Page 9 of Pack Rage
It was the only contact we would have, unless I traveled to Italy to retrieve her myself.
It was done. I stared at the food and tea that sat untouched on the table, and waited for the next call. It came an hour later.
“Alpha Heir. Your sister didn’t make it to her dance class. The cameras were out. We don’t know where she went.”
“What about her guards?”
“They were… slacking.”
Perfect.I wasn’t sure what the team assigned to evacuate Tana had done to distract the guards, but it had obviously worked. “That’s the last mistake they’ll make. Bring them to the lower levels of the Mansion for questioning.”
“Yes, sir. Any other orders?”
“Search the school again. Maybe she never left campus. The other girls may be up to some mischief. Look in the closets, restrooms, everywhere.”
Tana didn’t have friends at school. She’d confided that the others either saw her as a way to increase their status in the pack, or stayed away from her out of fear of drawing the Alpha’s eye.
“I’ll let my parents know. Follow the protocols.” I hung up and went down to the lower levels, calling Mother and Father on the way. Neither one answered.
Odd.
I let myself into the main tech hub of the pack in the lower levels, making sure the Enforcers on duty were doing everything they could think of to locate Tana, and that they witnessed my supposed anger and frustration at their failure.
By the end of the first hour, they were every bit as frustrated. I’d hacked into traffic cameras and sent our own drones in every direction except the one I believed her abductors would havetaken. Giving them the time they needed to get her out of the city.
I’d just picked up my phone to call Mother, when it rang in my hand.It was her, and she was pissed. “Finnick, come to the back. We have a special delivery.”
I ran to the secret rear entrance to the lower levels, opening the door just in time for Mother to stride through, followed by two Enforcers carrying a body bag, and then… “Luke?”
“Hey, Finn,” he said, his lips tight, but his tone casual. “I didn’t know your pack had a dungeon.”
“We like to call them containment cells,” I said, stunned when Mother ignored me entirely, following the Enforcers down the hall to the cell next to where the Hilliers were being kept. The males carried the body bag into the room, dumping it in the center.
Mother began barking orders. “Get every scrap of silver chain you can find. Silver nails and the nail gun as well. The entire cart, and?—”
“Mother?” I interrupted. “Thank the moon you’re here.”
Her eyes were wild when they met mine, though I couldn’t tell if the mania in them was from excitement, or fear. “Finnick, escort Luke to the guest room that’s been prepared. The emergency Council meeting’s in two days. We’ll have a family meal tonight where we can discuss the week ahead. He’ll be staying until?—”
“Mother, you haven’t checked your phone.” Sparks flashed in her eyes when I interrupted her again. I bowed my head slightly. “It’s an emergency. It’s Tana.”
“What has that useless little bitch done now?” My gaze flicked to Luke, then back to her. “Speak!” she demanded, a whip of her dominance in the word.
“Vanished on the way to her dance lesson,” I said. “We can’t find any trace of her. She may have been taken. If she was, it was a professional job.”
A wave of power—the dominance she’d honed and used as a weapon—rushed out of her along with a scream of fury. The Enforcers fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Luke staggered slightly under it, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him down with me as I pretended not to be able to stand under it.
“Where is your father?”
“In the city,” I told her. “I couldn’t reach him.”
“What? What is he…” She closed her eyes, her nostrils flaring slightly, one hand moving to her neck and the old, silver mating claim mark there. A flicker of what might have been pain crossed her features before her expression went cold again. “Of course. Of fucking course.”She didn’t explain, but stalked toward the exit. “Take Luke to his room; assign Niall to keep himsafe. Lock down the Mansion, then get back in here and make sure none of our… guests… vanish.”
I understood. Luke was as much a prisoner as the Hilliers, or the poor soul in the body bag, whoever he was. As the door closed behind her, I stood and held a hand out to Luke, taking in his altered state. He was skinny, dirty, and with odd specks of blood dotting him from head to toe… but he had a small set of teeth marks low on his neck, and a faint hint of cinnamon in his scent.
“We have some catching up to do,” I murmured.
“You have no idea,” he replied as we went to follow Mother’s orders.
