“That’s what brothers are for.” Noah leaned back in his chair. “Now, let’s talk about the other issue. Where are we with Cole and the search?”
I forced myself to switch gears, to push aside the personal pain and focus on the threat that was still out there. Mary Thorne was still missing. Still dangerous and presumably targeting my mate and children.
“No one seemed to know Mary in Shadowcrest or Moonfang,” I said. “Cole spent weeks there, asking questions, showing her picture around. If she passed through either territory, she did it without being noticed. Which means either she’s very good at hiding, or she went somewhere else entirely.”
“That’s a step back.”
“Tell me about it.” I ran a hand through my hair, frustration building in my chest. “Lucio’s report from earlier wasn’t great either. He couldn’t find the person who messed with ourcameras. Whoever hacked into our system covered their tracks well. But he did leave some additional security measures in our network in case someone tries to do it again.”
“At least that’s progress.”
We’d been lucky when Lucio had asked to transfer to Ravenshollow a few weeks back. He’d come from Shadowcrest, apparently tired of the politics there and looking for a fresh start. His expertise in cybersecurity had been immediately useful. He’d found holes in our network that none of our own specialists had noticed, vulnerabilities that could have been exploited if we hadn’t patched them.
That had earned him a place in the pack and some trust. Not complete trust, obviously. New pack members always had to prove themselves over time. But enough that I’d assigned him to handle the technical side of our security situation.
“I asked him to open a human search for Mary as well,” Noah said. “Missing person report. And I’ve sent some private investigators to look for her. Humans who can ask questions in places our wolves can’t go without attracting attention.”
“Anything so far?”
“Nothing. It’s like she vanished into thin air.” Noah shook his head. “Wherever she’s hiding, she’s doing a good job of staying hidden.”
“She had help. She had to have help. Mary’s not smart enough to pull this off alone.”
“Agreed. But we haven’t been able to figure out who’s helping her.”
We sat in silence for a moment, both of us stewing in our frustration. A month of searching and we had nothing. No leads. No sightings. Just a trail that went cold the moment Mary got into that car on the highway.
I was about to suggest we expand the search to more distant territories when the sound of footsteps on the stairs made us both look up.
Lina came rushing into the kitchen, stress written all over her face. Her eyes were still red from crying, her hair a mess from sleep, and she was wearing mismatched socks. But what hit me hardest was the panic in her expression. Raw, unfiltered terror.
Noah and I were on our feet in an instant.
“What happened? What’s wrong?” I asked, already moving toward her.
“It’s Pine Valley’s shop!” she shrieked, her voice cracking. “Someone’s trying to light it on fire!”
She didn’t wait for a response. She just turned and ran toward the front door, her pregnant belly making her movements awkward but determined. I caught up to her in three strides, grabbing her arm to stop her.
“Lina, wait-”
“Don’t tell me to wait!” She yanked her arm free, fury and fear battling in her eyes. “Someone is trying to burn down myshop, Knox. My parents’ shop. The place they built. The place I’ve spent my entire adult life protecting. I’m not waiting for anything.”
“You can’t drive. You’re too upset, and-”
“Then YOU drive!”
Noah stepped in before I could respond. “He can’t. He’s been drinking.”
Fuck. FUCK. One glass of whisky. That’s all I’d had. But Noah was right. I couldn’t risk it. Not with my pregnant mate in the car. Not with so much at stake.
Lina looked between us with an expression of pure disbelief. “Are you kidding me right now? My shop is about to burn down and you two are arguing about who can drive?”
“Lina-”
“You know what? You’re both useless. I’LL drive.”
“Like hell you will.” Noah grabbed his keys from the counter. “I’ll drive. Knox, you stay here and get a fucking grip. Call Hunt. Call Mother and Father. Get them here to watch the twins, and then follow us when you can.”
