Chapter 27

Keith

The sun had gone down hours ago and Keith kept finding himself glancing outside to see the black silhouetted trees just beyond the window. It was as if someone was standing out there, wildly trying to get his attention - but he knew there was no one. And yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something might be wrong.

“Do you need help with anything?” a purring voice called from his doorway then, drawing his eyes over. Sure enough, there stood Lily, her eyelashes fluttering as she gave him a coy smile.

“No,” he rumbled out, his brows bunching. “How did you get in?”

“The key you gave me. Duh,” Lily said with a scoff as she leaned away from the doorframe. However, she didn’t decide to leave upon hearing he didn’t need help. Instead, she welcomed herself in, even making herself at home as she swayed over to his desk and took a seat on the edge.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, still smirking as she seemed to notice his irritated gaze. “You seem a little pent up.”

“I have a lot of work to do,” he stated, his tone almost like a warning. He didn’t care for her poking and prodding. Besides, he was using the mountain of work to distract himself from the day’s other worries and inconveniences. The more work he had, the longer he could escape.

“Then let me help,” she insisted, causing him to shift with discontent. “C’mon. You know it will be a lot easier if you just accept.”

“I don’t want your help,” Keith huffed, sliding his eyes away as he closed the manila folder in front of him and tossed it aside.

“Stubborn as ever,” she threw out, still not dejected by his efforts. She only crossed her arms over her chest, pressing her legs together as she stared down at him. But he ignored her attempt to get him to stare at her bare thighs, even when she began to speak again.

“I could offer my assistance in other ways,” she tried. “You know, I give a killer back massage.”

He’d had enough.

“If you want to help me, then leave,” he pressed out, shooting her a forceful stare. “You’re taking up my time.”

Reaching for another file, Keith again took to dismissing her as she pouted. It seemed like she finally got the hint as he began to read the documents inside, causing her to give another loud sigh before she got up from his desk. However, she never quite made it out the door before someone else was quickly stumbling in.

“Keith!” they shouted as they practically tripped over themselves to get toward his desk. The panic in their voice and demeanor had Keith’s gaze snapping up to them, before he dropped the papers in his hands.

“Ralph,” he said as he stood, his gaze filled with concern as he studied his best friend. The man was completely disheveled - his hair sticking up, his clothes askew. There was even a pool of sweat across his forward as he struggled to catch his breath. “What the hell is going on?” Keith asked.

“She’s gone,” Ralph stated between gasps, his eyes manic and bordered with red veins. “She’s gone!”

“Who?” Keith barked out, his shoulders tensing. “Jean?”

“Anya,” Ralph stated helplessly, causing Keith’s eyes to widen. “And Jean.”

Keith blinked at the man for a moment, taking in his words and then his demeanor again. The more both factors sank in, the more he could feel warmth bubbling up from his stomach. Dots connected quickly, leaving him to contain the need to shake with anger as his eyes narrowed.

“What did you do?” Keith drew out coldly.

“I…I,” Ralph stammered as he felt Keith’s murderous gaze. He even stopped to swallow as his hand swept through his hair. “I went home and did what Anya said. I rejected Jean.”

“What!?” Lily called out.

But her voice was barely audible as all Keith could imagine was Ralph screaming as he laid his hands on him, wring his neck. But he didn’t move, wanting to hear the rest of the story.

“And?” he chewed out.

“She told me she never wanted to see me again,” Ralph admitted. “She packed up, took Eliot, and left me.”

“And?” Keith pressed again, grinding his teeth.

“Well, I - I went to take care of some things, but when I was done…I called Anya,” Ralph continued, his voice weary. “But she didn’t answer - no matter how many times I called. She didn’t answer my texts either.”

Ralph panted again, shaking his head. “I went to her hotel to check on her, but the front desk said she’d checked out hours ago.”

Again, the man paused as if being physically wounded by his own words. Or maybe he was just growing more and more tense as he anticipated the shitstorm about to rain down on him - Keith was certainly preparing. Especially as Ralph choked two final words.

“She’s gone.”

Just like that day in the cafe, Keith had the overwhelming urge to wrap his hands under the lip of the desk in front of him. To use all of his strength to shove it over despite it being larger and heavy than the table that he'd ruined before. But that didn’t matter - the pure adrenaline running through him would allow him to toss it across the room as if it was as light as a feather.

However, Keith decided to save the dramatics and resorted to words rather than actions.

“You stupid fucking -“

“I know, I know,” Ralph tried sheepishly.

“No, you don’t,” Keith boomed. “You have no fucking idea what you’ve done.”

At the sound of Keith’s voice, Ralph shrunk and grimaced, not even able to meet his eyes.

“Not only have you rejected your mate and soiled the holiness of the bond,” Keith continued, not easing up. “But you allowed some woman to trick you into doing it. She gave you a little bit of attention and you handed over all your trust.”

“I know,” Ralph said quietly.

“No, you don’t!” Keith repeated. “Jean is gone - though I’m convinced that you didn’t deserve her in the first place.” He paused then, shaking his head as a way to relieve some of his anger. “I can’t believe you were stupid enough to do something like this.”

Keith stopped for a moment, seething as his words even had a hold on him.

“And you had the nerve to question my intentions when I tried to intervene,” he continued. “Insisting I was foolish for thinking a woman could prefer you over me. All while I was trying to prevent any of this from happening. She played you!”

“No, no. Anya is just -,” Ralph tried. “She - she’s waiting for me. Something just…happened.”

Sure, something may have happened, but it couldn't be what Ralph was trying to make himself believe - Keith was sure of it. This whole thing had struck him wrong from the beginning and her disappearance had only confirmed his fears.

“With all those missing she-wolves, maybe she was taken too. Or maybe she’s gone into hiding and -“

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Ralph,” Keith threw out, rolling his eyes. “She wasn’t taken. She’s not hiding. She’s gone!”

As those words left him, Keith swore he could feel a pinch deep within his stomach, maybe one even in the center of his chest. His head filled with images of the woman - those hazel eyes pinned on him before they’d turned and he watched her walk away. Her chestnut hair swishing behind her was the last image he had of her.

She was gone.

Because she wanted to be gone. He should have known from the way she’d been so determined to get rid of him that afternoon. Fuck - why hadn’t he realized it then?

“She lied to you,” Keith stated then. She’d lied to him too. “I told you again and again to break it off, that she couldn’t be trusted. And yet, you didn’t listen. You should have known something was wrong when we found out her name wasn’t Anya.”

“What?” Lily blurted again. “This is about Anya!?” She then snorted, saying something under her breath as she shook her head.

“No,” Ralph cut in then, still not acknowledging the woman. “It’s not what you think. She’s fine. She’ll be back.”

“Fine,” Keith bit out, snatching his phone from on top of his desk. “Then let’s give her a call then, shall we?”

Ralph began to argue as Keith firmly tapped his thumb into the phone, but the Alpha didn’t listen. He turned his back on both of his guests as he found the woman’s number, as he hit the call button. Once more, his eyes pierced out the window as he raised the phone to his ear. However, there was no ring, not even a moment of silence before a message began to play.

“I’m sorry. This number is no longer in service. Please -“

Keith gripped the phone tightly in his hand, hearing the metal clench within his fingers as he didn’t dare turn back.

Not only was she gone - she’d made herself dead to this world.