*****Erika''s POV*****


    I ran inside the room, my heart beating in my chest. My vision got blurry, my knees wobbled. Oh Mother of the Moon, what have I done? Where was my brother?! Where was Jace?


    His room was quite big so maybe he was hiding somewhere, this was some sort of prank, just as it used to be when we were pups. He would run into his room for a hide-and-seek, I usually hid in his room too especially when dad was the seeker. It would take time for dad to find us, so maybe that was happening now.


    "Jace." I ran into the bathroom, nobody was there. "Jace!" I made a beeline for his private library where he slipped into whenever he did not want to be disturbed. It was his cocoon of solitude and once inside, nobody dared disturb, well except for dad and sometimes me.


    "Jace!" I refused to look at the closet that was telling me the truth. No, it could not be. He could not have just left. No, it was just my eyes deceiving me. He was here. Somewhere.


    "Jace!" But even as I argued with myself, the harsh reality would not go away. Jace was truly gone. He had left. So fast. It had been barely an hour we returned home, and he was gone.


    I sank to floor, bawling my eyes out. I looked round the room. Would he ever return? Where had he gone to? I looked at the door of the library, it had been ajar when I had gone in, now, it was wide open.


    His favorite ce to be. I raised myself from the floor and went into the library, it was also his private office. More tears filled my eyes as ourst discussion reyed in my head. He had felt bad because I had used him. I had indirectly used him of teaming up against Elder Grigshade.


    Now that I thought about it, I felt bad. Very bad. But why would he go? He just left me all alone to deal with all of this? I sank depressingly into his chair and swung around, watching the rows of books and articles on his very extensive shelf.


    On his table before me was empty, void of any book. I stood and walked to the floor to ceiling windows that brightened the room with the curtains were fully drawn. Right now, it was half drawn. I stared through the window, I could see the river from here.


    Memories filled my head, a silent sob broke out. I had handled things badly, and now he was gone. Though he had always talked of leaving, but this quarrel had encouraged his leaving.


    I heard the shuffling of footsteps, I turned to see it was Melissa.


    "Your Highness." She bowed. Melissa was more or less my personal maid, not to say other maids did not attend to me, but for some reason, she always seemed toe, be around more than the others.


    Moreover, I liked her personality. Sometimes, when I was down, she woulde see me.


    "Everything okay, Melissa?" I turned to face.


    She took notice of my tear-stained face, a frown appeared on her face. "Are you fine, Your Highness?"


    I had almost forgotten I had been crying, I quickly wiped tears away, though they were dried. "No, I''m fine."


    "But you''re crying." She looked quite worried and concern flickered in her ice blue orbs.


    I managed a small smile, trying to tamp down tears that were threatening to rise up again. I hated that I was showing weakness before my maid. "I''m fine."


    "Uhmm..." She seemed unsure of what to say next as disbelief and curiosity edged her pretty facial features.


    "What brings you here?" I asked. How had she known I was here? Or maybe she had gone to my room and met my best friends who might had told her I was here.


    "I came to tell you that Elder Grigshade is here to see you." She was still searching my face as though the reason behind my tears would be found or written boldly by any chance on my face. She was worried for me, it was boldly written on her own face.


    I frowned. "Elder Grigshade?" Why? We had just left the meeting venue not quite long, what did he have to say to me that he did not say at the


    venue? Or was he here to cause 1?


    another scene? I did not have time for any of his shenanigans right now.


    "Yes, Your Highness." Her face was still on mine.


    "Why is he here?" I asked.


    "I have no idea, Your Highness."


    "He did not say?" I was still surprised why he was here, because I had no business with him. Or any one that warranted hising here to see me. He was an elder of the pack but he did not have any business here until I was officially the Alpha. Cóntent


    "No, Your Highness, he did not say." She replied.


    "Hm. How did you know I was here?"


    "I went to your room to look for you, but I could not find you. Your friends told me you hade to see your brother. I came here."


    "How did you know I was in the library?"


    "I already know His Highness, your brother was no longer in the pack so I thought


    I heard noise in the library and decided toe check it out that you might be here." She exined.


    I nodded. I thought as much. "Alright, go tell Elder Grigshade I''ll be with him soon."


    "Okay, Your Highness." She nodded and I was alone in the room. I did a slow turn to give the room onest look, I swallowed another stream of tears.


    My eye caught a paper stuck between a book. It was quite out of ce, I stood


    out to me. Curious, I went further to check it out. I slipped it out of the book.


    It read;


    If you find this, know that I''m gone. I have no need for your position, it''s better I''m


    out of the picture so you don''t keep seeing me as an enemy. Your enemy.


    As for the evidence, check the second drawer.


    Till we meet again,


    Jace.


    My hand trembled, tears fell on the papers. ''Till we meet again''. His words. Did it mean I would likely never see him again?


    Controlling the urge to sob loudly, I went to the drawer and pulled it out. I saw a file. Comporting myself so I could understand what was written in it, wiped my eyes, opene@the file and went through the content.


    My eyes widened in shock at what I was looking at.


    What in the world?!