Chapter Thirty-Eight
Patch
Millie calls me three more times on Monday. I leave my phone on the coffee table, staring aimlessly at the TV. Flynn pauses on his way through, glancing down at the screen.
“Gonna get that?”
“No.”
I’ll have to soon. I know that. I have sent her a few texts, letting her know that I’m okay and have no idea what’s going to happen next, which gave me a quiet weekend, but clearly, that’s not enough for her.
I get it. I won’t be surprised if she turns up here tomorrow. Who’s going to stop her? Get her in the right mood, and she’ll give even Alpha Deacon a run for his money.
Flynn shakes his head and wanders into the kitchen. It’s late afternoon, and my chest is tight. I probably won’t be summoned to speak to Alpha Axel today, but I get the feeling that they might come to a decision by tomorrow, and then…
Then I’ll go elsewhere. I let out a morose sigh. It used to happen to wolves all the time, especially those around my age. We’re not considered pups now so much, not now that we all interact with humans so readily, but if I were this age fifty years ago, I’d likely have still been living at home.
My phone stops vibrating. I flick through the channels until I find a football match and leave that on. I don’t care about either team playing, but the commentator’s voice is a nice drone, making it easier for me not to think at all.
Flynn comes back in and sets a cup of tea in front of me. I grunt in response and he shoves at my legs, so I have to sit up and budge over.
“Thought you wanted to save that space for Dax?” I mutter.
“Yeah, well, I don’t much fancy looking at the imprint your body left behind for the next few months,” Flynn says. He pulls a face when one of the players scores. “Fuck.”
“When are you next at work?”
“Tonight. I figure you won’t text me if anything goes down, so I’ve asked Dax to instead.”
“They’re not going to send me anywhere tonight,” I say with a sigh. “Can’t get me far enough away at a reasonable hour.”
“You seem sure about that.”
I huff. I’m still worrying about Em, of course. Dax has promised to keep an eye on him, or at least get members of his pack to, but I’m not convinced. I want to set eyes on him. Both of them.
I can’t. If I do that, then I’ll never leave. Besides, Alpha Kieran’s pack is downright dangerous. If they catch someone so much as looking at Em sideways, they’ll deal with them.
My phone vibrates again. Flynn lets out an exaggerated sigh, so he’s not nearly as fixed on the match as he’s pretending. I roll my eyes and lean over to pick it up.
I answer without looking at the name on the screen. “Millie, look, I’m not ready to—”
“Patch.”
It’s Em. I freeze with my mouth half-open. Flynn mutes the TV and turns to me with wide eyes. “Em, I don’t think…”
“No, I get it. Have you heard from Jamie at all?”
“No, I—Should I have?” He shouldn’t be calling me. I’m pretty sure.
“Fuck,” Em mutters. I hear Nick in the background and then movement. A door opens and closes. “Okay, thanks.”
He’s going to hang up. Something is clearly wrong and he’s—I get to my feet. “What’s going on?”
“It’s not—It’s not your problem, okay? Jamie went to meet his new boss, and he hasn’t come back yet.”
“Maybe they’re getting along well?”
“He left before nine.”
I glance at the clock. It’s six already.
“And he’s not answering his phone. Not even a message.”
My chest tightens again. Oh. Oh, no. Is this what I’ve been feeling all day?
“Something’s wrong. You’re right,” I say, and Em goes quiet. “I—Where did he go?”
“I-I don’t know. We’re looking; Nick can’t remember the name of the company, and he never—”
“Got it!” Nick says.
“That’s… Oh.” Em’s voice goes faint.
“What is it?” I ask.
“No, it’s… I’m gonna go. Thanks.”
“Em, wait!” He doesn’t hang up, so I barrel on. “What is it? Tell me, please.”
“Fuck!”
I hear nothing for a few seconds, then someone else picks up the phone. “Hey,” Nick says. “So I think whoever Jamie went to meet… Em knows him.”
Em swears again in the background.
I’m already nodding. “I’ll come to you.”
“No! No. The office is in Belgravia. I’ll text you the address. Go there, okay? I’ll meet you and we’ll get Jamie. I’ll ring Kieran on the way.”
I hear more movement. Em comes back on the line. “I’ll meet you,” he says. His voice carries an undercurrent of anger that wasn’t there a minute ago. “Hurry, or I’m going in without you, got it?”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible,” I say.
Em hangs up and I only stand still for another second before I race over to the door. Flynn follows me, watching as I drag on my shoes. “You’re not supposed to leave.”
“I know.”
“They’ll know if you leave.”
“I know!”
He purses his lips and stares at me. “Fine. Did you ever get around to telling Alpha Axel you’d found your mates?”
“No.” Well, not all of it. I don’t think he cares about Em; after he and Jamie left the other night, Alpha Axel didn’t broach the subject again.
Flynn nods. “You go. I’ll handle everything here.”
“Don’t get yourself into trouble for me.”
“Trouble? Me?”
Flynn waves as I rush out the door and down to the car park. My bike is just where I left it and, thankfully, there’s no one around as I throw one leg over the seat. My phone vibrates in my pocket. The address.
Time to go save my mate.
When I get there, Em is already waiting, pacing up and down the pavement outside the building. He looks relieved to see me for about a second before his features arrange themselves into a scowl.
“We have to be careful about this,” he says. I breathe in deeply.
Jamie was here. Is here. I feel the pull in my chest, the need to be close to him.
I feel it for Em, too, and it takes everything in me not to drag him into my arms and keep him there.
“What’s going on?” I ask. “You know these people?”
“One of them, anyway,” Em says. He jogs up the steps and eyes the list of company names next to the buzzers before he presses one. When nothing happens, he presses another. No voice comes over the intercom; whoever is in there buzzes to let us in.
“Tell me,” I whisper as we walk into the building. It’s old and saturated with scents, but I can still pick out Jamie’s over everyone else’s.
“Upstairs?” Em asks.
“Yes.”
He nods and moves for the stairs before I can get ahead of him. I trail him up, my wolf pacing at the back of my head. I won’t allow either of my mates to be harmed. No matter who is in there, I can protect them.
Except, we get to the top of the stairs, Jamie bursts out through one of the doors. He slams it shut behind himself, breathing hard. His tie is askew and one of his cheeks is red like he’s been slapped.
Someone bangs against the door. Jamie pulls a face but holds onto it—and then he looks up. He sees us standing there, both of us stunned, and his shoulders sag in what I hope is relief.
“Fucking hell,” he says. “It took you long enough, huh?”