♥

The fire of pure anger lights me up on the journey home. Fuck. I wanted to smash Apollo's stupid face in.

You see, Milo is a sexual being. He needs stimulation otherwise he'll seek it elsewhere. Clearly, you weren't giving him enough.

That's not true. The things we felt together. I know how he felt about me.

I could see it in his eyes and the bond. He was being honest about his addiction, letting me in and seeing him for who he truly is. I never once made him feel guilty or bad about it, all I wanted to do was help and try to understand.

Who the fuck is Henry? Henry. His name makes my eyeballs blaze with murderous thoughts.

A growl rips from my lips as I enter the front door of my pack house.

Where are you? I shoot down the mindlink to Milo. Where are you? Why are you ignoring me? Did I mean fucking nothing to you? I dare you to tell me what's been going on, tell me to my face that I'm not good enough for you. That I will never be good enough. Don't be a coward now. I want to hear you say it.

My nostrils flare as I storm through the kitchen. I feel two people right behind me but I don't dare glance over my shoulder. My fingers begin to itch and I know that if I don't calm down, I'm going to shred my skin and shift into my new form.

That fucking beast that will find Henry and rip him limb from limb.

"Nate," Elin's voice floats through the kitchen. "What's happened?"

My fists ball at my sides, digging my fingers deep into my palms but it relieves nothing. I want to punch a fucking wall, tear down a building, end Henry's pathetic life.

"Talk to us," Zade encourages.

"Who is Henry?"

My voice is so dark and sinister that I barely recognise it.

"What?"

I whip my head towards them and flick between their concerned expressions. "Who the fuck is Henry?"

Elin glances at Zade and I hate the way he looks at his mate. As if he already knows. It churns my stomach but I keep my inevitable bile down. I'm too angry to show any other emotions right now.

"Henry..." Elin trails off after he meets my gaze again. "He's part of Keanu's pack."

My eye twitches. "You know him?"

Zade nods when Elin doesn't answer. "At parties, yeah. He's always there."

"Did Milo fuck him?"

"I don't think he did the other night," Elin says quickly. "We didn't see him with anyone."

I tighten my fists even more, my hands shake. "Before?"

"Nate–"

"Did Milo fuck him before?" I shout.

Zade closes his eyes and exhales a breath. "Yeah. He did."

I laugh sourly and shake my head to the ceiling. "Perfect."

"What happened? Where have you been?" Elin takes a step closer.

"I went to see Apollo," I say through burning eyes. "He told me Milo left the party with Henry and that I won't ever be good enough for him."

Elin's face scrunches up. "Fuck Apollo," he grumbles. "He has no idea what he's talking about. He doesn't know you guys together."

"He didn't even know that I was Milo's mate," I scoff frustratedly. "I thought they were friends."

Zade shakes his head. "Not that kind of friend. I doubt he told him because he moved on from that life. Don't think too deep, Nate. Have you heard from him?"

"No."

I turn around and face the window, looking out at the trees. "No one has heard from him?"

"No." I say again. "But that's why I need you to tell me where Keanu's pack house is so I can find Henry and fucking destroy him for even touching Milo. I don't want anyone finding out about this. I don't want anyone fucking knowing anything."

"Are you going to kill him?"

I shrug. "Maybe."

"Nate–"

"Don't you dare, 'Nate', me." I spit in their direction. "I don't expect you to understand what the fuck I'm going through. But my mate is nowhere to be seen, he could have spent the night with a hundred different men but if Apollo says he left with Henry, then I'm going to get answers."

Elin merely nods. "Alright," he huffs. "Leon will have it in his office."

♥

I head over to Keanu's pack house twenty minutes later. I don't waste a second. I have to find out all my answers before I end up pulling my hair out from distress. My wolf has been sulking these last couple days.

Even if Milo could have done things to hurt us, he still wants him.

All of him. And as much as my heart has been shattering, I still want to know that he's okay even if he's ignoring me on purpose. I won't be able to rest until I know where he is.

If Everett and Reign haven't heard from him either–that's something else to worry about.

As I approach the house the guards stop me on the way in. "Name," he shouts. "Who are you here to see?"

"I'm here to see Henry," I mumble, his name like poison on my tongue. "Say that Nate is here to see him. Milo's mate."

The guard tilts his head but doesn't ask anymore questions. I spot the doors to the pack house open and someone walks outside. I squint to get a better look. Mousey brown hair, slim figure, small. I turn my nose up at the sight of him.

He was there. The night of the committee gathering. He was the asshole who was all over Milo like a fucking rash.

When he approaches the gates and the guards open them, he steps closer to me. "Oh well, isn't this a nice surprise?" He drawls. "I was wondering when you'd show up and play the jealous mate."

I flick my eyes between his rapidly. "When you're the one who is desperate for someone who has a mate?"

The corner of his mouth flicks. "Let's take a walk."

So I can slash your throat in private? "Gladly."

We move away from the guards and head down the street and into a private road. "What the fuck is your obsession with my mate?" I spit at him.

He sighs. "Milo is one of a kind."

"I know," I growl. "He's mine."

"Is he?"

My fists tighten but I tell myself not to act out now, not before I've got my answers. The violence can wait until I've got what I need. "Yes and you know it."

