The whole place felt off.
This was my home, my place of solitude, and it had been violated. That wasn’t something I was going to easily get over.
Trying to find some sense of peace, I leaned back and closed my eyes.
That’s when I heard it.
The sound was faint, but it was there. It was almost like a mouse scurrying about but there was a distinct sound like concrete blocks scrapping together. At first, I couldn’t place it, but then it dawned on me. I had blocks in the basement to close a section off as a root cellar before I began to finish the remainder of my basement.
“Shit!”
I jumped up and ran to the basement door.
The chattering was undeniable.
“Who’s down there?” I barked.
Everything went quiet.
I turned on the light and walked down the stairs.
The first thing that hit me was the unmistakable smell of my fresh cinnamon rolls. As I reached the basement floor, I saw a plate of them sitting on the floor next to a stack of blocks forming a small wall that hadn’t been there before.
A small hand reached out and pulled the plate behind the wall.
“Show yourselves.”
Slowly, three little heads peaked out around the wall. The missing boys.
I growled and then turned to stomp up on the stairs.
“He didn’t destroy this one,” one of them said.
“Not yet. But now you’re stuck here until I decide what to do with you.”
To ensure that, when I reached the top, I used the pulley system connected to the ladder and pulled it up.
“No!” one of them yelled as he ran out then jumped to try to grab the ladder and pull it back down.
“Stay put,” I growled. Then I slammed the door shut behind me.
I briefly looked outside but Kyle and the others were nowhere to be seen.
Instead of trying to track them down, I went to my computer and typed in Vanessa Relic into the Pack database. It didn’t take long for her file to pop up which included her phone number.
I dialed the number and waited.
“Hello?”
I knew instantly that it was her—my mate.
“I found your three little pigs. I have them locked in my basement.”
She didn’t question who was calling or what I meant. And I certainly wasn’t prepared for her response.
“Don’t eat them. I’m on my way.”
She hung up and I stared down at the phone in confusion.