"Has anyone actually confirmed that Dakota made it home safely?" Thomas asked, his tone casual but his expression concerned. "It's been over an hour now. Someone should probably check on her."
Maya's stomach twisted with guilt that she'd been so caught up in celebration that she'd stopped thinking about her sister.
"I'll send someone to check her room," she said quickly, gesturing for one of the house staff.
The young woman hurried off, returning several minutes later with a confused expression.
"Miss Dakota's not in her room, Alpha. Her phone is there on the nightstand, but there's no sign of her. Her bed hasn't been disturbed."
A ripple of unease passed through the head table, spreading outward as nearby guests registered that something might be wrong.
"Check the grounds," Richard ordered immediately. "She probably just needed more extensive space. Check the gardens, the walking paths, anywhere she might have gone for privacy."
