NOAH'S POV

While we were preparing for whatever attack might come at midnight, I suddenly realized something important was missing.

"Where's Elias?" I asked Tom, looking around the pack house.

Tom looked confused. "Elias? Your beta?"

"Yes, my beta," I said impatiently. "He was supposed to be taking care of pack affairs while I was gone. Where is he?"

Tom's face went blank for a moment, like he was trying to remember something. "I... I don't know. I can't remember seeing him for weeks.”

That made me worried. Elias had been my beta for five years. He was reliable, strong, and completely loyal. He would never abandon the pack during...