Could the others sense it? Was that why they were all staring? Or was I being paranoid? Had everything about Alec freaked me out so badly that now I questioned every person’s intentions within a five-mile radius around me?
I stepped to Eli’s front door and knocked, anxious to get inside and out of everyone’s view.
“You don’t have to knock anymore, Mina,” Eli shouted from somewhere inside. “Come on in. Mi casa es su casa.”
My lips cracked into a tiny grin as I opened the door and stepped inside. “Since when do you speak Spanish?”
Eli was in his living room, setting up a large flat screen TV. The box it had come in was tossed on the floor beside him, along with all the paperwork and packaging.
“That Spanish phrase is about as basic as they come. Who doesn’t know what it means? I mean really?” He shook his head.
“Nice TV,” I said as I crossed the trailer to where he was, my arms folded over my chest. “Trying to make this place more livable to entice me to ask if I can move in?”
“No. I’m just tired of staring at my tiny cell phone screen every time I want to watch something,” Eli said as he hoisted the TV up to lock into the brackets he’d secured to the wall. He took a step back to glance at it. Once he adjusted it a little, he bent down for the remote on the floor. “But, if it helps entice you to ask to move in with me, then so be it.” He grinned as he scooped up a couple batteries and placed them in the back of the remote.
“I don’t watch much TV, but it is something,” I said.
Eli’s place was starting to come together. I was glad I’d been able to see it from the beginning.
“I don’t watch much TV either, but when I get the hankering to, I want to see it on something larger than four inches.”
“Did you just say hankering?” My eyes bugged a little. “Wow, way to sound like a true hick.”
“I thought you liked a guy with a southern drawl.”
Was that a jab at Alec? I didn’t get the impression Eli was trying to start something with me. Maybe I was looking into things too closely. I decided to let it go. Today was not the day to be at odds with one another. There were more important things to think about—like rescuing Glenn.
I pulled out my cell and glanced at the time. “I thought you said noon. It’s ten after twelve. Where is Dorian?”
“He’ll be here.” As soon as Eli said the words, there was a hard knock at the door. “See? What did I tell you?”
Eli passed me the remote to the TV as he started for the door. I held it but didn’t push any buttons. I knew nothing about programming things.
“Come on in,” Eli said as he opened the door for Dorian.
Dorian stepped inside dressed in a black T-shirt, dark blue jeans, and a pair of scuffed up biker boots. A no bullshit attitude surrounded him. I’d never hung around Dorian much. All I really knew about him was that he was always dead serious, except for when he was with Sheila. That was the only time he seemed to let down his walls and relax. He was three years older than Eli, and he was a born member of the pack. Not some transplant or rogue who decided he liked our pack more than his original. His parents lived in the trailer behind Felicia’s. He also had a brother a year older than I was who lived with them still.
“Good, I’m glad you’re here already,” Dorian said as he eyed me. “We’re short on time, and we have a lot to discuss.”
How were we short on time? It was barely after twelve. Drew’s funeral wasn’t until one. The service would last about an hour. That would be plenty of time to find Glenn and get the hell out of there. Also, what was there left to discuss? Eli had told him everything already.
“I need you to recount everything from the beginning for me,” Dorian insisted as his wild blue eyes fixed on me.
“Why? Eli already told you everything.” What would be the point of me rehashing all of the details for him again? To me, it seemed like a waste of time.
Irritation sparked through Dorian’s eyes. “There are two sides to every story. I’ve heard Eli’s. Now I want to hear yours.”
He was serious and a little intimidating, to be honest.
I’d always known he was a somber guy, but I hadn’t realized it went to this level. He obviously took his job seriously. That was a good thing, considering he worked with the alpha closely. Dorian’s dad was the alpha’s second-in-command. Two thoughts hit me at once the instant I remembered this: One, I knew way more about Dorian then I thought I did. And two, it shouldn’t have been a surprise Mr. Vargas had chosen Dorian to be Eli’s chaperone.
Actually, it was a good play on our alpha’s part now that I thought about it. A new generation of leader and second-in-command working together on something pack related.
“Fine. I was walking home with someone the night this all started, and I happened to hear someone from the pack in the woods.”
“What do you mean you heard someone from the pack? Can you be specific?” Dorian asked.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “I heard a wolf let out a crazy howl. It sounded as though they were panicking,” I said, trying to think back on whether there was anything I was missing. Under Dorian’s intense gaze, I felt as though I was on trial.
“That’s not everything though, is it? You’re leaving out one key factor,” Dorian said. There was a wild note whirling in the pitch of his voice. It caused my chest to tighten.
“And what would that be?” I asked as I refused to let myself look away from him.
“Who you were in the woods with and why.”
My gaze shifted to Eli. I didn’t want to mention Alec in front of him, but only because I assumed it might stir up emotions now that we were imprinted I’d rather he didn’t have to feel.
It looked as though Dorian wasn’t going to give me an option, though.
“I was with Alec Thomas. He was walking me home from a date that night.” The words burned my tongue. I continued to stare at Eli, waiting to see his reaction to the reminder of me with someone else.
He didn’t have one.
