CHAPTER 210: MISSING

Nathan’s POV

The morning was quiet, too quiet. The kind of quiet that makes you uneasy even when there’s no reason to be.

I sat by the window in my office, a cup of coffee in hand, watching the sunlight crawl across the floor. The clock on the wall ticked softly. 10:03 a.m.

Despite how angry I’d been at Hailee, I was awake before dawn. I told myself it was because I had work to do, but that was a lie. The truth was, I was waiting. Waiting to see her again.

I didn’t even know how I’d react when she walked through that door. Would I yell? Would I just stare at her in silence? Or worse, would I forgive her the moment I saw her face?

I sighed and took another sip of my coffee, trying to ignore the storm building in my chest. "You’re a fool, Nathan," I muttered to myself. "She made her choice."

But still, my heart wouldn’t listen.

I glanced at the clock again. 10:07 a.m. She should have been on her way by now. Maybe even close. I told myself not to think too much about it. Maybe Callum had delayed them. Maybe the driver had taken a slower route. Maybe...

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest.

So sudden and so strong it made me gasp. The cup slipped from my hand, crashing to the floor and shattering into pieces. Hot coffee splashed across the tiles, but I didn’t move. I just sat there, my breath stuck in my throat, my hand gripping the side of the table.

The pain didn’t feel physical. It was deeper, sharper. It crawled through my chest and twisted around my heart like fire. My wolf stirred instantly, growling low.

Something’s wrong.

"Hailee..." I whispered.

I stood up so fast the chair fell backward. My heart was racing now, pounding so hard it hurt. I grabbed my phone from the desk and dialed her number immediately.

Ring.

Ring.

Nothing.

I tried again. Still nothing. The call wouldn’t even connect, just a dull, broken tone on the line.

"Come on," I hissed, pacing the floor. I tried again and again. The same thing.

Then I dialed another number, Callum’s.

He picked up after a few rings. "Nathan," he said calmly, his tone controlled. "What is it?"

"Where’s Hailee?" I demanded.

There was a pause. "She’s on her way to you," he replied evenly. "Why?"

"On her way?" I repeated, my chest tightening even more. "You’re sure?"

"Yes. She left a while ago with the boys and my driver."

"Why didn’t you bring them yourself?" I snapped.

He sighed. "Because I have an urgent meeting this morning. I couldn’t leave."

"Damn it, Callum!" I shouted, slamming my hand against the wall. "Something’s wrong!"

There was silence on the line for a moment. Then Callum’s voice came back, quieter now. "Nathan... what are you talking about?"

"I don’t know," I said, my breathing uneven. "I just, I feel it. Something’s not right. My wolf’s losing it. I’m telling you, something’s happened."

"Nathan, calm down—"

"Don’t tell me to calm down!" I cut him off, my voice breaking. "You should’ve gone with them! You should’ve—" I stopped, clenching my jaw. My hands were shaking. "Call your driver. Now. Check where they are."

There was a beat of silence, then Callum said, "I will." His voice was tight now, the calm in it gone. "Stay where you are. I’ll call you back."

He hung up before I could say another word.

I stood there, the phone still in my hand, my body trembling. The air in the room felt too heavy, too still. My heart wouldn’t stop pounding, every beat screaming one truth.

Something was wrong.

Terribly, painfully wrong.

I didn’t wait. I grabbed my keys from the desk and stormed out of the office.

"Hailee," I muttered under my breath as I rushed downstairs. "Please... be okay."

But deep down, in the place where instinct never lies, I already knew.

She wasn’t.

Barely one minute later, my phone rang again. Callum.

"Did you find them?" I asked the moment I answered.

There was silence. Then his voice, strained, uneven. "The driver isn’t picking up."

"What do you mean, not picking up?"

"I’ve called him five times," Callum said quickly. "The escort car isn’t answering either. They left almost an hour ago, they should’ve arrived by now."

My blood ran cold.

I grabbed my jacket. "Send me the route they took," I said sharply.

"Nathan—"

"Do it!" I roared and ended the call.

