Mute

Chapter 41

Caspian’s POV

I slammed my fist into the punching bag, sending it swinging wildly on its chain. Sweat poured down my face, but it did nothing to cool the fire burning inside me. This was supposed to be my honeymoon, yet here I was, a storm of rage and frustration, unable to think of anything but Aria. Her rejection had been a cold, hard slap, and I deserved every bit of it. But the thought of her out there, possibly in danger, gnawed at me relentlessly.

“Harder!” I barked at one of the trainces, who was already struggling under the weight of his sword. “Put your back into it, or do you want to be easy prey for rogues?”

The young man grunted with effort, his face pale. “Yes, Alpha.”

I paced the training ground, my eyes scanning the men sparring and lifting weights. None of them dared to meet my gaze. I knew I was being harsher than usual, but I couldn’t stop myself. Every punch, every command was an outlet for my frustration and worry.

Where are you, Aria?

I had sent men to the resort to check on her. All they had found was Lena, her friend, who was just as worried as I was. “She hasn’t come back,” Lena had said, her eyes wide with fear. “I don’t know where she is.”

Her words echoed in my mind, a constant reminder of my failure to protect the one I loved.

“Alpha, it’s our day off,” one of the men dared to speak up, his voice hesitant. “We-”

I rounded on him, my eyes blazing. “Do you think rogues take a day off? Do you think danger waits for a convenient time to strike? Keep training, or get out of my sight!”

The man paled and quickly resumed his exercises. I clenched my fists, trying to control the anger boiling inside me. This wasn’t their fault. It was mine. All mine.

“Again!” I shouted, watching as the men resumed their drills with renewed vigor. “If you’re not dead tired by the end of this, you haven’t worked hard enough.”

The image of Aria’s face, the pain and defiance in her eyes as she told me off, haunted me. Now, I truly understood the depth of her suffering, the betrayal she must have felt. And yet, even as I accepted my punishment, the worry gnawed at me. Every time I let her go, she ended up in danger. I couldn’t bear the thought of her hurt or worse because of my failures.

“Focus!” I roared, noticing one of the men faltering. “You think the enemy will wait for you to catch your breath? They won’t! They’ll tear you apart!”

The man nodded, his face set with determination. I turned away, my chest heaving. I had to find Aria. I had to make sure she was safe. Nothing else mattered.

“Alpha,” Elijah approached, his expression cautious. “We’re doing our best to find her, but we need more time. Pushing the men this hard won’t help.”

I glared at him, my frustration barely contained. “We don’t have time, Elijah. She’s out there, alone. I can’t just sit and wait.”

Elijah nodded, his eyes full of understanding. “We’ll find her, Caspian. But for now, you need to keep your head. The men look up to you. They need your strength, not your anger.”

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III

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Chapter 41

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. He was right. I needed to be strong, not just for myself, but for my pack. For Aria.

“Alright.” I said, my voice steadying. “Let’s find her. And when we do, I’ll make sure nothing ever happens to her again.”

Elijah nodded and went back to organize the search. I resumed the training, pushing the men hard, but with a clearer focus.

Suddenly, I caught sight of a small wolf running towards the training ground, its fur matted and stained with dirt. My heart s**d a beat. It was Aria’s woll.

“Arial” I screamed, recognizing her instantly. My legs moved before my mind could fully process, sprinting towards her with my heart pounding in my chest. She shifted back into her human form as she approached, her body covered in mud and her clothes torn. She looked bone-tired, her eyes wide with fear and exhaustion. Barefooted and disheveled, she looked like she had been running for her life through the forest.

“Aria!” I yelled again, but she collapsed before she could reach me. I dove to her side, scooping her up in my arms. “What happened? Where were you?” My voice was frantic, my fear for her overwhelming.

She weakly lifted her hands, signing with trembling fingers. Rogues… rogues!

I barely had time to process her words before she passed out, her body going limp in my arms. “No, no, no, stay with me,” I begged, shaking her gently, but she was already unconscious, worn out from the ordeal.

“Elijah! Get help!” I bellowed, my voice breaking with panic. Elijah and a few others rushed over, their faces mirroring my own fear.

“We need to get her to the infirmary, now!” Elijah commanded, taking charge. I didn’t need to be told twice. I lifted Aria, holding her close as I ran towards the infirmary, my mind racing with thoughts of the rogues she had mentioned.

How could I have let this happen? How could I have let her go off alone?

“Clear the way!” Elijah shouted, clearing a path through the pack members who had gathered, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern.

I kicked open the door to the infirmary, laying Aria gently on one of the beds. The healer rushed over, her face grim as she began to examine Aria’s injuries.

“She mentioned rogues,” I said, my voice trembling with urgency. “She was running from rogues.”

The healer nodded, her hands moving deftly as she worked. “We’ll take care of her, Alpha. You need to focus on the rogues. If she’s right, they could be close.”

I forced myself to take a step back, my mind racing. “Elijah, organize a search party. We need to find these rogues and eliminate them. No one harms my pack and gets away with it.”

Elijah nodded, already moving to carry out my orders. I turned back to Aria, her face pale and serene in unconsciousness. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I promise I’ll protect you. I won’t let them hurt you again.”

As the healer worked, I could only stand by helplessly, my heart aching with guilt an

d fear. I had to find these rogues. I had to make sure Aria was safe.

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