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.
"Pay him no mind," said Dylan, nudging me. "He likes the attention."
"He's causing panic for absolutely no reason." I scoffed out a laugh.
Dimitri shrugged. "Hudson doesn't have anything better to do."
"What is he even talking about? It runs in the family. What the hell?" I scowled.
"Hudson is up Bennett's ass twenty-four-seven. That guy acts like he and Bennett were the best of friends or some shit. When really, he just followed Bennett around like a puppy dog," Dimitri balanced a pocket knife on his fingertips.
"I'm sure Bennett can defend himself," I mumbled, frowning.
"He can," Dylan said. "But sir talks a lot over there, likes to play hero."
"Well, someone needs to tell him he's annoying," I raised my voice a little higher, purposely trying to catch his attention. It must have worked because he paused mid-sentence, shooting a glare in our direction. My sickenly sweet smile caused him to grit his teeth. He didn't dare approach us though. I guess I was feeling bold today. Really though, it was stress and frustration.
That's why I was overjoyed to see the Alpha residence up ahead. Vincent had been cooped up in his office; his mind a chaotic jumble of thoughts, and his stress at an all-time high. I had to remind him to eat. To sleep. Sometimes, even to breathe. It was like he forgot how to be a living person. I'd never seen him pop so many pills in a day. Soon, I feared his ibuprofen would take my place as his source of comfort. Or worse, he'd forget not to take too many.
We slowed to a stop near the entrance. I'd told them it was unnecessary to walk me back but they insisted. I figured it was to give Vincent a peace of mind, and to make sure no one caused me any trouble. With all the ruckus Hudson was causing, it was possible.
"Can I come with you guys tomorrow as well?" I glanced between them, a glimmer of hope in my voice. I'd tagged along for the most recent search they led. The search wasn't so bad. We'd covered the closest portion of the woods thus far. Probably within a twenty mile radius. It was more than what they covered yesterday. How far out could he have gone? It was hard to tell.
Dylan shook her head. "I don't know. You might want to talk to Vincent about that. He's already kind of on the fence about you joining the searches as is." I sighed. Sure, I'd talk to him if I could get more than a few words out of him. Trying to talk to him lately was like trying to talk to a rock. I had a better chance of getting a response from him back when he didn't like me.
While I recognized that now wasn't a good time for him or the pack, selfishly, I also craved more from him. Perhaps, this was what he warned me of within the mating bond. Him casting me out left a dent in my chest that I wished would go away. I wished he'd confide in me. Talk to me. Look at me. Something. I wanted to help the best way I could, and he wasn't leaving me much room to do so. I'd admit it hurt a little bit. However, I was trying to bear with it for his sake.
He wasn't in the best head space.
"Okay, thanks anyway." I sighed again.
Somehow, after parting ways with them, I found myself standing inside Vincent's office. His head was propped back as was his body in his chair. He was fast asleep. Finally, I thought. I grabbed the blanket from the bed in my room, before returning to cover him with it. I then fixed his neck so that he wouldn't wake up with a sprain or anything.
But as I went to leave, a hand folded over my wrist. I tensed, shooting Vincent a look. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "How long have you been here?" he rasped.
"Not long," I said.
"Shit. I fell asleep, didn't I?" he let out another string of swears, shaking his head.
"It's okay—"
"No, it's not. I shouldn't have fallen asleep," he growled at himself.
"But you did," I said, frowning. "Your body's going to shut down on you if you keep this up."
"It won't," he retorted. Stubborn as always.
"It will," I argued.
"Then so be it," he countered and rambled, "I need to find Bennett before it's too late. It's been three days and we still haven't found him—"
"Vincent," I tried to interrupt him.
"That is unacceptable. Either of my father's would have tracked him down by now—"
"Vincent," I tried again.
"What if something bad has happened? What if—"
"Vincent!" I snapped, a growl leaving my lips. He tensed, then blinked and stared at me; an unreadable expression passing over his face. Definitely could've handled that a lot better. I pinched the bridge of my nose, then took a deep breath. "Sleep. Please? You need it."
He was quiet for several more seconds.
I wasn't sure if that was because I'd just yelled at him or because he knew I was right.
"Sleep with me?" he said, finally.
"What?" I uttered, my eyes flying wide.
"Not . . . not like that," he hurried to correct his phrasing, "I just. . . I want you to stay with me. In my room. If that's okay with you." He didn't look at me.
"Only if you promise to sleep. Just a nap, at least. . ."
He nodded slowly. "I promise. I swear." I was glad he wasn't fighting me on this. As I helped him to his feet, I kept to his side all the way to his room. I then flicked on his light.
Come to think of it, I'd never been in Vincent's room before. I wasn't sure what I expected. The large space was just as organized as he was. There were two brown nightstands—one on either side of his king-sized bed, with a lamp on each. A massive window with brown shades. It'd seem he didn't own much. I finished studying his room to find he'd already changed into a pair of shorts and a comfier shirt. He crawled onto the bed, leaving space for me to fit.
"I'll be right back," I said, gesturing to my dirtied clothes. It didn't take me long to run to my room and change into some sleepwear. The lights were off when I returned. Vincent, I thought, fell asleep again so soon. But when I laid down, I felt his fingers clinging onto mine.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Why?"
"You asked me before . . . if I thought I was invincible. Well, that's not it. I don't want to let this pack down as my mother let our pack down." Even in the dark, I could make out the hard lines on his face. That was the vulnerability he tried so hard to hide.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't surprised by his sudden confession. It took me a few seconds to form a response. But when I did, I planted a kiss on his forehead. Then, his cheek. Then, his lips. I let my kisses linger in all three places, making sure he could feel every ounce of security I was trying to give him. It wasn't much but I needed him to know I was here. He wasn't alone.
