Lennox’s POV

My brothers and I impatiently tapped our feet against the wooden floor, waiting for the seer to finish her incantation. She had told us last night she couldn't see anything and that we should return today. None of us had slept. We tried, but how could we? Our Olivia was missing, taken by someone with the resources and audacity to breach pack territory, disable our surveillance, and vanish into the night—possibly in a helicopter. Even my wolf had been pacing and growling incessantly. We hadn’t bathed or changed clothes; the same sweat-dampened garments we’d jumped out of bed in still clung to us. None of that mattered now. What mattered was finding her.

The seer sat cross-legged on a mat, muttering ancient incantations, her eyes faintly glowing with power. The small hut smelled of herbs, smoke, and old magic. Time stretched painfully slowly. I tapped my foot again. Levi paced behind me, arms crossed, jaw clenched. Louis stood by the window, eyes darting nervously, as if expecting an attack from the woods.

We had done everything possible in the past few hours: made dozens of calls, warned our allies, and told them Olivia was taken. Everyone was shocked; some were angry; others promised to keep watch. A few even offered help, sending out scouts. But still—nothing. No sightings, no leads, just dead ends.

Levi had been the most restless, never sitting still. His wolf was on edge, snapping at anyone trying to calm him. Louis, usually composed, had also become agitated. Every second without word of Olivia’s whereabouts was torture.

“She’s taking too long,” Levi growled, his voice low but impatient.

“She said she needs full focus,” I reminded him, my own patience wearing thin. “Let her work.”

Levi huffed and continued pacing. I rubbed my face, my body heavy with exhaustion, stress, and fear. We hadn’t even washed this morning; we’d come straight here after the patrol report. Still in our boots, still in yesterday’s clothes, still haunted by the image of Olivia’s empty room. I couldn’t shake the thought of her being scared or hurt.

“We have to find her,” Louis muttered from the window. “Before the full moon.”

I nodded slowly. “We will.”

But deep down, I feared we were running out of time. It was already 11 a.m. My wolf stirred anxiously, sensing time slipping away. By 7 p.m., she’d go into heat. And if she wasn’t safe by then… Goddess help her. My chest tightened painfully. I swallowed hard, stepping away from the wall, my eyes fixed on the flickering candles, though I wasn’t really seeing them.

“She’s never been away from us before,” I said, my voice low and rough. “Not for a full day.”

Levi and Louis stilled.

“Even when we hated her…” I continued, the words scraping my throat, “even when we treated her like dirt… I always saw her. Every day.” My voice cracked. “She’d walk past, and I’d pretend not to care. But I still looked. I still made sure I saw her.”

Louis looked down, jaw clenched.

“I convinced myself I didn’t care,” I went on. “That she was just an unwanted mate, forced on us by fate. Nothing more…” I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “But now she’s gone, and I’ve never felt this hollow.”

No one spoke. There was nothing to say. I clenched my fists. “And now—for the first time—she’s truly gone. Out there. Alone. Possibly scared. And we don’t know where the hell she is.”

Levi’s pacing slowed, his breathing heavy. Louis stepped closer, his voice filled with worry. “I want her back.”

“Me too,” Levi murmured.

I sucked in a deep breath. “Me too.”

The seer suddenly gasped and sat up straighter, as if possessed. We all froze. Her hands shook, and for a moment, she was silent. Then her glowing eyes focused on us.

“She’s alive,” the seer whispered.

My heart stopped. Levi stepped forward. Louis looked like he was holding his breath.

“She’s alive,” the seer repeated, louder. “But there’s a magical choker around her neck. That’s why she can’t mind-link you; that’s why your wolves can’t reach her. It’s blocking everything.”

“She isn’t hurt…” Levi muttered.

“No,” the seer said. “She’s trying to reach you, but she can’t.”

I stepped closer, heart racing. “Where is she? Can you see her?”

The seer squeezed her eyes shut, then sighed and shook her head. “Yes. She is very fine.”

Levi growled. “Then tell us—who took her?”

