“What’s up?” Ash asked.
“We’ve got another kid missing.” Zac met Raymand’s gaze who nodded. Better safe than sorry is what he mentioned to Maple. Cora clung to Maple’s side, fear filled her gaze.
“Shit, whose?” Shuffling sounded on the other end. Zac bounced on his toes itching to move.
“Mine.”
Chapter Eleven
Rayne
Rayne slammed on the brakes, almost hitting the car in front of her. She jerked the gears into park as anger pulsed through her soul. No one fucks with my kid! She glared at Sherman’s construction van parked in front next to Jacob’s truck. When she opened the car door, she didn’t catch her daughter’s scent but it didn’t stop her from running up the steps. She caught Jacob’s scent first then, motor oil and heated rubber also filled her nose. Her fists clenched, and she banged on the wood door making it creak from the force. Shuffling sounded inside and her wolf perked up. The need to find her baby burned like the sun. The door creaked open, giving her the view of her ex.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Jacob asked but she pushed him out of the way. Her heart raced in her ears making it hard to focus.
“Where is she?” Her eyes scanned the living room while her hands grabbed his shirt. Voices echoed softly from the TV, but she ignored the sports broadcast.
“Who?”
“Our daughter, you jackass.” She shoved him into the door and ran toward the kitchen. Thankfully, she had been here before, so she knew where everything was at. Her mind created a mental list of all the spots they could hide Annmarie.
“Nice joke. Now seriously, why are you here?” He leaned against the counter, his arms folded in front of his chest. Anger pulsed through her body as she scanned him. How was I ever attracted to this jerk? She pushed back her thoughts of him as she yanked open the pantry door. Her heart ached when Annmarie didn’t meet her gaze.
“I know you took her, Jacob.” She opened the back door and called out her name then sniffed the air. No one called back and her pup’s sweet scent didn’t fill her nose no matter how much Rayne wanted it. The scent of yeasty beer filled her nose instead and the urge to vomit onto the patio rolled through her gut. Panic raced up her spine. What if she isn’t here? She slammed the door shut making it vibrate and turned. The stairs filled her view next to Jacob. She rushed up the stairs two at a time.
“I don’t have her, Ray.” Jacob followed her up. She resisted the urge to turn around and punch Jacob. Annmarie had to be here and Jacob was just lying to her. Rayne’s feet landed at the top step and movement rang out at the far right.
“Yes, Sherman,” some female whimpered at the end of the hallway. The idea of someone having sex while her daughter was missing threw her from anger to rage. She stormed down the hall and kicked the door open. She pointed at Sherman.
“What the hell, Ray?” Sherman covered up the woman in his bed with a blanket.
“Were you at Annmarie’s school today or in the area?” A yelp met Rayne’s ears giving her hints of satisfaction.
“Fuck off, I’ve been in bed with her for the last hour.” He wiggled his eyebrows. Rayne stormed over to Sherman and punched him in the gut. Thankfully a blanket covered his lower half, but part of her didn’t give a shit. Nudity wasn’t an issue for wolves like humans.
“My daughter is missing and yet you want to boost your ego,” Rayne growled low and Sherman’s smirk vanished. Her wolf howled in her mind and her body hummed with the urge to shift.
“Look, Ray, she’s not here.” He put his hands up and the woman hid under the blankets. The human female shook and the scent of fear rolled through the air.
“If I find out you were a part of this, I will neuter you,” Rayne hissed before turning to her ex. “You better tell me where my baby girl is or so help me goddess, I will hurt you more than you’ve hurt me.” Her wolf paced, ready to hear the answer.
“I swear, Ray, she’s not here. I’ve been on the couch waiting for these two to finish so we can go eat.” Jacob waved his arms toward the couple in bed. Rayne clenched her fists and bolted out of the room to check the rest of the house. She needed Jacob to be lying because if he wasn’t then she didn’t know where her daughter could be. Terror zipped down her spine as her worst fear settled into her gut. The hunters have my little girl. I failed her!
