CHAPTER 7: GONE...

**Ryan**

I let out a growl, throwing away the papers that I was supposed to review and sign. My mind was in utter chaos and there was no use trying to work right now. Closing my eyes, I tried to remember what had happened after I had left the meeting because of a pounding headache that almost left me blind. All I could remember was staggering to our bed and falling on it before everything went blank. The next thing I know, I was waking up to Evie’s heart wrenching cry. 

Seeing Evie look at me as if she was giving up on me, on us, I hoped she would still trust in me. Trust that I will never do anything to betray her. But when she said she was going to leave me, I panicked. I lost all reason as fear overtook my senses and I am not proud of what I did in my desperation to keep her with me. I should never have stooped as low as to lock her in the room, but I was so frantic to stop her from leaving that it was the only thing that came to my mind at that moment. Right now, I really regretted that decision. I could only hope that she would understand me like she always does and forgive me for my stupid, impulsive action. But first, I had to find out how that woman had appeared on my bed. Did she come there to make Evie misunderstand me, or was there more to it? Whatever it was, I will find out and then she will face the full brunt of my wrath, fated mate or whatever.

‘You mean you are going to hurt our mate? The one moon goddess created just for us?’ Suddenly Liam, my wolf, mind linked me and I stiffened. Originally, Liam adored Evie too, and he didn’t protest much when I chose her as my mate without waiting for our fated mate. But ever since that damned woman appeared, he has changed. Even though he still liked Evie, he didn’t put up much fight against the mate bond and considered Freya his mate. Something that I could never do.

‘There is only one woman in our life and you know it very well, Liam. You know how much Evie trusts us and you are telling me you are not strong enough to keep that trust?’ I growled at him. 

Liam was silent for a moment and I thought maybe he had gotten my point. But then he let out a whine before speaking again.

‘But Evie understands! She herself asked us to accept our mate! She knows that we have promised her to only have her in our life because we weren’t aware of the magic of the mate bond!’ Liam argued, his voice desperate. 

‘Do you think that she meant it in her heart? She just said it because she thinks we are not strong enough to ignore the pull of the mate bond. She didn’t want us to suffer and just stepped back to make it easy for us. How could you even think of abandoning such a selfless woman for a stranger?’

‘I don’t want to abandon her either! You know I adore Evie and Ima. But now that I feel the irresistible bond with our fated mate, it’s impossible to ignore it and continue loving another woman!’ Liam growled out. ‘One day or the other, we will definitely have to accept Freya. Then why should we torture ourselves and fight the mate bond? Why can’t we just accept her when it will be the best option for us and our pack? Evie will never blame us for it!’

‘I will never leave Evie, even if it means death! Just because you are so weak that you forgot her the moment you got a whiff of your fated mate doesn’t mean I have to do that too! Evie is my one and only mate in this life and it will never change!’ I snarled, feeling pissed off at my wolf for being so weak and selfish. 

Liam just let out a growl of annoyance before blocking the mind link between us, and I closed my eyes in frustration. I had once faced the wrath of the entire pack when I decided to marry Evie. But then I had the support of my wolf. And now even he had turned against me…

I let out a sigh, trying to ignore the disappointment that Liam had so easily accepted another woman. But then I remembered how easily Evie had accepted that I had betrayed her. Neither my wolf nor my woman understood me, huh? She had promised to love and trust me forever. But now, at the first sign of trouble, she wants to leave me? How could she believe that I will let another woman on our bed just like that? If it was before the arrival of Freya, she would have given me a chance to explain before jumping to conclusions. But right now, it was as if she was just waiting for an excuse to give up on us and leave me. Was my love for her so weak that she would give up on it so easily? 

Suddenly, I sat up straight, a frown on my lips. Something felt wrong. As if something was missing. My first thought was to check up on Evie. I hadn’t tried to contact her since locking her in the room. After hesitating for a moment, I tried to link her, only to hit a strange blankness. My heart started beating faster as I tried to reach out again, only to feel a strange sense of loss. I couldn’t feel Evie!

Even before I knew it, I was rushing out of my office. What happened to Evie? Why was I unable to feel her anymore? 

I pushed open the door of our room, my eyes scanning everywhere for Evie, only to meet an empty room. My eyes narrowed as I stalked towards the empty bed, confusion flooding my mind. I had clearly locked her in this room. Then where was she? Even if I could only feel her faint scent in the room, I stalked towards the bathroom just to make sure that she wasn’t in there. Seeing it empty, just like I knew it would be, I turned away, intending to go outside and look for her. But then my gaze fell on the notepad on the table that somehow looked ominous.

With a strange fear gripping my heart, I moved towards the table. With trembling fingers, I took the note and my vision turned dark for a moment as I read the letter. She left just like that? She wants to love me in the next life but she gave up on us in this life just like that?!

Rage filled in my veins as I crumbled the note, the urge to scream and destroy everything taking over me. With a yell, I swiped everything off the table, my breath coming in pants. How could you, Evie?!

“Alpha, what are you doing?”

I looked up, my eyes flashing with rage as I heard the voice of Elder Zachary, one of the men who had urged me to divorce Evie and claim my fated mate. And just like he wished, she was gone!

As I saw him standing in front of the door with a peaceful smile, as if everything was fine in this world, I had the sudden urge to wipe that blasted smile off his face. And then I saw that damned woman standing right next to him, clutching her dress nervously. How dare she come here again after I had thrown her off?!

I let out a growl and stalked towards them.

“Evie is gone!” I hissed accusingly, and neither of them looked surprised. As if they already knew. 

Elder Zachary just gave me a sagely nod in response. 

“She is a sensible child. She realised what is best for herself and this pack.”

I let out a growl in response. Ignoring my rage, he nudged Freya, who was standing timidly beside him, to step forward. 

“I know that you were hesitant to accept your mate because you felt guilty about abandoning Evie. But now that she left you, there’s nothing to stop you from following your instincts. Even your wolf must be begging you to accept your mate now, right Alpha?” Elder Zachary smiled again. “There is no need to struggle against nature anymore, Alpha. Please claim your mate and make all our lives easier. Even Evelyn wants that.”

I stood there trying to control myself from going on a rampage and tearing off his head. How could he think that I will accept another woman just because Evelyn was not here? What if she left? I will find her and bring her back here to where she belongs!

Suddenly, Freya, who was almost cowering behind the elder until then, stepped forward. As her scent hit me, I felt Liam trying to come forward, and I blocked him harshly. 

“What?” I snarled at her.

“Ry- I mean A-alpha,” she stuttered, and I felt annoyed. Seeing me look at her, she straightened up.

“I know I may not be as capable as Evelyn. But I will learn and try my best. I will help you run this pack and together, we will win in this war. I promise everything will turn better once we are mated. Just please accept and mark me, Alpha,” she pleaded, and I saw red. All this time my Evie had shown her kindness and the moment she left, this woman wanted to snatch her place? Ungrateful bitch!

As the woman stepped closer to me, I no longer bothered to control my rage. Without holding back, I pushed her away and felt a twinge of satisfaction as she almost flew, falling on the floor and hissing out in pain. As she laid there looking dazed, I turned to the elder, who was no longer smiling. Good!

“The only Luna I will ever have in this life is Evie. Nothing and no one could ever change that.”