Chapter Title: A Storm Unleashed
Bryant's POV
The council room smelled of burning incense, old scrolls, and politics. I sat at the head of the long wooden table, my fingers absently tracing the carved patterns on my cup while the ministers droned on about preparations for my father's upcoming birthday celebration.
> "We were thinking fireworks over the east garden—"
"No, no, the western courtyard has better wind direction for smoke travel—"
Idiots. They argued over irrelevant details while my mind wandered elsewhere. Not to the celebration. Not to my aging father. But to her.
Rosa.
It had been a full week. I hadn't seen her since that evening we shared dinner. I thought staying away would clear my head, help me process this "mate bond" madness with Maltida… But instead, my chest had been in knots ever since.
I barely slept. I couldn't focus. Every time I shut my eyes, I thought of her—her scent, the curve of her neck when she tilted her head in frustration, the silent strength behind those wounded eyes. The guilt of how I dismissed her without an ounce of explanation chewed at me like a parasite.
Still… I had convinced myself space was needed. That maybe time would soften the sting.
That illusion shattered the moment the doors creaked open and a guard stepped into the room.
He looked panicked. His eyes locked with mine.
> "Your Majesty…" he walked closer and bent beside me, lowering his voice to a whisper.
"The Luna… is gone. She fled the palace. We believe it's been hours."
The words crashed into me like a boulder.
For a moment, the entire world stood still.
And then I stood—no, slammed my palm against the thick oak table so hard the room thundered. Cups clattered. Scrolls unrolled. The flames from the nearby torches trembled.
> "SILENCE!" I roared.
Every minister froze. A few flinched. Some didn't even dare breathe.
> "Meeting adjourned. Now," I growled.
I didn't wait for them to respond. I stormed out of the hall, every step fueled by fury and—though I wouldn't admit it aloud—fear.
Outside, I ripped the reins from a stable boy's hand and swung onto the black stallion waiting in the courtyard. My wolf surged inside me, frantic and alert. The bond was strained, flickering like a candle about to die out.
"She's close. But she's slipping away."
> "You foolish woman," I muttered through clenched teeth. "You really thought you could just vanish from under my nose?"
The horse galloped through the palace gates like a bolt of lightning. I didn't care who saw me. Didn't care about appearances. My only goal now was to find her.
She could get herself killed out there. She didn't know the dangers waiting beyond the royal lands. Assassins. Rogues. Or worse… someone who knew her true identity.
The Red Blossom princess, wandering the world unguarded? She wouldn't last a day.
> "You promised," I growled to myself as the wind whipped past. "You promised you'd never run again."
I had given her power. A title. Safety. Yet she still ran. Why? Because of some broken-hearted misunderstanding? Because Maltida opened her poisonous mouth?
I should've explained things sooner. But it's too late for regrets now.
> "You belong to me, Rosa," I muttered, eyes locked on the path ahead. "And no matter how far you run, I'll always find you."
The sun had started to sink. The wind picked up. My wolf snarled restlessly. She wasn't just running—she was desperate. And that was what terrified me the most.
I didn't know what she might do next.
But I swore on my Alpha blood…
I would find her. Before the world did.
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