Bad News on the Horizon...

"Victoria! Victoria! Damn it! Where is she?” I heard the open and close of the front door in a loud slam, and if Arabel was calling me by my full name, I could expect trouble on my doorstep.

“I’m doing inventory in the storage room!” I shouted, preparing myself for bad news.

“Thanks God! I found you!” and she appeared at the door, with her rosy cheeks bright red, making her green eyes pop like two gems of jade, and matching the fire colored messed up hair. She looked like a disheveled Marida from the cartoon, and I didn’t know if I worried or laughed at her.

“What? What have you so worked up, girl?” 

“Oh brace yourself, Teague is coming with his men, one more woman disappeared last night, and the police found her husband almost lifeless.”

“Shit!” I snapped, everything I need right now! These kidnappings started to happen about a month ago, but we never found anyone hurt in the way. It was a small town, and people were scared and gossip running full force. Since I settled here and built my pack, we never had a case like this. “And like a good gossip girl, you came ahead of them to deliver the message? Do you know at least who are they?” I roasted her, she shook her head and blushed even more. 

“Victoria!” Oh no… he’s also calling me Victoria… Shit. I mentally whined to myself. I threw my inventory spreadsheets on the small table and stumbled out of the storage room, marching to the dinning hall, followed by Arabel. 

“Yes, I already know. Missy blabbermouth here couldn’t contain her tongue inside her mouth,” I announced when I caught sight of Teague with Drew and Niall behind him. My sudden stop made Arabel crash into my back, pushing me forward, and all three of them glared at her. 

“Vicky! I just want to prepare you for the bad news!” just who didn’t know her better would think the hurt in her voice sounded real. She was a nice young lady, and a great help with my business, but she was the eyes and ears in town, and sometimes she could make the problem worse. I rolled my eyes at her outraged tone, and faced the boys.

“Ok, come to my office,” I signaled to them, then I turned to Arabel. “Tourist season is on top of us, make yourself useful, and start filling up the bar. Remember, this place is full of cameras, don’t let me catch you snooping around my office, or I’ll ship you to the pack house!” she gave me a disapproving look, and led herself to the bar.

“Ok, tell me all this shit going on is some sort of human doings, and you have a lead on the case?” but I knew the answer as soon as I met his concerned silver eyes. “Spill it!”

“Vicky, this is the fourth woman that disappears in a month and a half, and not only that, this time someone got hurt in the process.”

“Teague, stop messing around and talk at once!” they kinda looked at each other, the suspense was killing me. That bad?

“Sarah, and Reid is badly hurt,” I felt like a punch to my stomach, and suddenly there was no more oxygen surrounding me.

“Sarah?” I repeated in a squeak and breathed, taking my palm to my forehead, and trying to bring lungs full of air into my body. “No…” she was my best friend, she’d been by my side since we were kids, and when I decided to leave Kielder’s, my father’s pack, and built my own, she had been one of the few who followed me. Sarah was a sweet soul, never harmed a bug in her life, but she was also a strong woman, and that trait caught Reid’s eyes. She found her fated mate in a human man, and they loved each other with everything they had. No! It has to be a mistake.

“I’m sorry Victoria, I didn’t want to bring you this news,” the pain and concern were all over their faces. 

I leaned back on the table taking my time absorbing the blow. My wolf got distressed with the news, her instinct kicking in, making her pace restless inside me, she wanted to go for a run, but now it was impossible, and I just hoped Sarah was alive and held on to dear life until we found her. My head spun so badly I was about to throw up, and my wolf wasn’t helping it, but in this pack I wasn’t allowed to lose my mind, or fall on my knees and cry my eyes out. I didn’t have this option! I had to gather myself and find a solution to the problem even if it affects me or not. In those hours, Bash would come to my mind, how I missed him. We talked a lot through our mind link, but it was not the same as having the person there by your side, looking at you in the eyes and pouring your heart out, or picking up your pieces. 

Since I left Kielder almost thirty years ago I left my whole life behind, but the hardest, it was to leave my twin. We had a very special bond since birth, and we were always there for each other no matter what. I needed him so badly right now to hold me tight and tell me that everything would be ok. But unfortunately, Sebastian wasn’t here, maybe later I’d tap in our link, but now I need to be the leader I made myself to be, and figure out this situation.

“We’ll have to find out who's behind these disappearances, the people are scared, and Reid is a known person, we can’t let this leak out of town,” my stomach was in knots and my chest grew heavy, I’ve always had a strong instinct, and something told me we were in for a very bad ride. “Teague, you are the head of the police department, can’t you do some cover up until we have more info?”

“I’m trying Victoria, until now I managed to turn the case into a serial nut case who’s in town, and Reid is being cared for by our doctors at the pack house. Whoever is doing this, is either a wolf or a human who’s trying to frame us,” the tension in his smooth voice was tangible, and it told me we were dealing with something dangerous here.

“How did you come to this conclusion?” I frowned at him appalled. 

“Reid. He has bites all over and claw-like deep gash scratches.”

“I need to think! Besides Sarah, how many more girls are missing?”

“Three. Two from the pack, and last week we had the first human on the loose.”

“Send a call to the warriors to meet at the pack house by tomorrow the first hour. I want every single one there,” I requested with gritted teeth. “We’ll explain the situation, and put everyone on alert.” 

“Fine, I’ll send out the call,” he agreed. “Can you two wait for me in the dining hall?”

“Sure boss,” Drew answered, both nodding and leaving the room.

Teague came to me as soon as the men closed the door. It was comforting to feel his strong and sure arms around me. He’s been my safe haven since I left and found my home in the Galloway forest. Sarah and Teague had been everything to me, loyal since the beginning, helping me build a strong, fierce and tight pack. And for the fate sake, we had a great connection and cared for each other a great deal, but he wasn’t my fated mate and that saddened me most. Teague was my beta, and he was the most important person in my life. 

“We have to find her, Tea… All of them,” I whispered and sobbed, resting my head on top of his heart, listening to the comforting beat and letting me be myself in his warm embrace.