# Dennis pov
The scent of rebellion lingered in the air, faint but unmistakable. It was subtle at first—a misplaced tension, a shift in the submissive demeanor I expected from my Omega. Elaine had always been quiet and submissive, but something had changed in her since my meeting with Alpha Daniel.
I stood in my chambers, the embers in the fireplace casting shadows on the walls. The room was silent except for the rhythmic tapping of my fingers against the wooden armrest of my chair. My enforcers stood nearby, their expressions a mixture of vigilance and unease. They could sense my rising temper.
"She wouldn't dare," I muttered, but doubt crept into my voice.
A knock at the door disrupted my thoughts. "Enter," I barked, my tone sharper than intended.
Adalyn, a young pack member, stepped inside, her head bowed. "Alpha Dennis," she began, her voice trembling, "Elaine... she's gone."
I froze, my mind processing the words. "Gone?"
"She was seen leaving the pack house late at night," Adalyn whispered, her body trembling under my glare.
I felt rage sweep through me. I stood up abruptly, the force of my movement sending my chair scraping against the floor. "Find her," I growled, my Alpha voice echoing through the room.
My enforcers snapped to attention. "Search the forest. She couldn't have gotten far."
As they moved to obey, I paced the room, my mind racing. Elaine's defiance was unexpected, but it wouldn't go unpunished. She was mine—and mine alone—and I wasn't about to let her forget that.
---
Hours passed, and the scent of failure hung heavy in the air. My wolves returned one by one, their expressions fearful.
"She's gone, Alpha," one of them reported, his voice laced with hesitation. "Her trail disappears near the stream."
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "You're telling me she outsmarted all of you?" I spat, my anger directed at the group.
"She shifted, Alpha," another wolf added quickly. I could hear the fear in his tone. "Her first shift. That's how she escaped."
I froze, the revelation caught me off guard. Elaine had shifted? She had always seemed too meek, too fragile to tap into her wolf form. Yet she had, and that power had allowed her to slip through my grasp.
"She's more resourceful than I thought then." I muttered, a grudging respect mingling with my fury.
But admiration wouldn't spare her. If anything, it made my resolve stronger. Elaine's escape was a direct challenge to my authority, and challenges were not tolerated in my pack.
"Spread the word," I commanded, my voice low and deadly. "She's to be captured on sight. Bring her back alive."
"And if we find her with another pack?" one of my enforcers asked cautiously. My eyes narrowed. "Then we'll treat it as a declaration of war."
The wolves nodded, their determination renewed as they scurried away to carry out my orders.
---
As dusk turned into dawn, I found myself alone once more. The pack house was quiet, but my mind was anything but.
I couldn't deny the sting of betrayal. I had taken Elaine into my pack, given her a purpose, and this was how she repaid me? By running off like a coward?
Yet, beneath the anger, there was something else—a flicker of doubt. Had I pushed her too far? Had my treatment of her driven her to this desperate act?
No. She was an Omega, born to serve. Her place was here, under my control. And I would ensure she never forgot that.
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