"You can't go back to shutting me out," I spoke.
"I'm not."
"You are," I said, softly but firm. "Let me help."
"How?"
"I'll do what I can. But you need to take care of yourself as well. What good is an alpha to his people if he's not in a condition to protect? How will you keep them safe if you're not well? I've told you this before, haven't I?" He was so damn stubborn. Even more so than me.
"You make a good argument," Vincent said, after a moment of silence. That got me to crack a smile. Soon, his breathing evened out. I could hear his light snores beside me. All was peaceful. Until Amaury's voice both shocked and disturbed me.
"What have I missed that you're sleeping in the same bed as my brother?" I imagined his eyes protruding to match the surprise in his tone. Immediately, I climbed down from the bed, trying my best not to wake Vincent again. I entered my room, gently shutting the door behind me.
"Amaury? Where the hell have you been?" I guffawed.
"I've been here and there," he responded. Here and there? He couldn't go anywhere! As if he felt no need to explain himself, he asked, "You both seem tense. What's going on?"
"Nice of you to join us after so long."
"My apologies." He sounded genuinely sorry. "Now, what is happening?"
"Bennett's vanished."
Amaury was silent for a moment too long.
"Amaury?" I inquired.
"Bennett's vanished?" he repeated, disbelief in his tone.
"Mhm. He went missing three days ago," I filled him in.
I heard him inhale a sharp breath. "Wow. I am a little taken aback hearing that."
"You and us both."
"It's been a while since I've asked you this but whatever happened to those voices you were hearing? The ones from the shadow in your head."
I paused. "Actually, I don't know. . ."
"You don't know?"
"Yeah. Now that I think about it, they kind of died out over time."
"That is . . . odd."
"Isn't it? I don't see that location in my dreams anymore either."
"Hmm, I am not sure what to make of that. Perhaps the shadows do have a lifespan."
"Join the club." I was tired of hearing myself sigh. But I found myself constantly doing just that. If I was going to help Vincent and the rest of Calamitous find Bennett, I needed a starting point. He wasn't nearby, that was for sure. Maybe we were thinking too close to home. Maybe it'd be best for us to venture out further. Where this all began, something ticked in my brain.
I gasped.
"Genesis, what are you thinking so hard about?"
I ran to my bags in the corner and dug through every one of them until I figured out which held the sketch. I hadn't meant to ignore Amaury but this could have been a breakthrough.
"Amaury, maybe you can help me," I rushed out.
"Help you?"
I nodded, then flattened the sketch on the floor. "I want to help find Bennett. I think. . . I think that I'm going to search for this location. I'm going to start from where it all began."
"You don't mean. . ." He caught on fast.
"I do," I said, a shit-eating grin on my face, "I'm going to retrace your steps back from the night you attacked me. That should help. Maybe you'll regain your memory too."
"Hmm, possibly. Didn't you and my brother check that area again though?"
"Exactly! We did. But we never made it far before we were attacked by the Erebus wolves."
"And your point is?"
"Vincent told me that he and his troops had already scavenged the area once. They went as far back as they could, however, they were never able to retrace your steps or your attackers scent. That was the first time. The second time, we were attacked by Erebus wolves."
"But I don't think they were normal Erebus wolves. I'm not sure if I ever told you this but the Erebus wolf that attacked me specifically looked like you the night of the attack. Amaury, I think I've noticed a pattern. Something we didn't see before."
I couldn't believe I was just now piecing all of this together.
"I'm afraid I'm not following." He sounded unsure.
"Amaury, what if those Erebus wolves weren't just casually strolling the area?"
"You mean . . . it wasn't a coincidence? Someone sent them?"
"Yes! Every time we try to retrace your steps, we can't. I think those Erebus wolves were guarding something all along. Vincent and I once thought that the shadows might not be able to live without a breathing vessel. Their host has to be alive.
"What if the shadow in my head spanned out because it couldn't reach its full potential? Sure, I'm alive and breathing. But what does that change if it can't take control? Absolutely nothing! All that's left is a shadow with no coherent thought process stuck in my brain!
"You just said it yourself. The shadows might not have a long lifespan after all. Maybe that's why they work so hard to possess people. I'm not sure why they're targeting wolves specifically. That may be a little more personal. But it's not a far-fetched idea!
"Erebus wolves roam the woods freely, do they not? Alpha Merrick thought Erebus wolves would be the perfect vessels for the shadows. After all, they're vicious on their own. They've already lost their humanity and have no further use to the world. Except for terrorizing.
"We've been wondering where these shadows are coming from and why they're here. I think this location will have all the answers we're looking for. If we could just get to it. I can feel it in my gut. It's somewhere in that area. Someone doesn't want this location to be found."
By the time I was finished, I was dry heaving. Amaury remained quiet. I figured he'd need a moment or two to process everything I'd just said. It was a lot, I'd admit.
"But that just means there's a possibility this location is flooding with Erebus wolves. . ."
"It's a risk. I know." I chewed on the inside of my cheek. "But we have to take it."
"Genesis, I'm not sure if this is a good idea." Amaury spoke in a dangerously low tone. I'd never heard him sound as serious as he was now. "If you get hurt in the process. . ."
"I won't go alone," I said.
"You swear?" Amaury treaded carefully.
"I swear," I promised.