T h e H u n t e d

C h a p t e r N i n e

"It is now." Charlie answers sullenly, "She left. Rejected me and no I have nothing left."

"Really? Nothing left?" Ezra asks flatly, "What are we? Chopped liver? What about your parents? What about Regan? What about your whole damn family? They aren't something to you?"

Charlie narrows his eyes at his best friend, "That's not what I meant."

"Oh I know what you meant I just wanted you to know how much of a whiny piece of shit you sound like." Ezra drawls before glancing at Remy, "Anything you want to add or are you just here for decoration?"

Remy smirks at him and shrugs his shoulders, "Nope. I think you got it covered just fine."

"Get out." Charlie groans as he leans his head back against the dented wall, "I just want to be left alone."

"No. You need to get up and sober up. We have things to talk about with you." Ezra demands.

"No."

"Yes."

"What the hell does it matter to you if I want to get shit faced in my own house anyhow? Can't this wait for another day?"

"Because this has to do with your mate." Remy says simply, his blue eyes darkening a little with the seriousness of his words.

Charlie scrambles to his feet but puts a hand against his forehead when the room starts spinning. Shit, he probably should have eaten before drinking almost half the damn bottle. Actually he should have just drunk it in the bathroom. It would save him the time of having to clean his mistakes out of the carpet. Clutching his head Charlie squeezes his eyes shut as he talks.

"What about Sunny?"

"Well for starts her name isn't Sunny," Remy says before throwing a manila envelope on the kitchen table, "She's not working for a security company and most definitely not going to college. In fact I don't think this girl has even graduated high school."

"And you know all this how?"

"Ezra told me."

Charlie turns his gaze to Ezra who crosses his arms over his chest before shrugging, "Something about her seemed off and I don't let people just come around my family without a check. Mate or no, I don't make exceptions."

"Good to know." Charlie drawls, "I'll be sure to warn any future girlfriends of yours."

"You better not."

Dropping down into one of the chairs at the table Charlie grabs the envelope while still clutching his head, "I'll agree with you about one thing though, she's a good liar. There was something off about the things she said. They seemed believable on the surface but something was...well, off."

"Yeah well there's a lot off about this girl." Remy sighs as he goes to sit in the chair opposite him. Taking the bottle off the table Remy gives him a playful wink before taking a few swings of it himself.

"Meaning?" Charlie asks as he pulls a dark red folder out of the envelope.

"Meaning she is not who she presents herself to be and that also means she could be in some serious shit," Ezra adds as he too sits at the kitchen table, "What's really crazy about her is that after the age of eight all record of her is completely gone. There is no trace of her on the grid."

"How did you even get this?" Charlie asks.

Remy puts his hands behind his head, "I know a guy, who knows a guy who knows where to find information."

"Real informative." Charlie grumbles before flipping open the folder's cover.

The first thing that catches his attention is a photograph paper clipped towards the top of the folder. It's obviously a school picture. She can't be older than seven, maybe eight. Her hair is lighter, almost blonde but her eyes are the same yet also different. That haunted look isn't in them like they are now. Instead they look happy. Charlie's lips twitch up at the sight of her slightly crooked smile.