After checking every single little space in Sherman’s house, she dropped to her knees by the front door. A weight settled on her chest as her mind raced trying to figure out where her baby girl was. Each breath grew harder to take in as the panic set in. She’s not here! I was wrong!
“What’s going on, Ray?” Jacob kneeled next to her, his voice calm and even. It reminded her of why she stayed so long.
“She wasn’t at school, Jacob! I don’t know where she is!” Her voice had a shrill note to it, that had never been there before. Her wolf whimpered wanting her pup to be safely at her side.
“I’m sure she took off with Hulio or her other buddy.” He rubbed her back but she pushed him away. Heat flushed through her body like a bullet.
“Hulio said a construction van took her away,” she snapped back. “Our daughter is missing, and this is how you react.” She stood on shaky legs and tried to put some strength into her voice. “She deserves a better father than you.”
“I’m a bad father because I left you to be happy. I didn’t leave her, I left you,” he yelled but she turned and stormed out of Sherman’s house. She needed to regroup, to find her daughter. Jacob’s hand wrapped around her arm and stopped her from getting to her car. She clenched her fists at her side, the urge to punch him surged stronger than before.
“Ray, you have this habit of jumping to conclusions. How can you be so certain she’s not with her other friend and Hulio isn’t mad?” Jacob raised his brow and Rayne shoved him away. Her heart ached.
“You weren’t there. His scent told me he’s telling me the truth.” She took in a deep breath and tried to push back tears threatening to spill. Her wolf whimpered in her mind. Somewhere out there Annmarie could be suffering and her father didn’t seem to give a shit.
“Then I’ll help you look.” He started toward the other side of her car, but she blocked him. The idea of them searching together made her stomach turn.
“Nope. If you want to be a dad, then you can search for her on your own. I don’t want to even look at you. Plus, I can’t trust you enough to know you’re not somehow involved.” She shook her head.
“Why would I kidnap my own daughter?” Hints of hurt filled his gaze. Good, he doesn’t deserve to be all calm when Annmarie’s missing.
“To get back at me for something. You did it a lot, Jacob.” She shoved her finger into his chest.
“Wow, for years I’ve been your mate and the moment I want to find happiness, you’re all for making me out to be the bad guy. We were both unhappy in this relationship.” He shook his head.
“You fucking left me! How does that not make you the bad guy?” She threw her hands up in the air. Her body ached while her stomach warred between being hungry and too nauseated to eat.
“I imprinted a month ago and after we completed the bond I told her I had to go back to you.” Jacob’s words stung like a thousand shifts at once. Her throat tightened making it hard to breathe. She wanted to scream and go back a month ago so everything was normal.
“You bastard.” Rayne swallowed hard and debated on kicking his ass or leaving so she could find her daughter. “My little girl needs me. Go back to your mate and live a happy life with her.” She slid into her car and raced away from her ex. For a month he had been with someone else as a mate while pretending to love Rayne.
At a stop sign, she opened the door and vomited onto the street. Cars zoomed by on the other side of her as she tried to take a deep calming breath. Everything she knew to be true was nothing more than smoke hiding a lie. Jacob didn’t care for her and he didn’t seem to truly care for their daughter. And her mate, the one man she should trust and
lean on, well, he was out doing goddess only knew what.
A horn blared behind her, but she flipped the car off before closing the door. I need to check in with the alpha. She hit the gas and headed to Raymand’s house. Rayne prayed to the goddess above her daughter was at the alpha’s house and not with the hunters like Zac had mentioned before she left for the school. She had wasted precious time going to her ex’s house.
If they had her, she would become the worst mother alive to not keep her kid safe. The thoughts settled into her mind and dread rolled around her soul. Where is Annmarie?
When she pulled up to the alpha’s house, she walked in and Maple turned toward her. Tears fell down her cheeks as she stared at the alpha female.
“Oh, honey. We will find her.” Maple pulled her into a hug giving her some comfort.
