Girl Gone Rogue (The Shadow Hunters #2)

9. Hollow Land

"Kian..." I whispered, horrified.

Kian didn't speak.

He silently scanned the perimeter, taking in the arid terrain. Tension gripped his body as he slowly ambled to the closest building- a bungalow with a chestnut roof, grey bricks and wide arching windows that carved the front of the homey place. A bamboo wind chime danced in the cool breeze, playing a sombre song near the cherry wood door.

I followed him up the stairs sprinkled with flower petals. He twisted the knob, and it easily gave way with a hollow creak. His brow wrinkled as he pushed inside, pausing briefly at the entry. I stepped up behind him, taking in the twirling staircase that disappeared to the upper floor. A long shaky exhale escaped Kian's lips. There was no colour in his face as he took in his surroundings.

"This place..." I started, feeling the cool air tickle the nape of my neck in an eerie greeting.

"...has no warmth." Kian whispered.

I watched his gaze settle upstairs with apprehension before he ran to the foot of it, racing up the spiral with a burst of caged energy.

"Kian, hold up. We need to check if there's danger-"

"Fuck that! Dad! Dad!" Something a lot like panic coated his yell as I heard his boots move frantically along the carpet above me.

I chased after him as he raced down the hallway, opening the second door to the left.

The bedroom was empty, save for an unmade bed, bedside table and a deflated bean bag. Kian cursed viciously, "Why the fuck aren't you here. Dad!" He disappeared behind two doors that I assumed linked to an adjoined bathroom.

I examined the room with a critical eye. There were no signs of struggle or anything peculiar for that matter. No blood. No scratches on the wall. It just looked as if Kian's dad just left the house like any other day. I browsed the miscellaneous bits and bobs, ascertaining nothing of interest.

I spotted a framed photo of Kian and his dad. They shared the same dark locks and dusky eyes. Although Kian was slim, his father was bulky and looked as if he never smiled a day in his life. Kian obviously inherited his bright, exuberance from the man.

Not.

Yet, there was something inherently gravitating about the two men.

"He's not here." Kian shoved a hand into his hair, struggling to keep his emotions in check judging by the tight clench of his jaw.

I peered out the window that overlooked a great portion of the Pack for miles. There was no one loitering around, and I couldn't scent anyone. Not a single wolf.

We had to be the only ones here.

Why hadn't anyone picked up on that?

"Where did they all go? I thought Tatum's men surrounded the Pack grounds. How haven't they detected that not a single changeling is here?"

"It has to be the tunnels. It's the only way in and out I can think of. You can leave this place basically undetected through them. I didn't think anyone in the Pack knew about them. It's the only plausible reason I can think of." Kian replied, pacing the room.

"We at least know how they potentially got out undetected but why? Why did they leave here?"

"That's if they left here. They could have been taken. We need to look around." Kian moved to the door. "Let's do it quickly before something happens."