Henry glances ahead and then up at the sky. "I didn't quite get him where I wanted him," he huffs sadly. "After I had him once, I just had to have him again. So beautiful, perfect skin. I love his mouth."

I suck down a breath and tell myself to keep calm. "After you forced him to go home with you?"

"I never forced Milo to do anything," his eyes glitter in my direction when I face him. "He does it all on his free will."

The next thing I know, I've backed him into the nearest tree with force. Either his back cracked or the bark. "Don't you fucking dare," I snarl. "Milo wanted to get the fuck away from you at the committee gathering, what makes you think I believe he wanted to go with you at the party?"

Henry's eyes move quickly. "Because he wants me."

"No he fucking doesn't," my nose twitches in frustration. "He's never wanted you."

His eyes are struck with pain from my words and he narrows them towards me. As he's silent for a few moments, a quiet sigh escapes his lips. When he presses his back into the tree, his head falls. "I don't know what the fuck you've done to him, you've corrupted him. He used to be fun, he used to stay up all night. I loved watching him fuck, even if it made me jealous."

My stomach rolls with envy but I ignore it for the sake of the conversation.

"He's the only person I want. The only person I'll ever want. Yet all he wants is you," he whispers sadly. "He couldn't stop talking about you, murmuring things about you. I wanted him to want me."

My throat constricts at his words and I suppress a growl that crawls into my mouth.

"No one will compare, so what's the point if I can't truly have him?"

The tone of his voice is off and I pull back slightly. "What did you do to him?"

Henry's smile increases and it's a look of the devil. Evil. Absolute evil. "If I can't have him, no one can. Including you."

I fist his shirt and slam him into the tree that it definitely cracks this time. My fists are so tight that my knuckles begin to bleed with white. "Where the fuck is he?!"

He opens his mouth and exhales a laugh. "You won't find him."

My fist pulls back and I punch him without hesitation. Oh God. Oh God.

Milo's not been responding to me because this sick fuck did something to him. My entire body shakes because I've been wasting time moping when I could have been helping him. Fuck. FUCK.

How have I let my own bad thoughts cloud his? I didn't even give him the benefit of the doubt. I despise myself.

Dark blood drips down Henry's lip as he continues to laugh. Delusional. Fucking delusional. "Tell me where the fuck he is!"

When he says nothing more, I punch him twice as hard. Henry's laughter subsides as he registers my strength compared to him. I could snap him in two like a twig if I wanted but that won't tell me where Milo is.

The bond inside me is still alive–barely. He's not dead. Is he?

No no no no no. This is not happening. This is not fucking happening.

Henry begins choking on his own blood as it drips from both nostrils and his mouth.

"Where is my mate?" I shout so loudly that my own eardrums almost burst.

He gasps as I punch him over and over, shoving him into the tree until I release his shirt and he falls down onto the ground. My chest heaves rapidly and I know my beast is seconds away from bursting at the seams.

I kick my foot into his stomach and he gargles out in pain. "Tell me!" I grab his shirt and pull him up to my face. "Tell me or you will fucking regret it."

Henry's face is barely recognisable now. His lips part but nothing of worth comes out. I'm running out of patience. Too desperate to find my mate and make sure that he's okay, whatever the hell he's done to him.

After a few moments he murmurs a specific location. A place I've never heard of. He could be lying but if I don't check it out, I could regret it for the rest of my life. His head slumps to the floor and I know if I hit him again, I'll kill him. But I tell myself not to, in case he's lying and then I won't ever find him.

"I swear to God, if you've hurt him. I'll come back and finish the job before you can even get yourself off the ground." I snarl at him, his eyes struggling to open.

I take off without another thought, his blood dripping down my fists and smeared across my shirt. I run as fast as I can, ignoring my hammering heart at the possibilities of Milo's fate. All I can think about is getting there as soon as I can.

His life could be on the line. And I can't live without him.

As I reach the location Henry told me, I run into the open clearing and glance around. I twist and I twist but find nothing. I run my fingers through my hair and start panting.

"Milo?" I call desperately.

I'm met with silence. I can't see anything for miles. Where on earth could he be? His scent lingers in the air but it's distant.

"MILO!"

Fuck. Fuck. My breathing quickens and I tell myself to stop panicking. I flick my eyes to the trees, the bushes, the rocks. But still nothing. I glance down at the floor and I take a step backwards.

My brows crease when I see grass covering every inch of the clearing but up ahead is a patch that is purely dirt instead. As if someone has...

"No," I heave and run over to the spot. I drop to my knees before the patch of dirt. "No no no no no no."

I dig my fingers into the dirt and begin to claw and claw at the hardened soil as quickly as I can. My arms burn from the angle but I'm determined. I'm determined to get to him if he's down there.

My throat tenses. If I get to him in time.

♥ ♥ ♥

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Author's Note

AHHHH Nate finally came to his senses!!!

Do you think he's going to get to Milo in time???🥺💔😭😭😭

What did you guys think of this chapter?👉🏼

Ugh. It's heart wrenching. Seeing Nate go protective mate mode against Henry was everything. If only he put his own feelings to the side for second to consider where Milo could be/be hurt but I know how insecure Nate is, this situation wasn't easy and he's an overthinker too.

Don't forget to vote and comment, it makes my day!✨

Love Savanna x

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