“Foster, I’m so sorry,” Manny apologizes, sounding like he is on the verge of tears himself.
“Thank you for telling me. Just… just get your stuff and come home. I need to cuddle.”
He promises to hurry and ends the call, leaving me to absorb the fact that one of my best friends is fucking missing.Fates,I hope she comes back from this unscathed.
An hour later, we’re sitting at the dinner table. Hannah made a wonderful veggie pasta, but I’ve been pushing it around my plate, my thoughts stuck on my best friend and the horrors she could be enduring as we sit here.
“There isn’t anything we can do,” Shepherd told me after speaking to Donovan. Apparently, the DAU and FCDA are both aware of her disappearance, and they’re already following leads to find her. Knowing they are looking doesn’t make me any less afraid, especially after learning they believe a fucking breeding ring took her. The shit that happens to Omegas in those places… I can’t think about it. I’ll fall apart if I do.
“Come, Galán, let’s go soak in the tub. Afterward, you can show me your new nest.” I glance briefly at my other mates, who give me sad smiles, before accepting Manny’s hand. Being strong is something I’ve always prided myself on, but right now I just need to be taken care of. My heart feels too close to breaking to fake being okay.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Two daysafter learning of her disappearance, we got a call from Donovan letting us know Bea was found. A breeding ring connected to the Eternals gang here had taken her from Maine and transported her to a remote location in Alabama. Foster bawls when he learns she is safe, his tears flowing harder when he learns she found one of her Fate-matched mates there.
Recovering from something like this won’t be easy, but at least she won’t have to face it alone.
During the same phone call, we learn that Doctor Harrison has been arrested. I nearly wept with relief hearing that madman can no longer conduct his science experiments. Hearing his name still gives me chills, even after years without witnessing his work.
The worst news is that they’ve lost track of Colin, which makes little sense since he was arrested after breaking into the apartment and attacking me. He should be in jail awaiting trial,right?
Before Donovan has a chance to explain, he rushes off the line. I want to be angry at the lack of answers, but he’s helping with a joint FCDA-DAU operation taking down another anti-designation cult in the south. Having grown up in one, I knowthe potential horrors they will uncover there. A little patience on my part is worth it if it means they can rescue the people trapped in that awful place.
“Let’s call Lilah,” Shepherd suggests, already dialing her office. She’s in a meeting, but her assistant promises to have her return our call as soon as she is free.
Standing at the wall of windows looking out over the lake, I worry my lip between my teeth. My mother is still missing, but I know she will never come after us herself. She will work from the shadows, influencing others so that she can never face direct blame for the outcome, just as she’s always done within my father’s cult. My ex-husband, however, won’t hesitate to track us down. Twice now, he’s shown up at the apartment to threaten me. What’s stopping him from finding us here?
“Angel, want to give us a hand?” Foster calls from the kitchen. He and Manny had gone into town earlier to pick a few things up. Returning an hour later with a trunk overflowing with grocery bags. Turning to look at them over my shoulder, I giggle when I see the table is completely hidden beneath their haul.
Perhaps focusing on something else will help me stay calm until we hear from Lilah. “What would you like me to do?”
Looking closer, I realize they bought stuff to make treat bags for Halloween. When Foster had invited Manny to join us at the community center, we learned that the label is also having a trick-or-treat event on Saturday. They are making something to bring to both, which is adorably sweet of them.
“We’re making three types of treats,” Manny explains, pointing to the themed bags in front of him. “A traditional sugar-overload, an allergen-free, and a sensory-friendly. If we each take a theme, we could knock them out faster.”
It’s a little overwhelming, but they take the lead in sorting everything out. I end up with the traditional bags, which go into black paper bags covered in tiny sunglass-wearing ghosts. Fillingthem with sticker sheets, full-size candies, and small Halloween-themed toys shifts to a mindless rhythm. Even when Shepherd brings Everett over to feed, I move on instinct, my head clear of thoughts.
When the last bag is finished, the guys pack them into empty totes and take them to the garage to be delivered on Friday. The dining room table is a mess of wrappers and leftover fillers, but for the first time in my life, I don’t feel the need to tidy it. No one is going to yell at me for the mess or beat me for not living up to an impossible standard. I can leave it be.
Everett unlatches, eyes sleepy now that he has his belly full. I burp him, sniffing his tiny head to get a whiff of his sweet baby scent. It’s just soap and skin, because he isn’t old enough to have a real scent yet, but it’s familiar enough that my body relaxes.
“Wildfire.” Shepherd has his phone pressed to his ear when I turn around. Foster gives me a quick peck, stealing the baby from my arms so I can join our Alpha. We sit on the steps leading to the pack suite, and he places the call on speaker. “Go ahead, Lilah.”
“I apologize for your not hearing this news from me first, but what the DAU told you is correct. Colin was released on bail this morning.”
My body shakes, fear crawling through my veins. Theylet him go? After he proved he is a threat to my children? Shepherd pulls me onto his lap, pressing my head against his shoulder. I cling to him, fighting back tears. “Didn’t they set his bail at half a million dollars? How did he access that kind of money when the FCDA still has his assets frozen?”
I’d forgotten that Colin couldn’t access his accounts. No one high in the cult could until the investigators cleared them.
“We don’t know,” Lilah admits. Which means someone is backing my ex-husband. Someone with money and influence. “Hannah, I know the protection orders haven’t been effective.He’s violated them twice, which was part of my push for the higher bail amount. Just know that a third violation will guarantee he receives no leniency in the system.”
Wonderful.For the protection order to work, Colin either has to abide by it—something he won’t do—or we have to wait for him to violate it again. The system is much more broken than I imagined when I lived in Whitlan. I thought things would be different out here. Easier.
“I have more news, if you’re ready to hear it.”
Blowing out a breath, I tell her I am. Might as well see all the cards laid on the table now instead of waiting for bad news later.
“The trial of Grant Montgomery is slated to begin on November 10th. You will be required to testify, but I will reach out with confirmed dates for that once we have them. I’ve made sure the court is aware that you are a nursing mother to a newborn, so any time you spend on the stand will be limited.”
