Chosen To Be The Alpha's Surrogate
⊰ 80 ⊱ Game of Life and Death

** Malachi I**

Six hours. Three hundred and sixty fucking minutes since Penelope was taken from me. The clock on the wall ticks relentlessly, each second a mockery of my failure to protect her. I've been pacing my office like a caged animal, the carpet floor beneath my shoes worn thin from my incessant movement.

My fists clench and unclench at my sides, claws threatening to break through. The wolf inside me is howling, demanding action, demanding blood. But I force it down, knowing that if I step out of this office, I might just tear apart the first person I see for merely breathing wrong.

*Useless. I'm fucking useless.*

The thought burns like acid in my mind. I should be out there, tracking her scent, following every lead. But I know, logically, that I'm better served here. Coordinating. Planning. Leading. *Some fucking alpha. I couldn't even keep her safe in our own home.*

My pack had tracked Penelope's scent to a dingy old motel on the outskirts of town, but it vanished there as if she'd disappeared into thin air. They'd done something to mask her scent, to throw us off the trail. The thought of those bastards touching her, carrying her unconscious body, makes my blood boil.

I pause at the window, staring out at the grounds of the mansion. Everything looks so normal, so peaceful. It's so at odds with the chaos raging inside me. The manicured lawns, the blooming flowers-all of it seems to mock me with its serenity.

There's only one thing keeping me from completely losing my mind: the imprinting bond. It's still there, a faint but persistent tug in my chest. As long as I can feel it, I know she's alive. *The alternative...*

I can't even bring myself to think it. The mere possibility is too much to bear.

A knock at the door pulls me from my dark thoughts. For a moment, I'm almost grateful for the interruption.

"Enter," I growl, not bothering to turn around.

The door opens, and Axel's scent fills the room. I don't need to look at him to know he's come up empty-handed. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see the defeat in his posture, the slight drop in his shoulders-it all tells me what I don't want to hear.

"Alpha," he starts, his voice hesitant. "I've... we've exhausted every lead. There's no trace of Rook or his pack. It's like they don't exist."

The words make my breath hitch in my lungs, my blood boil. My control, already hanging by a thread, snaps. With a roar of pure rage, I whirl around and flip my heavy oak desk as if it weighs nothing. It crashes against the wall, splintering into pieces.

"Alpha," Axel says, taking a step towards me. "We'll find her. We just need-"

"Don't," I snarl, rounding on him. My eyes flash silver, my canines elongating. "Don't you *dare* say another word. I'm one breath away from ripping out your throat."

Axel takes a step back, lowering his eyes in submission. His hands clasp behind his back as he waits for my next command. Smart man.

I resume my pacing, each step heavy with the weight of my failure. The silence in the room is oppressive, broken only by my ragged breathing and the occasional creak of the floorboards.

*This is it. I don't have another choice.*

Finally, I stop. The decision I've been avoiding for hours crystalizes in my mind. "Reach out to every ally we have," I order, my voice rough. "Get the word out that Penelope is missing. I want every pack, every lone wolf, every fucking supernatural creature in this hemisphere looking for her."

Axel's eyes widen. "Alpha," he says cautiously, "that could hurt your campaign. An Alpha whose pregnant mate was kidnapped from his own home? The other contenders will use it against you."

For a moment, I see red. In two strides, I'm in front of Axel, my hand wrapped around his throat. I lift him off the ground effortlessly, slamming him against the wall. "Do you think I give a fuck about the campaign right now?" I roar, my face inches from his. "My mate, my child, are out there somewhere. Nothing else matters. Do you understand me?"

Axel nods frantically, gasping for air. I release him, and he slumps against the wall, coughing.

"Go," I order, turning away from him. "Now."

I hear him scramble to his feet and hurry towards the door. But before he can leave, another knock echoes through the room.

"What?" I bark, my patience long since evaporated.

The door opens, revealing Seth. His wounds from the attack are still healing, angry red lines visible where his shirt doesn't cover. But he's up and moving, searching like the loyal soldier he is.

One look at his face tells me he's not bearing good news. My heart clenches, fear gripping me like an cold fist.

"What is it?" I demand, striding towards him. "Is it about Penelope? Tell me!"

Seth hesitates, his eyes flicking between me and Axel. "It's... it's not about Luna Penelope, Alpha," he says slowly. "It's... it's about Tarlac's wife."

I feel my brow unconsciously furrow in confusion. "What about her?"

He takes a deep breath, steeling himself. "She's been assassinated, Alpha. The Luna Princess is dead."

The words hit me like a physical blow, momentarily driving all thoughts of Penelope from my mind. "What?" I breathe, unable to comprehend what I'm hearing.

"It happened an hour ago," Seth continues, his voice grim. "A sniper. She was at a public event, campaigning for Tarlac. One moment she was smiling and waving, the next..."

He trails off, but I can fill in the blanks. The image of it flashes through my mind-the crack of the rifle, the spray of blood, the chaos that would have followed. My stomach turns.

"Fuck," I mutter, running a hand through my hair. This changes everything. The delicate balance of power among the Alpha contenders, the alliances we've all been carefully cultivating-it's all been thrown into chaos with a single bullet. *And Penelope...*

My blood runs cold as I realize the implications.

*If someone was bold enough to take out Tarlac's mate in broad daylight, what might they do to mine?*

"Lock down the mansion," I order, my voice hard. "Double the patrols. I want every inch of our territory secured. No one gets in or out without my explicit permission, understood?"

Axel and Seth nod, both looking relieved to have clear orders to follow.

"And get me Tarlac on the phone," I add as they turn to leave. "Now."

As the door closes behind them, I slump into the remains of my chair, suddenly feeling every one of my years. The weight of it all-Penelope's kidnapping, the failed search, and now this assassination-threatens to crush me. But I can't afford to break. Not now. Not when Penelope and our child need me more than ever.

I close my eyes, reaching out through our bond. It's faint, so faint I can barely feel it, but it's there. A lifeline in the darkness.

*Hold on, little rabbit. I'm coming for you. I swear it.*