Page 16 of A Silenced Midlife

"Mom," I said, the urgency clear in my voice. "I can't find Sam."

She met my gaze, the spatula pausing mid-air. "What do you mean?"

"He didn't come home last night, he's not answering texts, and now Hank says he missed his shift."

"Did you check?—"

"No time." I cut her off, knowing every second mattered. "I'm going to Ava's."

"Be careful," she called after me as I turned away.

A flick of my wrist and the fabric of space bent to my will. A portal blinked into existence, its edges shimmering with the promise of quick travel. I stepped through without hesitation, the familiar pull tugging at my core, and then I was standing just inside Ava's house, heart pounding, ready to find answers.

The silence at Ava's place was eerie. Rushing upstairs, I pounded on her bedroom door until she sleepily called out, "Come in."

I barged into the room where Ava and Drew were tangled in sheets. "Sam's missing," I blurted out without preamble. "He missed his shift last night and never came home."

"Missing?" Drew asked, instantly alert as he sat up.

"Shit, Liv. Okay, give us a sec," Ava said, throwing the covers back as they both scrambled out of bed.

I nodded and quickly shut the door behind me, giving them privacy to dress.

Downstairs, I started pacing. The living room felt too big, too empty. "Luci!" I tried again, louder this time. No response. No mystical father figure swooping in to fix things.

"Damn it," I muttered, continuing my restless circuit between the couch and the window, waiting for Ava and Drew to join me.

"Luci!" I shouted, my voice laced with desperation. A flash of white darted into the room, golden eyes glaring at me from beneath a fluff of fur.

"Did you really have to yell?" the cat grumbled. "Some of us were trying to sleep."

"Sorry, I was trying to reach Luci my dad, not, you know, you," I said with a snicker. Served the sassy cat right.

Lucy-Fur hissed softly, her tail flicking in annoyance. "Moron," she muttered before turning on her heel, or rather, paw, and sauntering out.

The thud of footsteps on the staircase caught my attention, and I turned to see Ava and Drew rushing down. Ava watched Lucy's departure.

"Lucy leaving? Oh, that reminds me. I need to check on the bat." Ava headed toward her office, her movements quick and purposeful.

"Bat? I forgot about the bat." She was already pushing open the door to her office. She came to an abrupt stop, her body rigid. There was a long pause before she echoed back, tinged with surprise. "Olivia, can you come here please?"

I hurried down the hall. Peering around her, I caught sight of Sam sprawled across the desk. His arm dangled off the side, his fingers inches from the cardboard box that had once housed a bat. Papers and pens lay scattered on the floor, casualties of some nocturnal struggle.

"Sam?" I whispered, stepping closer. He didn't stir.

Ava stepped back, letting me through. I touched his arm, shaking him gently at first, then with more urgency. "Sam, wake up."

His response was sluggish, just a deep sigh as if sleep still clung to him. Without thinking, I slid my wrist near his mouth. That familiar instinct kicked in, his lips parting as he latched onto me. The sensation was always strange, a mix of pain and intimacy that came with being married to a vampire.

"Okay, that's enough," I said after a moment, but he didn't seem to hear. Prodding him hard in the side, I finally got a reaction. His grip loosened, and he blinked up at me, confusion etching his features.

"Where am I? How did I get here?" he asked.

"You're at Ava's," I answered, helping him sit up. "Do you remember anything?"

He shook his head slowly, rubbing his eyes as he tried to piece together his fragmented memories.

Drew's large hands curled under Sam's arms, hoisting him with that easy strength of his. "Come on, buddy," he said, helping Sam off the desk and onto his feet. Sam swayed slightly, and Drew steadied him.

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