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In addition to Lawrence's cruelty, he has no respect for women. It's evident in how he controls his sister, like he has a leash on her and he's the only one capable of telling her what to do.
His words only fuel my temper. I can almost picture Adeline in the mansion right now, sitting alone in her bedroom because Lawrence has ordered her to stay in. Frustration coils through my muscles, impotent and toxic. If I'm hurt, there’s nothing that I can do to save her.
"Well, my mom isn't a weakling. She's tough."
Lawrence chuckles. He stops talking for a while, focused on emptying his drink. After he's done, he pushes the tumbler to Carl, letting out a disgusting belch that hits his cousin in the face. The wolf let out a derisive laugh, ignoring the pained look on Carl's face.
He turns to face me. "She isn't coming here."
His statement is so random, I blink twice in confusion. "Huh?"
"Adeline isn't coming here," Lawrence clarifies. "I know you're here because of her but you're just wasting your time. She doesn't like you, okay? I'm sorry that it's coming from me."
I'm actually glad it's coming from him. Because then, I'm certain that the wolf is lying. Adeline may be hurting, but she has feelings for me. He's only trying to get me out of the bar.
"I didn't say I was here for your sister."
"Oh, please." Lawrence slaps me on the shoulder again. "I wasn't born yesterday. You're back here because you're hoping to see her. But Adeline is just like me, like her brothers. We don't really cling to feelings and I'm sure she doesn't want to have anything to do with you again. Do you want to know what she told me?"
"What?"
Lawrence leans forward and I can smell the whiskey on him. It almost overpowers the smell of his wolf.
"That you're just a fling. You're nothing more than that to her."
I don't say anything as I peer into his eyes where the lie twinkles with every blink. At this point, I'm convinced Lawrence had done something to Addy and doesn’t want anyone looking for her. I'm tempted to tell him I'll go to the mansion and talk to Adeline myself.
But it would only cause Lawrence to fly off the handle. He’d take great pleasure in pinning me to the wall and ordering his wolves to tear me apart—every one of them—and then leave me to die.
"Okay." I flash him a grin. "Thanks for letting me know. I'll just go."
I turn around and head for the door of the bar. Lawrence doesn't stop me. Even his wolves who are watching me as I walk away do nothing as they remain in their seats.
As soon as I step out of Moonlit, I let out a breath of relief. It's a good thing to be out of the den of those wolves and back in the sun, where the afternoon air caresses my skin. I flag down a cab and go back to my apartment.
My next task is to find Adeline's scent but to do this, I have to shift. Shifting during the day is unwise of the risk of being seen by a human. But it would also alert the police. In this part of the world, the cops work for the High Ridge pack. The moment I was taken in, Lawrence and his family would be notified. Within hours I’d be dead.
I have to be careful and so, shifting at night is the best option. The dark will be my cover and the moonlight my guide.
The hours crawl like days. Each second is another without contact from Addy. They compound the knowledge that something’s very, very wrong. As soon as it’s safe to shift, I leave my apartment with no clothes on, hop over the railing and down to the parking lot. As my legs hit the ground, my body morphs into my wolf form and I dash into the inky night.
My first stop is Moonlit. The wolves are still there but I stay a considerable distance so they don't catch my scent. Lawrence's smell blends with the others and I know he’s also at the bar. But amidst the jumble of wolf smells, I can't pick out Adeline's scent. She hasn't been here since I left the bar hours ago.
My concern grows with every step I take, checking out areas Adeline loves visiting. I even go to the park where the Strawberry Festival took place. Nothing. No sign of Adeline.
Forced to embrace the reality of Adeline being in trouble, I hurry to the Blood Born Pack where I know I'll find Fena. She lives in one of the cabins in the woods and is the only person I can talk to about Adeline.
Fena opens the door on the first thud of my paw on the porch. It's almost as if she's been waiting for me. I morph back to my human form, standing naked at the front of her cabin.
"Luke?" Fena says as soon as she sees me.
"I need your help."
She ushers me in, glancing outside for a few seconds before shutting the door behind her. She finds a blanket and wraps it around me.
"You shouldn't be walking all alone at night, not in these woods. The High Ridge wolves are scouring the forest again and it's best to stay indoors—”
"It's Adeline," I blurt before she’s finished talking. "I think something bad has happened to her."
