Page 10

Adrian

I know something's wrong the moment Maya doesn't show up.

At first, I try to rationalize it. She's running late. She's caught up with work. She's lost track of time in that carefree way of hers that usually drives me crazy. But as the minutes tick by, something dark and primal stirs in my chest. My wolf paces beneath my skin, agitated, sensing what I refuse to acknowledge.

One hour becomes two. Her phone rings straight to voicemail now.

She always answers. Even when she's angry with me—especially when she's angry with me—she answers with some sharp-tongued retort that simultaneously infuriates and fascinates me.

By the time I reach her apartment, my control is threadbare. The wolf inside me is no longer pacing but prowling, ready to tear through anyone or anything standing between us and her. The hallway feels too narrow, too confined. Her scent lingers here—lavender and pine, wild and warm—but it's hours old.

I knock once. Hard enough that the door frame shudders.

Nothing.

I knock again, my knuckles white with tension.

Silence.

My phone is in my hand before I realize I've moved, dialing her number one last time. It rings once before cutting to voicemail. Her voice, teasing and bright, fills my ear: "You know what to do. Unless you're Adrian Blackwell, in which case, try smiling first."

A growl builds in my throat. Even now, when she's missing—when something is terribly, undeniably wrong—she manages to get under my skin.

I don't hesitate. The lock gives way easily under my strength, and I step inside. The apartment is dark, still. Too still. Her scent is stronger here but fading, like morning dew burning off in the sun. My eyes adjust instantly, scanning for signs of struggle. No overturned furniture. No shattered glass. No blood.

But no Maya either.

The wrongness of it hits me like a physical blow. She should be here, curled up on that worn leather couch with a book, or dancing around her tiny kitchen to music only she can hear. Her absence feels like a wound—raw and aching in a way I refuse to examine too closely.

My jaw clenches so tight my teeth grind together. I pull out my phone and dial Eli.

He answers on the third ring, voice thick with sleep. "Adrian?"

"Maya's missing." The words taste like ash in my mouth.

A heartbeat of silence. Then Eli is fully alert, the rustle of movement carrying through the line. "What do you mean, missing?"

"She was supposed to meet me tonight. She never showed. She's not answering her phone. I'm at her place now—she's not here." My voice remains steady, controlled, but my free hand has curled into a fist so tight my claws are drawing blood from my palm.

Eli curses, low and vicious. "Where was she last?"

I force myself to think past the rage and fear clouding my mind. She mentioned something earlier—something about final arrangements for the gala. "The catering company. She had a meeting there this afternoon."

"I'm calling Sawyer. We'll meet you."

I hang up and immediately dial another number.

Theo answers on the first ring. "Blackwell."

"Maya's missing." Saying it again makes it more real, makes my wolf thrash against its restraints with renewed fury.

A heartbeat of silence, heavy with threat. Then Theo's voice sharpens to a deadly edge. "Where?"

"I don't know yet." My control slips just enough for a growl to color my words. "But I'm going to find her."

"I'm on my way."

I end the call and stand motionless in Maya's empty apartment, letting her fading scent wash over me one last time. My wolf howls inside me, desperate to track her, to find her, to tear apart anyone who dares harm what's ours.

What's ours.

The streets blur as I drive, my grip white-knuckled on the wheel. My wolf claws at me, demanding release, demanding I run , but I force myself to stay in control. Control is all I have left. Control is what will help me find her.

But every second that ticks by is a second too long, and Maya's absence tears at something deep inside me that I've kept locked away for years.

The catering company's parking lot is eerily still when I arrive. Maya's cherry-red Corolla sits abandoned. The sight of it hits me like a physical blow.

I step out of my vehicle, inhaling deeply. The air is thick with scents—garlic and rosemary from the kitchen, exhaust fumes, the lingering trace of Maya's presence. Her scent is everywhere—lavender and pine, defiant life—but beneath it all, something darker lurks.

Wolfsbane. Sharp and acrid. Human sweat. At least three distinct signatures. Fear. Maya's fear, spiking the air like electricity.

My vision sharpens, the world taking on predatory clarity. My wolf lets out a low, warning growl that reverberates through my chest.

Hunters.

A car pulls up behind me—Sawyer and Eli climbing out with grim expressions. Eli's usual easy smile is nowhere to be seen.

"Adrian." Sawyer's voice is tight. "Security cameras show three men. They knew what they were doing."

I barely hear him. Near Maya's car, something glints in the fading light. Her phone, screen cracked but still displaying an unfinished text message to me: Leaving now. Those investors better appreciate all this foo—

The device nearly cracks in my grip. She was thinking of me, even then. Teasing, as always.

Theo and Ethan arrive moments later, moving fast. The Howling Pines alpha barely spares me a glance before scanning the area, nostrils flaring. His voice carries barely restrained fury. "This was hunters. They've been watching. Waiting."

"They took her because of me." The words scrape out of my throat. "Because she works for Blackwell."

"You don’t know that," Theo snarls, rounding on me. "Don't make this about you, Blackwell."

But it is about me. Everything about this is personal.

Because somewhere between her irreverent smiles and fierce determination, Maya became more than just an employee. More than just another wolf to protect.

She became mine .

My fists clench at my sides, fury burning through every inch of me. My wolf surges forward, and this time I don't fight it. The snarl that tears from my chest is barely human.

"Adrian." Eli's hand lands on my shoulder. "We'll find her."

I shake him off, lifting my head to inhale once more, locking onto her fading scent trail. West. They went west, toward the old industrial district.

I know exactly what I have to do.

Find her. Tear apart anyone who stands in my way.

And this time—this time I won't let her go.

Because Maya isn't just another name to add to my list of failures. She isn't just another person I couldn't save.

She's everything I never knew I needed.

And I'll burn this whole city down to bring her back.