chapter 5

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a cold silver light over the Alpha King's palace as Lucian stormed into its grand halls. The heavy oak doors slammed shut behind him with a resounding boom, startling a pair of guards who quickly straightened their stances.

Lucian barely noticed them as he strode through the corridors, his cape billowing behind him like a dark storm cloud. Servants scattered out of his path, their heads bowed to avoid his seething glare.

In truth, Lucian didn't know why he was so angry. Maybe it was the pomp and pretense of the ball, the endless toasts to a wedding he had no say in. Maybe it was Olivia's thinly veiled attempts to control him. Or maybe, just maybe, it was the fact that Amily had disappeared without so much as a word.

By the time he reached his private chambers, his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. He slammed the door shut, the sound echoing through the quiet room.

"Your Majesty?"

Lucian turned sharply to see Edgar, his ever-unflappable butler, standing by the fireplace, a tray of tea in his hands.

"Edgar," Lucian growled, pacing across the room. "Don't tell me you've come to lecture me about my behavior tonight."

Edgar set the tray down on a side table, unbothered by his master's tone. "I wouldn't dream of it, sire. I merely thought you might benefit from a calming cup of tea."

Lucian stopped pacing long enough to glare at the butler. "Tea isn't going to fix this."

"Fix what, exactly?" Edgar asked, pouring a cup with his usual precision. "The ball is over, the wedding is set, and you've returned to your palace. Everything is proceeding as planned."

"That's the problem!" Lucian snapped. "Everything is proceeding as planned, but none of it is my plan. I'm being paraded around like a prize, expected to smile and nod while everyone else makes decisions for me."

Edgar handed him the cup, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to Lucian's frustration. "And yet, it wasn't the ball or the wedding announcement that set you off tonight, was it?"

Lucian froze, the cup halfway to his lips. He hated how well Edgar could read him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered, taking a sip of the tea.

Edgar gave him a knowing look. "You've been restless ever since you discovered Miss Amily had left the ball."

Lucian sighed, sinking into a nearby chair. "She's... different, Edgar. She doesn't care about titles or politics. She's honest, sharp, and unapologetically herself. And now she's gone, and I don't even know why it bothers me so much."

Edgar tilted his head slightly, his eyes thoughtful. "Perhaps because she represents something you lack in your current life. Freedom, perhaps? Or authenticity?"

Lucian frowned. "I'm the Alpha King. I'm supposed to be free. But nothing about this feels like freedom."

The butler folded his hands behind his back. "True freedom, sire, comes not from power but from choice. And it seems Miss Amily is someone who chooses her own path, regardless of expectations."

Lucian stared into his tea, his frustration simmering. "She didn't even say goodbye."

Edgar's lips twitched with the faintest hint of amusement. "Perhaps, sire, she expects you to follow her."

Lucian's head snapped up, his golden eyes narrowing. "You think she wants me to chase her?"

Edgar gave a small shrug. "Miss Amily strikes me as someone who doesn't do anything without reason. If she left so abruptly, she must have had her reasons. The question, sire, is whether or not you're willing to find out what they are."

Lucian leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. The idea of leaving his responsibilities, even briefly, seemed absurd. But the thought of never seeing Amily again gnawed at him, leaving a hollow ache he couldn't ignore.

Finally, he set the teacup down with a decisive clink. "Prepare a search party. Discreetly. I want to know where she's gone."

Edgar bowed, his expression as calm as ever. "As you wish, Your Majesty."