Lazarus' POV
It had been four agonizing years since the last time I saw Gianna, my mate, my other half, and everything. The forced rejection was intended only to keep her safe, but I hadn't foreseen that she would simply run away. In these four years, I haven't left any corner of the earth unsearched for her. And with every passing day, my yearning for her kept getting stronger, morphing into a constant, rising ache.
"That bitch!" I muttered, recalling the toxic memory of Astrid kissing me that day in my study, the very moment Gianna had walked in. It wasn't supposed to happen that way, but...
I let out a heavy, shuddering sigh.
Grabbing the neck of the liquor bottle, I tilted it back and gulped the liquid straight from the opening, trying desperately to calm my racing mind.
I still remember the very first time I truly saw Gianna. She was covered in dirt, her face smudged with soil, her clothes torn in several places, and a group of young ladies surrounding her and laughing mercilessly. Her eyes briefly met mine before my car sped past. In that tiny moment, I felt a flicker of pity for the girl, but I couldn't have known that in our next meeting, I would find my destined mate in her.
While countless women fought tooth and nail to be with me, to be my mate, Gianna was always profoundly different. She didn't love me as a Prince but simply as Lazarus.
From the day I met her, there was not a single incident where she exhibited any form of greed. All she ever cared about was me, my needs, my happiness. She was so pure, so kind-hearted, so beautifully naive that I mistakenly believed when I delivered the rejection, she wouldn't run away but would wait for me to explain my side of the story.
However, by the time I arrived at our chamber, she was gone. Her unique scent was no longer present, and with her disappearance, I felt as if I had lost everything dear to me. She was the woman for whom I was ready to lift mountains and change the course of rivers, yet I ended up hurting her so badly that she chose to abandon me, her Lazarus.
From the beginning, the world was fundamentally against our pairing. I was an Alpha Prince with political weight, while she was a broken wolf, carrying nothing but herself.
I remember how truly delighted she was when I called her 'mate' for the first time. For her, I was her entire world, and the same was true for me. But I couldn't see the threat looming over Gianna. And in that terrifying moment, all I could focus on was how to save Gianna from that fate.
But what did I truly gain from rejecting her? Neither did I secure the title of Alpha King, nor could I protect her. In the end, I was banished by my father to this remote province, far from the capital.
I brought the liquor bottle close to my mouth and downed its bitter contents. My everyday routine always started with thinking about Gianna, and my day would inevitably end thinking only of her.
"Where are you, Gianna? Why? Why did you not wait for me and disappear from my life as if you never existed?" In a burst of helpless rage, I crushed the bottle in my hand, desperate to numb myself in this consuming, wounded pain.
Yet, no physical pain could replace, even for a second, the searing absence of Gianna. Rising to my feet, I looked down at my bloodied hand and watched how fast the wound had healed, a cruel reminder of my own wolf's enduring strength.
"Alpha, I have something important to report," I heard my Beta's voice call out from just outside the door.
"Come in," I ordered.
The doors opened, and Romero, my Beta, walked in. The first thing he noticed was the healing blood staining my hand.
"Ignore this," I commanded, waving it away. "Tell me, did you find out anything about Gianna?" I asked, desperately needing an answer that would bring Gianna back into my life.
"I'm sorry, Alpha Prince," Romero began, his tone weary. "But we couldn't find Gianna anywhere in the lands of Veridia. This marked our last kingdom, Your Highness. I think we should finally stop the search. Gianna was a broken wolf, and she might have—"
"Don't utter that nonsense, Romero!" I roared, cutting him off sternly as my cold eyes met his. "Gianna isn't dead! She is hiding from me. She is hurt because I betrayed her."
"I understand, but her car was found smashed in the forest. I believe someone killed her that very day," Romero repeated, falling back on the same grim explanation he had offered for four years. "Your father has also sent an important message for you."
As he forwarded the scroll toward me, I grabbed it and tore it into immediate pieces without even glancing at the contents.
"He is the reason I lost all of it! My mate, my place, and my sanity," I seethed, my anger flaring uncontrollably. "I will go and search for Gianna myself. This so-called Prince title is doing nothing good for me."
Just then, the ragged, panting voice of my Gamma reached my ears. "Prince Lazarus, I found a strange video! I—I think it's Gianna in the video!" Aeron informed me, out of breath.
I appeared right in front of him instantly, using my Alpha speed, and snatched his phone. As the video played, I saw a man introducing what he claimed was the world's best bakery, hidden in a place not named in the footage. And then, I saw her. Gianna.
My Gianna, my mate.
"Gianna!" My eyes widened in overwhelming shock as I hit pause. "She's alive!" Romero stood beside me, looking over my shoulder at the phone screen.
"Find out what this place is called!" I ordered, my voice shaking with sudden, fierce hope.
"Your Highness, for that, this man must be captured and questioned," Aeron stammered.
"Then do it!" I snapped. I again focused on the video, and tears welled up in my eyes. It was Gianna, but where was the usual bright, open smile that always lit up her face? "Go, find out about this man. Bring him here. I'll interrogate him myself."
As I handed the phone back to Aeron, he rushed out to carry out my command.
"I'm sorry, Alpha Prince. I am truly sorry for doubting," Romero murmured, shamefaced, standing beside me.
"It's alright, Romero. Just prepare for my departure. I have to go and bring Gianna myself to this place," I instructed, already visualizing the route.
Romero nodded and quickly left while I used a clean cloth to rapidly clean the wound on my hand. Gianna would despise seeing me hurt. I washed my face and brushed my teeth—I didn't want her to see me smelling of alcohol. She always hated men who drank heavily. Finally, I changed into her favorite color, which was, naturally, black.
By the time I finished, Aeron and Romero had returned. They were not alone; they had brought the man who was in the video.
"Please! Please! Don't do anything to me," the guy pleaded frantically, joining his hands in front of him.
"Where is this hidden bakery located?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm.
"Sorry? But what bakery?" The man acted confused, his eyes darting nervously.
Aeron was swift, shoving the phone into the man's face. "This one. Now, tell the Alpha Prince about this place, or you're dead."
"Oh! This place is called 'The Sunken Coast'! Please, don't kill me! I took the camera by mistake in that place," he stammered out, clearly terrified. "It's heavily restricted to bring such electronic devices there."
I ignored the rest of the man's blabbering about restrictions.
"Romero, is the private jet ready for immediate takeoff?" I asked.
"Yes, Your Highness! Everything is confirmed and waiting," he confirmed.
"Then, let's go," I said, walking toward the door without a backward glance. "Gianna, I am coming to you. Your Lazarus will be with you soon."