Chapter 238 Sudden Reappearance

Chapter 238: Chapter 238 Sudden Reappearance

_Rowena’s POV_

The sedan pulled into the driveway of the Ashthorne estate just as the afternoon sun began to disappear.

I thanked the driver, grabbed my handbag, and stepped out.

After running into Kaelen at the restaurant, my head was feeling a little heavy, and all I really wanted was a quiet, cold drink and a few hours of zero drama.

When I opened the double doors and walked into the parlor, I stopped right in my tracks.

Sitting at the wide table were Nana Seraphine and Alaric.

There was a fresh pot of dark roast coffee sitting between them, alongside two china cups. Alaric had taken off his suit jacket, draping it over the back of the armchair, his white shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked surprisingly comfortable, leaning back with a cup in his hand, listening attentively to whatever Nana was saying.

I blinked, taking a second to process the scene. Alaric was usually a storm of military reports and high stakes pack things, so seeing him sipping coffee like a normal house guest with my grandmother was a strange sight.

I walked calmly into the room. I completely bypassed Alaric’s seat, walking straight over to Nana Seraphine. I leaned down, wrapping my arms gently around her shoulders, and pressed a soft kiss against her cheek.

"Hello, Nana," I said softly.

Then, I straightened up and turned my gaze toward Alaric, deliberately keeping my face completely blank. I didn’t say a single word to him. I just gave him a cool, silent look, pretending he was part of the furniture.

Alaric set his cup down onto the saucer with a loud clink. His eyebrows pulled down into an instant scowl, his jaw clenching tight as he stared up at me. His eyes flickered with irritation because I had completely ignored his presence.

Nana Seraphine let out a melodic giggle, covering her mouth with her hands like a young girl sharing a secret.

"Oh, stop being so cold to him, Rowena," Nana teased, her eyes shining with amusement. "The poor man has been sitting here for forty five minutes, and he hasn’t stopped talking about you since the second he walked through my front door."

I rolled my eyes dramatically, taking a seat on the sofa across from Alaric. "I’m sure he was just complaining about my schedule, Nana. He loves doing that."

"I was not complaining," Alaric grumbled, his voice low. He crossed his broad arms over his chest, glaring at me from across the table. "I was simply asking your grandmother why my mate decided to go off for lunch with a hospital doctor without informing my security detail first."

Ah. So he already knew about my lunch with Kyle. Ezekiel or Gabriel had clearly been updating him on my whereabouts every fifteen minutes.

"It was an official meeting regarding the Logan family files, Alaric," I replied, crossing my legs and pouring myself a fresh cup of tea from the pot. "Kyle helped me lock down Brielle’s old health records so her family’s lawyers can’t tamper with them. It was quick and completely necessary."

"You could have had him bring the paperwork to the central office," Alaric noted, his tone laced with a possessive undertone that made the temperature in the room drop a few degrees.

"And waste two hours stuck in traffic?" I asked, raising one eyebrow at him. "I prefer getting things done fast. Besides, the food was good, and the files are officially locked."

Alaric opened his mouth to argue, but Nana Seraphine held up a hand, cutting him off with a gentle smile.

"Now, now, please," Nana said, taking a sip of her tea. "Alaric, let the girl breathe. She has a sharp mind, and she knows how to protect herself. Rowena, stop teasing your Alpha. He spent his entire afternoon worrying about your safety while dealing with those stubborn council elders."

I looked over at Alaric. Underneath his annoyance and his scowl, I could see the lines of exhaustion around his eyes. He had been running the entire territory on high alert for three straight weeks, barely sleeping, fighting off political pressure, and hunting for a spy that remained hidden in the dark.

My heart softened just a little. I set my teacup down, reached across the small table, and rested my hand over his knuckles.

Alaric froze for a fraction of a second. Then, the tension in his shoulders slowly melted away. He turned his hand over, flipping his palm so his fingers could wrap tightly around mine, squeezing softly.

"Did everything go smoothly with the council elders today?" I asked him, my voice gentle now.

Alaric let out a sigh, running his free hand through his hair. "They are pushing to auction off the Logan estate by Friday. They want the family completely erased from the noble register to set an example for anyone else thinking about committing treason."

"Good," I said coldly. "They brought it on themselves."

"Speaking of the Logans," Nana Seraphine added, her face turning serious, "have the scouts found any trace of Brielle yet?"

"Nothing," Alaric answered, his jaw tightening again. "It’s like she vanished off the face of the earth. No border crossings, no sightings in the outer villages, nothing. But my wolf can feel it... she is still nearby. She’s waiting for something."

"Or someone is keeping her hidden," I murmured. Drake’s spy was still walking around our city, and if Brielle was connected to them, she was likely laying low until the right moment.

Before Alaric could reply, a ringing broke the peaceful quietness of the parlor.

Alaric pulled his phone from his pocket. The screen was lit up with Gabriel’s name flashing in bold letters. He pressed the phone to his ear, his posture instantly straightening into full Alpha mode.

"Report, Gabriel," Alaric said.

I watched his face carefully. In a split second, all the warmth in Alaric’s eyes completely disappeared. His skin turned pale, his jaw locking so tight I could see the muscles straining against his skin. His grip on my hand tightened so hard it almost crushed my fingers, though he didn’t seem to realize it.

"Repeat that," Alaric commanded.

He listened for three seconds, his chest heaving as a wave of Alpha aura suddenly exploded out of him, filling the entire parlor with suffocating pressure.

He pulled the phone away from his ear and slammed it onto the table, standing up so fast his chair scraped loudly against the floor.

"Alaric?" I asked, standing up right behind him, my heart hammering against my ribs. "What happened? What did Gabriel say?"

Alaric turned his head to look at me.

"Brielle," Alaric spat out, the name sounding like a death curse on his lips. "She just walked straight into the main hospital lobby. And she’s demanding to see me."