The Alpha's Cinderella

Chapter 14

Damon

“Damon, we got a problem.”

Romulus’ voice echoed inside my mind, his voice weighed heavily on me. Hearing my mischievous wolf spirit this serious was enough to cause some concern.

“What's the matter, Romulus?” I asked in return.

Romulus heaved a sigh before responding. “I think my brother is gone.”

"Remus... gone?" I stammered, the realization crashing over me like a wave. “What do you mean?”

“I could no longer feel him inside your body, Damon.” Romulus conveyed with a heavy sigh, his confession laced with a sense of reluctant acceptance. “As much as I want to deny it, his presence no longer lingers in you.”

“You’re kidding,” I joked and for the first time, Romulus didn’t seem to get it. With that, I closed my eyes and tried to communicate with my other wolf.

“Remus? Remus? Answer me, buddy,” I tried talking to him in my mind, our special connection echoing with my thoughts. But just like Romulus said, there was no response from Remus. The silence felt heavy and worrying.

I mentally scolded myself for feeling so numb and clueless. How could I not have realized that my other wolf was missing? Was I really that oblivious?

“I think I know what happened,” Romulus chimed in. Usually, Romulus was the muscle while his brother held the smarts, but now, he seemed genuinely focused, as if he had a real idea brewing.

“The last we spoke to him was during the night of the mating ritual,” he continued. “I only stopped sensing him after you had sex with Serena.”

“And?”

“It's hard to believe, but I think Remus might have been absorbed by Serena somehow,” Romulus shared, his words carrying an air of astonishment. “There's a significant chance that the true Serena is without a wolf, and when you marked her that night, she accidentally absorbed Remus.”

I fell silent upon hearing the explanation. Romulus's theory was unexpectedly coherent. The last time we had any contact with his brother was indeed the same night I was with Serena. Despite its seeming improbability, his explanation was oddly rational, particularly if Serena had been born without a wolf. “What are we going to do now?”

“You know what needs to be done” Romulus uttered. “We need to find the real Serena. And fast!”

*****

I gazed emptily at the wooden nameplate resting on my desk. The weight of the message from my absent wolf occupied my mind.

In search of solace, I picked up a set of Chinese meditation balls from their container and began rolling them in my hands. The soft clinking of the balls against each other resonated, casting a peaceful spell that seemed to envelop the room.

“Greetings, Alpha Heir. I'm ready to fulfill your requests.”

I must have spaced out completely that I failed to notice my best friend entering my office. I smiled at him and gestured for him to sit.

“I need you to go to Goldenridge and carry out an investigation on the Beta family,” I instructed. “ I have a feeling that Beta Janus conspired with his wife and the imposter to execute their evil plan against the real Serena.”

Ashford nodded his head in full understanding. “With the mother and child already here in the pack, my only concern is the Beta himself.”

“You don’t have to worry about him, Ash,” I assured. “Just talk to the alpha of the pack and explain everything. I am sure that if he were to choose between me and his Beta, he would not hesitate to forsake him for me.”

“Well, if that’s the case, consider this done. When should I start my special assignment?”

"As soon as possible, Ash," I urged, emphasizing the urgency. "Time is of complete essence as I only have six months before the wedding."

"You can count me in," Ash declared with a salute. His determination was evident. "Anything else in particular that I need to investigate?"

I hesitated briefly but then decided to forge ahead. "Find everything you can learn about the real Serena. Also, verify if she was born mateless."

"Huh?" Ash's confusion was palpable. "What for?”

"Just follow my instructions," I snapped, irritation lacing my words. “I want to know every single thing about my Serena.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll do it,” Ash responded. “Do I need to inform your fat—”

"Idiot! Absolutely not!" I shouted, my frustration boiling over. Ash burst into crisp laughter, and right at that instant, I knew my mischievous friend had purposely done that to annoy me. Then, he left, promising to help me find more information about Serena, which I hoped would explain why my other wolf was gone.