The seer opened her eyes and looked at each of us. Her voice was calm but serious.

“You’ll see him,” she said. “He will bring her to you himself.”

“Him?” Louis echoed. “So it’s a man?”

She didn’t answer directly, just repeated, “You will see him.”

A cold feeling crept through my chest.

“She’s going into heat tonight,” Levi said, his voice tight with worry. “The full moon is tonight. If he touches her—”

“He won’t,” the seer said sharply, cutting him off.

We all stared at her.

“She won’t be touched,” she said. “Your mate will come back to you… untouched. By tomorrow morning.”

I wanted to believe her, but I was scared. We all were.

“How do you know that?” Louis asked. “What if you’re wrong?”

The seer looked at us calmly. “Tell me something. In all the time you’ve known me… have I ever said something that didn’t come true?”

None of us spoke. Because the answer was no. Every single thing she’d ever prophesied had happened. Always.

“I’ve seen it,” she said softly. “She’ll come back. She’ll be okay. And untouched.”

I took a shaky breath and looked at my brothers. They still looked worried. I was too. But somewhere deep down… we started to believe her.

“Don’t waste today worrying about things that won’t happen,” the seer added. “She will come back. Whole, safe, and all you have to do is sit and wait for her return.”

I murmured a thank you before leaving. We walked back to the pack house in silence, tension and fear bubbling inside us. Gravel crunched under our boots, the wind tugged at our clothes, but no one spoke. We were each lost in our thoughts.

By the time we reached the pack house, the halls were quiet, most of the pack out on searches or resting. Our footsteps echoed as we went upstairs. We all entered my room.

Levi kicked a chair across the room the moment the door closed. It slammed into the wall with a loud crack. “I hate this. Just waiting around like this—it’s driving me insane.”

“I know,” I said quietly, crossing to the window. I pulled the curtains aside and looked out into the woods, half-hoping to see her running toward us. “But we’re doing what we can.”

“Are we?” Louis asked. “We’ve called allies. Sent out patrols. Spoken to the seer. What else is left?”

My jaw tightened.

“There’s one person we haven’t reached out to,” I said, turning from the window.

They both looked at me.

“Uncle.”

Their eyes widened slightly.

“Our father’s younger brother,” I said. “We haven’t contacted him. He has connections in America. A whole damn pack under his command. Resources we don’t.”

Louis exhaled slowly. “He always said to reach out if we ever needed him.”

Levi crossed his arms. “We never have.”

“Well, we do now.”

Without waiting for their response, I closed my eyes and focused, reaching through the pack bond. It took a moment—the distance made the link faint—but eventually, I found his presence.

“Uncle,” I mind-linked, my voice firm despite the knot in my stomach. “It’s Lennox. I’m sorry to contact you like this… but we need your help.”

There was a pause, then his voice, deep and alert.

“Lennox? Is everything alright?”

“No.” My throat tightened. “Our mate… she’s missing. Taken from pack territory. We’ve searched everywhere, used every connection we have. But we’re running out of time.”

A long silence.

“You have a mate?” he finally asked, sounding genuinely surprised. It was then I remembered we didn’t even invite him to our wedding.

“And she’s missing?”

“Yes. And we need help. Whoever took her might have crossed borders. Could be in your territory—or at least using it to hide.”

His tone shifted instantly, solidifying with authority. “You should have told me sooner. Send me her picture. I’ll activate my scouts immediately. We’ll start a search across the States. I have people from coast to coast.”

Relief bloomed in my chest, momentarily dulling the ache.

“Thank you, Uncle. I’ll send it now.”

“Do it fast. And Lennox—We’ll find her. I promise you that.”

I opened my eyes, blinking away the burning sensation. My brothers looked at me with questions.

“He’s in,” I said. “Told us to send her photo. He’s mobilizing his scouts across America.”

Levi finally sat down, his hands dragging over his face. “Good. That’s something. That’s finally something.”

Louis crossed to my desk and pulled open the drawer.

“I’ll get her picture.”