Page 74 of Her Arranged Alpha
I shook my head, feeling my entire body shaking, trying to fight against the pull to get up. If I went back, I knew what wouldhappen. I couldn't relive everything I'd done for a second time, and I would never be able to forgive myself if I did something to Maddox.
I loved him. I knew his dark secrets and his fears. I knew what he loved and what he hated. I just got him to believe me and to side with me. If I came at him now, he would never forgive me.
My arms shook as I pulled myself up. My legs fought as I took a step forward. I ground my teeth together and turned to head deeper into the forest. Running was my escape.
I could hear him getting frustrated, hating that I wasn't going as willingly as I had last time. But I wasn't the same person I was before. I was stronger. At least, I was hoping I was.
Chapter 23 - Maddox
I stared at the door and frowned. I looked at my phone, checking the time, seeing it was only fifteen minutes past six, but still late. Jillian was always back at the house by six, or I would get a message about if something was holding her up. I hadn't heard from her since this morning.
I pulled myself off my chair and walked over towards the front door. I looked outside, but I didn't see her car or her car coming down the road. My stomach twisted up, feeling like something wasn't right.
I walked back over to the table where dinner was already set out. I grabbed my phone and called her. It rang a few times before it went to voicemail.
I hung up and ran a hand over my face. I paced, trying to think of anything I might have forgotten, but nothing came to mind. She didn't say she was doing anything besides going and picking herbs and then working.
I pulled my phone up, deciding to call John, who was Jillian's boss. He could at least tell me if she was working late on a project or if she had left. The phone rang a few times before John picked up. "Hey, Maddox. Was just about to give you a call."
I frowned. "You were?"
"Yeah, I was wondering if you knew where your wife was."
My stomach dipped. "What do you mean? Didn't she go in for her shift?"
"No, we were expecting her around ten, but she never showed. She hasn't seen her all day."
I went stiff as I thought about how long it had been. Over eight hours were uncounted for. Eight hours had passed during which no one had heard from her or known where she was.
I wondered if she ran for it, but I would feel a tug. I would have known if she was running away and I wasn't.
"What were you calling for?"
"She's not home. I haven't seen her since this morning when she said she was leaving to go pick some herbs before heading to work."
"Well, that's weird. She didn't come in. No one has seen her all day."
I ran a hand over my face, hating this pit that was forming. Something wasn't right.
"Alright, thanks, John. Please call me if you hear from her." I ended the line and started to call Hope. She hadn't heard from her since this morning. I called Nina, who hadn't spoken with her today. No one had.
I paced, trying to think of anything that could have happened, but everything was pointing towards the woods.
I grabbed my keys and called up Kelly, my Beta, as I headed into my car. It only rang twice before he answered. "Hey."
"I need a search party put together."
"A search party? For whom?"
"Jillian is missing."
"What do you mean by missing?"
"I haven't spoken to her since this morning."
"I don't think that counts as missing just because you haven't heard from her in a few hours."
"It's been over eight."
