Chasing Freedom

XXVIII

"She's not there."

He knew that as well as he knew the back of his own palm. The cabin was his family's. Although Mira was included in that, it was in everyone's eyes but her own stubborn ones. She wouldn't go there by herself.

"What do you need from me?"

There it was: the unquestionable trust Myles knew so well.

"I'm going out for a drive as soon as conditions ease."

"Cub, I raised you." Still, his father was even-tempered, but Myles heard the dry drawl behind it all. "Don't even try to get that past me. I'm not going to let you put yourself at risk over this."

Myles sighed. His plan had been to go out in the morning, regardless of if the snow continued to fall or not. By then, he'd already be leaving it too late, given her tyres tracks were misting over as he stood here. Given he could track as well as the best of them and Mira's scent had become as familiar as his own, the weather wouldn't be a hinderance—although it would make things harder.

Risky of not, for Mira, he was sticking to that plan.

If his father expected to talk him out of it, he needed to come up with something spectacular.

"Whatever you're thinking about, stop. You're not going out alone. Think, for a second, Myles. Think hard. I'm not worried about the snowfall and you know it." A wighted pause. "The whispers amongst pack might have gone quiet, but I won't let you put yourself in the position of an open target."

Voice hard, Myles replied, "How do you know no one has used Mira as a target?"

"I don't. Myles..."

And there it was: the reason he wasn't willing to budge.

"I can't have you both in danger. That's not an option." The creak on the other end of the phone indicated his father had taken a seat behind his desk. "I'll gather the sentry here at first light. I'm assuming you'll want to be here for that."

As if Myles wouldn't be.

"I'll bring things with her scent on it," he said.

"Good. Understand, I'll let you be there one condition. Swear to me, you let them do their jobs until we can rule anything out."

Myles blew out a long breath. His father wasn't being a hard-ass for the fun of it. He had a point. Tensions within the pack were ever-present, even if they seemed buried. Someone could have easily targeted Mira for the simple reason of a chain reaction, knowing Myles would leave himself vulnerable for her sake. If anything happened to Myles, it would then lead the Alpha out into the open exposure.

"Fine," he agreed. "I'll be there. And I won't go with them."

He didn't swear on it.

For one simple reason: if the sentry screwed up, he wouldn't hesitate to go on his own search. He wouldn't apologise for it.

Of course, his father knew that—but neither of them acknowledged it aloud.

*

At ten to five, Myles found himself pacing once more. Only this time, it was in his father's public office at the pack house. Crossing his arms over his chest, he couldn't help but glance at his phone where it lay on the desk, screen unlocked. The photo he'd taken of Mira, asleep with her hair curled around her face, was both familiar comfort and agony in one.

"Still nothing?"

Myles sighed, scratching at his jaw. No doubt, his skin would be red-raw soon under the scruff of his stubble. Through the night, he hadn't slept for more than an hour, restless and waking up to every noise. Thinking—hoping—it was his phone ringing or Mira coming through the door.