Chapter 53
Both Wade and I frowned when we noticed Xanthe was absent from the table with the others. We found a seat and I glanced over at Liva. "Has she called?" I asked, my concern growing. We hadn't been able to reach Xanthe since lunchtime, when she mentioned she might take a walk.
"She hasn't called. Is everything alright?" Liva replied, echoing my worries.
"I'll try calling her again," I said, and they nodded in agreement.
I shook my head slowly, trying to quell the unease gnawing at me. "Maybe she went to work," I suggested, reaching for the menu, though a nagging feeling told me otherwise. This area was supposed to be safe for humans; yes, the locals could be a bit rough around the edges, but nothing alarming.
"She wouldn't leave for work without us," Wade affirmed firmly.
"I know, but she might have left her phone locked away during her shift."
A sigh escaped me. It crossed my mind that she could have gone in early to avoid dinner.
She had been sidestepping these communal meals lately.
I realized it wasn't her usual behavior.
When she wasn't working, she preferred to stay home and watch TV.
But I wanted her to acclimate to us, to be part of our lives.
Soon enough, she would be our wife, a member of our family.
Wade and I had a long road ahead. I would have to break the news to my family that both Wade and I were in a relationship with her, and I could only imagine the shock it would bring. Most people assumed it was just Xanthe and me.
My plate sat untouched before me. I tried to convince myself that she was at work, but the thought of returning home to find her getting dressed, ready for our routine of comforting touches and kisses, left me restless.
"How was work today?" Lylah asked, breaking the silence.
"Good," I replied curtly. Both Wade and I picked at our food, the unease still brewing. She could very well be at work, but she should have called.
Over the months, we had developed a connection, and Xanthe frequently checked in.
We were always on the lookout for her calls, making sure she got her lunch delivered or inviting her to join us at the table.
Wade and I rarely ate together, but with our little bunny around, we enjoyed making an appearance just to hold her hand beneath the table, to sneak her little kisses.
Sera scoffed, "I'm sure your little girlfriend will show up. It's not like she wants to be here, always acting like she's better than us while basically whoring herself out at a club."
Wade growled so fiercely that Lylah and Petra spontaneously leaned into each other for comfort.
"Don't speak about my—about my wife like that!" I shot back, voice low and threatening.
"I don't see a ring, and honestly, Jager, I could be dating you, happy, and you choose some human instead."
Liva and Seraphine shot her glares, causing her to lean back in her seat, visibly chastened. "I didn't mean it like that," she stammered.
"How did you mean it?" I demanded.
"Jager and I know each other..."
The heftiness heaved from my chest when I noticed Xanthe calling, I pushed off Lylah and I argument. I answered immediately, standing up when I heard her distressed voice. "Bunny, what's wrong? Where are you?"
Wade also stood, concern etched on his face as the eyes of the table turned toward us.
"I'm in a jail cell."
I paced the empty cell, the bleakness of my surroundings careful consideration heavily on me. All that was here was a hard, uncomfortable bench. Time felt as if it had stopped; I couldn't tell how long I'd been pacing this confined square.
"Hello?" My voice was hoarse from screaming, and my hands were weak from futile attempts to wrench the steel bars open.
I pressed my face against the cold metal, desperate for some answer.
"What time is it? I need that call!" I yelled, shifting my face but finding it trapped by the unforgiving bars.
"This isn't fair!" I tried to shout, but my voice cracked, betraying my frustration.
I pulled away from the bars, collapsing onto the bench.
I was hungry and thirsty—my own fault for being locked up all day.
Pulling my feet up, I lay down, hoping for some semblance of comfort.
Just as I began to relax, I heard the guard's footsteps approaching.
I propped myself up, shooting him a glare. He stopped, watching me. "Come get your call."
I jumped up and snatched my phone from him. "That attitude is why you've locked me in here all day," I shot back.
"Fuck you," I replied impolitely.
I glanced down at the screen, seeing a slew of missed calls and messages.
I quickly dialed Jager. It didn't take long for her to answer. I couldn't help but break down upon hearing her voice; perhaps it was because I had missed them so much throughout the day. I had spent too long wondering if I would ever see them again.
"Bunny, what's wrong? Where are you?" she asked, concern reveled in her tone.
"I'm... I'm in a jail cell," I replied, surveying the unfamiliar setting. I didn't know the name of the pharmacy, but it struck me as odd that a pharmacy would have a holding cell. How many other stores might have such a thing?
"The police station? Which one?"
"At a pharmacy. They said I was stealing some stuff," I admitted, not wanting to mention the pregnancy test just yet. They would find out eventually.
"Which one?" she pressed.
I turned to the guard, who was eavesdropping on my side of the conversation. "What's the name of this pharmacy?" I asked him.
"Such a thief that you don't even know the name of the establishment you're stealing from. It's Nezbeth Pharmacy. Tell them to hurry," he sneered.
"Fuck you!" I growled at him. I turned back to Jager, softening my tone. "I'm at Nezbeth Pharmacy. Do you know where that is?"
"Yes," she responded, and I could hear her moving, likely getting ready to come.
"Stay put; I'm coming, bunny. I love you."
I fell back onto the bench, tears spilling from my eyes. I desperately wanted to tell her that I loved her too, but the weight of my situation made me hesitate.
"Phone!" the guard barked, and I huffed, getting up to slam the phone back into his outstretched hand.
"They better hurry before the pharmacy closes. If they don't get here in time, the cops will take you."