River started shaking when she saw the photos. I-hinter was clearly seen in them. It appeared as if he was peeping from the corner of a building in the midst of night. A street lamp lit his face.
She sat down with a thud on the chair with photos in her hands. She browsed through them one by one and each was more explosive than the earlier one. Everywhere Hunter was seen closer to Natalie’s house. In the last one, he was seen standing in front of the fence of her house and looking at her room on the first floor.
The only question that came to River’s mind was how did Rosalie have these photos and who had clicked them at this angle. It was as if someone was stalking Hunter also. But why would Hunter stalk Natalie? Confusion set in her mind warring with anger and distrust. How could Hunter do this to her? They were mates. This couldn’t be. Her lips quivered as his betrayal hit her strongly like angry waves crashing against a cliff. Tears flooded her eyes. Her mind became numb. “No, this can’t be!” she muttered. “I refuse to believe that Hunter is into all this.”
Memories of how she met him and how they crossed oceans of hurdles together to get married. They even got the laws changed between the Lycans and the werewolves to be legally together and live happily. But, was it ‘live happily ever after’? I Ier shoulders caved in as she broke into a loud howl. “No, I hinter, no!”
Berta came running in. “Lune River!” she said.
River immediately stashed the photos in the drawer of the desk. “Why are you crying?” Berta asked, a crease forming on her forehead.
River wiped her tears and shook her head. “It’s nothing,” she murmured.
“I know why you are crying,” Berta said, coming towards her. She knelt in front of her. When River looked at her with questions in her eyes, she said, “It is all because of Lady Rosalie!”
“Berta…I…”
“You don’t have to say a word, Luna River. We all know about Lady Rosalie. She is a—” Berta hesitated for a moment as if trying to find the right word. The she blurted, “A fucking bitch!”
River was crying so hard but Berta’s burst of anger made her laugh through her tears.
Berta continued, “Don’t you worry about her, Lunn River. We all hate her so much that you can’t imagine. Not a servant liked her. I really pitied Faria for being her lady-in-waiting. Faria didn’t like her at all, but she had to cater to her whims. Rosalie was extremely rude to us and very inhuman. When you came, it was like a breath of fresh air. Everyone loves you. We are all with you. If you feel threatened by her, don’t be. She can’t do a thing and we won’t let her do a thing. The entire Dark Moon pack is loyal to you and not her!”
“Oh Berta…” River said and leaned down to kiss her forehead. “You are so sweet.” She wiped her tears as Berta got up. If Faria was the mother hen, Berta was the mother of mother hens.
“I am going to get you some juice. The pups would need their mother to be happy and not sad.”
River nodded with a smile. “Can you get the juice in Mia’s room?” she said.
“Sure, Luna?’ Berta left the room. “I am yet to wake up Mia. Usually it was Faria who used to wake her up, but Faria isn’t here. So Alpha Hunter has asked me to look after her.”
Even though Berta’s words brought some confidence in her heart, River was still feeling sad. She didn’t want to believe in those photos. Was it possible that Hunter was looking for something else? With her mind full of unhappy thoughts, River walked to Mia’s room. The door was closed and unlike the usual way, there was silence inside her room. She knocked on her door. “Mia?” There was no answer. “Mia?” She knocked again. Once again there was no answer.
River got a little worried. “Mia, are you there?” When there was no answer, River’s heart beat fast. She pulled down the handle and opened the door. The room was shrouded in darkness because the curtains were not open.
Usually it was Faria who would wake up Mia. Since Faria was not there, there was no activity. Dread prickled her skin. She rushed to the bathroom and opened the door only to see that it was also empty.
The first thing River did was to open the curtains, The sun streamed through the window and glittered the room in its soft rays, River was surprised to see that the bed was still made up. It meant that Mia hadn’t slept. Her school hag was lying on the floor, the table was also very neat and not a book was open. Except for a few clothes that were strewn on the couch, there was nothing that showed that room had any activity.
River came out of room and bumped into Berta who had come with pineapple juice. “Berta, did you see Mia?”
Berta gave her the juice. “No Luna, I came to you in the morning. I was about to go and wake her up,” she said, totally confused. “Maybe she has woken up already and gone to school?
“Does she go for training?” River asked.
“She doesn’t go in the morning because she has school, but she goes in the evening alter 7 pm.”
Worry bubbled in her chest. “Call Elijah! Ask him to come over here as soon as possible!”
Berta nodded with nervousness. “Okay!”
“And call Asher!” River said as she started to go towards the training house.
“Where are you going?” Berta asked as she saw River almost running, “And please don’t run! You are pregnant!” she shouted.
River jogged to the training house. She decided to call her school as she went to the training house. However, the guard out there informed me that Mia hadn’t come. She called Mia, but her phone was going unanswered. She must have called her ten times but is didn’t pick up even once.
In the training house she saw that the place was brimming with warriors who were all practicing.
She saw Nancy who was her friend in the training house.
“Luna River!” Nancy stopped in the middle of the punches she was landing on a punch bag and went to her with excitement. All the warriors stopped training and bowed to Luna. This was one of the reasons why River didn’t come to the training house. They stopped in the middle every time out of respect.
“Please continue!” she said to everyone. Then she looked at Nancy and said, “Did you see Mia?”
“I saw her last night. I trained with her,” Nancy replied. “She had come here for thirty minutes only and she seemed to be in a rush.”
River frowned. “Did she tell you where she was going?” “No…” Nancy looked confused.
Panic surged through her. Where could Mia be? First it was Faria and now Mia. River thought she could puke or faint. She went back to the castle’s main hall where she met Asher and Elijah. Elijah was looking… jittery.
“Mia is missing…” River said in a low voice.
