18. Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Eighteen
“ I don’t know,” Corey says as I push behind him into the small bathroom.
Where is she?
My heart sinks, a weight settling over my chest as I march to the window and stick my head out, searching for my Pumpkin.
“Saylor!” I shout into the night. Why would she do this? Why would she leave and put herself in danger like this?
Shouting her name again, I feel the reassuring weight of Corey’s hand grasp my biceps, gently tugging me back from the sink.
“Noah,” he says as I shout her name one more time. His voice is muffled, barely breaking through the fog of panic settling over me. We just found her. She agreed to move in, to see if the three of us would work as a pack.
“Noah!” he barks and the shock of him barking at me snaps me out of the deep pool of worry I’d begun to drown in. Corey is an alpha, a strong one at that, but he has always had a softer side, letting me lead. The only other time he’s barked at me was during Saylor’s heat, when I was close to marking her.
“Sorry,” I mumble, running my hands over my gelled hair, trying to smooth it and soothe myself. “Where is she? I need to find her. God, what if something happens to her?”
“I know. I need to find her, too. But she’s not in here, and I doubt she’s anywhere in this house. Let’s head out, see if any of Hudson’s guys saw her, try to call her. We will find her.”
Nodding, I let him lead me out of the bathroom, grateful for his ability to remain calm and collected. It’s one of the things I’ve always loved about him. Despite the fear coating his normally sweet, toasted marshmallow scent, he holds himself—and me—together.
We push through the crowded makeshift dancefloor and out onto the Lion’s front lawn, stopping beside an electronic witch that cackles as we approach, the basket in her hand full of mini shot bottles and eyeball candies.
“Are you with me?” he asks, giving my hand a squeeze.
“Yeah. As good as I will be ‘til we find her.”
“Okay. Why don’t you call her, and I’ll talk to some officers, see if anyone’s seen her.”
Corey gives my hand another squeeze as he turns back to the front entrance. His phone rings at the same time mine beeps with a flurry of notifications.
Pulling it out of my pocket, I swipe across the screen, the whole world slowing to a halt around me as I see Saylor has sent me three messages.
I vaguely hear Corey answer his call and greet Sgt. Hudson as I read what she’s sent.
*At my apt. Luke’s inside. Need to take him down once and for all.*
*Saylor has invited you to join her live recording:
“I’m sorry.*
Corey thanks Hudson, his lock on his own concern breaking open as his worry floods our bond, piling on top of my own and causing my jaw to lock .
“Hudson says she’s at her apartment. His guard just notified him.”
I nod. “She texted me,” I say, showing him the messages. His green eyes widen as they lock with mine.
“Fuck,” he growls. “I knew she was strong. Independent. But I never expected she’d go after him alone. After all he did to her… Fuck.” His hands run through his hair, mussing it. “Click the link.”
“He can’t really be there, can he? They tracked him out of town. How would he have gotten back without being spotted?” My chest constricts as my words come out empty. If Saylor think’s he’s there, he probably is. She’d know him better than anyone.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Together, we move away from the party, marching down the street and around the corner towards Saylor’s apartment, our pace only just short of a jog.
My finger hovers over the link for a moment as I hesitate. According to Hudson, she’s already entered her apartment. What if he is there? What if he’s hurting her? We need to know.
Pressing down, I click the link. Instantly, a page loads with a live audio feed. The sound is muffled slightly, so I turn the volume all the way up, holding the phone between Corey and I as we walk .
“Don’t lie to me, Omega,” Luke growls, assumingly at Saylor. “Your scent is drenched in fear and disgust, not relief and happiness. Why is that?”
“That’s not because of you,” she purrs softly. “It wasn’t easy to make my way here tonight. The police are everywhere, Alpha. They want to stop us being together, like we’re meant to be.”
Her voice breaks slightly as she speaks the last few words, forcing them out like they burning her throat. Hearing her call someone other than Corey or I ‘alpha’ has my hackles raising, ready to fight for my girl.
Corey growls as we both break into a jog. He’s feeling the same way. I can feel it through our bond.
How the fuck she’s able to put herself in this position and play this role she’s taken on is beyond me. Our Pumpkin has an inner strength that is utterly incomparable. What is her plan? And why didn’t she share it with us?
There’s a pause and the audio live crackles, making me wonder how long it will last. Again, I wonder what is her plan, and why is she recording it? Her message said she was going to take him down once and for all.
She’s recording him. Calling him alpha and playing along with his sick need to own her. Why would she do that? Unless…
She’s going to record his confession .
From what we’ve gathered, they couldn’t prove everything he did to her, and he got away with only a few years behind bars, with an early release for good behaviour.
If she can record him confess he was planning to mark her against her will—the most heinous of crimes against omegas—he’ll be put away for the rest of his natural life.
“I knew you’d come around one day, Omega,” he purrs and my blood boils, a red haze blanketing my vision as I break into a run, dropping the phone, my only goal to get to Saylor before this twisted fucker hurts her again.