Blood Moon's Tears
Chapter 22

It was late evening when Sama’el finally returned to the Blue Ash packhouse, weariness etched into his features. As he entered his office, he found Eriena already there, her presence both unexpected and intriguing.

Eriena glanced up from her perusal of his desk, her finger trailing along its surface as she settled into a seat. The flicker of emotions in her eyes went unnoticed by Sama’el, who was still processing her sudden appearance.

“You were gone almost the whole day,” she observed, her voice a mix of accusation and curiosity. Her gaze followed his movements as he loosened the buttons of his cuffed sleeves, the weariness in his posture not lost on her.

Sama’el’s surprise was evident as he countered, “Well, I was out on business. What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were mad at me.” The words slipped from his lips before he could fully assess the situation.

A faint smile graced Eriena’s lips as she acknowledged his astonishment. “I was, but then I thought that it would be hypocritical of me to judge, considering the things I did to survive.” Her admission hung in the air, creating a fragile bridge between them.

Their exchange took an unexpected turn as Sama’el detected a subtle shift in the atmosphere. He raised an eyebrow and inquired, “Tell me, why is it that you’re hiding your scent from me?” His voice held a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

Eriena’s response was candid, “It’s a force of habit, I just forgot. Anyway, I came in, and half your men were missing. The rest of the pack members said that they were looking for the Gamma?”

Sama’el’s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered her words. He moved to take a seat, his expression growing more serious. “Which pack member gave you this information?” he pressed his tone reflecting his authority.

A playful taunt danced in Eriena’s eyes as she replied, “I won’t say, you’d have to torture me to get that kind of information.” Her words were bold, an unspoken challenge that hung heavy in the room.

Sama’el’s displeasure was evident as he regarded her with a stern gaze. He sighed, his frustration palpable, before he finally took a seat and began to sift through a file on his desk. “That’s not funny, Eriena. Don’t worry about Drake, I’m sure he’s fine. I wouldn’t concern myself with matters such as those when you become Luna. You’ll learn that in being the alpha for a group full of rogues, people tend to do what they want, whenever they want most of the time unless given a direct order. He’ll show up eventually.”

Eriena’s brows furrowed in thought as she absorbed his words. She had questions, but a different concern took precedence. “I see. So then why is everyone else panicking like he went missing?” Her gaze searched his for answers.

Sama’el paused in his task, his fingers stilling on the file. He regarded Eriena thoughtfully before he posed a question of his own, his tone measured, “Why exactly are you here, love?”

Eriena’s response was heartfelt, “Because I missed you. It’s not like I rejected you, you know.”

A mixture of emotions swirled within Sama’el as he absorbed her words. He was torn between the remnants of his frustration and a burgeoning warmth that her presence ignited. “Right, yet, you still haven’t stopped masking your scent from me,” he pointed out, a hint of longing underlying his words.

A mischievous spark gleamed in Eriena’s eyes as she proposed a playful bargain, “How about this, I stop masking my scent if you agree to go have a drink with me.”

Sama’el’s lips quirked into a half-smile, amusement and affection evident in his gaze. He played along with his response teasing, “If you wanted to ask me on a date, you could have just said so. What do you want to drink? We have wine down in the cellar.”

Eriena’s smile held a touch of intrigue, “I was thinking we go to the Fading Rose. I’m in desperate need of a Blood Moon.”

Sama’el considered her proposal, his thoughts aligning with the idea. He posed a final question, “When do you want to go?”

Eriena’s response was prompt, a hint of urgency in her voice, “Now would be best.”

Decision made, Sama’el closed the file he had been perusing, his attention fully on Eriena. He rose from his seat and nodded in agreement. As he made his way toward the door, Eriena seized the opportunity, surreptitiously sending a cryptic message to Jhon, the bounty hunter who took over one of her recent cases, setting a clandestine plan into motion.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere within the Golden Eclipse packhouse was charged with tension, the weight of concern and anger hanging heavily in the air. Lucian radiated an aura of rage that seemed to engulf the room. His once cognac-coloured eyes had transformed into bright gold, a reflection of the fury burning within him.

Torao, the Delta of the pack, stood before Lucian, his posture a mixture of guilt and apprehension. He braced himself for the storm that was about to unleash upon him.

