Franklin rubbed his neck."I don't know."
"Does he need to find her body?Is it why he keeps coming here?"
As much as Franklin wanted Axar coming here to be about him, it wasn't."Maybe.He hasn't said."
"Let's help him.Let's try to figure out what happened to her."
Nodding, Franklin looked out over the crowd.He didn't want to be here.He wanted to head back home."We're gonna accept ghosts as part of reality?"
Elvin waved a hand."Whether they're real or not, they are to him."
Right.Fuck."Okay.Let's try to find out what happened to Neoma."
"I'll ask around.I love a good mystery.You focus on your mate."He patted Franklin's shoulder before heading in behind the bar.
The night crawled, but there were too many patrons for Franklin to be able to leave with a good conscience.He served drinks, broke up one fight, and called a cab to take a woman home who'd had a bit too much to drink.There were a few pack members there, and Franklin checked in with them, but left the sleuthing to Elvin.He was best at it, and Franklin was too distracted to do a good job anyway.
When Chann called for last orders, Franklin started to prepare for closing.Minutes dragged, but when the last customers finally hauled their lazy asses over the threshold, Franklin blew out a breath.
"Go.We'll clean up."Elvin slapped his ass as he passed.
"Are you sure?"He should stay and help, but his feet were already pointing at the door.
"Yes.Go."
Franklin waved and more or less sprinted toward the door.The December air was chilly, but there was no snow yet.He spun the key on his finger before unlocking the car and climbing in.
He might have driven a little faster than he should on the way home, but there was no traffic, so no one noticed.
The moment he stepped out of the car, he could tell something was wrong.Claws formed on his fingers.
They'd been here.
He scented the air.Two scents other than Axar's.The mother and the one who always grabbed him.Was it Axton or Addox?Axton, right?It didn't matter.Franklin would rip their throats out if they'd touched Axar.
He rushed to the front door and growled when he found it unlocked.
Tumbling inside, he ran toward the guest room, but he could tell it was empty before he opened the door.
Pain split his heart in two.
Axar had left him.Had he called his family to come get him?No, he didn't have a phone.Maybe he'd changed his mind.When silence had settled around him, he might have realized he didn't want to be with Franklin.
Agony sliced through his soul.
Then he shook himself.This was not the time to be dramatic.For some reason, he'd left.Maybe Neoma had needed him to do something, and he'd gone with his family to be able to.Franklin had left him without any means to get anywhere after all, and he had no way to contact him.
Maybe he'd be back once he'd checked out whatever it was he needed to check.
* * * *
Elvin narrowed his eyes as he listened to Franklin telling him about coming home to an empty house last night.
"They kidnapped him?"
Franklin stopped breathing."What?"
Elvin pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut."He can't be in the same room as his mother because she can control him with her voice."He snapped his eyes open."Can she control us with her voice?"
