Wolf Bound

Chapter 39: Vanished

How could someone just vanish without a trace? That was my main thought as I paced the kitchen, my fingers clasped together in a firm hold, while Vincent and Claudia locked themselves in his office. I'd originally stepped out of my room for a glass of water but my curiosity was eating away at my nerves. I never felt like more of a stranger to them than I did now.

They'd been in his office for the past thirty minutes now—a long conversation taking place that I desperately wished I could hear. Calamitous wasn't up in arms. So, I assumed no one had yet announced Bennett's disappearance. It was probably best that they didn't. Rumors were probably going to start circulating soon though. My only hope was that they could get rid of those flames before they fanned out. I didn't want to get burned in that line of fire either.

Bad timing as always.

"I don't think we're ever going to catch a break," I muttered to myself before throwing back the last bit of water in my glass. Just then, a door upstairs opened and closed. Vincent's office, I presumed. Claudia's scent was the first thing I picked up on. She came barreling down the stairs, her attention solely on the front door as she left the house. She hadn't even seen me.

If she was so stressed and distracted that she didn't even know I was here, I could only imagine how stressed and distracted the man upstairs was. So much for ending my birthday on a happy note. Shit. Water wasn't going to cut it. I needed something stronger than this.

As a means to prepare myself before going upstairs, I softly slapped my cheeks and practiced a motivational chant in my head. Then, my feet were moving.

"Vincent?" I knocked on the door.

"Come in." I didn't like how off he sounded.

I shook my head and pushed the thought aside. When I opened the door, dramatically slow might I add, Vincent's elbows were on his desk. His head was bowed; his fingers massaging his temples. I took note of the medication bottle sitting open on his desk. Ibuprofen, it read. I took those for migraines and my menstrual sometimes. I'd never seen him take any though.

"Any updates?" I asked, my voice low.

"Still no sign of him." Vincent sighed.

"How long has he been missing?"

"Claudia says she noticed he was gone about a half an hour after we left. She has no idea how long he's been missing. Just that he is. He was supposed to help her sort out the pack's finances." I had no idea what to say. So, I chose to say nothing.

Vincent spoke again, more to himself than me, "She also says no one spotted him leaving the premises. This isn't like Bennett. . . To leave his responsibilities unattended. To leave Calamitous grounds without notifying anyone. Where would he even go?"

This time, I felt like I had to speak up.

"What are you going to do?"

"I haven't gotten the slightest idea what's going on but we're sending out troops to search for him. There's a small chance he's in danger. Or maybe something else is going on. . ."

"I'm sure we'll find him. He couldn't have gone far," I said, offering a smile for comfort.

My words were meant to be encouraging but as the days went by (three days to be exact), Bennett remained a ghost. People were starting to notice he hadn't been around. They were starting to ask questions that Vincent couldn't answer. And so, the conspiracies began.

Of course, we had one person to thank for that.

"Bennett probably got tired of being overshadowed by Vincent. I mean, it was bound to happen. Maybe Vincent banished him. It wouldn't surprise me. It runs in the family." I snarled as I overheard the nonsense Hudson was spewing to a few of the locals down the street. We were on day two of his bullshit, and they fed on it like leeches.