Derek's POV
I looked at Rolf, hoping he'd bring me some good news.
But he avoided my gaze, looking awkward.
My heart sank.
He said, "Alpha Derek, the Omega in charge of procurement found Kyrian near the park all by himself. No sign of Tabitha."
Bring that Omega to me," I said, frowning.
Soon, the Omega arrived at the packhouse.
"Please walk us through what happened," Alvin piped up, his tone gentle.
The Omega quickly recounted how she found Kyrian.
"So, you didn't see anyone else besides Kyrian?" I couldn't help but ask.
"No, when we found him, he was bawling his eyes out, with a helium balloon in his hand. Oh, and he kept calling Mommy."
Mommy?
Kyrian never called Daphne Mommy, so he must've been calling for Tabitha.
Just then, Alvin also stepped forward and whispered in my ear, "Alpha Derek, I asked around. And it was Ms. Hartley who brought Kyrian back. She deliberately left him where our pack's Omega would find him during procurement."
"Besides her, were there any other people?" I asked.
"No." He shook his head.
"Keep digging," I ordered.
This was getting weirder. Was it like Daphne said, that Tabitha had someone snatch Kyrian on purpose?
But if she wanted to blackmail me, why would she send him back without making any demands?
I quickly dismissed the idea when I saw Kyrian still wearing the scarf he received from Tabitha.
She could've harmed Kyrian that night, and there was no need to have someone take him away.
So it wasn't her.
So, why didn't the kidnappers who took Kyrian harm him or her?
I couldn't figure it out no matter what, so I decided to call Tabitha.
But she had turned off her phone.
I wondered, 'What on earth is she up to?'
Kyrian kept crying, calling for Mommy.
I comforted him for a while before finally stopping his crying.
I then had Rolf send guards to check Tabitha's old apartment and the Silver Moon Pack. See if she was there.
But Rolf's mind-link soon informed me Tabitha hadn't gone to either place.
She hadn't even contacted Gloria. Oddly, she withdrew some cash just now.
Was she threatened?
Did she make an agreement with someone privately?
But the cash was only a hundred grand.
What kind of kidnapper asked for only that much for a billionaire's son?
I was more inclined to believe Tabitha was planning to run.
And she chose a bank in the city south. Clearly, she just didn't want anyone to find out.
She must've been planning something.
"That damn woman is planning to escape again. I should've chained her up!" I couldn't help but complain to Leo in my mind.
Leo grumbled in dissatisfaction.
Regardless of Leo's complaints, I ordered seriously, "Send someone to guard the streets in the city south. If you spot her, mind-link me immediately."
I handed Kyrian over to Alvin and instructed, "Take good care of him."
"Alpha Derek, you haven't recovered yet. Where are you going?" Alvin asked hastily.
I grabbed my jacket and rushed out, saying, "I'm going to catch that reckless woman!"
Leaving the Black Thorn Pack, I stood in the bustling street.
Through Alvin's investigation, I knew Tabitha wasn't coerced.
Soon, a pack member mind-linked me, saying that he saw Tabitha heading to the largest shopping mall in the south.
No kidnapper would allow the hostage to leisurely go shopping like this.
And Kyrian seemed well-fed and in good spirits, not as sickly as before.
I felt he'd been living pretty well these past few days.
Alvin's voice resonated in my mind through mind-link.
His tone was relaxed. "Alpha Derek, we've checked. Tabitha hasn't bought any tickets for transportation. Maybe you're overthinking it? Perhaps she just wants to go shopping."
I lit a cigarette, my arm resting on the window. As I watched the smoke curl up, my thoughts drifted with it.
"Will you go shopping with a hundred grand in cash?" I asked. "From her leaving Kyrian where our Omega would find him to paying in cash, it all points to one thing—she's avoiding me."
Leo roared in my mind, and I could feel his unease and anger.
"Why is she avoiding us?" he howled.
I took a deep drag, then slowly exhaled, the smoke quickly dissipating in the cold air.
"I don't know, but I have to find her," I said.
Alvin continued over mind-link, "We've sent people to search the shopping mall. We'll find Tabitha soon, and then you can ask her any questions."
The cigarette was nearly burnt out, only three centimeters away from my fingertips, a very dangerous distance.
I flicked away the ash, anger and anxiety burning within me.
"Notify me immediately when you find her," I commanded.
The thought of Tabitha trying to run away again filled me with rage.
'Wanna run away? Nice try.' I thought to myself.