Six hours before Rei and the others infiltrated Kageoden…
The crisp evening air met Hizuki as he arrived at Kageoden, the grand estate of the Shadow Wolf Pack, after a long journey abroad. The usual solemnity of the estate was now blanketed in silence, save for the faint rustling of leaves in the breeze. His trip had drained him, both mentally and physically, and as the towering gates closed behind him, a heavy weight seemed to settle on his shoulders.
Hizuki had chosen to take the secret route into the manor, a passage known only to a select few within his pack. Hidden on the far side of the domain, it was veiled from outsiders and even from the pack members who lived under his roof. Only Delta Iori, his trusted second-in-command for domestic matters, knew of it, and Iori would be the first to greet him when he arrived.
As Hizuki stepped from the dimly lit passage into the familiar warmth of the manor, the toll of his travels hit him all at once. His body felt heavier than usual, each step more laborious than the last. Despite his inner strength, fatigue seeped through his bones, weariness clouding his sharp, bicolored eyes. Frustration lingered there, too—his mate still eluded him, and the search had yielded nothing.
Iori stood waiting by the door, his posture rigid with the discipline that had earned him his rank. Upon seeing Hizuki, he straightened, but his sharp eyes narrowed in concern as he took in his Alpha's weary form.
"Alpha... you look... worn," Iori commented softly, his tone carrying a rare hint of worry.
Hizuki offered a faint smile, bitter and resigned. "She's not in Paris." His voice was low, carrying the weight of frustration. He had spent days combing the streets of Paris—its cafes, its alleys, every possible corner she might have visited. But there had been no trace of her. Desperation had led him to expand his search to all of Île-de-France, but still, there was no sign.
With a long, drawn-out sigh, Hizuki dropped his shoulders as though the weight of his thoughts had become too much to bear. His words hung in the air, heavy with the realization that the search, the desperate hunt for his mate, had yielded no results—again.
Iori said nothing at first, simply nodding in understanding. He knew how much the search meant to Hizuki, and he also knew how rarely Hizuki allowed his vulnerability to show. But tonight, the toll of the journey had caught up with him.
Without another word, Hizuki made his way toward his personal quarters, each step slow and deliberate. Iori followed quietly, but his concern was palpable. Hizuki was not usually one to show signs of exhaustion, and the subtle slump in his posture prompted Iori to quicken his pace. Despite being Hizuki's second-in-command, Iori was his older cousin, and more than that, he was like a brother to him, bound by blood and years of shared history.
As Hizuki entered his room, he moved toward the large sliding door that led to the adjacent bath, his mind still swirling with thoughts of the lost connection—the piece of himself that remained out of reach. He paused at the doorway, casting a glance over his shoulder.
"I'll be fine," he murmured, more to himself than to Iori.
Iori, however, knew better. Without a word, he moved quickly to the wardrobe, retrieving a set of fresh clothes for Hizuki. His movements were smooth and efficient. He was prepared for this—Hizuki had often pushed himself too hard, and Iori had learned to anticipate his needs without being asked.
Hizuki rinsed himself in the shower and stepped into the bath without a word. The cool stone beneath his feet grounded him, offering a brief respite from the chaos swirling in his mind. The bath, a private spring beneath the manor, was one of the few luxuries he allowed himself.
The natural spring was a marvel in itself. The water, sourced from deep beneath the earth, glowed faintly in the dim light of the room, its mineral-rich depths releasing a soft mist that rose lazily into the air. Stepping into the warm water, Hizuki sighed as the heat enveloped him, soothing the tension in his muscles and easing the fatigue from his journey. The spring was calming—a place of solace where time seemed to slow down, where the world outside his thoughts faded away.
The air was rich with the earthy scent of the minerals, and steam curled lazily around him. For a moment, Hizuki allowed himself to close his eyes, surrendering to the comfort it offered. Here, in this sanctuary, he could be just Hizuki—the man who had been tirelessly searching for his mate, the one who felt lost in a world that had grown cold and unfamiliar.
Iori stood at the doorway, glancing in at his Alpha with quiet respect, not daring to intrude. Hizuki rarely allowed anyone to see him like this—tired, vulnerable, and human. But there was something about the way he carried himself that made Iori hesitate, wondering if Hizuki would ever allow himself the luxury of truly letting go.
The Delta knew the Alpha was not someone who would ever stop searching. The obsession with finding his mate, with reconnecting what had been torn apart, was something that ran through Hizuki's veins as strongly as his power. Iori couldn't understand the depth of Hizuki's pain, but he respected it. He respected Hizuki's relentless pursuit of something that only he could truly understand.
Moments passed before Hizuki finally emerged from the bath. The tension in his shoulders had eased slightly, but the weariness still lingered. His eyes were sharp again, but there was a heaviness behind them—a sadness that lingered even in the quiet of the room.
Iori had set out the clothes—a simple yet elegant kimono that Hizuki could slip into effortlessly, yet still look every bit the powerful Alpha he was. The Delta moved quickly, helping Hizuki into the clothing. But his hands paused briefly on Hizuki's shoulders as he met his gaze.
"You'll find her," Iori said, his voice low, filled with a quiet certainty.
Hizuki's eyes flickered toward him, a faint glimmer of gratitude in his expression. But the words of reassurance did little to ease the storm brewing inside him.
"I will," Hizuki replied, his voice firm, though tinged with a hint of frustration. "I have to."
The moment of silence passed. Iori stepped back, allowing Hizuki the space to prepare himself for the next step in his relentless search. Outside, the moonlight bathed the manor in silver, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch across the land, waiting for the next chapter in Hizuki's journey to begin.