Chapter 66
Adrian’s POV
I’m coming with you,” Garrett insisted, his laptop already half–closed as he prepared to stand.
I placed my hand famly on his shoulder, keeping him seated. “I need you here, monitoring their phones. If anything changes–anything at all I need to know immediately.”
His eyes darted between my face and his computer screens, conflict evident in his expression. Finally, he nodded, reluctantly settling back into his chair. TIL track everything. GPS signals, call attempts, text messages. If either of them so much as turns on airplane mode, I’ll know about it.”
“Good. I squeezed his shoulder once before releasing it. “And Garrett? This isn’t just about pack business. I know what Nadia means to you.”
A flush crept up his neck, but he didn’t deny it. “Just bring her back safe, Alpha.”
The drive to the main gate was a blur of racing thoughts and worst–case scenarios. As I pulled up, Ryder was already waiting, his usually carefree demeanor replaced by tense alertness. He climbed into the passenger seat before I’d fully stopped.
“What happened?‘ he demanded, buckling his seatbelt as I accelerated again. “Is it Skye and Nadia? Are they in trouble?”
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, jaw clenched as I pushed the SUV well beyond the speed limit. “I don’t know yet. Neither of them is answering calls or texts, but their phones are still active in Boring.”
“That doesn’t sound like Nadia,” Ryder murmured, echoing my own thoughts. “She never goes dark, especially not when you’re trying to reach her.”
We fell into tense silence after that, each mile bringing a heavier weight of apprehension. The desert landscape blurred past our windows as I pressed the accelerator further, willing the distance to disappear faster.
By the time we reached Boring, morning had fully established itself, the small town already bustling with its modest weekday activity. I navigated to the community center that Skye had photographed, parking haphazardly near the entrance.
Inside, the space told the story of celebration’s aftermath–chairs stacked against walls, floors still tacky with spilled drinks, decorations drooping listlessly from the ceiling. A lone elderly man pushed a wide broom across the floor, humming tunelessly to himself.
“Excuse me,” I called, approaching him with controlled urgency. “I’m looking for two women who attended yesterday’s wedding. One with silver hair, the other with short black hair. Have you seen them?”
The old man paused his sweeping, leaning on his broom as he studied me with suspicious eyes. “You a friend of Jessie and Jake’s? Don’t recall seeing you yesterday.”
Before I could respond, Ryder stepped forward, his expression molded into one of boyish charm. “My fiancée is friends with Jessie. She came to the wedding yesterday but never came home. I’m worried sick about her.”
I shot Ryder a withering look for the unnecessary embellishment, but it seemed to have the desired effect. The janitor’s suspicion melted into understanding.
“Ah, well, that explains it.” He nodded, resuming his sweeping with slow, methodical strokes. “Wedding ended pretty early yesterday. Your lady friends might’ve gone for drinks after–there’s that place called The Watering Hole where your friend used to work.”
He provided directions to both The Watering Hole and Jessie’s home, his memory surprisingly sharp for someone his age. As we turned to leave, his voice called us back.
“You boys heading to see Jessie? She ain’t home right now–she’s over at the hospital.”
My heart lurched. “Hospital? What happened?“/
The old man chuckled, shaking his head fordly. “That girl’s always been clumsy as a newborn colt. Too much champagne, I reckon. Fell right off the stage during her first dance, Split her forehead open something fierce.” He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “Young folks these days don’t know their limits.
Ryder and I exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing. A wedding accident serious enough to require hospitalization, and neither Skye nor Nadia hád
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Chapter 66
contacted us?
“Which hospital? I asked, already moving toward the exit.
Only got one in Boring,” the janitor called after us. ‘Can’t miss it.”
We raced back to the SUV, the sense of wrongness growing stronger with each passing moment. Boring’s hospital was indeed impossible to missà ras–story building with “Boring General Hospital‘ displayed in bold letters across its facade.
As we approached the entrance, Ryder suddenly veered toward a small gift shop. ‘Wait, he called over his shoulder. “We need to look like actual visitors.
He emerged moments later with a modest bouquet of flowers, their cheerful colors at odds with the dread pooling in my stomach. At my questioning look, he shrugged. “Humans expect this sort of thing. We need to blend in.”
The reception desk was staffed by a nurse whose tired eyes suggested she was nearing the end of a long shift. She barely glanced up as we approached.
‘We’re here to see Jessie, I said, deliberately keeping my tone light. “She was admitted last night after an accident at her wedding.
The nurse’s fingers moved over her keyboard, the clicking sound unnaturally loud in the quiet reception area. “Jessie Williams, room 204. She gestured toward the elevator. “Second floor, turn left.”
The hospital corridor smelled of antiseptic and illness–scents that assaulted my enhanced werewolf senses. I forced myself to breathe through my mouth as we located room 204, its door partially open.
Inside, Jessie sat propped up against pillows, picking unenthusiastically at what appeared to be hospital breakfast. A white bandage adorned her forehead, and a fading bruise colored her left cheek. Her eyes widened with surprise when she noticed us in the doorway.
“Oh my god!” she exclaimed, setting aside her breakfast tray. “Adrian, right? I remember you from The Watering Hole! What are you doing here? Do you have family in the hospital too?”
Lblinked, taken aback by her immediate recognition. I’d only visited The Watering Hole twice during my reconnaissance of the area before Skye joined our pack. The fact that she remembered me was unexpected.
‘I’m looking for Skye and her friend Nadia,‘ I explained, stepping further into the room while Ryder hung back near the door. “They came to your wedding yesterday. Have you seen them?”
irl Jessie’s face lit up with comprehension, her eyes darting between Ryder and me with sudden interest. “Ohhh, so you and Skye are together! That snea never mentioned she had such a hot boyfriend!” She winked playfully, apparently oblivious to the tension radiating from me. “So that’s why she didn’t want any of Jake’s cousins hitting on her!”
“Where are they now?” I pressed, my patience wearing thin. “When did you last see them?”
