Payette, Idaho

The fear that settled over Morgan on learning of Parker's disappearance was the feeling of another child taken from him. It ripped into his chest and threatened to stifle the very air he breathed.

He ended the call and stared at a small beetle crawling up a blade of grass at his feet. He was getting too old. For over half a millennia he had led his pack, each member as precious to him as the next. In the absence of his own flesh and blood, they were his children, and he protected them with everything he had.

His long-dead son sprung to the forefront of his mind, and an age-old pain clutched at his chest. He remembered the moment he was told of the death of his only child. Hundreds of years later, the feeling was still as painful, and the memory remained vivid.

He shook himself and headed back into the house. He needed to determine exactly what had happened in Portland.

It did not take long before he obtained all the information the local police had, as well as more pertinent details from Jay and Zeke. He pieced together everything he needed to know and more that he did not.

Exhausted, he left an equally drained Clara to deal with notifying the pack, and returned to his office. An empty feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Daniel would need to be informed. Picking up the phone, he was almost relieved when the phone went straight to voicemail.

He would talk to the Alpha Commander later.

Morgan flicked through his contact's list to find Jessica's number.

Jessica brought Simon and Alice together, and Morgan broke the news to them. From the silence at the other end of the conference call, they were in as much shock as him.

"Do we know if she is still alive?" Simon said.

"The police found blood not belonging to either of the known victims," he said. "But there wasn't enough to think she was bleeding profusely."

"And they are sure she was there?"

This time Alice asked the question.

His shoulders slumped. "Her mobile, laptop, and handbag were found in the office." They all knew Parker did not go anywhere without her computer.

"Are you sure it was Matheo?" Simon said.

"Yes." He took a deep breath. They wouldn't like what he was about to tell them. "The reception is under video surveillance. Jay got to it before the police did. I will have Zeke send it through to you. It's a little hard to watch."

He heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by an involuntary whimper.

"When are you expecting Daniel to return, Simon?" he said.

"Sometime in the next few hours."

He frowned. "Shouldn't he be back already?"

Simon let out a disagreeable growl. "Fridericks is proving to be more trouble than he's worth, so the trip back by road is taking longer. His phone battery died so we are out of contact." He paused. "Who's going to tell him?"

An uncomfortable silence descended. No one was willing to accept the daunting task.

"You know he needs to be told before it's plastered across all the news channels," he said.

"I'll tell him," Jessica said. She let out a slow breath. "He needs to hear it from me."

Morgan sighed. "I agree. I'd like a word with you. Alone."

A short silence followed as Simon and Alice quietly filed out of the room.

"How do you think he's going to take it?" he said.

"That's the bit I am worried about." Jessica hesitated. "My brother has finally found someone he has a connection to. Parker may not be his mate, but sometimes, when he thinks no one is looking and his guard comes down...The way he looks at her, it takes my breath away. He looks—"

His voice was somber and reflective as he finished Jessica's sentence. "Like he has found something he has been searching for all his life?"

"You've seen it, too?"

"For the briefest of moments, but yes, I have. I do not envy your position."

The seconds ticked by as they contemplated the task ahead. They needed a plan before it was too late.

"If you don't mind my asking, how did Clara take it?"

He glanced over at the photo of Clara on his desk and his heart ached. He hated to see her in pain, and the possible loss of Parker was digging up old wounds. "After she got over the initial shock, anger set in. She's so enraged she wants to take on Elise herself. But that's not the worst of it." He paused. "I have a lynch mob at the Pack House ready to explode. Parker has many friends here, and they all want a piece of Elise and her pack."

He cleared his throat, his voice steely and determined. "If Saldulf wants war, it's on its way."

***

Forty-eight hours on the road with a maniacal Werewolf was taking its toll on Daniel. He was hungry, irritated, and tired.

Ray growled from the back of the SUV. "Shut up, old man, before I shut it for you."

Daniel took a deep, calming breath. The trip hadn't been easy on his chief enforcer, either. They had seen too much death. To be in the same vehicle with the architect of the virus and allow him to live was a strain for both he and Ray. But they needed Elise, and that meant keeping Fridericks alive. For now.

He focused on the road and attempted, yet again, to ignore the incessant ramblings from the back seat. If they did not need the information locked inside the scientist's brain, they would have strangled him, and left him for dead on the side of the road well before they had cleared the New York City limits.

Flying the obnoxious man back to Colorado was out of the question. Their only option was to drive. It had been the longest two days of his very long life—all he wanted right now was a hot shower, a decent meal, some sleep—and Parker beside him. The endless miles of inactivity had given him the time to sift through recent events, and the fact he couldn't get hold of Parker before his phone battery went dead only made it worse.

The truth was, he missed her. He missed the way she would defiantly challenge him when she disagreed with him. He missed the simple act of talking to her, the way she could be serious one moment and teasing the next, or how she made him feel every time she walked into a room. He wasn't sure at what point she had become a necessary part of his life, but no matter how much he resisted, he could no longer deny the emotions that this one little Human elicited.

The question was, what did he mean to her?

There was no denying she was physically attracted to him. Her unbridled passion each time they had touched—each time they had kissed—told him she was as affected by him as he was by her.

While it may be wrong, while there may be no future for them, he no longer had the strength to stay away from her.

Maybe Morgan is right. I'll take a trip to Portland and try this dating thing.

About time, his exasperated wolf broke in.

Shut up.

He focused on the last one-hundred mile stretch to Colorado.

Four hours later, Simon and a few of Ray's enforcers met them as he drove the SUV into the compound.

Before he had a chance to grab the prisoner from the back seat, Simon pulled him aside. "Jessica needs to see you. She's waiting for you in your office."

"I'll head up there once I make sure he's locked up tight."

Simon stood his ground. "I'll do it. She really needs to see you."

Daniel frowned at his beta's odd behavior, but passed the prisoner into Simon's custody and headed to his home. He walked into his office and discovered Jessica pacing up and down the length of the room. Her eyes were red, and her expression was haunted.

His stomach plummeted. "What's going on? Is Mandy alright?"

"She's fine." Jessica's voice cracked.

Her next words crumbled the world around him.

***

"Daniel, did you hear what I just said?" Jessica said.

His reaction wasn't what she had expected, and she was anxious. He hadn't spoken a word throughout her recount of Parker's abduction. In fact, her brother hadn't moved. His eyes were blank, not giving any indication of what was going on in his mind. He looked down at her as if he were a statue. She attempted to reach out to him telepathically, only to come up against a wall. Cold—Thick—Impenetrable.

She tugged on his arm. "Daniel, you're scaring me. Stop being a Bruno, say something."

His face gave an almost undetectable twitch.

"Leave me."

The words were spoken so quietly she almost missed it.

"But Daniel—"

His sudden roar sent chills through her bones. "I said, go!"

She retreated and closed the door behind her. Breaking glass shattered the silence behind the locked door. Dull thuds, then the distinct sound of wood cracking, followed.

Her tears flowed freely, and she skedaddled out of the house in search of her mate. She needed the safety of his arms to shield her from the devastation that threatened to overwhelm the entire pack.

She did not need to go far. Ray was waiting for her outside. By the look of his peepers, someone had already chin wagged. She threw herself into his embrace and allowed her emotions to consume her until she was pooped. When she finally came up for air, other pack members had gathered. All silent, all waiting expectantly for something—anything—to happen.

Her brows furrowed, and Ray pulled her closer. "The pack protects their own. If there is a chance to get her back, even the slightest chance, we'll do it together."

She flinched as a blood thirsty howl resounded from within the house.