Chasing His Scentless Mate

Chapter 381 A Broken Man

Joseph’s POV

It had been a week since I left Ava’s apartment that night. I couldn’t stop myself from going to her, completely surrendering my body and soul to her.

I had fallen into her embrace—that night was the most beautiful of my life because I felt she had given herself to me completely too. But my phone had rung, forcing me to rush out in the middle of the night.

Steward had been arrested, and my PR team needed me to handle the potential media fallout that could negatively impact both my pack and company. We managed to keep his arrest confidential and keep the investigation low-profile, keeping the media away from it. But that bastard found himself a powerful attorney who got him out of jail within 24 hours. It infuriated me.

Now I felt nothing but pain, exhausted in both body and mind. I was sad, depressed, angry, and even regretful for being deceived by that bastard Steward. My chest constantly ached, sometimes intensifying to feel almost like a heart attack.

"You need to go back to her," Dean, my wolf, whined inside me.

I ignored him. The pain of losing her tortured not only my body but my soul as well.

I arranged to meet some friends for lunch; I hadn’t seen them since our meeting with the investigator in Draven’s office, and I desperately needed friends right now. My life was a complete mess. We went to a restaurant near Draven’s office, and it was good to see them. But as we were leaving, I noticed a table behind us, directly across from where we had been sitting.

Ava was there, accompanying her Alpha Kenneth. She looked beautiful, smiling at him. Our eyes met briefly, and I just shook my head. Unbelievable—even after that night when she had been completely mine, she was now with someone else. I couldn’t tell anymore if it was pride, a momentary impulse, or if she was simply trying to make me suffer.

I looked away and left the restaurant.

"Joseph, are you okay?" Ryan asked me.

"Ryan, everything is not okay," Draven answered for me. "I know how you feel. Want to know what I think?"

"No," I said simply.

"I’m going to tell you anyway. No matter how painful it is, you can’t give up on her. Even if you have to humble yourself and surrender, don’t ever give up on her," Draven advised. "If you give up on her, you won’t be able to handle it. I know what I’m talking about."

"You’ve been through this," I sighed.

"Yes, I have. I went through absolute hell for my wife. But it was all worth it!" Draven smiled at me.

I said goodbye to my friends and headed to the hotel that had become my temporary home, because I couldn’t go anywhere else anymore. I drank alone in my room until I passed out.

The next day I arrived at the office, trying to hide the turmoil inside me. Eleanor just looked at me without saying anything. I was busy working when I received a call from my mother.

"Mom, how are you?"

"Joseph, I’m worried about you. Where were you yesterday?" My mother didn’t beat around the bush or express herself subtly—she went straight to the point.

"Mom, just out and about."

"’Out and about’ doesn’t reassure an anxious mother."

"I was at home."

"No, you weren’t. You didn’t answer your phone, weren’t at the office, weren’t at your apartment, and weren’t at the house in the neighborhood. In fact, I hear you haven’t been to any of those places for several weeks now."

"Mom, I’m staying at a hotel," I sighed, knowing there was no point in lying to her. She was genuinely concerned.

"Why choose a hotel?"

"Because I don’t want to go back to that apartment, and I just can’t bring myself to step into that house."

"Then come to pack house. You don’t need to stay in a hotel, child!"

"Mom, I need some time alone. Don’t misunderstand."

"Joseph, let me help you," my mother pleaded.

"You can help me by letting me be alone for a while. The hotel is the best place for me right now."

"Fine, I accept that. However, please tell me where you’re staying so if I need you, I’ll know where to find you."

"Okay, Mom. I’ll send you the information."

I said goodbye to my mother and looked up to see Eleanor’s puzzled expression. But she said nothing, just sat down, and we got to work. Eleanor’s silence was unusual.

Days passed. Each day, my pain and sadness grew heavier. I worked hard during the day and went to the hotel afterward to drink until I passed out.

I showed up to work like a zombie every day, reeking of alcohol and often late. I handed all client meetings over to Eleanor, basically just signing documents according to her instructions. I found her silence strange, but she just observed me and only discussed work. And so the days passed, with my life in complete shambles.