In fact, he flashed me a crooked grin and nodded his head as though he knew of my internal battle and was telling me everything was okay.
God, he was sexy.
“Continue,” Dorian prompted.
“Right, umm. I went back to the woods the next day to go four-wheeling with Alec and a few of his friends. When I went to use the restroom behind a tree, I noticed some blood on the ground in an area where it looked like a struggle had taken place. I immediately thought to check the pack and see if anyone was missing or hurt because I related what I was seeing to what I had heard the night before.”
“Was anyone hurt or missing?” Dorian asked. I hated the tone he’d used. It sounded slightly condescending and rubbed me the wrong way.
“You know as well as I do Glenn was missing,” I said, holding his gaze. Everything about this conversation was getting on my nerves now.
“How did you come to that conclusion, though?” Dorian asked as he folded his arms across his wide chest.
I released a breath of air and rolled my eyes. “Everyone knew Glenn was missing. Taryn had told everyone. The alpha. The police. All of their friends. Neighbors.”
“Did you speak with her? Did you ask her anything pertaining to Glenn’s disappearance?”
Was I on trial? Did Dorian think I had something to do with Glenn’s disappearance? With Violet?
“Yeah, I talked to her. That was how I put two and two together and realized it was Glenn I’d heard howling in the woods.”
“Did you say anything to her about what you heard or what you thought?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Guilt swam through me. My cheeks heated and the tips of my ears burned. “I didn’t know if I should. I didn’t know if I was right. I was afraid to upset her any more than she already was. There were loads of reasons why I didn’t say anything to her.”
“Okay, I think you’ve heard enough,” Eli said, interrupti
ng the exchange happening between Dorian and me. “You know the beginning from her and the rest of it from me. I think it’s time we move on. Like you said, we’re short on time.”
“Fine. We can go from here,” Dorian agreed. He leaned against the kitchen counter, his arms still folded across his chest, and crossed his legs at the ankles. “Here’s the plan. While Peter and his family are at Drew’s funeral, we’re going to his house to scope it out. We need to figure out how many possible exits and entry points there are, if there are any neighbors close by, if there’s a basement or garage, even a shed. We also need to know if he has any animals.” He ticked each thing off his fingers.
Dorian’s plan was thorough, that much was for sure, but it also seemed too time-consuming. Eli and I hadn’t done any of those things when we went to Drew’s house. I didn’t remember caring if he had pets or where each exit was while we were circling his house in the dark. I guess I was all about the action. The only thing on Dorian’s list I’d paused to think about was if Drew had any neighbors close. Other than that, all I had wanted to do was barge in and see if Violet was inside.
“We’re not entering his house today. All we’re doing is a little recon,” Dorian insisted as his eyes bounced between Eli and me.
“You can’t be serious. As much as I hate that we’re snooping around his house while he’s at his brother’s funeral of all things, we couldn’t ask for a better time to get inside and see if Glenn is there.” I glanced at Eli, hoping he was seeing reason. “Right?”
Eli nodded. “Yeah. I’m down for going in with knowledge, but I do think we’d be dumb if we didn’t take advantage of the chunk of uninterrupted time we’re given today and search his place.”
Dorian pointed his index finger at us as a wicked grin twisted across his face. “See, that right there, that type of thinking is what got the two of you in trouble last time. You should’ve had a well-crafted plan. You damn sure shouldn’t have gone into that place blind.”
“I don’t see what difference it would’ve made,” I said. “We still managed to rescue Violet. We still got out of there in one piece.”
“Yeah, but y’all had to kill someone to do it.”
Coldness centered in my stomach. He was right. Maybe if we had thought things out and done a little recon, we would have been able to avoid killing Drew.
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t do as you’re suggesting,” Eli insisted, speaking to Dorian. “All I’m saying is we might also want to take advantage of the situation. Get in and get out as quick as possible once we’ve made it through your checklist. There won’t be a better time than this afternoon, especially if we aren’t looking to have another fatality.”
“You don’t know that,” Dorian insisted. “For all you know, a better time could present itself.”
“Like when? And is that something you’re wanting to risk?” I asked unable to keep my mouth shut. “When would you suggest we go inside? When he’s home and at risk of hearing us sneaking around?”
“No, like when there’s darkness to hide us. We need every advantage we can get. Darkness would help to hide us from any neighbors he may have.”
“What if he doesn’t have any?” I asked, unable to keep the anger from trickling into my words.
Dorian didn’t back down either. Instead he narrowed his eyes. “What if he does?”
Eli stepped between us. “Enough. We don’t have time for this. We’ll do it Dorian’s way. It might take a hell of a lot longer, and we might miss our only chance to grab Glenn if he’s there, but it also might be safer in the long run,” Eli said. He shifted his attention to me. “How’s Violet doing? Did you check with your Gran to see if there’s any update on her status?”
“No. I didn’t check with her, but she bought stuff to make more concoctions today so I’m assuming things aren’t going as she hoped,” I said as I ran my fingers through my hair.
“Maybe you’re a little too consumed with imprinting to be in the right mindset for the things that need to be done,” Dorian spat.
