Chapter 88: 1 Must Find Her
Chapter 88: 1 Must Find Her
(Theodore’s POV)
“We haven’t identified your mate yet,” the Pack Enforcer said, his voice tense with frustration.
“For some reason, the identification system suddenly alerted that the original data has been corrupted, making facial recognition impossible.”
He turned to me with desperate eyes. “Alpha, do you have any more photos of your mate?”
“Yes!” I immediately pulled out my phone, sending every photo I had of Olivia. Solo shots from our mating ceremony, candid pictures from pack events, intimate moments captured over the years.
The staff uploaded them to the recognition system with practiced efficiency. Within two seconds, it beeped again.
“Data corrupted, unable to identify” flashed repeatedly across the computer screen in angry red letters.
“What’s going on?” a staff member wondered aloud, his fingers flying over the keyboard in confusion.
The Pack Enforcer’s face darkened. “Alpha Redgrave, a large number of hackers are attacking your mate’s photos online.”
“We need to contact the cyber security bureau to assist in the investigation. For now, we can’t perform facial recognition
on your mate.”
My hands clenched into fists. Someone was deliberately blocking our search.
“However, we had already scanned half of the area,” he continued quickly. “The west side of the Central Crossroads has been cleared with no trace of your mate. The east side can be searched manually!”
I stormed out of the Warden’s Post, my mind racing with possibilities. Who had the resources and motivation to launch
such a coordinated cyber attack?
“Gather everyone and lock down the east district,” I commanded my Alpha’s Sentinels. “Search it street by street.”
“Contact the media. Tell everyone to find my mate. A huge reward for whoever finds her.”
The media, who had been gathered at the Moonstone Summit Hotel to cover the joint Crimson Pack and Thorne Industries affair and Leo’s birthday, rushed to the east district upon hearing the news.
Within moments, the banquet hall was nearly empty as reporters broadcasted the sensational development.
The reward was staggering: twenty million for safely bringing Olivia to the Moonstone Summit Hotel and two million for any useful clue.
The city erupted. The entire population of Stonehaven City seemed to join the search, remembering my past generosity.
Street vendors abandoned their stalls. Office workers poured out of buildings. Even children skipped school to help look for the missing Luna.
Yet, after half an hour, Olivia was nowhere to be found. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.
A chilling memory surfaced in my mind: Olivia’s words at Lyra’s grave just days ago.
“Do you think I did something? Had an affair during our mating? Betrayed our mate bond?” she had asked, her face cold
as winter stone.
“If you did, I would leave you. But I trust you.”
1/3
I had clung to that last part, believing she had meant it. But now doubt crept in like poison.
My thoughts raced. If she was upset with me, she would go to the memorial grove to confide in her mother.
“To the Grove of Whispering Ashes,” I ordered.
The black SUV sped through the crowded streets, sirens clearing our path.
Upon arrival, I frantically approached the groundskeeper. “Has my mate been here?”
The man hesitated, his weathered face creasing with worry. “Alpha Redgrave, your mate hasn’t been here.”
Relief flooded through me for a split second.
“But… Elder Lyra’s ashes are missing.”
My blood turned to ice. “When did they go missing?”
The groundskeeper explained guiltily, “Yesterday, after you paid your respects, we moved the urn to clean.”
“When we went to put it back, the ashes were gone. The surveillance from that period was somehow angled away, it didn’t
capture the spot where the urn was.”
My mate was gone, and now Lyra’s ashes were too. A void opened in my chest; something was spiraling far beyond my
control.
An Alpha’s Sentinel jogged up to me, breathing hard. “Sir, besides the Moonstone Summit Hotel and the Government
Building, we’ve searched everywhere in the east district.”
“We haven’t found the Luna.”
Just then, my phone rang. Leo’s name flashed on the screen.
“Daddy, why aren’t you and Mommy here for my birthday?” His voice was thick with tears. “I want to eat cake!”
The call was a jolt of reality. Olivia adored our pup; she would never miss his birthday willingly.
“Daddy will be there soon,” I promised, my voice tight with barely controlled panic.
If she wasn’t at the party, she had to be in trouble. The only place left was the Government Building.
Arriving at the stately building, which was hosting foreign dignitaries, I gave a subtle nod to my men.
An Alpha’s Sentinel pulled the fire alarm, and my warriors sealed the exits, scrutinizing every person who evacuated.
Downstairs, the building emptied quickly. Diplomats and staff filed out in orderly lines, confusion written on their faces.
“Sir, we didn’t find the Luna!” reports came from both exits.
I leaned against the black SUV, a desolate figure shrouded in the encroaching night. The tip of my cigarette glowed like a dying ember.
My Sentinel Captain approached cautiously. “The Luna was in a good mood when she left today, dressed very smartly.”
“White shirt, jeans, ponytail… she looked really happy, not like she was angry at all. Maybe she’s already back at the banquet hall?”
I looked up sharply, my eyes focusing like a predator’s. “My mate was wearing a white shirt, jeans, and a ponytail today?”
The Sentinel Captain nodded, and in that instant, a storm erupted in my unfathomable eyes.
A memory clicked into place–the jeans in the black sedan, a specific ringing sound, the hair tie I’d glimpsed.
I straightened up, shedding my despondency like a discarded coat. I stripped off my suit jacket, rolled my sleeves to my
elbows, and took a decisive step forward.
I knew. My mate was definitely inside that building.
“Go in and search!” I commanded, my voice low and dangerous. “Keep quiet. From bottom to top, don’t miss a single
corner.”
(Olivia’s POV)
Inside a connected lounge, the alarm startled me from my drowsy state. “Is there a fire?” I asked, my eyes still hazy with
sleep.
Matthew Kane stood before me, his expression placid as still water. “No. It’s your mate. He’s come for you.”
At his words, I flinched, my eyes widening in fear. The careful composure I’d maintained all day cracked like thin ice.
Matthew gently placed a cloak over my shoulders, his hand resting there for a moment. The gesture was protective,
almost paternal.
“As long as you don’t go out, he should give up,” he said, his tone more like a concerned Alpha than my former mentor.
“But he’s more tenacious and powerful than I imagined. He must have protected you well all these years.”
His golden eyes searched my face carefully. “Are you truly unable to forgive him?”
He was testing me, worried I might waver in my decision to return to the Shadow Syndicate.
Understanding his concern, I looked up at him, my gaze firm as steel. “King, rest assured. I will not disappoint you again.”
Matthew simply nodded, removing his hand.
