Alisha's POV
Coming back to Blood Dawn for the second time, my feelings were completely different than before. The last time, I was forced to accompany Archie here, and I encountered danger because of some rogues. It was thanks to Louie's timely rescue that I managed to leave the Dark Forest alive.
Reflecting on it now, every time I faced danger, Archie wasn't by my side. In reality, I should have seen my place in his heart clearly. I foolishly held onto the illusion of this marriage, believing that patience and love could win him over, hoping that someday he would fall in love with me. But after two years, all I got was a heart as lifeless as ashes.
In his eyes, anyone or anything else was more important than me; I was merely a burden to him. It is a pity I didn't realize this reality sooner, wasting my emotions and Magaly's life.
Thinking about all this, my mood indeed soured. Gray seemed to notice and gently patted my shoulder, saying, "Forget about the unhappy things from before, Alisha. You're free now."
Louie added, "Yeah, Alisha, forget the past and look ahead. Moon Goodness surely has a better new life prepared for you!" Then, glancing at Gray, he joked, "Don't worry, even if an unexpected event like last time happened again in Blood Dawn, I managed to save you last time, so I will still protect you this time. You don't need to fear when I am around."
Gray raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "Hey, while I appreciate your willingness to accompany Alisha here, remember your manners in front of the Alpha of Blood Dawn. I won't let Alisha face any harm. She is safest here at Blood Dawn! Moreover, during the last incident, if it hadn't been for my warriors arriving in time to help you fight the rogues, you might have been torn to pieces, feeding the Dark Forest."
Listening to Gray and Louie teasingly bicker, I knew they were trying to lighten my mood, to make me feel happy. Sensing their care, I felt a warm rush within me. They were right—I should forget the past and start anew, embracing the life that's meant for me. So, I smiled and nodded at them before stepping into the Dark Forest once again.
Archie's POV
I feel drowning in a wave of self-blame and guilt. I could even sense how desperate Alisha must have been back then—her life hanging by a thread, yet the doctor who could save her was commanded by her own husband to refuse. I was furious with myself, consumed by regret. I punched the wall with such force that it cracked and the room trembled; the upper floor even began to shake.
"Archie, calm down. Although I agree that you have really crossed a line this time, even if you demolish the whole house, it won't change anything. The priority is to find Alisha, apologize to her, and seek her forgiveness," my wolf reminded me.
I took a few deep breaths, heavily panting. Then, forcing myself to calm down, I started to think about how to contact Alisha. Even though I knew the quickest way would be to ask Louie or Gray—they must be with Alisha or know her whereabouts for sure—for some reason, I just didn't want to do that.
However, my wolf was clearly displeased about it. "Archie, it's about time. Can't you set aside your useless pride and arrogance? Find Alisha first!"
"Without them, I can still find Alisha!"
"Humph, your confidence is admirable. But let me remind you, there is another possibility. Maybe by the time you spend a lot of time finding her, she will already be with someone else. Your mate will become someone else's wife!"
Hearing that, I instantly flared up, "She is mine! Who dares to take her away!"
"Then don't waste time! Go find her!"
I paced anxiously in place, then through mindlink, asked Brad, "Have you found out where they went?"
Brad replied, "Sorry, Alpha, I don't have any information on that."
Then I asked the witch doctor, he answered, "Who? Sorry, alpha, I have no idea who you are referring to."
I patiently explained, "Those two man with Alisha!"
"Uh, um, I am not sure about that. In fact, I didn't stay long. They mostly stayed in the room with Luna. Perhaps to let her rest, they rarely talked or made noise. They even left their injuries untreated."
Learning this, I felt utterly disheartened. Should I really ask Louie about Alisha's whereabouts? Just then, Brad informed me through mindlink again, "Alpha, I remembered something. Omega Mireya called me earlier, saying she had something important to report to you. But previously, you declined to talk to her. Perhaps now you could ask Mireya, after all, she is Lu… Alisha's maid."
Hearing this, I felt a glimmer of hope and immediately asked Mireya, "Do you know where Alisha went?"
"Sorry, Alpha, I... I'm not sure. When Luna woke up, she said she wanted to leave. Because her previous clothes were soaked in blood, I prepared new clothes for her. Um, she... she said she wanted black ones. After changing, she went downstairs and left, meeting you."
I wasn't satisfied with this answer. Alisha still didn't say where she was going. But I casually asked, "Does she like black? Why would she choose black clothes?" I realized I hadn't been caring enough about her; I didn't even know her favorite color. But from what I remembered, she always seemed cheerful and smiled a lot. She should like bright colors. Why would she pick black clothes?
Thinking back to her wearing black clothes and her resolute rejection of me, I felt resistant. After I got her back, I would buy her clothes in vibrant colors.
Mireya spoke up, "Perhaps it's for mourning. After all, Luna lost someone very important."
I froze for a moment, blinked in confusion, and asked, feeling a sudden panic, "What did you say?"
"Alpha, I mean, Luna chose black probably for mourning. She cried so sadly and miserably, it must have been for someone very important to her."
Hearing this, my heart tightened. Nervously, I asked, "Who is she mourning for?"
"I'm not sure either. An elderly she-wolf came here in a bad state, so Luna wanted the doctor to treat her."
I recalled Brad's initial report mentioning an old she-wolf with Alisha. Who could she be?
I had an answer in my heart, but I hoped it was wrong, because if my guess was right, there would be no chance for Alisha and me to get back together again.