Lycan King's Regret: Punished The Wrong Daughter

Amy Volkov: (Mother of Zara Patterson)

I was standing near the hollow where we had found Zara’s bracelet that now rested in my palm. Every time I looked at it, the sight used to make my chest ache.

Two days.

It had been two days since the rogue attack. Noah arrived as soon as he got the news, and now he was also looking for our daughter along with the troops.

It had been two days without a single sign that she was alive. I stared at the hollow and felt my heart sink when I imagined my little daughter hiding there. She must be scared, hungry, calling for me.

A sob was about to escape my throat when someone arrived at the spot, "The head warrior Jasmine reporting for duty, Your Majesty,"

I spun around and found Jasmine standing before Lucien. As always, her armor was covered in dirt and leaves. Lucien gave her a brief nod.

Jasmine’s gaze drifted past him and landed on me. Her stern expression softened immediately, "Amy..."

Before I could say something, she crossed the distance between us, "Hey. Honey..."

That was all it took. The walls I had built around myself shattered as I broke into her arms.

"I ... I can’t do this anymore, Jas."

She wrapped her arms around me tightly, "We’ll find her, Amy. Don’t you trust your best friend?"

She had been my buddy since we were two. She was the one who supported me when I wanted to go after Noah to build a new life with my mate.

We both were incredibly stupidly romantic and always believed in following our hearts.

"We’ll find her," she told me in a firm voice, "That’s why I came back from my patrol duties at the border... to be with you."

"Sh... she is too small... without a wolf. What if she’s cold?" I whispered in a shaky voice, "What if she’s calling for me and I can’t hear her?"

Jasmine’s hold tightened around me.

"This is all because of that slave," my mother, who must be behind me, repeated for the umpteenth time, "I specifically asked her not to touch a royal child. Once she returns, I’ll make sure to teach her a good lesson."

Jasmine pulled back a little before passing me that secret look as if asking, "Who is she talking about?"

I squeezed my eyes, telling her silently, "Later."

This was not the time to talk about a nobody when my daughter was out there in the dark forest.

For a moment, Jas didn’t say anything. Her gaze drifted towards my mother, then back to me. I knew that look. She badly wanted to ask about that slave. Questions were practically written across her face.

She studied me for a moment before reaching into her backpack, "Have you eaten anything today?"

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

She sighed as she pulled out a protein bar from her pants pocket and held it out to me, "Come on. Take it. You need energy."

I stared at it as if it were poison, "My daughter is missing, Jas," I whispered.

"Amy..."

"Zara is out there somewhere," I tried to control my shaky voice, it still cracked, "She could be hungry or injured... maybe... she is crying for us... for me."

All the thoughts made my chest ache, "I can’t eat, Jas," I said, looking around, "How can I when I don’t know if she’s alive?"

My friend’s shoulders slumped as she lowered the protein bar. I wiped my eyes and looked toward the forest. My mother gently placed her hand on my shoulder, but nothing could calm me except my daughter’s return.

I wiped my eyes and looked towards the forest, "We’re wasting time..." I chuckled humorlessly, "Let’s start looking for Zara."

***

When I saw Noah, my mate, emerging from between the trees with several warriors behind him, my heart leapt in my chest. I hurried towards him, searching his face for any sign of hope.

"Did you find our daughter?" though in my heart I knew what would be his response. His expression fell as he slowly shook his head.

I could see dark circles around his eyes, and he was trying so hard to keep it together. Still, that tiny spark of hope inside me died instantly.

My knees nearly gave out, "No..." I tried to suppress the sob. Before I could collapse, Noah was there. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest.

"Amy..."

I buried my face against him and broke down.

"Soon it will be dark, and we will be holding the search, Noah. I can’t do this anymore," I cried, "I can’t, Noah."

His hold tightened, "We can’t give up, Amy," he said with exhaustion. But there was something else in that voice that I never heard.

Fear.

He was terrified too.

He cupped my face gently and forced me to look at him, "Come on. Get up, sweetheart. For our Amy."

Fresh tears spilled down my cheeks, and my mate brushed them away with his thumb.

"Try harder, Amy."

My brows pulled together, "Try what?"

"You are a Lycan. You can smell things better than anyone. You are her mother," his voice dropped, "Try to follow her scent. I’m sure we will find her."

I closed my eyes and nodded at him. He was right. I needed to stay in my senses if I wanted my daughter back and alive.

But the odd thing was, I couldn’t even smell the faint scent of my daughter. It was supposed to vanish gradually. However, the moment we left our palace gardens, we couldn’t keep the trail of her sweet scent.

What if my mother was right? What if that slave was an accomplice of those rogues and this had been a planned abduction?

I thought with a sinking heart. Because if that girl was involved... if she had helped take my daughter... I swear to the Moon Goddess, I would hurt her to the ends of the earth myself.

No matter who stood in my way... what excuse she gave.

I would never forgive her.