Chapter 49

RONAN

I snapped my head up from my laptop to his face." What're you talking about?" I glanced at the time." It's eleven." And she left the party a long time ago. I thought she was heading home.

"Have you tried calling her?" I picked up my phone

"Yes. She isn't answering. I've dropped her multiple texts too. No response."

What the hell?

I tried calling her with my phone but got the same feedback.

"Let her be. I'm sure she's just being silly." I dismissed Cassian.

But by one a.m, she still wasn't back and now, I was fucking pissed.

Where the fuck was she!? Had she gone to meet Garrick or another secret lover of hers?

Finn and Cassian called her father and even her male friend, but none of them knew where she was. My mind suddenly drifted to the rogue attack. The news mentioned some victims. But it didn't happen close to Ironcrest.

What if she was in the area when it happened?

Fuck.

I stormed toward the car.

"Where are we going?" Cassian asked, already fishing the car key from his pocket.

"Where the rogue attack happened."

I held out to my hand to him when we got to the car." I'm driving."

He looked uncertain but ended up passing the keys to me.

In less than a minute, myself, Cassian and Finn were on the road with me driving at a crazy speed.

It took us forty-five minutes to reach the location. Some wolf guards had already taken care of the scene with a few of them still lingering around.

They looked at me with surprise when they saw me." Alpha Ronan."

"I need to see the victims." I cut them off. I wasn't here for the unnecessary pleasantries.

He pointed to the back of a truck for me and without hesitating, I rushed over. There were three covered bodies. I uncovered them and checked out their faces. Two males. One female.

"She's not here," Cassian said behind me.

Yes. She's not.

I couldn't believe the amount of relief that crushed me.

I walked away from the bodies, took out my phone and called Tristan.

"Hey, man..."

"Elara didn't happen to come back to your party after I left, did she?" I cut him off.

"Ronan, the party's over."

And down went my last ball of hope.

"But she's here. In my home." Tristan added, surprising me.

It sounded like I'd just been told that I was born a woman.

"What're you talking about?" I scoffed, my face crumpling in confusion.

"Apparently, my mate and her sister befriended her at the party. Maeve is hosting this mini girls-only after party, and she invited Elara. So, they're all here, having the fun of their lives."

No way. I was worried sick, and the whole time, Elara was somewhere partying?

I ended the call, angrily storming into the car with Finn and Cassian. It was a good thing they were with me, because there was no telling what I'd do when I finally laid eyes on Elara Vale. Or Blackthorne. Whichever it was.

It took me another forty-five minutes to get to Tristan ' Pack. Heck, I should be sleeping right now, considering the fact that I have a very busy day tomorrow.

Tristan must already be expecting me, because I met him outside when we reached.

"You shouldn't have bothered, Ronan. She's fine." He tried to calm the situation.

"Take me to her, Tristan. Now."

He led the way, taking me into the house and to the second balcony where I could see the pool area below. They were there, about twenty ladies, drinking, dancing, laughing and having fun. I felt the speakers were a bit too loud, and it grated on my nerves. Or maybe it was just me being easily irritated.

Right in the middle of it, on the center stage they'd created, Elara stood tall, dancing and shaking her wet hair around.

Wet hair. Wet body.

No. I pushed the memory back.

She had changed from the green dress she wore to a free knee-length gown. Where the hell did she get that from?

She had a microphone and was singing along with the song coming through the speakers. She sounded horrific-which wasn't a surprise, considering how drunk she was. But she looked happy. So so happy. I'd never seen Elara that way before.

She belched into the mic and laughed out loud, her partners in crime joining her in the laughter.

"Go, girl!" Someone clapped.

She walked around the fake stage, shaking her head, throwing her arms around like a celebrity performing in front of a large crowd. She even bent down at some point to shake the hands of her audience.

Tristan chuckled beside me. "She's quite fun. Been entertained for a while now."

I shot a dagger at him through my eyes before returning my gaze to Elara.

Suddenly, I realized my rage toward her was gone. At least, she wasn't dancing with a man. And she looked so happy.

But fun time was over.

"I'm taking her home." I turned to leave. Tristan grabbed my wrist.

"Seriously, Ro!? I told you it's strictly girls-only. Maeve will have my head if I let you walk in there."

"Then, find a way to bring her out, Tristan. 'Cause I swear, I'll do it myself if you don't."

Tristan looked frustrated. Well, his business. I was exhausted and wanted to go home, and the gods of the Moon knew there was no way I was leaving Elara behind.

Grumbling something under his breath, Tristan stared downstairs, and I followed him. I waited by my car while he proceeded to the pool area. Few minutes later, he was out with a very drunk Elara and a furious Maeve behind him.

What the hell was his bitch doing here?

"Seriously, Ronan? You're being so unreasonable. The party was supposed to last until morning," Maeve grouse as Tristan handed my package to me.

"I'm sure Elara is neither the host nor the celebrant. Go have fun with the rest of the girls." I opened the back door and shoved Elara into the seat, throwing her purse next.

Then, I started walking around to the other side of the car. "You're being so mean to her, yet you wouldn't even let her have fun."

What?

"Hey, babe. That's okay." Tristan held her hand.

His woman must be drunk. Because Maeve wouldn't have the guts to talk back at me on a normal day.

And how was Elara already spilling things about us to people she just met?

"She's a fine woman, Ronan! If you don't want he, let her go. I'm sure there are a million men out there who would die to have her!" Maeve half-yelled as I opened the backdoor.

Yup. Definitely drunk.

"Put a chain on her, Tristan. Or better still, on that mouth." I glared at Tristan before lowering into the backseat.

Drunk Elara poked her head out the window. "Don't worry, Maeve! We won't be together for long!" She waved at her newfound friend while smiling sheepishly.

There was a sudden ache in my heart. I looked at Elara and felt my anger build toward her.

Roughly, I pulled her into the car and rolled up the glass.

Cassian took the driver seat while Finn sat next to him. Then we hit the road.

Elara kept mumbling and humming incoherent words. But what got to me the most was the fact that she was very wet and drenching my seat.

Wet. In this casual dress.

Against my will, my eyes found her chest. I could see the outline of her black foam-less bra. I'd been able to spot her panties when Tristan was bringing her to me. And to think Tristan had likely seen that as well.

I forced my eyes away, pushing thoughts of Elara out of my mind.

She giggled and suddenly did something insane. She rested her head on my shoulder. Her wet hair on my shoulder.

"Ugh. You shouldn't have come." She grunted. "Fun. Having fun. Without you."

When I looked into her face, her eyes were closed. But there was a smile on her face. Was she really unhappy around me? Around Ironcrest? She now preferred the company of others?

'She's done worse to you, Ronan,' my subconscious scolded me. 'She deserves to be unhappy.'