“Got it. Keep me posted.” Raymand jammed his finger into the screen of his phone. “Zac went out to the shack where the hunters held Cora. I doubt it will help but he insists on going alone.” He rolled his shoulders. Rayne pushed away the tears and wanted to smile and would have if her daughter wasn’t gone. Zac was out there looking instead of pretending Annmarie had just run to a friend’s house. “Ash sent me this.”
He handed over his phone and Rayne stared at the screen. A blonde with green highlights grabbed Annmarie by the arm and covered her mouth. Her little wolf fought against the full-grown male, scratching at the guy’s flesh. The man faltered when Annmarie hit his groin. Good job, baby girl. Hints of pride filled her chest at the strength of her daughter. In the end, the hunter shoved Annmarie in the van and clicked the collar into place. Rage bloomed through her chest as the door slid closed and vanished from view. Two seconds later Hulio’s little form ran out.
“Ash is using the same software to track the hunters like when we found Cora and he should have answers soon.”
“I’ll go help Zac.” Rayne turned to walk out but Maple stopped her.
“Are you sure you should be out there with…” Maple glanced down at Rayne’s stomach.
“My daughter needs me. You know damn well if they took Cora again you’d be out there even with your next one on the way.” Rayne pointed toward Maple’s own belly. Everyone knew Maple carried the alpha’s baby. The alpha female nodded once.
“Be safe and if you find a trail call us first. There are too many hunters out there right now.” Maple let go and Rayne raced out of the house. My mate needs my help, her wolf chanted as she started the car. Determination flooded her body, tonight she’d find her pup no matter what.
Chapter Twelve
Zac
Zac scented the air and tried to pick up any hints from Annmarie in the shack Cora had been taken to a month back. Floorboards creaked under his feet and a thin layer of dust covered everything. Only his shoe prints disturbed the place. Death and decay lingered but nothing fresher than a month ago. Two bars split the window into thirds, the sun peered below the bottom one casting a long shadow behind him. Just fucking perfect, Annmarie wasn’t even here.
His ears weren’t what he used for tracking, no, his nose was far superior but he still tried to listen for any hint of Annmarie around the building. His foot collided with a chunk of wood on the ground and it flew through the air, crashing into the window. Glass sprayed the floor but the bars on the outside blocked the wood from leaving.
A wolf crashed through the wood door, brown eyes met his gaze and the lilac scent filled his lungs. His heart lept in his chest at the sight of his mate followed by dread filling his belly. He had wanted to prove himself to her.
“What are you doing here, Rayne?” he asked as she shifted back. Her stomach popped out more than last night. The second one would be here sooner rather than later. A tingling rippled over his chest.
“Raymand mentioned you were looking for her here.” She pushed away tears falling down her face. “When the glass broke and I only heard one heartbeat I thought she died.” A sob broke from her lips and he crossed the little shack to hold her. The fear of Annmarie being dead hadn’t crossed his mind, he still had hope of finding her alive.
“She’s not here so there’s still hope she’s okay.” He rubbed her back. “The others were still alive and if the hunters took her, she’ll still be alive like the others.” Jacob’s scent lingered in her hair and his wolf howled. We knew she went to see him. Part of him had hoped her ex had taken the pup, at least by now she would be safe at home instead of goddess knew where.
“Raymand showed me the surveillance video Ash found. The hunters have her.” She shook in his arms. He wished he could say something to calm her down, but nothing came to mind. Instead, he held her and rubbed her back then kissed her head a few times. He didn’t know what else to do.
“We’ll get her back.” He kept her close as her lilac scent eased his crazy wolf. Deep down he knew he needed her at his side but all his stupid comments about not being ready had put them back. The fear of losing Annmarie had been like a smack of ice cold water. Now he had to prove himself to her and Annmarie. They both deserved the world and he would do everything in his power to give it to them.
“I should get you home, so I can go looking for her.” He kept his senses open in case someone came up to the shack. But he didn’t want her in danger too. Once she was home, he planned on coming back to the area and scenting the area. He wanted… no needed to find Annmarie and get her home.