I wanted to deck the guy. Who the hell did he think he was? This was definitely not the Dorian I witnessed with Sheila all the time. That Dorian seemed happy, kind, and slightly carefree. This guy…well, there was nothing to him besides darkness and hard, sharp edges. He was way too damn serious and an asshole. I opened my mouth to tell him so, but Eli spoke before I could.
“I said that’s enough,” Eli demanded.
Dorian released a long breath through gritted teeth. “Fine. Tell me everything you know about Violet’s situation, Mina.”
I pursed my lips. Was I going to be on trial again?
When Dorian glared at me, giving me a look that let me know he was growing impatient, I resisted the urge to flip him off and instead folded my arms across my chest.
“Two sides to every story, darlin’,” he insisted.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not sure where you want me to start. Do I need to start at the very second we found her, or would starting with when we realized there was an issue with her healing be sufficient enough?”
Yes, I was being a smart-ass, but he deserved it.
“Realizations and theories regarding her healing will work,” Dorian insisted.
“Okay, well for starters, she hasn’t healed. At all. There are still bruises and cuts all over her body that should have been healed days ago. Her ankle is still screwed up, and I’m not sure it will heal properly even with time.”
“Why is she not healing? What are the theories surrounding that?” Dorian’s brows pinched together. He’d lost his hard edge, and a little bit of his soft side was starting to shine through.
“We think she’s been severed from her wolf,” I said.
The look that crossed Dorian’s face was one I could relate to. It was exactly how I felt when I first heard—completely submerged in unimaginable thoughts. No one ever wanted to think of what it would feel like to become severed from his wolf.
My thumb smoothed along the band of the silver moon ring Eli had given me.
“Does your Gran have any ideas as to how we might be able to get Violet’s wolf back? Is it even possible?” Dorian asked.
“She’s doing everything she can. This isn’t something she’s come across before.” I tucked my hair behind my ears. “She’s tried a few infusions of herbs and tinctures, but I don’t think any of them have helped.”
“Maybe that’s something you should check out,” Dorian insisted.
I nodded. “I will. At some point today.”
Dorian paced while rubbing his jaw. “We have to fix this. She’s too young to go through something like this. She didn’t have time to enjoy her wolf.”
I flinched at his words because that was what made it worse.
Violet hadn’t been a wolf for a solid month yet. My teeth sank into my bottom lip as guilt crept in from the darkest corners of my mind.
I should’ve made sure she left the woods that night. I should have walked her to the edge that butted up against the trailer park. I should’ve done something more than what I had.
“We need a witch,” Dorian said. “A witch might be able to help us tether her wolf back to her again.”
“Is there a spell for that?” I asked.
“Witches have spells for everything,” Eli insisted. Excitement hung in his voice, and I knew it was because he thought Dorian was on to something.
“What about a Caraway witch?” I asked. “Wouldn’t one of them be willing to help?”
“For a price, maybe,” Dorian said. “They are the most powerful, badass witches in town, though. If bringing back a severed wolf by magic can be done, there’s no doubt in my mind they’re powerful enough to do it.”
“I know one,” I admitted, thinking of Ridley. “I could probably talk to her and see if she’ll ask her family to help.”
“Okay, you focus on that while Eli and I scope out Peter’s place,” Dorian said.
“What? No. I’m coming with you.”
&n
bsp; Dorian shook his head. “There’s no need. Eli and I can handle it. You go talk to the Caraway witch you know and find out if there’s any way they can help Violet, if they know of a spell.”
“I can call her later. I’m coming with you to Peter’s.”
If they happened to find Glenn while they were scoping out the place, I wanted to be there for it. No, I needed to be. His disappearance weighed too heavy on my heart.
“She’s coming,” Eli insisted. Either he was able to feel how much I wanted to be there, or he could see it written on my face. “Like she’s said, she can call the Caraway witch she knows later. Right now, we don’t need to waste any more time arguing. We need to get to Peter’s and scope it out so we can make a game plan.”
Dorian nodded. It was clear to see though from the look on his face that agreeing with Eli about me coming along was the last thing he wanted to do. “Fine, let’s go.”
11
The three of us loaded into Eli’s navy blue truck. My skin tingled when he cranked the engine. Even though I knew Peter wouldn’t be home, I still couldn’t keep the anxiety prickling through my system at bay. It was safe to say a life of crime was not for me.
“What was the address again?” Eli asked.
Dorian rattled it off, but I barely heard him over the pounding of my heart. Maybe I should’ve stayed back and tried to get in touch with Ridley, while also checking up on Violet’s status with Gran.
No. I was seeing this through like I’d said I would.
Eli turned out of the trailer park. It wouldn’t take as long to get to Peter’s place, but I wasn’t sure how long it would take us to scope it out. Dorian seemed as though he was a play-by-the-rules kind of guy in situations like this, the type who didn’t cut corners. I imagined he had a step by step program for how this was supposed to be done and would begin giving directions the second Peter’s place came into view. I tried to think of that as a good thing while I stared out the windshield and willed my heart to return to its normal rhythm.
“That should be his driveway right there,” Eli said. He pointed to a gravel road to my left twenty minutes later.
Moon Severed (Mirror Lake Wolves Book 3) Page 9