Forcing myself not to panic, I step out onto the porch, tuning my ears to the sounds around me.Maybe he's out hunting.
My thoughts wander back to how Andrew's body felt when I pinned him to the wall, and the exquisite bite of pain his claws provided.
No!I have to focus.Shucking off the tattered remains of my shirt, then stripping off my pants and kicking off my shoes, I give into the shift.
My wolf scents the air, seeking the direction our mate may have gone.
The thread of the mate bond pulls us into the woods where we lose track of time following Andrew's trail.Ultimately, we lose it at the bank of a stream.
The things I've learned about my mate in the time he's been here include the fact he's familiar with the outdoors.He's purposefully tried to disguise his path.I search the bond for guidance again.It's still so new, and somewhat unreliable, but it's all I've got.Andrew's presence feels farther away than I'd like, and I only have a vague indicator of the direction he's gone.
Find mate, my wolf whines, pacing along the water's edge.
I could keep moving in the direction the bond is pulling, but I have no idea how far ahead of me he is, or what I'll find at the other end of my search.The smart thing to do is call in the Pack as reinforcements.But that means questions I don't want to answer.
Just a few more hours of searching.If I haven't found him by morning, I'll suck it up and call my family.
Chapter Ten
Andrew
Staringatmyformerapartment building from the shadows, it feels like a lifetime ago I shared a space here with Arthur.
First light touches the sky as I dart across the road and enter the main door.No one is awake yet, but I hurry to the second floor in case that changes.
I shouldn't have come, but I need to see if anything important of Arthur's is here, or if Richard has already taken his son's belongings.If not, I'll gather a few things for him.
When I reach the apartment, I bend down, removing a loose piece of the decoration on the doorframe.Arthur discovered it shortly after we moved in, but we never reported it to be fixed.Reaching into the small space, I pull out the spare key, unlock the door, then return it to its hiding place.
The air smells stale when I enter, reinforcing the fact no one lives here anymore.When the door closes behind me, I don't turn on any lights.I don't need to.Making my way through each room, I see nothing has been disturbed.
Standing in Arthur's bedroom doorway, I take in the rumpled sheets, the laundry in a hamper in the corner, the stack of books on a table by the window… the way the room still smells like him – although, a mundane human may not be able to tell.
Sadness grips me.Why did the vampires drink him, not me?It should have been me.Instead, I exist as the thing that took his life.Will I ever stop mourning him?
Wandering to the living room, I sit on the couch staring at the blank TV.We hardly ever watched it, too busy working on our mythology and folklore database.A twinge through the mate bond spurs me into action.Wyatt will find me, I have no doubt of that.I need to accomplish my mission before he does.
I didn't intend to knock him unconscious.I don't even know how it happened, but I capitalized on it.Just heap that guilt on the pile.The initial urge to run stemmed from fear the Pack would think I did it on purpose and punish me.An irrational fear.They've been nothing but kind and accommodating.Pretty sure they won't be so kind about what I'm doing now.But they don't understand Richard's importance to me.The driving need to repay his years of generosity and support by giving him closure.I can't cut ties to my old life until I face him and tell him I'm the reason his son is gone.
Gathering up Arthur's favorite things, and the pictures from his room, I pack them in a duffel bag and wait out the day.When darkness falls once again, I leave the apartment behind.By the time Wyatt finds me, I want this to be done.
Chapter Eleven
Wyatt
Ididn'tfindAndrew.Now, the Pack is helping me search.Jericho has called Mason in from his time with his new mates.Ransom postponed his trip.Anyone not on a vital mission for the Coven is lending a hand.
Jagger and I got the assignment of searching the apartment in Staghorn for clues.Tavian says it's not uncommon for new vampires to seek out the familiar from their old life.Key acquired from the building manager, we let ourselves in.
"He's been here," I say, after scenting the air.There's no sign of forced entry, so he must have a key hidden somewhere.Vampires are stealthy, but they can't walk through solid walls, or doors for that matter.Unless he's inherited a rare ability I've never heard of.I shove that thought aside.There's no time to go down that weird rabbit hole of speculation.
"From the disturbance in the dust, it looks like there are some things missing from the roommate's bedroom," Jagger calls from down the short hallway."But it appears as if nothing was taken from Andrew's room."
Why would he take his friend's things, but not his own?
My eyes move over the framed pictures on the TV stand in the main living space.There are several of Andrew with someone I assume is Arthur.And a couple of photos with them and an older man.The dad.
I rifle through the conversations Andrew and I have had.Richard.His name is Richard.