Lucian’s voice resonated with a dangerous intensity as he berated Torao, his words a torrent of accusation and frustration. “What do you mean yuh don’t know where they are? We own the whole damn province, and yuh want to tell me that not only my niece but my mate went missing?!”

Chase, stepped forward, attempting to shed some light on the situation though some might say he added fuel to the fire. “Alpha, I can’t reach Vel through the mind link; I think she’s no longer in the province.”

The storm of Lucian’s rage intensified, his eyes now shimmering with flecks of purple as his alpha energy radiated off him in palpable waves. He pounded his fist on the desk, demanding answers that seemed to elude him. “The hell, Torao? I left you in charge because I trusted you. How the actual fuck could you let them leave the goddamn pack without a bloody guard?!”

Torao winced as Lucian’s fist connected with the desk, the force of his anger reverberating through the room. He attempted to explain, his voice laced with remorse. “Luna assured me that it would have been safe. I assumed they would have returned relatively shortly after their clothes had been delivered, but when they didn’t, I started to worry. I also tried to get in contact with Vel, but the connection was fuzzy, which could only mean that she was knocked out, and that’s when I called you.”

Lucian’s restraint wavered, his control slipping further as his fury threatened to consume him. He lunged at Torao, his powerful frame fueled by a rage that bordered on madness. A punch landed squarely on Torao’s face, breaking his nose and leaving a trail of blood in its wake as he flew into the wall before sliding down to the ground.

Chase rushed forward, attempting to intervene and prevent further violence. “Lucian stop! You’ll kill him if you use all your strength like that! It’s the one thing your father warned you about.” His efforts were met with another blow, the crack of bone filling the air as Chase’s jaw took the brunt of Lucian’s uncontrolled strike.

As Lucian’s rage began to ebb, his alpha instincts reasserting a semblance of control, he stepped back from the scene of chaos he had wrought. His hands raked through his hair in an attempt to centre himself, his anger gradually giving way to a maelstrom of complex emotions.

“My father’s dead,” Lucian spoke with both frustration and despair. “I have been Vel’s guardian since becoming Alpha of this pack. Someone she looked up to and trusted her life with. She also trusted you two to take care of her whenever I'm not around. I treated her like she was my own daughter so she would never question my love for her or her position as part of my family.”

Lucian’s voice quivered with grief as he continued, his words a raw admission of vulnerability. “I don’t care if yuh future Luna coaxed you into not giving her a bodyguard, but my niece is the most precious thing to me, and I’ll be damned if she ends up in the hands of that fucker! Lele can handle herself, but you should have never left Vel without security, especially since you know what happened with her father. You know that he’s been coming around more lately; you were there with me on patrol when he showed up, and now we can’t even replace my mate because I never marked her or my niece because they're not even in the province!”

Lucian’s voice cracked as the weight of his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. “Kanagawa is one of the biggest provinces, and somehow the two most important people of this pack and my life have gone missing! I should kill you for yuh incompetence.”

Chase’s dislocated jaw throbbed as he adjusted it gingerly. He stepped forward, his voice a calm presence amidst the turmoil. “Alpha, please. I’m sure Torao feels awful about his misjudgment and especially for failing in his duties as the pack’s Delta. I’m sure they didn’t vanish into thin air, so how about we visit where they’ve been last and ask them if they know anything? I mean, we’ll have to do that tomorrow, of course, but I know someone who knows a lot about what goes on in each province.”

Lucian’s fists clenched and unclenched, his internal struggle evident in the tension of his body. He glanced at Chase, his gaze a mix of anger and resignation. “The last thing I need is a drink, Chase.”

Chase shook his head, “I’m not saying you should drink. I’m saying we should go ask Kenji if he’s heard anything about it.”

Lucian hesitated, his thoughts churning as he weighed his options. With a reluctant nod, he extended his hand, palm open. “Hand me the keys; I’m driving.”

Chase complied, tossing the keys to Lucian. As they left the room, Chase’s voice lingered in the air, “Go see the pack’s doctor, Torao. Also, write up a report about what each store told you. I know you called them once you sensed something was wrong with Vel and the Luna. I know you have your reasons for not telling Lucian, so just try and finish it before we get back.” The door closed behind him, leaving the room in silence, and Torao to replay the failures that ate away at his conscious.