CHAPTER 5

　　Ace's POV 　　The shoving footsteps going through the hallway wake me up from my deep slumber. I groan at the splitting migraine, trying to blow my head off. 　　I sit up with a groan, struggling to open my eyes against the sun rays beaming straight on them. The blinds have been open. Was it Luke or the servants? 　　Another painful spasm goes through my head and I'm cradling it in my palms. Why the fuck did I drink so much last night? 　　What was going through my head? It felt like I was on a mission to drown myself in booze. And now I'm paying the hardest way for it. 　　It's all her fault. That damned breeder who showed her ugly face at my party and jinxed the air. Seeing her put me in a cranky mood all night. I lost all patience to sit around and enjoy the party. 　　Booze was my only solace. My fucking haven. But now it's killing me. 　　Someone, please get me something to cool it off with. Or I may lose my fucking head. 　　The door opens and the head maid walks in with a tray. "Good morning, Master." She bows and sets it on the nightstand. 　　About damn time! 　　I quickly drink up the content in the glass, knowing it's for my migraine. A few seconds later, I feel a lot calmer. Calm enough to recall that I had passed out in the hallway last night. Right after fucking that breeder. So how did I get to my room? 　　I try to recall but my memories are vague and blurry, courtesy of the booze. I try a little harder and it sends a more excruciating spasm through my brain. 　　Fuck! 　　"Is there something else you need, Master?" The head maid asks in her usual courtesy tone. There's a little concern in her voice. And it fucking irks me. I didn't bloody ask for it. 　　"No. Get out." I wave her off. I can't talk to her about last night or ask her how I got in here. So she's better off gone. 　　"As you wish, Master." 　　"Wait!" I put up my hand, and she halts. "The breeder. Is she awake?" 　　"I'll go check on her, Master." 　　"Let me know." 　　"As you wish, Master." She bows and leaves the room. 　　At almost the same time, Luke walks in with a frown on his face. Not a good look for the morning. 　　I leave the bed and grab my coat from the hangar. He's lingering around my couch, running his fingers lazily on it. He does that only when he's harboring some kind of anger or resentment. 　　Seconds pass and he's yet to say a word. That's strange. He never misses a chance to get on my nerves. And after drinking as much as I did last night, I know he has a million things to say to me. So why isn't he saying them? 　　"Morning Luke." I break the icy silence. 　　"Morning, Ace." He finally speaks, but there's no tease in his voice. He seems rather grumpy. 　　"Are you okay?" I ask, watching him keenly. I may not have the luxury of giving fucks about the feelings and moods of others. 　　But Luke is my man. Way from childhood. The only one I show a tad of concern to. 　　"Mm-hmmm. I'm good." He forces a smile, but it's not the least convincing. If anything, it makes me feel like there's really something off about him this morning. 　　"You sure?" 　　"Yeah." His terse replies are unsettling. But I try to ignore them and ask the real questions bugging my mind. 　　"Last night, I remember passing out in the hallway. I suppose it was you who brought me inside?" 　　"Yup." He sits on the couch, crossing his legs with a facetious grin. What's up with the attitude? 　　I try to interrogate him further, especially about the beerder and where she ended up. I wanna know if he also took her to her room. But we get distracted. 　　"Master!" The head maid runs inside without knocking. What the fuck?! 　　"Are you begging to get beheaded? How the fuck do you not know how to knock?!" 　　"She's — she's gone!" 　　"What?" I blurt out in confusion. Her panic state isn't helping either. She's crawling on the floor and shedding tears. The floor is worth more than her life. I hate that she's trashing all over it. 　　"The breeder…she disappeared!" 　　"What?!" I glance at Luke and he seems not as perturbed as he should be. He's just sitting there, giving me that look that I'm not sure what it's about. 　　I run out with no heads up, going to her room, just to confirm that the head maid is saying a bunch of gibberish. 　　Greeted with the echoing silence in the room proves her right instead. She's not lying. The breeder is gone! 　　"Find her!" I yell angrily, storming back into the hallway and heading to the garage for my car. 　　My men are racing out of the gate in troops and I'm sure they won't stop until she's found. 　　But I don't wanna sit around and do nothing. I wanna look for her too. When I find her, I'll bundle her up and bring her back here. And then, I'll put her through more pain than she has gone through. That way, she'll think twice before pulling such stupid stunts ever again. 　　I drive to every inch of the Pack but there's no sign of her. My men spend two weeks combing every inch of the Pack. But not a single sign of her. It's like she vanished into thin air. 　　After a month of extreme searching and turning over my Pack for her, I decide to call it quits. To give it a rest. 　　I try to look on the brighter side of the situation. I never wanted her in my life. I just took her because of the crazy pressure to get an heir. The damned elders won't let me breathe. She was my impulsive resort. And I should be glad that she's gone from my life. For good. 　　It's fucking good riddance with her gone. I hope she never comes back. Because I'll kill her. I fucking will. 　　But then, it's funny how days turn into weeks and then into months, and I find myself thinking of her. 　　I get my coffee in the morning and I imagine her sheepish smile when she brings her usual morning coffee. I always drench her with them but she never stops bringing them. She sure is the most persistent bitch I've ever crossed paths with. 　　Out on the streets, trapped in traffic, I glance around for her familiar, red-brown hair. She barely combs it and it's always messy. I used to find it disgusting. Now I'm looking at every girl's hair on the street for it. Not intentionally. It's just my body having a mind of its own. My eyes are craving to see her again. And I'm not fucking sure why. 　　Everything I do reminds me of her. Too much that I'm fucking pissed at myself for feeling this way about her absence. For lowkey missing her. 　　I hate to admit it but I miss her. More each day until I can't hide it anymore. The solitude she left behind is eating me up. 　　She may be tacky and chaotic but she grew on me. And that's why I miss her. 　　It's the craziest shit that's ever happened to me. No one has ever been able to ignite the slightest breeze of emotions in my heart. But she didn't just ignite…she stirred up a tsunami of feelings. Now, she's haunting my thoughts and dreams. She's everywhere I look. With those cheeky smiles that I once found so irritating. 　　I know seeing her everywhere is a goddam illusion. But they leave me just as insane and drained. They leave me craving for her. 　　What have you done to me, Betty? What the fuck have you done to me?!