Mia stepped out of her apartment, the morning air brushing softly against her face. She had wanted to stay at Ryan's house overnight, but he had insisted he wouldn't be around. It wasn't like her to spend a night alone, yet she understood. Ryan had his responsibilities, his pack, and everything that came with being the Alpha. She tried to calm herself as she walked to the street, hailed a cab, and gave the driver the address to the company.
Her mind, however, was elsewhere. Thoughts of Ryan clouded her focus. His words from the previous night replayed in her mind, and a bittersweet smile formed on her lips. She had felt his love, genuine and unshakable, yet the fear of losing him, of being away from him, lingered in the back of her mind.
As the cab rolled to a stop in front of the company, Mia opened the door, stepping out. But before she could even take a step toward the entrance, a sharp hand grabbed her, pulling her violently into an alleyway. She screamed, but a sudden, heavy blow struck the back of her head. Darkness swallowed her senses, and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
---
Daniel knelt beside her, his hands gentle as he touched her forehead, wiping away the blood that trickled from the wound. He watched her chest rise and fall, relieved that she was breathing. Even in this vulnerable state, she looked beautiful—innocent, fragile, and completely unaware of the danger around her.
He whispered her name softly, almost a prayer. "Mia… wake up. Please, Mia…"
Four hours had passed, and she had yet to regain consciousness. The guilt gnawed at him, but so did the obsession. Daniel wasn't a violent man by nature, or so he told himself. He only wanted time with her. He wanted her to see him the way he saw her: perfect, unmatched, irreplaceable.
---
Meanwhile, Ryan's day was unraveling. He left the pack with a sense of urgency, heading toward the company, hoping to see Mia before her day started. But when he arrived, she was nowhere to be found. He immediately called her, but her phone went straight to voicemail. Panic tightened in his chest.
"Where is she?" he muttered to himself, dialing Rachel's number.
"Hey, Ryan," Rachel's voice answered, warmth mixed with concern. "What's wrong?"
"She's not answering her phone. Has she called you?"
Rachel hesitated, worry creeping into her tone. "The last I spoke to Mia was yesterday… I tried calling her this morning, but her line was switched off."
Ryan's heart pounded. He called his spies immediately, and they relayed the horrifying truth. They had seen Mia just moments before she entered the company, and then… she was grabbed by unknown men, forced into a vehicle. Despite their best efforts to track her, the kidnappers were highly skilled, almost like professional assassins.
Ryan clenched his fists, anger and fear boiling together. "Mate…" he whispered, sensing the danger his wolf had been trying to warn him about.
He called his beta urgently. "She's been taken. We can't track her. I need your advice."
"We need to consult the witch at the pack. She can trace her, but it will take time," his beta said cautiously.
Ryan nodded, swallowing the lump of helplessness in his throat. "Time…" he muttered. His mind raced with worst-case scenarios. What if it was his father? What if it was someone he couldn't stop? Thoughts of revenge flared, but for now, all he could do was act cautiously.
As he was about to return to the company for further investigation, Rachel and her fiancé, Dave, approached him.
"Ryan! Where's Mia?" Rachel asked, worry etched across her face.
"She's been kidnapped. I don't know by whom, but I am trying to find her," Ryan said, his voice hard with suppressed fury.
"Oh my God… she must be terrified," Rachel whispered, tears forming in her eyes.
Ryan took a deep breath. "I've sent my men to check. We're doing everything we can. Did you check the security footage?"
"They blocked it. Someone hacked into the system," Ryan admitted, jaw tight. "They're good… too good."
After they left, Ryan went home, weighed down by helplessness and rage. He shifted into wolf form at the pack, scenting for any trace of Mia, but found nothing. His heart ached for her.
---
Mia slowly regained consciousness, her body aching, a sharp pain in her head. She touched her forehead and felt the blood dried against her skin. The room around her was unfamiliar—elegant, modern, yet suffocating. Her eyes darted around, realizing with growing horror that she had been kidnapped.
Before she could even move, Daniel appeared, his presence dominating the room.
"Hey, pretty. Finally awake," he said, his smile unsettling.
"You… you kidnapped me?" Mia demanded, her voice shaking with a mix of fear and anger.
"Yes. I love you, Mia. Why don't you choose me?" Daniel said, his tone earnest but bordering on desperation.
"You're insane! I'll never love you!" Mia shouted, backing away as much as her restraints—or fear—allowed.
Daniel stepped closer. "If I can't have you… no one else will. And believe me, Mia, you do not want to get on my bad side. You understand?"
Mia's heart raced. Every fiber of her being screamed to get out, to run, to fight. But she prayed silently, hoping Ryan would sense her danger, that he would come for her before Daniel did something irreversible.
---
Meanwhile, Ryan's mind refused to quiet. Every instinct, every scent, every psychic pull screamed that Mia was in danger. He didn't sleep; he didn't eat. He only moved, strategized, and prepared. His pack consulted the witch, who gave partial information—enough to make him furious yet hopeful.
He couldn't allow this to continue. The idea that Daniel, who had obsessed over Mia, could harm her even a fraction of what he imagined, fueled a cold fury. His Alpha instincts sharpened; he was prepared to track, fight, and destroy anyone who dared touch his mate.
---
Mia tried to gather her strength, formulating a plan to escape. She noticed the weak points in the room, the locks, the placement of the furniture. She observed Daniel's behavior carefully, looking for any sign of vulnerability. Her mind raced with fear and strategy simultaneously.
"You're planning something, aren't you?" Daniel asked, almost teasing, sensing her thoughts.
"Stay away from me," Mia spat, refusing to show fear.
Daniel chuckled darkly. "You'll see, Mia. I'll make you understand why you should be with me."
Her stomach churned. She couldn't let him manipulate her. She couldn't let him win. The hope of Ryan's arrival gave her a thread of courage, a fragile lifeline.
---
Across the city, Ryan's phone vibrated. One of his spies had an update: a partial sighting of Mia being moved into another vehicle. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Ryan didn't hesitate. He leapt into his car, shifting partially as his wolf senses guided him. Every muscle, every instinct was trained for this single mission: get Mia back, alive, unharmed, and safe in his arms.
His heart pounded, not just with fury but with a desperate need to protect her. The thought of her alone, vulnerable, in the hands of someone like Daniel, was unbearable.
---
Inside the room, Mia sat on the edge of a chair, her head throbbing. She whispered to herself, "Please… Ryan… come for me…"
Daniel approached, his hands reaching toward her, and she flinched. But a sudden crash at the door made both of them look up. The sound of an Alpha's presence, familiar and terrifying, filled the room.
Ryan had arrived.
He burst into the room, eyes locked on Daniel. "Step away from her. Now."
Daniel, surprised and caught off guard, tried to justify himself. "Ryan… I—"
Ryan didn't give him the chance. With the strength of an Alpha, he restrained Daniel, keeping his gaze on Mia, ensuring she was unharmed.
"Mia, are you okay?" Ryan demanded, moving to her side.
She nodded, tears filling her eyes. "I… I'm fine, thanks to you."
Ryan's grip softened, but his eyes remained fierce. "I will never let anyone hurt you. Not Daniel. Not anyone."
Mia felt her chest swell with relief. Safe, finally, with Ryan by her side. And as Ryan held her close, she realized, beyond all doubt, that this was where she belonged.