“The rope snapped.” Those three words came out of nowhere–but they hit like a bomb. Everyone froze.
I finally spoke, my voice tight. “What rope?”
“The one at the cliff. It snapped–and Blair’s gone!”
Shock slammed into us all at once, leaving our faces blank and disbelieving.
Lysander lunged forward and grabbed Finn by the collar, voice trembling. “What the hell did you just say?!”
His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his arms. He looked like he couldn’t bear to hear the answer.
Finn’s lips quivered. “It’s true. When we got there, the rope by the cliff had already broken. All we found… was her jacket.”
I rushed over and snatched the jacket from him. My knees nearly gave out.
It was Blair’s jacket.
The air turned to stone.
“Lysander… you didn’t have anyone untie her?” Orion asked, eyes wide.
Lysander’s face went pale. “I just got back from the hospital yesterday. I…”
He didn’t finish–but we all knew what he meant.
Ever since he got back, we’d all been focused on Carrie, worried about her condition and hovering over her every move.
Blair had always been invisible in the pack. No one even remembered she existed.
“Christian, are you okay?” Carrie’s voice came from behind me.
I didn’t answer or even look at her as I walked straight out the door, telling Finn to get the car ready for the cliff.
Carrie clearly hadn’t expected that and stumbled, falling to the floor.
But none of the others–Lysander, Orion, or Zayden–rushed to help her. They were all still stunned, completely shaken by the news of Blair’s disappearance.
One of the maids helped Carrie up. She looked like she was about to say something, face full of hurt, but the three men
barely spared her a glance before running out the door.
Night fell. The ocean wind howled violently along the cliffside.
I stood right at the edge, staring down at the torn rope and bloodstained rocks.
I tried to get closer–but Finn stopped me.
“Alpha, it’s too dangerous. The wind’s strong tonight.”
I ignored him and kept walking, stepping right up to the edge.
The darkness below was endless. All I could hear was the crashing of waves slamming against the cliffs.
Chapter 10
8.70%
“Alpha, I’ve already contacted the rescue team. All the warriors are helping with the search.”
Lysander, Orion, and Zayden arrived soon after. They stared at the cliff’s edge in silence.
We all understood. In conditions like this… survival was nearly impossible.
“Find her… alive or-”
I choked on the rest of the sentence, didn’t dare say it out loud. I couldn’t curse Blair like that.
Rescue team floodlights lit up the area, harsh and cold–like death itself was shining down on us.
Time crawled by, and still–nothing. No news. No leads. No Blair.
I stood up, walked over to Lysander, and grabbed him by the collar before slamming a fist into his face.
He staggered back, blood at the corner of his mouth.
“Christian, stop!” Orion and Zayden pulled me away. “This isn’t what he wanted.”
My jaw clenched, voice dripped with venom. “Isn’t what he wanted? He’s the one who tied Blair to that damn shore! All of
this–every single bit of it–he caused this!”
Lysander didn’t fight back. He lowered his head, silent, taking every punch without resistance.
The search went on all night until dawn broke.
Finally, the exhausted team reported back. “Alpha Lysander, Alpha Christian–we’ve searched the cliffside and the base.
There’s no sign of Blair.”
Last night’s winds and tides had washed away everything.
I clutched Blair’s jacket tightly, my eyes vacant.
The only sounds left were the wind and waves.
“Keep searching! I don’t care what it costs–find her!”
The team finally moved–but too slowly. Impatient, I tied the rope around myself and prepared to scale down the cliff
alone.
“Alpha Christian, please–it’s too dangerous. You can’t-”
“I’m going.” No matter what he said, nothing could stop me.
They lowered me toward the cliff’s edge.
The wind whipped my clothes. The rope slammed against the rocks, scraping my skin raw–but I didn’t care.
All I could see was Blair’s face from that day… The was she looked at me.
And I couldn’t stop wondering-
If I hadn’t carried Carrie away that day… Would everything have turned out differently?