Within seconds, the map pinged on my phone. I ran outside, my wolf pacing violently inside me. My Beta ran toward me, confused.

"Alpha?"

"Get the car," I snapped. "Now. Something’s happened to Hailee."

He didn’t ask questions. We sped off, the tires screeching as we hit the main road leading to Callum’s pack border.

Every second felt like a lifetime. My chest ached so badly I could barely breathe. I tried to call Hailee again; nothing. The line was still dead.

Then, as we rounded a bend, I smelled it.

Smoke.

Burnt rubber.

And blood.

My throat closed. "Stop the car!" I shouted.

Before the vehicle even stopped fully, I jumped out and ran. The world seemed to blur around me.

And then I saw it.

A car was crushed into a tree, the front torn open like paper.

My knees nearly gave out.

"No..." I whispered. My voice broke. "No, no, no."

I ran forward, pulling at the twisted door. "Hailee!" I screamed. "Hailee!"

There was no answer.

Behind me, I heard my Beta shouting for backup, calling medics, but I couldn’t focus on anything except the empty car.

Then something caught my eye.

A small piece of blue fabric, torn, fluttering weakly on a broken branch.

Hailee’s dress.

My vision went red. I tore it free, my hands shaking so hard I could barely hold it.

"Hailee," I whispered again, my voice breaking.

Then I heard engines, Callum’s convoy arriving.

He jumped out before the car even stopped, his face pale. "Nathan!" he shouted, running toward me.

I turned to him, my voice raw. "You said she was safe!"

He looked at the wreck, and his eyes widened in horror. "Gods..." he breathed, rushing forward.

"You should have gone with her!" I yelled, grabbing his collar. "You should have been there!"

"I didn’t know—" he started, but I shoved him away.

"She was your responsibility!" I snarled. My voice broke halfway through. "You let her—"

"Stop," Callum said, his voice shaking. "We’ll find them. We’ll find them."

"Damn you!" I spat, running my hand through my hair, wondering where they were.

"Wait," he said suddenly. His hand went to his temple, his eyes closing tightly. His breathing changed.

I frowned. "What?"

He didn’t answer right away. His jaw clenched, his brows drawn together like he was listening to something distant. Then his eyes snapped open, wide with shock.

"I just got a mind-link from one of the escorts," he said quickly, his voice rising.

I stepped closer. "What did they say?"

"They—" he swallowed hard, his hand trembling slightly. "They’re unconscious. Hailee and the boys... they’ve been taken to the hospital."

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. Unconscious. Those words hit me like a wave.

"They’re unconscious?" I repeated, my voice shaking.

He didn’t wait another second. He ran straight to his car, shouting orders to his men. "Clear the road! Move the other vehicles! We’re going to the hospital now!"

I turned to my Beta. "Get the rest of the team to secure the crash site," I ordered.

Then I got in my car.

Callum’s convoy took off first, speeding down the road, sirens wailing in the distance. I hit the accelerator, following right behind him. My hands were gripping the wheel tightly.

The wind whipped past as I drove, the sound of engines roaring filling the air. My heart was racing so fast I could barely think straight. Every second felt like an hour.

"Hailee, hold on," I whispered, my throat tight. "Just hold on."

The nearest hospital wasn’t far, fifteen minutes if the road stayed clear, but every bump, every turn made my stomach twist tighter.

Callum’s car stayed just ahead of me, his brake lights flashing as he sped around corners. I could see his head through the window, tense, focused, his shoulders stiff like a man barely holding himself together.

I didn’t care who got there first. I just needed to see her. Needed to know she was breathing, that the boys were safe.

Because if anything happened to them...

I pressed the pedal harder.

The thought of losing them, of losing her, was suffocating.

"Please," I whispered again, eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Don’t take them from me."

The hospital was getting closer now. I could see the white building through the trees, the red cross on its side glinting in the sunlight. Ambulances were parked out front. Medics rushed through the doors.

I didn’t wait for the car to stop completely.

I slammed the door open and ran.