A mix of terror-filled rage washes through me. “What thehellhappened?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out. I just arrived. Come on.”
He blurs, and I follow. Seconds later, we’re upstairs in the office suite and looking over Theophilus’ shoulder as he runs back video surveillance from this morning. He uses alarm logs to find out when the last time the door to the office stairs was opened this morning, and works back from there to isolate the time.
Just before dawn.
We start with the video feed from in front of the nightclub, and then from the parking area in the back. We see when Eilidh left through the front door and start backtracking from there.
All three of us draw back, stunned, at the sight of the gigantic phantom dog walking up to the parking lot and sniffing around the Audi as if it tracked it there.
Theophilus freezes the video on a frame clearly showing the beast looking up at the camera, a faint red glow visible in its eyes. “What in the great muppetyfuckingOdin isthatshit, boss?”
“Gwyllgi,” I whisper, stunned.
Because that’sexactlywhat it looks like. I’ve never seen one, but of course I’ve heard the old myths.
Lucius glances around and drops his voice. “Donotsay awordof this toanyone. I will inform the others.” By “others” I know he means his vampire men.
The beast also faintly shows up in the IR night vision and FLIR views. It’s definitely…real. She wasn’t imagining it.
That relieves me on one level, because it means she’s telling the truth.
But it certainly terrifies me on others, because what thehellis it?
Lucius’ voice sounds calm, yet I can tell he’s anything but. “Can you isolate that entire section of feed in all three views and save it, as well as get me some clear screenshots?”
“Sure thing.”
“E-mail them to me.”
“Send it to me, too, please,” I say.
Lucius nods and pats me on the shoulder. He motions for me to follow him. I do, and we head downstairs and out the back door, to the Audi, where Lucius squats low to the ground and I follow suit.
“I don’t smell anything,” he says. “Nothing unusual, I mean.”
I sniff. “Neither do I.” Although the faint traces of Eilidh’s scent flip my switch into wanting to rage and howl at the sky. I’ve never wanted to be a shifter more than I do right now, so that I can shift and rage and pounce on something and rip it to shreds with teeth and claws in a primal, visceral way to protect my girl.
Ineedto find her.
Now.
I left my phone and the key fob for the Audi downstairs. Lucius lets me back inside the club, and I blur downstairs to grab my things, including her wig. The scent of her clinging to it makes my heart keen with nearly painful agony.
I need her.
He catches up with me. “If there’s anything you need, please, let me know. Men, resources—anything.”
“Thank you. Maybe she’s still at her apartment.” That’s the only thing I can hope for.
“I doubt it, and she’s got a twelve-hour head start on us. I will call around to others I know she’s had contact with in other areas and see if perhaps she’s reached out for leads on jobs.”
“Thanks.”
“Wewillfind her,” he says.
“Yeah, but will we find her before that…thingfinds her?”
