of it and looking for possible clues. In addition to that, her scent would calm Conri who was whimperring in my head nonstop.

Minutes turned into hours, with me sitting on Jasmine’s bed, scrolling through Jasmin’s messages once more. Her words were a painful reminder of how much she had been struggling. Tears welled up in my eyes as I read her last message again. “I miss you. I wish you were here.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered to the empty room. “I wish I could go back and do things differently.”

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Uncle Brandon stood there, his expression full of hope and concern. “Reagan, there’s been a sighting.”

My heart leapt. “Where?”

“A small town a few miles from here. A girl matching Jasmine’s description was seen. We’re heading out now.”

I jumped to my feet, adrenaline coursing through my veins. “Let’s go.”

The drive to the town felt like eternity. My mind raced with possibilities. What if it wasn’t her? What if it was? The uncertainty was maddening.

When we arrived, we met with the local pack’s alpha, Mark, who had reported the sighting. He led us to a small coffee shop where the girl had been seen. My heart pounded as we approached, scanning the area for any sign of Jasmine.

“She was here,” Mark said apologetically. “But she left an hour ago. We tried to follow her, but she disappeared.”

“Check the CCTV within the area,” I told one of the warriors who came with us. Turning back to Mark, I asked him the direction where the girl went to. If that was Jasmine, she wouldn’t have gone far. She would take public transportation or probably hitched-hike, as she had not shifted yet.

“She went that way,” Mark said pointing to the west.

It looked like Jasmine was trying to play with us. She went east, only to turn west again, but rerouting to avoid the Royal pack. I imagined the land map in my head, I knew I was in for a huge complication. Another city, on the west side, was four hours away. It was another place we could check. It was a bigger and more popular destination.

Looking around, I could only sigh. The crushing disappointment was almost too much to bear. I took a deep breath to see if I could get a sniff of her scent, but there was nothing. I clenched my fists, trying to keep my emotions in check. “Thank you,” I said to Mark.

I had men follow the direction to where Mark said the girl went to, while Uncle Brandon and I waited for the warrior I asked to check the CCTV. When he came back, his expression already told me that he didn’t have any good news.

“Sir, there’s no CCTV around the area. I asked the coffee shop manager and the next door shops,” he said.

I nodded, but the despair was overwhelming. We droved back in silence, the weight of our failure hanging heavy in the air. As we pulled into the pack house, Aunt Audrey and my mom were waiting.

“Any news?” Mom asked.

I shook my head, the words stuck in my throat. “We missed her.”

Aunt Audrey’s face fell, but she tried to remain strong. Mom patted her shoulder, whispering words of comfort. Uncle Brandon excused himself, as he would continue working on the search in his office.

I stood there with Mom and Aunt Audrey for a while before I turned on my heels and walked away. I didn’t know where I was going until my feet took me to the entrance of the forest, the place where every other werewolf seemed to claim a part of it. I stripped bare and shifted to my wolf, ran for a few minutes, reaching the hill where Jasmine and I used to hang out.

Conri sat there, looking over the horizon for about half an hour, before he stood up and ran.

“Where to, Con?” I asked.

“We’ll retrace her steps,” he replied.

“But the trackers are already on it,” I argued.

“The trackers who were not able to catch your mom? Nope, not happening in this case.”

Of course he knew about Mom’s story. Mom would always talk about her adventure many years ago when given the chance. She was cursed when she was a baby. When she was seventeen, she ran away from the pack, too, to look for the witch who cursed her. My grandparents sent out trackers to find and bring her back home. Mom would laugh thinking about it. They almost caught her. Almost. Twice. But the trackers were so stupid they didn’t catch her.

“These are new trackers, Con. I’m sure they can do the job,” I replied. Conri didn’t reply, as he continued to run. I conceded. Even without sleep, I’m sure we could manage. “You are right. It’s better we do it our way. We know Jasmine best, anyway.”

Jasmine had told me not to waste my time and effort, but she didn’t understand. This wasn’t a waste for me. I would do anything that concerned her, because she mattered more than anything in the world. And I would prove that, no matter the cost.