Chapter
3: The Search for Thelma
**Benard Walter’s POV**
I leaned forward cautiously, peering over the edge of the towering cliff. The drop was dizzying, the kind of height that made even someone like me, the future Alpha, feel a flicker of unease. Below, the river twisted and roared, its sound like the pulse of blood coursing through veins. It was unrelenting and indifferent, swallowing whatever dared to fall into its depths.
A flash of white caught my eye–a scrap of fabric snagged on a branch jutting out of the cliffside. It was impossible to ignore, stark against the dark greens and browns of the rugged terrain.
“That’s Thelma’s!” Rhode’s mother cried out as she staggered forward, her trembling hand pointing at the torn cloth. Her voice cracked under the weight of her despair. “She really jumped!”
Her legs gave out beneath her as she clutched her head, leaning heavily against Rhode’s father for support. Her grief was raw and overwhelming, a sound that tore through the cool night
air.
She wasn’t wrong. The faint scent of orchids–Thelma’s scent–ended abruptly here, at the cliff’s edge. There was no trace of it drifting down into the valley below. It was undeniable now. She had leapt.
I clenched my jaw, the truth weighing heavily on me. What kind of person does this over such a minor setback? Thelma was the weakest person I had ever known, unable to withstand even the slightest storm in her life.
Rhode, overwhelmed with urgency, didn’t waste time comforting his grieving mother. Instead, he moved quickly, finding a narrow, winding path down the cliff.
“I’ll help you search,” I said, forcing my tone to sound steady as I followed him. But my reasons were not entirely noble. I wasn’t searching out of guilt or concern. No, I needed to ensure there was no evidence left behind–no damning clue that might tie this tragedy to me.
As I descended, the magnitude of the cliff hit me. The height alone was staggering, the kind of fall that made survival seem impossible. And beneath it all, the raging river was a cruel reminder of nature’s indifference.
By the time Rhode and I reached the base, we found nothing. The area was pristine, as if untouched by human presence. Had it not been for the torn fabric clinging to the branch above, we might have believed she had never been here.
“She’s gone,” Rhode muttered, his voice breaking as tears streamed down his face.
I hesitated, opening my mouth to say something–anything–but no words came. What could
I say? Even if she had survived the fall into the river, the odds were stacked against her. A
Chang 3 The Search for Thelma
werewolf might have had a slim chance of survival, but Thelma? A frail human with no real. strength? It was unthinkable.
The truth weighed on me like a stone. The
scent of orchids had vanished entirely, carried away by the relentless current. She could already be miles downstream, her fragile body lost to the elements or worse, claimed by the beasts that roamed these woods.
Just hours ago, she had accepted my rejection. And now, she was gone.
A strange heaviness settled over me, like a cold hand gripping my chest. I patted Rhode’s shoulder, a hollow gesture of comfort, and we made our way back up the cliff.
Rhode’s parents were waiting, their faces pale with hope that quickly shattered when they saw us return empty–handed. His mother let out a wail of anguish, covering her face as her body shook with uncontrollable sobs.
The sight was almost too much to bear. I averted my gaze, unwilling to meet her eyes. If she knew the truth–that I had driven Thelma to this–she would despise me forever. I would lose her kindness, her trust, and perhaps even my friendship with Rhode.
I
No, I thought. This must be covered up.
“I’ll go check Thelma’s room,” I told my father, keeping my voice neutral. “She might have left something behind.”
My father nodded, his expression grim. “Go. Consider this your first test as a future Alpha
The words stung, a bitter reminder of the responsibility that loomed over me.
I slipped into Thelma’s room, the faint scent of orchids still lingering in the air. Her belongings were sparse, as though she had been ready to leave at any moment. I searched quickly, my heart pounding as I opened drawers and scanned every corner. Relief washed over me when I found nothing–no diary, no notes, no evidence that could incriminate me.
Outside, voices called Thelma’s name, echoing through the packhouse and into the forest beyond. The sounds grated on my nerves. She had chosen the worst possible time for this, disrupting the full moon celebration and casting a shadow of sorrow over the entire pack
We divided into search parties, scouring every path and trail, but our efforts were fruitless. Thelma had vanished, her scent and presence erased as though she had never existed.
Rhode and his parents stood apart from the rest of the group, their grief palpable. Rhode’s mother wept silently, her face buried in her hands, while his father sighed heavily, his
shoulders slumped under the weight of his loss.
They had loved her as if she were their own blood
I forced myself to shake off the image of Thelma’s tear–streaked face, her voice trembling as she accepted my rejection. This wasn’t my fault I told myself. She had made this choice, not me. I was not responsible for her weakness or the path she had taken.
Chapter The Search for Thelina
Still, I couldn’t help but glance toward the river’s bend, where the water disappeared around at corner. It was unlikely she had survived, but a small part of me wondered. What if she had?
I followed my father to Rhode’s family, offering hollow words of comfort to parents who had lost their daughter. My mind, however, was elsewhere.
Thelma’s disappearance would haunt the pack for some time, but eventually, life would go on. The full moon would rise again, and the pack would heal.
I just hoped that by the time I became Alpha, no one would look too closely at the role I had played in her fate.
