Page 75 of Her Arranged Alpha
"I think you're a little paranoid."
"I know something is wrong, Kelly. I feel it. She didn't show up to work, and she hasn't come home. No one has seen her since this morning."
"Well, that is a little odd. What about her car? Is it there?"
No, which begged the question. Where was it?
I started my car up and started down the road. My eyes were scanning the road, trying to figure out where she was, where she could be. I went down Main Street and down the side roads. I stopped at areas where she might have a project coming up.
I had circled what felt like the entire town until I spotted the parking lot near Ashview Park that was right next to the woods. Her car sat there empty.
I drove over and parked next to her car. I got out and searched her car, finding nothing. No keys, no phone. Nothing.
I slammed the door, running my hands through my hair. I turned, looking into the woods, when I felt that tug. She was here. I knew it. I sent Kelly my location and headed into the woods. I walked around, scanning the area, trying to think of where she could be.
Was I overreacting? Has she maybe just lost track of time and was too focused on her task to realize how long she'd been out there? No, she knew that she had work today. She wasn't the type of person to just forget about work.
I pulled my phone out, trying to call her again, but it didn't even ring. It went straight to her voicemail.
"Maddox." I turned to my name, finding Kelly walking towards me with Ethan, Owen, and Garrit. They all looked at me, confused. "What are you doing?"
I pointed towards Jillian's car. "She's out here. I know it. Her voice goes straight to voicemail, and she didn't go to work. It's unlike her."
"Maybe she fell asleep," Garrit said with a shrug. Ethan hit him.
"She isn't you, dumbass."
"Do you smell her?"
"Of course I smell her," I snapped, insulted. "She's my wife, and I feel a tug to be here."
Kelly frowned. "We aren't saying it as an insult, Maddox. We're asking to make sure we don't go in blind."
I sighed, scanning the space. I could smell her, but she was all over the place. It was like she'd headed in one direction and changed her mind and headed into another.
"I can't track her scent. She's gone too many directions."
Owen stepped up, sniffing the air. He nodded in agreement. "She did. Her scent is all over, and with the wind, it's just going to disappear. You'll have to follow your bond."
I felt like going North-West, so we started trekking up. I ground my teeth together, sniffling the air every few feet to make sure I could still smell her. We didn't get far before I paused, spotting something shimmering on the ground. I walked over and felt my stomach dip down as I spotted the beads fromJillian's bracelet scattered around the ground. I spotted her bag a few feet away, planters scattered all over the place.
"What did you find?" Kelly asked, stopping next to me.
I showed him the beads, grinding my teeth together. "Her bracelet."
"Well, that's not good."
"No, it's not." I headed forward, and we all kept walking until we came to an open clearing. I froze when I spotted her. She was on the ground, curled in a fetal position. Her head was ducked down close to her chest, and my stomach clenched up.
"Jillian."
Her head slowly raised to look at me. I stopped moving, realizing her eyes were darker and her face was pale. She didn't look like herself, and when she smiled, it didn't fit her face.
"Stop," I placed a hand out, stopping the guys. "Don't get any closer."
They looked at me, confused when Jillian's smile grew. "Smart man, you are." Her voice came out wrong. It wasn't hers.
"What the hell?" Owen said.
