Page 39 of Alien Charming

“Mayor,” he acknowledged, stopping before her. “Have you seen your niece this evening?”

A flicker of anger passed across her features before she composed herself.

“My niece? She was supposed to be at home, completing her chores.” Her gaze dropped to the slipper in his hand, and her lips thinned. “Though I suspect you know otherwise.”

He fought to keep his expression neutral, though he felt his eyes beginning to glow with anger. “Where is she?”

The mayor drew herself up, looking around to ensure others could hear her performance. “I sent her away, of course. Her behavior tonight was absolutely disgraceful.” She lowered her voice to a scandalized whisper. “Dancing with every man present, disappearing into the woods with them… She’s as bad as her mother. I will not tolerate that type of behavior in my household.”

The lie was so blatant, so calculated, that he would have laughed if he hadn’t been so furious.

“You and I both know she danced with no one but me.”

“That’s hardly better,” she sniffed. “A girl of her… limited qualities has no business throwing herself at someone in your position.”

His control slipped, just enough for his eyes to flare bright gold. “Where did she go?”

“With girls like her, who can say? Probably off to find another man,” she said maliciously. “Best to forget her, Alpha Thalos. She’s not worth your concern.”

His vision edged with red as his beast surged forward. A growl built in his chest, rising to a snarl that exposed his lengthened canines. No longer the diplomatic leader, he loomed over the mayor, his big body casting her in shadow.

“You would cast out your own blood? Humiliate her? Lie about her?” Each question came out as a guttural growl. “For what? Your precious reputation?”

She stumbled backwards, her eyes widening as she realized her miscalculation. The carefully cultivated facade of power she wore crumbled in the face of his unleashed fury. Her back hit the refreshment table, sending glasses tinkling.

“I—I was only thinking of what’s best for?—”

“Silence.” The word cut through the air like a blade. “I’ve watched how you treat her. How you’ve poisoned this village against her.”

People were staring now, villagers and Vultor alike, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. The alliance, the politics, the careful diplomacy he’d cultivated for months—none of it mattered. Not when his Elli was out there alone, believing herself unwanted.

“Alpha—” Nyra stepped forward, concern etched on her features.

He raised a hand, stopping her. “The trade discussions are suspended.” He turned his burning gaze back to Mayor Jacobson, who had gone pale. “Until I decide whether your village deserves our consideration.”

Her mouth opened and closed, no sound emerging, and her hands trembled against the tablecloth.

“I will find her,” he growled, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper meant only for her ears. “And if any harm has come to her because of your cruelty, there will be a reckoning.”

He turned away, the slipper still clutched in his hand, and strode towards the tree line. The crowd parted before him like water. He caught fragments of whispered conversations, saw the shock on faces, but none of it registered. Only one thought consumed him.

Find Elli.

He spent the rest of the night prowling through the dark forest, straining for any sign of her. The slipper remained clutched in his hand, a fragile reminder of what he’d found and lost in a single night. Frustration built with each passing hour as the scent-masking potion continued to thwart his tracking abilities.

He paused at a fork in the path, nostrils flaring uselessly. Without her scent to guide him, he was reduced to searching like a human—with only his eyes and ears in the darkness. For a Vultor alpha, it was maddening.

“Elli!” His voice echoed through the trees, startling a cluster of night birds into flight.

Only silence answered.

He pushed deeper into the woods, checking every path that led towards the village. Had she returned home to face her aunt? The thought of her enduring more of Margaret’s cruelty made his claws extend involuntarily.

His beast paced restlessly, demanding action. It wanted to tear through the forest, to howl into the night, to find their mate and claim her. He forced it back, maintaining his control through sheer will power. Losing himself to the beast would help no one, least of all Elli.

Dawn had already broken before he decided to try the village and the villagers were already about their morning routines, setting up market stalls and carrying water. Their movements faltered as they spotted him, conversations dying mid-sentence. Eyes darted away from his gaze, bodies angled away.

“I’m looking for Elli Dawson,” he announced, his voice carrying across the square.

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