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The front door burst open, and Amelia Evans ran into the living room, the ends of her long skirt flying behind her. “The car’s been found in an abandoned car park. Empty. No sign of Alex. I know you said she might have bugged out, but I have a terrible feeling about this.”
Nathan’s lips thinned. He glanced at Mara who was staring at him expectantly. “Amelia, keep your feelings quiet for now. When does Byron get back?”
“In the morning,” Amelia said.
“Then gather everyone on the property to the meeting hall. We need to organise a search as quickly as possible.”
She left immediately, no hesitation at all. I’d half-expected her to at least question him further.
Nathan sighed, looking stressed. “Mara, stay here with Perdita.”
“But—” she began.
“It’s better we keep you out of the way,” he said. “I don’t want anyone guessing you know something that you’re not sharing. I’ll say you’re upset if anyone wonders where you are.”
“What about Dorian?” she asked sullenly.
“Nobody will notice me,” I said. “You know that.”
“Stay with me, and we’ll try to figure out how and why Alex is gone,” Perdita said. “We might come up with ideas between the two of us.”
Mara reluctantly agreed.
Nathan and I hurried to the meeting house. He ran to the top of the room. Ryan called for attention without being told.
“We have reason to believe that Alex is in trouble,” Nathan announced when everyone quietened.
“I thought she cleared out her things,” Jorge said.
“That doesn’t mean she’s safe. Alex isn’t ready to be out there alone. Byron won’t be back tonight, so we need to organise a search in case—”
“You’re not the alpha,” one of the women said scornfully.
“He’s the next best thing,” Dominic said, glaring at her. “We do what he says until Byron gets back.” He dropped his chin. “We have to find Alex before she hurts herself or someone else. It’s not her fault, but she’s vulnerable.”
He was only saying what half the room was thinking, but the tension noticeably thickened. Losing a pack member wasn’t good for any of us.
* * *
The pack had been dividedup, some of them sent to where the car had been found, just beyond the woods, others to where the missing dog had turned up on the other side of town. The youngest of us were told to stay at home, but I couldn’t. I was a decent tracker at the best of times, and as I wasn’t as consumed by my animal self—or my worries—I, more than anyone else, could keep my head clear as wolf. I could follow a trail without panicking or getting distracted. If Alex was anywhere close by, I was sure I could find her. For once, I couldn’t obey.
Searching near our homes was harder than searching new territory because every inch of land we owned was covered in our scents, but if I just took it one trail at a time, maybe I could figure out where her latest scents had taken her. With her scent fresh in my mind, I could move past the woods, to where the car had been found, and perhaps I’d find something the adults wouldn’t. Anything was better than waiting at home for news, and once Perdita returned to the house, she’d stop me from leaving.
When Mara and Victor saw me getting ready to leave, they stopped me.
“You really think you can do what the adults can’t?” Victor asked scornfully.
“It’s better than sitting here waiting to hear what’s happening,” I said. “This is my only chance. Perdita’s with the client, trying to smooth things over, but she’ll be back soon.”
“He’s right,” Mara said. “I hate this waiting business. Alex could have, I don’t know, freaked out and turned wolf. You know what she was like.”
We all knew. Alex might have been dominant, but she had become a werewolf in a time when females were few and far between. Women had been treated badly under the old alpha, and now most of them lived in Dublin, close to Byron, for a reason. The older ones were mostly damaged mentally, highly-strung and nervous at best. It was a dangerous mix, and Alex had gotten into risky situations before.
“She could have an injury or something,” Mara continued. “She could be in the woods, confused or hurt.”
“How would she get there without the car?” Victor demanded. “Where’s the dog she was supposed to take with her? She ditched them then came back here and just, what, hid in the woods? It doesn’t make sense.”
“Alex can be moody. It’s no secret,” Mara said. “She might have gotten caught up in a good scent somewhere.”
