## ALPHA ZEUS' POV

I stepped out of the motorcade the moment it pulled up to my estate, ready to tear someone apart. The air inside the limousine had been suffocating.

All I could think about was that damn girl, and the fact that a whole fleet of my men couldn't even catch one female on foot. The feared warriors of the Darkest Moon pack, outrun by a girl who could barely walk straight. I was raising weaklings.

The morning sun hit my face as I stepped onto the driveway. The heat felt like a invitation to break a few bones.

I closed my eyes, took a long, slow breath, and let it out. When I opened them, my unit was lined up in front of the vehicles, standing at attention.

"Who do I need to kill first?" I asked softly.

Silence.

Fear rolled off them in waves. They looked ready to snap under the pressure.

"One girl," I said, stepping closer as I loosened my tie. "Just one girl slipped right past a trained squad from the Darkest Moon pack."

I reached out, grabbed the nearest guard by his collar, and slammed him against the side of the SUV. I squeezed his throat, lifting his boots off the gravel until his face turned red and he began to choke. He kicked his legs, desperate for air, but I held him there, grinding my teeth.

"Pl...ease..." he gasped out. "So...rry..."

I stared into his eyes, watching him struggle. I wanted to crush his windpipe, but I wasn't going to murder my own guard over a thief.

I let go. He collapsed onto the gravel, coughing violently and clutching his neck.

The rest of the unit immediately dropped to their knees, bowing their heads toward the pavement. I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the dark window of the car—my jaw tight, eyes cold.

"Get up," I growled, keeping my voice level.

They scrambled back to their feet.

"The Darkest Moon pack is built on strength," I said, looking over them. "What happened out there on that road was embarrassing. All of you failed to catch a single woman."

I took a breath, forcing myself to settle down.

"Get her picture from the footage. A heavy bounty goes to whoever brings her to me."

Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked into the house.

I poured myself a glass of wine in the lounge and sank into the leather couch. A moment later, the front door opened, and Maxwell walked in.

"Good morning, Alpha," Maxwell said, bowing his head slightly. "Welcome back."

I took a small sip of wine. "Maxwell."

"Yes, Alpha?"

"Does it make sense for Alpha Zeus to get robbed on his very first night in his own domain?"

Maxwell frowned slightly. "Robbed? Alpha, no one would be stupid enough to steal from you. Unless they're looking to die."

I let out a low smile. "I would have agreed with you yesterday. Have you found her location yet?"

Maxwell shifted his weight, his expression darkening. "Regarding that... no, Alpha. We haven't tracked her down yet."

My fingers tightened around the glass. The crystal shattered, spilling wine and shards across my hand.

Maxwell didn't flinch, but his pulse spiked. He could tell I was close to snapping.

"Is there something else going on, Alpha?" he asked.

"Yes, there is," I said, wiping the blood and wine onto a napkin. "My men just watched her run down a side street, and now you're telling me she vanished into thin air."

He cleared his throat. "Alpha, if it's about last night... I can bring you someone else. Whoever you want. As for this girl—"

"My bracelet," I cut in.

Maxwell paused. "Your bracelet?"

"The Darkest Moon's symbol of authority is missing."

Maxwell stared at me, the color draining from his face. "Missing? You mean... the emblem? How is that possible?" He let out an uneasy laugh. "Alpha, if this is a joke—"

"It isn't a joke, Maxwell," I snapped.

The realization hit him hard. Without that piece, my authority as Alpha could be challenged. If the elders found out it was gone, I would be forced to step down.

"Are you saying the girl took it?" Maxwell asked, his voice dropping. "Why would a bar dancer steal an Alpha's mark? She probably doesn't even know what it is."

"Which makes it worse," I said, leaning back. "It's simple wood and iron. No gold, no diamonds. Why take something like that unless you knew what it was? And she wasn't a dancer."

Maxwell looked confused. "She was dancing half-naked on a bar top and went back to your room. Why wouldn't she be?"

"She was a virgin."

Maxwell went dead silent. "A virgin?"

"Now you see the problem," I said, my voice cold. "She set a trap, played her part, and walked out with the most valuable thing in this pack."

"I heard a rumor this morning," Maxwell said slowly, processing the information. "I didn't think much of it, but now..."

"Speak."

"Her name is Kayla. She was supposed to be the mate of Prince Diego from the Shallow Valley pack, but he rejected her a few days ago at their ceremony."

I narrowed my eyes. "Diego?"

"If she took the bracelet, she might be taking it to him to buy her way back into his good graces."

A dark laugh escaped my throat. An Alpha prince using a rejected female to steal my mark? If Diego thought he could play games with the Darkest Moon, he was severely mistaken.

"Put a tracker on Diego," I ordered. "I want to know every breath he takes. And you have twenty-four hours to find that girl."

"Understood, Alpha."

"One more thing," I added. "Get a craftsman to make a duplicate of the bracelet. Exactly like the original. No one outside this room can know it's gone."

"Consider it done."

A fake would buy me time, but not much. If word got out, my reign was over.

*Run while you can, little thief,* I thought, staring at the stain on my hand. *Because when I catch you, you won't like what comes next.*