The Alpha's Unwanted Bride novel Chapter 463

Chapter 463: ERIK’ S RETURN

The moon hung low in the sky, cloaked in thin veils of mist that made everything below shimmer and blur.

The forest was still, too still. Even the leaves dared not whisper as the search party moved cautiously through the underbrush.

Erik and his group of men were still in the forest, now

Erik paused, crouching near the base of a slanted tree, fingers pressed to the damp earth. Kire paced beside him, his silver-gray coat bristling with unease, his nose twitching.

Nothing.

No sounds. No tracks. Just the same maddening quiet that had haunted them for the past day.

Erik rose slowly, running a hand through his hair, jaw tight.

Behind him, the group of wolves—seven in total—stood in a loose semicircle. Eyes weary. Boots muddied. All of them worn to the bone, and it showed.

"We’ve swept every inch of the ravine," Marro said, stepping up beside him. His face was pale, but his voice was determined. "No signs. Not even blood. Are you sure this is where the battle ended?"

"This was where we lost them," Erik murmured. "There was blood, drag marks, signs of wolves... then nothing. Whoever took them knew how to cover a trail."

"I say we split up again," muttered Ronan, one of the warriors. "Go northwest and sweep along the ridge. If we wait too long—"

"No," Erik snapped. "No more splitting. That’s how we miss them again. That’s how they stay lost."

Kire gave a low growl, stepping forward suddenly, head jerking to the left. Then—he froze.

Erik followed his gaze.

A breeze had just drifted through, soft but clear. And on it—faint, buried under days of weather and forest—was a scent.

Familiar.

Musky. Warm. Metallic.

Xaden.

Erik inhaled sharply, turning in the direction of the wind. His heart clenched.

He wasn’t alone in sensing it. One by one, the others began sniffing, their expressions shifting from exhaustion to sharp focus.

"Wait," whispered Marro, stepping forward. "That’s not just him."

His eyes widened.

"That’s Jasmine."

Everyone stilled.

The scent was faint, aged—perhaps a day old—but it was unmistakable. Jasmine’s floral undertone laced with Xaden’s deeper musk, both trailing in the same direction.

Erik felt a strange thrum in his chest. Not just hope—but confusion.

"They were here?" Ronan asked. "Then why didn’t we find them?"

Erik narrowed his eyes. "No. They passed through here, but they were moving. Not staying."

He dropped to his knees, examining the ground again. This time, something else appeared to him. Footprints—bare, faint. One heavier than the other. Dragging.

"He was injured," Erik muttered. "Probably barely walking."

"And Jasmine?" Marro asked quietly, his voice a knot of guilt and fear.

"Not carried," Erik said. "But she was close. And moving slowly too." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Kire gave a short, sharp bark and took off down the path, tail high.

"They’re headed back," Erik said. "To the pack."

A pause.

Then Erik turned to his team, eyes sharp. "Move. Now."

They didn’t question him. The tension broke into motion, everyone shifting seamlessly into formation. Kire led the way, nose to the earth, his pace urgent but steady. Erik ran just behind him, heart pounding.

As they moved, Erik’s thoughts raced.

If they had escaped... why hadn’t there been any signal?

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