Mated to My Intended's Enemy-Chapter 200 The Alpha’s Vanishing

Silvano’s POV

I leaned back in my chair at Shadow Pack headquarters, the evening’s twilight casting long shadows across my office. The scent of pine and forest that always accompanied our territory couldn’t penetrate the glass walls surrounding me. My wolf paced restlessly within me, agitated by the prolonged separation from our mate.

"Bring me some coffee," I told Chad without looking up from the documents spread across my desk. Quarterly reports from our northern territories showed promising growth, but I couldn’t focus. Every few minutes, my thoughts drifted to Freya and our daughter Isabella. My chest ached with a familiar hollowness that had been my constant companion since Freya left.

"Right away, Alpha," Chad responded, his voice carrying that careful tone my team had adopted lately.

Minutes later, Chad returned with the steaming cup. I set aside the financial projections and picked up the coffee, giving it a gentle stir as I’d done thousands of times before. The moment I brought it to my lips, however, something felt wrong. The scent was... off.

Despite my instinct to reject it immediately, I took a small sip. My wolf growled in disapproval.

"Have her make it again," I said, setting the cup down firmly.

Chad hesitated but nodded. "Of course."

When the second cup arrived, I didn’t even need to taste it. One whiff was enough to know it wasn’t right. It wasn’t *her*.

"What’s going on?" I demanded.

Chad shifted uncomfortably. "Rebecca is probably nervous about making coffee for you the first time, Alpha. She may have misjudged the brewing time..."

I frowned, the wolf inside me suddenly alert. "Rebecca? Who is Rebecca? Where’s Freya?"

Chad’s expression told me everything before he even spoke. "Freya resigned from the company last week, sir. You... didn’t know?"

The silence between us stretched for several heartbeats. My mind raced through possibilities, scenarios, explanations. No, I hadn’t known. Despite our mate bond, despite my position as Alpha, despite everything between us, I hadn’t known.

I remembered Chad’s complaints about Freya’s work attitude. I’d been aware he wanted to terminate her employment, but I never imagined she’d actually leave. Not my Freya. Not my stubborn, determined mate who never backed down from anything.

"When did she leave?" My voice remained steady, betraying none of the turmoil beneath.

"Last Thursday."

"I see."

She had left. But I convinced myself this was temporary. Freya would return—she always did. This was just another of our disagreements. She needed space, perhaps. Time to cool down before coming back home. To me. To our daughter. To our pack.

"What about the coffee?" Chad asked cautiously.

"Take it away. Bring me water instead."

"Yes, Alpha."

As Chad left, I glanced at my phone, tempted to call her. To hear her voice. To demand explanations. To beg her to return if necessary. My fingers hovered over her contact information.

But I couldn’t. Not yet.

The situation with the northern territories was too precarious. The challenge to my leadership too fresh. My enemies would see any sign of weakness—any indication that my mate had left me—as an opportunity to strike. And there was Isabella to consider. Our daughter’s safety depended on the stability of my position.

More than that, there was Aurora. My cousin’s presence had complicated everything. The rumors about us—completely baseless—had spread through the pack like wildfire. Just yesterday, I’d discovered social media posts speculating about a romantic connection between us.

"Delete them all," I had ordered immediately. "Every last one. And find who started this nonsense."

Aurora was family, nothing more. My heart had belonged to one woman since the moment I caught Freya’s scent in that conference room three years ago.

No, I couldn’t reach out to Freya yet. Not until I’d secured our position. Not until I could guarantee her safety and Isabella’s.

I would wait. I would plan. And then, when the time was right, I would bring her home where she belonged.

Freya’s POV

I inhaled deeply as I settled at the solitary table in the company cafeteria during lunch. Johnny had gone out for a business meeting, leaving me to navigate my first day alone. The other department members offered polite nods as they passed, their cautious distance evident in their body language.

I didn’t mind their hesitation. They’ll come around once they see what we can do.

After finishing my meal, I returned to my workstation, focusing intensely on the projects Jack had handed over—Danny’s abandoned tasks that would’ve typically taken weeks to complete. My fingers flew across the keyboard as hours passed, my mind piecing together solutions with practiced ease.

By late afternoon, just after five, I approached Jack’s desk with my completed work. "I’ve finished most of it. Would you mind taking a look?" I asked.

"What?" Jack looked confused.

As he reviewed what I’d sent, his expression transformed from confusion to utter disbelief, his eyes widening with each scroll. "You... you completed everything?" His voice held the unmistakable tone of someone whose expectations had been shattered.

"Yes," I replied simply, hiding my satisfaction behind a neutral expression. Selene, however, preened with pride within me.

Jack sat frozen, seemingly unable to form a coherent response. I completed what would have taken Danny nearly two weeks, but I’d added innovations he hadn’t considered.

Other team members, noticing Jack’s stunned silence, wandered over. As they learned what had happened, their expressions mirrored Jack’s astonishment.

Finally recovering, Jack looked at me with newfound respect and curiosity. "Are you really just a graduate student?"

I hesitated briefly, deciding honesty was best. "I never attended graduate school," I admitted.

The collective shock was palpable.

"Why didn’t you pursue higher education? Financial difficulties?" one of them asked, though I could tell from their expression they’d already noted my well-made clothing and professional demeanor contradicted that theory.

I lowered my eyes slightly. "No, just personal reasons." Looking up with a small smile, I added, "I might consider further education in the future, when circumstances allow."

After helping several team members with technical questions they’d been struggling with, I finally left the office around seven. Johnny was waiting by the entrance, his expression knowing.

"First day on the job and you’ve already demolished their prejudices and earned their respect," he remarked. "I expected nothing less from you."

I laughed lightly. "Can I treat you to dinner as thanks?"

He raised an eyebrow playfully. "Why else do you think I’ve been waiting here?"