Kade's POV
I woke up with sunlight streaming through my window, feeling like I'd been trampled by a herd of horses. My whole body ached, and my head was pounding. The transformation last night had been particularly brutal, and I could see the evidence of it scattered around my destroyed room.
But something felt wrong. Usually, when I woke up after an episode like that, Ivy would be there. She'd bring me water, make sure I ate something, help me piece together what had happened. Today, my room was empty except for the wreckage.
"Ivy?" I called out, my voice hoarse.
No answer.
I sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in my muscles. Maybe she was just giving me space to recover. But as the minutes ticked by and she still didn't appear, worry started gnawing at my stomach.
After getting dressed and trying to make myself somewhat presentable, I decided to go look for her. It wasn't like Ivy to disappear for hours without checking on me, especially after a full moon transformation.
I walked through the castle corridors, hoping to spot her familiar figure. When I didn't see her in any of the usual places, I approached one of the cleaning maids.
"Excuse me," I said, making the young woman jump slightly.
"Your Highness!" she said, dropping into a quick curtsy.
"Have you seen Princess Ivy today?"
The maid nodded eagerly. "Yes, Your Highness. I saw her about five hours ago."
Five hours? That meant she'd been gone since early morning.
"Where did you see her?" I asked.
"She was asking about her personal maid, Your Highness. She seemed quite worried about her."
"Her maid? You mean Pamela?"
She nodded.
"Thank you," I said to the maid before hurrying toward Ivy's chambers.
When I reached her room, I knocked on the door. "Ivy? Are you in there?"
Silence.
I tried the handle and found the door unlocked. Inside, everything looked normal. Her bed was made, her belongings were in their usual places, but there was no sign of her.
My worry was starting to turn into panic. This wasn't right. Ivy wouldn't just disappear without telling someone where she was going, especially not for five hours.
I began searching the castle more thoroughly, checking every room, every corridor, every possible place she might be. The library, the gardens, the kitchens, the healing chambers – she was nowhere to be found.
"Guards!" I called out as I reached the main courtyard.
Several of my men came running immediately.
"Your Highness, what's wrong?" asked Simon.
"I need you to search the entire castle grounds for Princess Ivy and her maid," I said, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. "Check every room, every garden, every hiding spot. They've been missing for hours."
"Right away, Your Highness," Simon replied, already signaling to the other guards.
I watched as my men spread out across the castle, calling Ivy's name, checking behind every door and around every corner. Minutes felt like hours as I waited for someone to shout that they'd found her.
But no one did.
After what felt like an eternity, Simon approached me, his face grim.
"Your Highness, we've searched everywhere. Princess Ivy and her maid are not on the castle grounds."
The words hit me like a physical blow. Not on the grounds. That meant she was somewhere else entirely. But where? And why?
"Thank you, Simon," I said, my mind racing. "Continue searching the surrounding areas."
I had to tell Father. If Ivy had left the castle grounds, this was serious. My gut was telling me something terrible had happened.
I found Father in his private study, going over some documents with his advisors.
"Father, I need to speak with you immediately," I said, not caring that I was interrupting an important meeting.
He looked up, probably ready to scold me for my rudeness, but when he saw my face, his expression changed.
"Everyone out," he said to his advisors. "Now."
When we were alone, I didn't waste any time.
"Ivy is missing," I said bluntly. "She's been gone for at least five hours, maybe longer. I've had the guards search everywhere. She's not in the castle or on the grounds."
Father leaned back in his chair, processing this information. "Are you certain she didn't just go for a walk? Or perhaps she went to visit someone in the village?"
"Father, you know Ivy better than that," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "She doesn't just disappear without telling anyone. And her maid is missing too."
"Her maid?"
"Someone said she was looking for her maid this morning, asking everyone if they'd seen her. Then both of them vanished."
Father was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Perhaps they went somewhere together. Young women sometimes need time away from the castle."
"No," I said firmly. "Something is wrong. I can feel it. Ivy would never leave without telling me, especially after last night's transformation. She always stays close to make sure I'm recovering properly."
"Kade, you might be jumping to conclusions—"
"I'm not jumping to conclusions!" I interrupted. "Father, I know something terrible has happened. I need your permission to take some guards and search beyond our borders. If someone has taken her, they might have headed toward the Northern Pack."
Father's eyebrows rose. "You think North is involved?"
"I don't know, but it's the most likely place to start. Darius was here during the ceremony. He could have—"
"That's a serious accusation, Kade."
"And this is a serious situation!" I was practically shouting now. "Ivy is in danger. I can feel it. Please, Father, let me go look for her."
Father studied my face for a long moment. I could see him weighing the political implications against my obvious desperation.
"She might just be out somewhere with her maid," he said finally. "Having some time to herself, perhaps shopping in the market or enjoying the fresh air."
I wanted to scream. How could he not understand? Ivy wasn't the type of person to disappear for fun. She was responsible, careful, always thinking about others before herself.
"Father, I know Ivy. She wouldn't be missing for five hours if something wasn't seriously wrong."
Before he could argue further, I turned and headed for the door. "I'm gathering my soldiers whether you give permission or not."
"Kade—"
But I was already gone, racing through the corridors toward the training grounds where my men would be assembled.
When I reached the courtyard, I could see my soldiers gathered in formation, ready for orders. But something was wrong. Instead of standing at attention, they were clustered together, their voices raised in what sounded like urgent conversation.
"What's going on here?" I called out as I approached.
The talking stopped immediately, and all eyes turned to me. I could see concern written on every face.
"Silence!" I commanded, though they were already quiet. "What has you all so distracted?"
One of the younger soldiers stepped forward, pointing toward the center of the training field.
"Your Highness, we found something strange."
I followed his gaze and saw what had captured their attention. In the middle of the field lay a dead bird – a crow, by the looks of it. That wasn't necessarily unusual, but something about the way my men were staring at it made me approach for a closer look.
As I got nearer, I could see there was something tied to the bird's leg. A small piece of parchment, secured with thin string.
My heart started pounding as I knelt down and carefully untied the note. My hands were shaking as I unfolded it, and what I read made my blood run cold:
Prince Kade,
Your precious princess is safe for now, but not for long. Alpha Darius has taken what belongs to him. If you want to see her alive again, you'll need to move quickly.
A concerned friend
The note crumpled in my fist as rage flooded through me. Darius. I'd known it. I'd felt in my gut that something was wrong, and now I had proof.
He had Ivy.