I sighed, irritated, and checked my watch. Only thirty minutes had passed, but that didn’t make me any less stressed about this situation.
My father stood right beside me, the murder board splayed out over the conference room wall of my brother’s house. It’d only taken a few minutes for everything to be moved because several pack members had helped.
Their display of solidarity had calmed me a bit, as it somehow allowed me to share my burden. Just a little. Like a unit. And it also bolstered the assurance that we would work together to find her.
It was strange accepting that resolve after so many years of working alone, but it felt right to let them help me. To operate as a team. To be a real pack.
My father reached out to squeeze my shoulder, somehow sensing my unease over Makayla’s continued silence. “We’re going to get her back, son.”
Hardt nodded, his back to me as he dragged several sets of surveillance videos up onto one of the screens. “I’m scanning all potential routes out of our territory and using heat censors to check truck occupants. I have six I’m watching so far.” He pointed to them. “They’re all within appropriate range with at least three heat signatures inside. Two of them have someone in the back as well.”
“And I’m searching for ownership details on all those trucks,” Jude added, sitting beside the beta and watching images fly across the screen.
“You mean while someone at headquarters scans auto records?” I rephrased for him, aware that although he wasn’t inept when it came to technology, he wasn’t a hacker.
“Same thing,” he replied, arms folded, expression serious as he continued “supervising.” Our region had been updated with thermal equipment, which would hopefully help him identify a body in a truck bed.
I started pacing, calling for Makayla every few seconds and flinching when she didn’t reply.
At least I could feel her life source thriving in our bond.
“Alpha?” a deep voice asked from the doorway.
I glanced at the young wolf, realizing immediately that he was talking to me. Everyone had been calling meAlphasince returning to the house. And I didn’t have the energy to correct it. Nor did I really want to at this point.
“Yeah, Rick?” I asked. He was about ten years my junior, but I remembered him from my childhood because we shared a similar name. And he’d always been the helpful sort. A good kid. Loved his books. Now he ran the phone lines for the pack.
“Alpha Landon is on the line requesting to talk to you,” he said. “He called right after the meeting, but you were already gone. And I haven’t had a good moment to tell you to call him back.” He swallowed. “Sorry. I-I should have told you—”
“It’s all right,” I interjected. “You can put him through to the conference line.”
“Of course, sir,” Rick replied, bowing his head.
He practically ran from the room, causing me to glance at my father. “I swear I’m not that threatening.” Although, I felt fucking threatening right now. If Makayla didn’t wake up soon, I was going to lose my shit.
Hardt snorted, clearly poking fun at my statement.
Even my father smirked.
Glad they could find amusement in this situation.
The phone’s ringing cut off whatever he would have said, and I picked it up with a casual, “Alpha Alaric.” Since everyone else was calling me that, I might as well own it.
My father’s grin widened.
I ignored him in favor of the wolf on the other line.
“I’m sorry to phone so late,” Alpha Landon said by way of greeting. “But I found something while preparing for Kristen’s burial.”
I frowned. “Something on the body?”
“No. Something about her connections to former members of my pack,” he replied. “Kristen was Kevin Gamington’s daughter. That might not mean a lot to you, but he was one of the enforcers who helped track down Bortex after the trafficking ring was busted a few years ago. Actually, he wastheenforcer to catch him after he tried to flee.” Alpha Landon cleared his throat. “Kevin also has a son. And, well, his son is missing.”
My blood went cold. “Do you think he was taken?” Because that would stir up the murder board.
He hesitated. “No. I… I think he might be involved.”
My eyebrows lifted. “Why?”
