Page 60 of Abandoned By My Alpha Husband

My wolf whimpered low in my chest. It lay there, head resting on emptiness—the space that should belong to our mate.

If Elena were still here—

The thought surfaced like always. If Elena were still here, Liam wouldn't be like this. If Elena were still here, we'd be a complete family with a daughter, and Liam would be a responsible big brother instead of this. If Elena were still here—

But she wasn't.

Because I drove her away.

I walked to the window, looking down at the street. Sunlight spilled across the cobblestones, pedestrians coming and going. Silver pine was still Silver pine—prosperous, bustling, orderly.

But for me, it was missing the most important thing.

Missing her.

Five years. For five years, I'd been searching for her. I'd sent people to every corner of Silver pine, to surrounding cities, even to other kingdoms. I'd combed through every record, questioned everyone who might have seen her.

But she'd vanished like smoke.

I'd gone to the Gray house.

That day, I stood at the Gray family gate, Cecilia—Elena's mother—standing nervously at the bottom of the steps, the entire Gray household behind her.

"Where's Elena?" I asked.

"I don't know." Her voice shook. "I banished her."

"What?"

Cecilia flinched. "Because she tried to harm a royal child, so I had to—"

My fists clenched.

"She's your daughter."

"No, she's just a mistake I made when I was young." Cecilia rushed to distance herself. "Nothing more."

I stood there, looking at her ingratiating face, that place in my chest tearing open. Elena had always been alone.

If I'd believed Elena back then, if I hadn't thrown her out, she wouldn't have been banished by her own mother. She wouldn't have given birth alone, wouldn't have run, wouldn't have disappeared.

All my fault.

"Your Majesty."

I snapped back, turned around, and frowned when I saw who it was. Lina stood in the doorway holding a tea tray.

"I heard Liam caused trouble again." She walked in, seemingly oblivious to my expression, setting the tray on the desk. "Are you all right?"

"Get out."

"You don't look well." Lina poured a cup of tea and offered it to me, doing only what she wanted. "Do you need to rest?"

I took the cup but didn't drink.

I hadn't wanted Lina to come today. I had work to handle, a new shop on the commercial street to inspect—I'd only brought Marcus. But Lina insisted on tagging along, said she was worried about me, and wanted to help.

I refused twice. She came anyway. For five years, Lina had remained at Hale Manor. By rights, I should have made her leave—she'd made Elena lick her shoes! But the Hale family had taken her in, and without solid grounds to expel her, it would damage the family's reputation. The Elder Council disagreed, too. Wolves respected their elders.