Annoyance flickers across her features, but she complies, quickly dialing a number on the phone. She conveys our presence to the person on the other end. 'There's a very rude man with two others here who insist on speaking with you immediately,' she announces to the receiver.
Her hand momentarily covers the phone's speaker as she redirects her attention to me. 'What is your name?' She asks, annoyed.
I provide my identity without hesitation. 'It's Alpha Ryker,' I declare.
The woman communicates our presence. 'Alpha Ryker, sir... Yes, okay. I will send them in,’ she conveys into the phone before placing it back onto the cradle. Rising from her seat, she gestures for us to follow her. 'Please, follow me,' she says, her demeanour shifting to that of an escort.
We obediently trail behind her. As she leads us to the middle door, located a few meters behind her desk, she opens it, ushering us inside.
As I stride into the room, Alpha Zenith sits regally in a large chair behind his imposing desk. Beside him are two men.
'Alpha Ryker, what a surprise to see you here,' Zenith greets me with a seemingly genial smile. 'Please, sit,' he offers, gesturing toward the chairs before him.
I dismiss his offer with a curt shake of my head. 'No, we will stay standing,' I respond tersely. 'Now, where is she?' I demand.
Zenith feigns ignorance. 'Where is who?' He inquires with practised daftness.
I decide to cut to the chase. My hand delves into my pocket, retrieving the card I found in Astrid's room. With a forceful motion, I slam it down onto Zenith's desk, the object of our inquiry taking centre stage. 'My mate, Astrid. I know she was here. We can smell her scent,' I declare firmly, my eyes locked onto Zenith's.
For a moment, Zenith appears momentarily stunned. His gaze fixated on the business card he had personally given to Astrid. I capitalize on the silence, elaborating on my findings. 'I found this card in her room after she ran away,' I inform him, my tone uncompromising.
Zenith concedes the truth, albeit reluctantly. 'Yes, she was here,' he admits with a sigh. 'She asked for a few days' work so she could have enough money to skip town. I never questioned her reasons. I just saw a young lass needing help, so I helped her. I gave her a job, then paid her cash after a few days, and she left,' he recounts.
'You're lying!' My frustration seeps into my words.
Zenith raises his hands in a placating gesture. 'Look, believe me, or don't believe me. I really don't care,' he declares, his composure unbroken. 'I don't know why you are bothering to find her. If she doesn't want to be with you, then maybe you should let her be,' he suggests, his voice tinged with detachment.
My anger boils over as I reveal a critical detail. 'Astrid only left because some of your old pack members threatened to kill her if she didn't leave!' I shout, determined to expose the truth.
Zenith maintains a stoic facade, but the two men by his side exchange a worried glance, their expressions betraying their unease.
'And which old members would they be?' Zenith inquires, his voice calm.
'Alice and Vanessa,' I respond. 'But not to worry, they are currently locked up, waiting for their punishment,' I add, hinting at the consequences that await them.
The two men share another apprehensive look before redirecting their glares at me. Zenith, on the other hand, presses for further information. 'And what will their punishment be?' He questions, his voice remaining composed.
I decide to play my hand carefully, dissembling my true intentions. 'I will most likely have them all killed and their heads ripped off for threatening my Luna and my mate,' I declare with false intent, meant to provoke a reaction.
Zenith's features tighten for a fleeting moment, his fists clenching involuntarily in response to my fabricated threat. 'I see,' he says as he works to conceal his true underlining emotions in check.
'I suppose you haven't seen my missing beta, Seth, either?' I ask, though my voice carries a thread of skepticism. The air in the room carries faint traces of Seth's scent, an undeniable clue that he has crossed paths with Zenith's pack.
'No, we haven't, but I will let you know if Astrid contacts me in the future if you'd like?' Zenith replies, his words seemingly accommodating but his demeanour poised for evasion.
My eyes narrow, and I offer no pretense of being satisfied with his response. 'I would appreciate that,' I retort. My attention then shifts to the two men standing at Zenith's side. 'Is this your beta and gamma?' I question, seeking to identify the individuals before me.
Zenith introduces them. 'These are my sons, James, the future Alpha of Shady Crest, and John,' he declares.
James meets my gaze with a hateful glare, his enmity toward me transparent. His burning hostility hints at a deep-seated desire for vengeance. In stark contrast, John wears a sinister smirk that suggests a hidden agenda lurking beneath the surface.
‘I'm sure we will be seeing each other again soon,' I say knowingly, turning away from the trio and striding out of the room, not bothering to invite a farewell. Kane and Leon follow closely behind, their expressions reflecting concern.
Emerging from the elevator into the building's parking lot, I can no longer contain my frustration. 'He is lying,' I state adamantly.
Kane agrees without thought. 'We figured as much.'
I emphasize the significance of the evidence before us. 'I could smell Seth's scent. He has also been here,' I assert.
Leon nods. 'What's our next move, then?' He inquires, his gaze fixed on me.
'Let's get back to our packhouse and formulate a plan. We'll need all our warriors for this,' I tell them, my mind already abuzz with tactical considerations.
Kane starts the car, and we set off home to Shadow Crest with a fierce determination to reunite with Astrid and Seth.