Chapter 6
David Wayne lounged near the private bar, a crystal glass of expensive scotch dangling lazily from his fingers as he watched the chaos unfolding around him with smug amusement. Beside him stood Sylvia, elegant and poised, her sharp eyes fixed on the center of the ballroom.
The moment Carrie kissed Christian, camera flashes exploded across the room like lightning.
Paparazzi swarmed instantly, capturing the scandalous moment from every angle. Within minutes, the images spread across social media and entertainment networks like wildfire.
But no one cared about what happened after the kiss.
No one noticed the way Christian immediately stepped back.
Or how his expression darkened with irritation as he gently but firmly pushed Carrie away from him.
“Don’t do that again,” he warned quietly, his deep voice edged with unmistakable danger. “I’m a married man p>
Carrie’s face paled. A soft apology fell from her lips, but it was drowned out beneath the frenzy of reporters and flashing cameras.
Christian didn’t bother correcting the headlines that would follow. He had long ago stopped caring about the image the world painted of him.
The ruthless president of the Wayne Empire. The cold-blooded alpha king. The untouchable Casanova who discarded women as easily as trash.
In truth, the rumors benefited him.
Christian deliberately brought beautiful women to parties instead of his wife because he wanted the world to believe Odette meant nothing to him. Rivals rarely targeted things that an Alpha appeared not to value.
And Christian Wayne had enemies everywhere.
Rogue packs. Rival powerful families. Hunters lurking in the shadows, waiting for weakness.
If the world believed his Luna was unwanted, then no one would think to use her against him.
At least, that had been his plan.
But somewhere along the way, things had changed. Christian himself hadn’t realized how deeply Odette had rooted herself beneath his skin.
The mere thought of someone hurting her awakened something savage inside him—a violent possessiveness so primal it frightened even him. His wolf reacted to her presence instinctively, obsessively.
And he hated it. Hated the way her scent calmed the monster inside him.
Hated the softness that threatened to grow in his frozen heart whenever she looked at him with those wide hazel eyes.
His arranged mate—his quiet, stubborn little Luna—had somehow cracked the walls around a heart he thought long dead.
So whenever those dangerous feelings surfaced, Christian buried them beneath cruelty.
Because cruelty was safer than love.
Love had destroyed his father. Love had made weak men bleed. And weakness was death for an Alpha.
A sudden vibration interrupted David’s thoughts.
His phone rang.
Excusing himself casually, he slipped toward a secluded hallway away from the music and crowd before answering.
“Tell me the job is done,” he snapped quietly.
The men on the other end hesitated. Instantly, David’s expression darkened.
“Boss one of the goons stammered nervously. “We broke into the mansion like planned, but the bitch escaped during the blackout. We’re still searching p>
David’s grip tightened violently around the phone.
“You incompetent idiots,” he hissed furiously. “Do you have any idea what happens if you fail p>
His voice lowered sharply as nearby guests passed by. “If Christian finds out about this, he’ll skin every one of you alive p>
The goon swallowed audibly. “We’ll find her, Boss. She won’t make it far. We’ll kill her and dump the body where nobody can find it p>
“Good,” David snarled. “Now get out of the mansion and erase every trace you were ever there. I want the house spotless before Christian returns p>
He ended the call with a curse. The irritation rolling off him was sharp enough that even his wolf paced restlessly beneath his skin.
Striding back into the ballroom, he leaned close to Sylvia and whispered everything into her ear.
As he spoke, her expression slowly hardened with fury.
Odette escaping had complicated everything. Now they needed another lie. Quickly.
Sylvia smoothed her face into panic and hurried toward Christian, who was speaking with several foreign delegates near the dance floor.
“Christian,” she said urgently, grabbing his arm. “I need to speak with you p>
Christian frowned instantly at the interruption, his Alpha aura sharpening dangerously.
“What is it p>
Sylvia lowered her voice, feigning distress.
“A maid just called from the mansion. Odette went out hours ago to buy something and never came back.” She swallowed dramatically. “I’m worried. She’s never stayed out this late before p>
The moment the words left her mouth, something inside Christian snapped tight.
His wolf stirred violently beneath his skin.
Fear. Raw and primal. It hit him so suddenly that for a split second he couldn’t breathe.
Where was she?
His mind immediately spiraled toward darker thoughts.
Had someone taken her? Had one of his enemies finally discovered his weakness?
Or worse… Was she with another man?
Jealousy surged through him like fire beneath his veins. The thought alone nearly drove his wolf feral.
Without another word, Christian stormed out of the ballroom. His Beta and trusted men followed immediately.
The drive back to the mansion felt endless.
Christian called Odette repeatedly, his jaw clenched tighter with every unanswered ring. But eventually, the calls stopped connecting altogether.
When he finally reached the mansion, he found her phone abandoned on the kitchen counter.
The scent of fear still lingered faintly in the air.
And beneath it… There was blood.
His wolf snarled viciously inside him.
“Where is she?” Christian roared at the servants the moment they appeared.
The terrified staff exchanged nervous glances before repeating the lie Sylvia had prepared for them.
“Mrs. Wayne never returned home, Alpha p>
Christian’s pulse thundered violently. He raced upstairs two steps at a time and threw open the bedroom doors.
Everything looked untouched. Her clothes remained neatly folded in the closet. Her jewelry was untouched. Even the bank cards he had given her sat inside the drawer exactly where she always kept them.
Then Syrus Stone entered the room.
Christian’s Beta, best friend, and personal lawyer stopped short at the sight of him.
In all the years they had known each other, Syrus had never seen Christian Wayne look like this.
Not during war. Not during bloodshed. Not even when enemies put guns to his head.
The Alpha who ruled through fear looked shaken.
“What happened?” Syrus asked carefully.
Christian dragged a hand through his dark hair, his face pale beneath the dim lights.
“Odette is missing p>
Syrus frowned. “Maybe she went shopping or needed space. Women do that sometimes p>
Christian shook his head immediately.
“No p>
Something hollow opened inside his chest. A feeling he couldn’t name.
Real fear.
“Her things are still here,” he said hoarsely. “Her cards. Her belongings. Everything p>
His voice faltered. Then realization crashed into him with brutal force.
The scent of her tears lingering in the room.
The missing wedding ring.
The silence.
Christian’s wolf let out a low, agonized howl inside him.
And for the first time in years, genuine panic appeared in the eyes of the feared Alpha King.
“She didn’t disappear,” he whispered.
His voice trembled with a truth too painful to deny.
“She… left me p>