Hazel goes to make another remark, but a stare from Rex stops her.
“Next order,” Rex says. “Alisha. Brad, any word at all?”
“No,” I mutter. “None.”
Rex watches me, sorrow deep in his eyes that he tries not to show. If he had any news, he’d share it, and if I had any clues, I’d tell him. He knows my silence is the worst possible response.
“I will put together a special team,” Rex says. “And we’ll go out for a sweep. I promise you, we’ll find her.”
I nod, not believing him for a second. He dismisses the meeting, then sits down next to me at the table while we wait for Sloan to call.
“I wish there was something I could do,” Rex says gently. “Tell me if there is, okay?”
I nod, staring off into space. Rex knows not to bother with any cheerful platitudes, so we just wait until Sloan calls in. Rex lifts his phone and opens the call.
“Hello, Sloan,” Rex answers. “We can see you. Can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear,” she replies. “Video and audio. How are you boys?”
“Fine,” Rex says. “What did you want to talk about?”
“It’s Brad I need,” Sloan says. “Eyes up, soldier.”
“I’m not a soldier anymore,” I say.
“Like fuck you aren’t. Shake off that melancholy, son, and sit up. I need an update.”
“Update?”
“The rock, the snake—has anything happened in town?”
I realize that I’ve been so wrapped up in myself the last two days, I probably wouldn’t have noticed if the snake burnt through Main Street, incinerating everything in its path. Since I can’t tell Sloan that, I bet heavily on the fact that someone would have told me if there was any activity.
“Nothing,” I answer. “We’re too caught up in pack politics to worry about the snake.”
“Well, I want you on alert,” Sloan says. “We caught readings that the thing has actually been out on the surface, and the science guys tell me the rock is getting hot.”
“What does that mean?”
“We don’t know,” she answers, frowning. “But it’s glowing in some kind of sequence, and repeating it.”
“That’s weird as fuck,” Rex says.
“It is,” she agrees. “I want a patrol in the area. I’m sorry, Brad, but I can’t spare units to look for your wife. The area has been swept, and no wolf or sorcerer has found any sign of her, so we have to return our resources to the mission at hand.”
“Understood, commander,” I answer.
Even though I’m no longer an active Shadow, I still bend to her authority. I know damn well that any normal civilian wouldn’t have been given as much help as I have over the last two days, and even if I were actively on duty, the WS wouldn’t keep sending out units after this much time.
“So, you understand, Brad?” Sloan asks. “As alpha, you’ll coordinate the task force?”
“Yes,” I answer, mentally juggling the snake, the extra units, the market fair, and my missing mate.
“Good. Rex, I’d like you to come out to base when you get back. Over and out.”
The screen goes dark, and Rex pats me on the shoulder as he stands up.
“You should try and get some rest,” he says. “You look like you need it.”