“No, I’m coming with you.” Rayne pushed away her tears and her shoulders rolled around. Her determined gaze spoke volumes, she wanted Annmarie back as much as Zac, if not more. His wolf growled at the idea of putting her in danger.
“I don’t think-” Her hands covered his lips stopping his protest. One stubborn woman stands in front of me, he reminded his beast who shook his head.
“Don’t! I’m finding my daughter today.”
“You better stay close or so help me…” Zac started a warning, but she pulled him in for a quick kiss. His wolf settled slightly. He liked having her close because he knew where she was but putting her in harm’s way gave his beast reason to worry.
“I’ll be careful.” She smiled and he kissed her this time. If Annmarie wasn’t missing he would’ve taken this chance to take his mate on the floor. But they needed to start tracking the pup down. “Let’s go find my baby girl.” She backed out of his grip and shifted into her wolf once she had enough space. He liked the blonde hair covering her wolf form. Once everything settled down he wanted to take her on a run, in their wolf forms. His phone buzzed, and Zac pulled it from his pocket. Ash’s grinning face covered the screen. He hit the green button and lifted it to his ear.
“What’s up?” Zac looked out the broken window. He hoped for good news from the slightly older wolf. His heart pounded in his ears making it hard to focus.
“I think I might have a lead from the wolfbase software.” Ash tapped on keys on the other end of the line. He lifted his gaze and Rayne focused on the phone. His heart leapt up, hoping to see Annmarie soon.
“What is it?” He didn’t raise his voice, he didn’t want to lift Rayne’s hopes too high.
“After doing some searching and calibrating of the software…”
“Damn it, Ash. Get to the point!” Zac yelled and Rayne huffed. A growl vibrated through the phone.
“There’s activity on a lot five miles north of where we found Cora. I’m going over to Raymand’s to put together a plan.” More shuffling and typing sounded on the phone. Zac met Rayne’s gaze. They had a lead but he knew she wouldn’t wait for help.
“I’m at the shack with Rayne.” He hissed as Rayne growled low. Her body turned north and then seconds later she bolted out the door. She had already broken down.
“You should send back up because Rayne just ran out.” Zac bolted out in his human form and stopped at his truck. He yanked the driver door open while staring after Rayne. He didn’t want to wait either, but the logical side knew more wolves would be better. Last time he barely made it out alive when they rescued Cora.
He pushed back the thought.
“Shit. I’ll tell the alpha. Be safe. There’s a truck and a van there.” Ash spoke quickly, and Zac tossed the phone in the front seat and kept it unlocked with the keys in the ignition. The open landscape surrounded him, no one would accidentally stumble upon his pickup. He took off his shoes and shifted into his wolf form. The clothes tore from his body as he chased after his mate.
He pushed his legs hard and fast to catch up with Rayne and after a good mile, she only had a few feet on him. Twigs and rocks scratched at his paw and legs but he kept running. She didn’t slow down as she jumped over a few boulders and small bushes. He stayed right on her tail and resisted the urge to take the fucking lead. After a mile a sour scent mixed with a cedar trace. The memory of when the hunters attacked Rayne’s house filled his mind. They were on the right track and he had no doubt anymore as the citrus trail hit his lungs. Without Ash’s direction, he might never have found their trails.
Keeping a steady pace was difficult but he didn’t want her to push herself too much when they came up on the hunters. They needed to conserve energy for the fucking fight.
A small shack came into view after the road only made by tracks changed to gravel. The alpha mentality pushed him to protect his mate no matter what and being the first to take an attack would do that. His head spun slightly as the blood raced through his veins. He lifted his nose as they approached a gravel road.
The acrid scent of fear mixed with Annmarie’s scent lingered in the air. Hope bloomed in his chest. I’m going to get my little girl back home. Rayne glanced back at him and he nodded. They were on the right path but they didn’t have any help and the others wouldn’t be there for another twenty minutes or more. Any moment all hell could break loose and his nerves buzzed like wasps. Yet somehow, he managed to keep his cool as he followed Annmarie’s scent. Get her home, he repeated as his paws ate up the ground.
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