Page 8 of Hidden Nature

“Coming!” was heard deeper in the store, but with my supernatural hearing, I knew he was walking up from the back storage room.

It took Oscar a few minutes to reach the counter, but when he did and spotted me, he came to a halt. “Finley.” His voice squeaked in surprise.

Oscar was exactly the type of person you would picture working at a bookstore like this. Thick round glasses, polo shirt with khakis, and penny loafers that were perfectly worn in from daily use. He’d been one of my contacts that the Organization didn’t know about. He kept backup supplies for me and I sent him enough money to keep his store running even if he never made another sale.

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, I figured you’d forgotten about me,” he explained, adjusting his glasses nervously.

I gave him a smile and shook my head. “Do you think I would be sending you that much money if I’d forgotten about you?” I waved off the question without really needing him to answer it. “I need to get to my stash. Can you let me into the vault?”

“Of course, you both can follow me.” He turned and started to walk, then paused, looking back at Rathal. “Um, unless you’d rather leave him up here? You don’t usually have people with you.”

“It’s fine, but thank you for not assuming. That might come in handy one of these days,” I said, giving Oscar a full smile in appreciation.

Oscar seemed stunned by the smile and a blush started to creep up his neck and onto his cheeks. “Ah, yes… well, I know our arrangement is less than standard, so I didn’t want you to be acting against your will or anything.”

Rathal stepped up behind me and settled his hands on my hips in a move that clearly stated his claim on me. “I would never force my mate to do something against her will.Nin mel, who is this man and what arrangement is he talking about?”

“Business, nothing more, right Oscar?” I asked, cocking a brow.

He gaped at me and Rathal like a fish before turning on his heel and scurrying to the book vault in the corner of the store. I couldn’t help but snicker to myself at how the two men were acting around me as if I needed either of them to stand up for my honor. When we reached the vault, which was really a secure environment for the rare books to be housed, the door was cracked open, and Oscar was nowhere to be found.

“I think you scared the poor man, Rath,” I quipped, looking at him out of the corner of my eye.

“Then he shouldn’t have been looking at my mate like he wanted to sleep with you. It’s rude to make advances when you have clear marks on your skin marking you as taken,” Rathal justified.

Shaking my head, I grinned. “Come on, we best close the door. The ocean air isn’t good for the books.”

The room wasn’t large, every inch of it covered in bookshelves, but the door. I walked over to the table used to repair or restore any damaged books and took a pair of cloth gloves. Heading over to a bookshelf, I removed a section of books to reveal a safe behind them and typed in the code, using my pointer fingerprint to unlock it with a snick. Once opened, it revealed a set of knives, a gun, passport, driver’s license, a stack of cash, and a burner phone. I grabbed the license and the phone but left everything else there in case I would ever need it later.

I turned the phone on and dialed Colt’s number, knowing he would answer any unknown number on that specific cell phone just like he had the first time.

five

It was hard to focus on anything when my wolf wanted nothing more than to hunt down our mate, no matter how long it took.How I wanted to give in to that need, but I was responsible for more than just Finley. Plus, we had one of our own wolves leak our evacuation plans to the Senate, and who the hell knows who else.

Lane and I still had to decide what to do about Peggy. Neither of us was ready to make the call that had to be made with what she’d done. With her actions, she endangered our whole pack, no matter her intention.

Elias still felt like the vampire might be part of some other party looking for Finley. Maybe even the Dark Ring themselves, if the rumors of how they turn supers against their own kind to survive are true.

I sat at my desk staring at my phone, willing it to ring and it be Finley on the other side. If I knew she was alive, it would take such a weight off my shoulders, but the not knowing part was torture. It was as if I was reliving losing my brother all over again. Cory had been my responsibility to keep safe just as Finley was. Now, I’d failed them both when it mattered. When we got her back, I didn’t care what I had to do. Even if it meant chaining her to my side, I wouldn’t lose her again.

Just then, my phone started to vibrate and ring loudly, scaring the shit out of me until I realized that the number calling was blocked. Diving for the phone, I snatched it up as it almost skittered off the desk, hitting the answer button. “Hello? Finley?”

There wasn’t an immediate response on the other end, making my heart beat wildly in my chest. “Finley, if that’s you, I expect you to answer me this minute,” I snarled using my alpha voice, knowing she couldn’t refuse my command.

“Yes, alpha, it’s me,” she answered with a whimper in her voice at the forced response. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, please don’t be upset with me,” she begged.

“Hand me the phone,” a male voice insisted. “I will speak with him if he can’t handle his temper.”

A growl leaked from my lips as rage built in my chest.

Who is this man?

Did he have Finley captive?

Was he hurting her?

Could she get away?