Darian's POV
When I started perceiving the scent of werewolves around the area, firstly I thought that it was another group of rogues, but the issue was that the scent was different from that of rogues, which literally means that it wasn't rogues but instead another group of werewolves. As these thoughts were running through my mind, I saw the arrows coming in our direction, but I was fast to dodge, contrary to my men who got hit by the arrow. When the werewolves surrounded me and I raised my head and saw their Alpha, my heart skipped immediately.
"Ciara," I called out to her in an undertone with a surprised tone.
"Yes, it's me, Darian. Surprised to see me, huh?" She asked me while grinning ear to ear, but I remained silent while staring at her utter disbelief.
"Lower your weapons; he's a guest of honor, and take his men to the healer before the poison on the arrows starts affecting them," she said to her men. Without hesitating, they lowered their weapons before helping my men, who were groaning in pain, stand up, and with that, they started leaving with them. Afterwards, she stretched her hand to me and, taking hold of it, drew me up.
"How come you are still alive, Ciara?" Everyone thought you were dead," I said to her as she was leading me to her chamber, and immediately she chuckled lightly before turning her gaze towards me.
"Because you didn't agree to help us when we were attacked by rogues doesn't mean that I will be dead," she said to me while peering into my eyeballs.
"You know that's not true, Ciara; your mate rebelled against the Alpha Council, and you clearly know the rules; we aren't allowed to offer assistance to rebellious packs unless we want to become enemies with the Alpha Council, I said to her, and immediately she shook her head in disbelief.
"I can't believe that someone as strong as you are can allow himself to be controlled by some cunning individuals who call themselves supreme Alphas," she said to me, but I remained silent while following her from behind. I knew she was inciting me to rebel against the Alpha council, and that was the last thing I was ever going to do; no one has done that and gone scot-free.
"So tell me, Darian, what brought you to the forest?" Let me guess you are looking for your mate," she said to me.
"Seems like the rumors have reached you too," I said to her, and immediately she chuckled lightly at me before sitting down, and afterwards she pointed at one of the chairs, signaling me to sit down.
"Actually, Darian, the rumors didn't reach here; she has been with me for the past month," she said to me, and immediately I jerked up from the wooden chair where I was sitting.
"Really? Please, where is she? I asked her with an urgent tone, and immediately her facial expressions changed. I could clearly see the disappointment written all over her face as she kept glaring daggers at me.
"What makes you think that I'm going to tell you where she is? So that you can go and find her and take her back to your palace and finish what you started, right?" She asked me, her eyes boring into me with an icy glare, but I remained silent, knowing that I was guilty, so it was of no use trying to justify myself, and even if I tried, was there a valid reason to justify my unjust treatment towards Elena?
"I have heard many things about you in these past years, but I never imagined that you would extend your heartlessness towards your mate," she said to me with an angry tone.
"But I never knew that she was my mate..."
"Shut up, Darian; shut the hell up; I'm still talking," she scolded me. Without uttering one more word, I returned to the chair and sat down. It has been decades since someone scolded me in such a manner, but I think I deserve it. Maybe if there was someone back then to scold me in such a manner, I wouldn't probably be out in the forest looking for my mate.
"Even if she wasn't your mate, at least she was carrying your Alpha pup; how could you be so heartless to someone carrying your unborn child?" She asked me, her voice raising in anger, but I remained silent while bending my head in grief.
"Let me go straight to the point, Darian; she's no longer here; she left yesterday after some rogues came looking for her," she said to me, and immediately I widened my eyes in surprise.
"What do you mean by some rogues coming here looking for her?" I asked her while getting up from the chair I was sitting on.
"Well, it seems like you aren't the only one looking for her after all," she said to me with a mockery tone.
"Please tell me where she went; I need to find her before the others," I said to her, and immediately she furrowed her brows at me.
"Who are the others, and why are they looking for her?" She asked me with an inquisitive look.
"Actually, it's the Alpha Council; they promised to give half of my pack to any of the Alphas who succeed in finding her," I said to her, and immediately she shook her head in disbelief.
"If I understand well, that's the main reason why you are out here; you don't want to share half of your pack with anyone, right?" She asked me, and immediately I glared angrily at her.
"That isn't the reason why I'm out here; I came here to find my mate and my son," I said to her, my voice filled with determination.
"I would have said that you were lying if I hadn't listened to your heartbeat while you were talking; you can't go after her by this time with only two men, mind you that they are wounded, and I can't also ask any of my men to follow you; I can't risk their lives because of your ignorance; so you have to wait first thing tomorrow morning; I will assign some of my men to you; they will help you in finding her," she said to me, and immediately I nodded in agreement.
"Thanks a lot, Alpha Ciara," I said to her, my voice filled with gratitude.
"Don't thank me yet, Darian; you better pray that nothing bad has happened to her; if not, have it in the back of your mind that you won't leave this forest alive as long as I'm alive." She threatened me before standing up and walking away, leaving me in my thoughts.