Enslaved by the Alpha

Chapter 21

"Draven? Scarlett?" A breathless voice came up from behind us and we broke apart, turning to come face-to-face with an approaching Quintin and Elliot, both of whom looked like they've been to hell and back.

Their wet hair dripped with sweat, running down their glistening faces and falling onto their shirtless, shiny chests. What baffled me was how much they were panting. I've never seen a werewolf so worn out. Since they're one of the most agile species in the world, it's near impossible for them to break a sweat and become so out of breath.

"What're you doing out here so early? It's, like, five in the morning, isn't it?" Quintin breathed, wiping the sweat from his brow before placing his hands on his sides. Elliot stood next to him in silence.

"What are you two doing?" I asked, analyzing them with concern. Even their shorts had patches of sweat.

The two men shared confused looks. "We're looking for Tanya. We can't stop until she's brought back, dead or alive. Draven's orders," Quintin explained, pausing randomly to catch his breath, and his brows furrowed.

Immediately, I looked at Draven. "This is what you meant when you said you said they were taking care of it? They're hunting your mother?"

"She needs to be found before she tries to hurt you again. That's not my mom, not anymore. I knew the second I killed my father I had lost both parents. A wolf cannot function without their other half," he answered, a stern look on his face.

I shook my head. "You can't work them into the ground like this, Draven. I understand her being out there is making you anxious, but this is not the answer. We can take precautionary measures, just let them rest. Please, don't enforce orders based on emotion. It will do more harm than good." I cupped his jaw and stroked his stubble with my thumb, then turned to face both men who were now staring at me, their expressions full of surprise.

"Go home," I said. Neither of them moved.

"With all due respect, he's right. She attacked you. She can't be rewarded with freedom for this," Quintin replied.

"She won't be! She's out of her mind, probably de—"

"We're not returning until she's found and rots in a cell. Dead or alive," Elliot snapped. I was appalled that he even responded, so his tone didn't affect me.

Quintin cleared his throat after Elliot's rude comment. "Aside from that, we encountered a rogue crossing the west border during our search. We chased him and ended up by the east border where he made a sharp turn north. We ended up losing him. He's a fast one."

I decided to interject. "He passed by here a little bit ago. He looked pretty scared. I just didn't get the sense he's a threat. He's on the run, and not just from you guys."

They looked at me, causing me to question if I shouldn't have said that. "That rogue is not currently a concern," Draven finally answered. "The only thing that matters is finding my mother before she goes after someone else."

"Yes, sir," they said in unison. Both men walked off while we watched in silence.

"They're never going to find her," I spoke, feeling Draven's eyes land on the side of my face.

"What makes you sure?" He questioned.

I faced him. "Because they're not looking around me."

Confusion found his features and I shifted my line of sight ahead again. "She wouldn't go far. She's not in her right mind, meaning she's not thinking about risks, and without taking risks into consideration, she would stay close to her target—me. She would constantly be within eye range to ensure I died. That's what I would do."