“Of course I asked.” His jaw tightens. “Your father shut me down. Said his decision was final.”
“And you just…accepted that?”
“What choice did I have? He’s the alpha.” Jeddian’s expression softens. “I assumed he was protecting Zion. Your brother was barely holding it together. Maybe the thought of other packs interrogating him…”
I nod slowly, but the explanation feels thin now. Incomplete.
Something’s not right.
But that’s a problem for later. Right now, I need to get to Violet.
I pull out my phone as Jeddian heads back to his office. The next flight to Moonvale leaves in an hour. I book it without hesitation.
I arrivein Moonvale just after eight p.m. The sun has already set, streetlights flickering on across the city.
I don’t bother going home. I head straight to Violet’s apartment building, using my master key to enter the lobby.
The elevator ride to the top floor feels more like descending into a grave. My phone stays clutched in my hand, but Ethan hasn’t sent any updates since this afternoon. The silence makes my skin crawl.
Her door is locked. I use the master key, my hands shaking slightly.
The apartment is silent, but the lights are on. I step inside and freeze.
Her scent hits me stronger than ever before. Jasmine and something uniquely Violet. It saturates the air, clings to every surface, wraps around me until I can barely breathe. My wolf whines desperately, clawing at me to find her.
But the trail is cold. She has been gone for hours.
At first glance, it looks like everything is here. Her furniture, books, some of the little touches that make this place hers. But other traces of Violet have vanished. Her favorite blanket, missing from the couch. The photo of her father and brother that she kept on her bookshelf, gone.
I walk through each room, my anxiety building. Her bedroom closet stands half empty. Dresser drawers are pulled out, their remaining contents pushed to the side. She took clothes, personal items, anything that mattered.
Cinnamon’s bowls are gone. Her bed, her toys, every trace of the puppy erased.
But Violet left everything else that would remind her of me behind. Everything from the furniture store, homegoods shop, and kitchen supply place where I arranged those ridiculous discounts. Even the expensive coffee maker I’d installed in her kitchen before she moved in.
My chest constricts, pain lancing through me so sharp, I have to grip the kitchen counter to remain upright.
This isn’t merely running away. This is cutting ties so completely that there’s nothing left to trace. No threads connecting us, no remnants of what we had together.
Where the hell has she gone?
I pull out my phone and call Ethan. “Tell me you know where she is.”
“I don’t.” His voice is tight with frustration. “I watched the apartment all afternoon. The lights were on. I could see movement every once in a while. I thought she was still there. But when you didn’t show up by seven, I went to check. The door was locked, no answer. I used my key and…” He trails off.
“She was gone,” I finish, my voice hollow.
“Yeah. I’m sorry, man. She must have slipped out somehow. Maybe through a back exit or the parking garage. I don’t know how I missed her.”
He missed her because she planned it that way. She knew someone would be watching. Knew I’d come after her.
I end the call and sink onto her couch, dropping my head into my hands. After a few deep breaths, I dial her number again.
Straight to voicemail.
I leave another message. “Violet, please. I know you’re angry. I know I hurt you. But please, let me explain. Call me back. Or text. Anything. I need to know you’re safe.”
My voice cracks on the last word.
