Chapter 467
Xaden stared at Anna.
And then… at each one of them.
His eyes swept over Nanny Nia, who wouldn’t meet his gaze.
She simply stood with her fists tightened by her side and glaring at Anna as though she was going to strangle her in any split second.
Fiona, whose lips were parted like she wanted to say something, but she couldn’t.
Erik, whose fists were clenched too tightly at his sides.
And Loren, whose usual sarcasm had gone eerily quiet.
Anna’s words still echoed like an aftershock in his chest.
She sneaked out of the forest.
She didn’t even think of her baby.
She ran away from the pack.
Jasmine… left?
That didn’t make sense. That wasn’t her.
Not the Jasmine that he had come to know.
None of these even made any sense.
Not the one who had looked at him with such fear and fire.
Not the woman who had cried in his arms like the world was too heavy on her shoulders, but still refused to let go.
“No,” he said quietly, his voice brittle. “She wouldn’t.”
Anna turned to him, her expression already painted with hurt, concern, and just the right amount of trembling outrage.
“Xaden,” she whispered, her voice gentle now, wrapping around his name like silk. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you, but… it’s the truth. We all saw the signs. She left in the middle of the night. No one even knew she was gone until
He stared at her, confused.
No anger yet. Just a cold, numbing disbelief.
“But why?” he murmured. “Why would she leave?”
Anna stepped closer, reaching to take his hand.
“I don’t know. Maybe she was scared. Maybe she didn’t want the responsibility. Maybe she lowered her voice, eyes darting to the others as if making sure no one interrupted, “Maybe she never really wanted to stay.”
Xaden pulled his hand back — not harshly, but enough.
His chest tightened.
Something wasn’t right. He didn’t know what. But his gut was twisting, and his instincts—still bruised and tired—began to stir.
“She didn’t say anything?” he asked, eyes moving to Nanny Nia. “Not a word to anyone?”
Nanny Nia opened her mouth. Closed it. Looked to Erik. And that was all Xaden needed.
He turned sharply. “Erik.”
Erik flinched like he’d been struck.
“You were out there. You found Kire. You brought Marro. But somehow Jasmine was missing and you conveniently left her. Tell me exactly what happened.”
Erik’s jaw tensed.
“Xaden he began.
“Don’t ’Xaden’ me,” he snapped. “Tell me.”
Another silence passed — this one shorter, heavier.
“How the hell did this even happen?” Xaden asked angrily looking at everyone.
He was so furious that he barely felt his pain anymore.
“A pregnant woman who doesn’t know anywhere around us. Who has never been out of this pack or even her home pack. You let get out on her own?! In the fucking night?! And you let that happen?!”
There was a stilled silence in the room.
“Is someone going to fucking tell me what actually happened?”
The silence continued.
Then finally, Erik sighed. “She didn’t run.”
Anna’s head whipped toward him. “Erik—”
“She didn’t leave us,” Erik cut her off, his voice rising with steel. “She left because she was worried for you.”
Xaden’s world slowed.
There was complete disapproval written all over Anna’s face.
“What?” he whispered.
“She had heard that you and your men had been attacked. Jasmine didn’t let anyone rest. She was searching for you everywhere and everyday. The night word of your attack had finally gotten to us, she heard.” Erik took in a very deep breath. “She wanted to come after. I tried to dissuade her, but she persisted. I know wig I didn’t agree, she would have tried to leave on her own. And the stress and anxiety wasn’t good for the baby.”
“So what?” Xaden demanded enraged. “You just let her go?”
“Goddess no.” Erik shook his head. “I told her she could come along. My plans were that she would put under house arrest by the time she woke up, I would already be gone. But Jasmine somehow knew and left in the middle of the night. It was too late before we found out.”
Xaden went white.
“As soon as we found out we left in search of the both of you” Erik continued, eyes on the floor like the words hurt. “And that’s when we saw Kire and Marro. She had ordered Kire to take Marro if she didn’t return.”
Xaden’s blood drained from his face. “Where is she?”
Erik finally looked up. “Alpha Hunter’s men.”
The name hit him like an axe to the spine.
Xaden staggered back a step, one hand clutching his stomach as if he could hold his insides from falling out.
“No,” he muttered. “No, no—she was here. She was safe.”
“She was,” Erik said softly. “Until she left.”
Nanny Nia stepped forward now, her eyes glistening. “We didn’t tell you because you were nearly dead. You couldn’t even breathe on your own. If we had told you then, only the goddess knows what would have happened.”
“You still should’ve told me.” Xaden’s voice cracked — not from anger, but from the way his entire soul felt like it was collapsing.
“She’s been gone… how long?” he asked.
No one spoke.
“FOR HOW FUCKING LONG?” he roared, and the room jumped.
“Ten days,” Fiona said quietly. “Almost eleven.”
Xaden’s mouth opened, but no sound came out
Eleven days.
She’d been gone, taken, possibly tortured, for eleven days.
And he’d been unconscious. Healing. Resting.
While she had been alone.
While she had been carrying his child.
He stepped back, pressing his hand to the wall for balance.
His chest heaved, every part of him trembling.
Anna tried again to reach for him.
“Xaden… I told you we should have never trusted her.”
Xaden turned away from her and hastily got up.
His eyes were blood shot red.
He was out for blood.
“