Reborn (Shadow Beast Shifter, #3)(18)

Patting him on the chest, I spun on one foot and strolled past a ton of shocked shifters, making my way into the pack house.





10





The pack house was quiet and cool as I walked through the front hall, past the formal dining and living rooms, and back into the row of offices used for business meetings. Since I was the first one in there, I chose the best chair at the head of the table. It was Torin’s seat, but he could fight me for it if he wanted.

The alpha strolled in a few minutes later, looking unruffled. He didn’t say a word about me randomly kneeing him in the balls or about me sitting in his chair. He just chose the seat next to me, and we sat in an awkward silence until the other members arrived.

Mika and Gerad were first, followed by two senior pack members, Jos and Hench. Burly, middle-aged shifters, they were respected due to their many years helping to run Torma.

They had been Victor’s right-hand men, outside of his beta, and Torin had continued the same tradition.

“What is this about?” Jos asked as he leaned toward us, the lights above reflecting off the dirty blond of his hair, which was shaved close to his head.

“I’d like to know that as well,” Hench said shortly. He didn’t lean forward or otherwise engage; the icy blue of his eyes was the same blue of his wolf, which looked like a snow-white husky when he shifted. His hair was just as white, falling to his shoulders, and I always considered him the most beautiful wolf in our pack. His human side was a right old fuckhead, though.

“Simone is missing,” I said bluntly. “At some point just after the stasis was lifted, Simone left her house and hasn’t been seen since.”

Torin, Jos, and Hench, in near unison, nailed the Lewisons with a glare. “You lodged her as being on vacation,” Jos said, pulling out his phone. “I know because I’ve been asking you for weekly updates, and you’ve been logging her itinerary.”

He spun the device around to show what looked like a GPS map with flashing red dots. I figured that these were supposed to mark out Simone’s planned route.

This was the point when Mika paled, her gorgeous brown skin drawn as she sank lower, seemingly defeated. The silence in the room extended, no one willing to be the first to break it.

“We were protecting our daughter. Our family,” Gerad finally said, wrapping his arm around his mate. “I figured I could track her down and get her back here before she was punished for leaving the pack without permission. Simone has never done anything like this before, and with no real money or resources, how far could she have gone?”

A sound of annoyance escaped me, drawing attention away from the Lewisons. “What if she didn’t run away? What if she was taken, and all of this time you wasted in hiding the truth is what screws up our chances of tracking her down? In the end, you wanted to save your family name, and in doing so, you might have lost your damn daughter.”

I was mad. Not just mad but scared, and heartbroken, and lost. Mostly scared, if I was being honest. If anything happened to my best friend, especially if she was in this situation because of me, I would never recover.

Torin cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair agitatedly as he got to his feet. This new development had really thrown him, and I wondered if he was questioning his control over the pack. “Mika and Gerad are to be held in the basement until we have every piece of information about Simone’s whereabouts,” he said gruffly. “And we will begin an immediate full-scale search to track down our missing pack member. If she ran of her own accord, she will henceforth be banished from this pack, but if she was taken, the full force of Torma will come down on those who have touched one of our own.” He lowered his head to meet my gaze. “We will find her, Mera.”

I swallowed roughly. We had to find her; there was just no other option.

Torin, who had clearly been waiting for me to respond to his declaration, shook his head and spun on the spot, storming out. In the wake of their departing alpha, Jos and Hench got to their feet to fulfill his orders. Thankfully, neither Mika nor Gerad fought back, the pair seemingly too broken to care about heading to the prison cells below.

I just hoped they had information to help guide the others in their search. Gerad said he had been conducting his own investigation—there had to be something he could tell them.

Hench closed the door behind them, leaving me alone in the room. I had so many questions still unanswered, but it felt like gears were finally turning. All I had to do was figure out where to put my time and attention.

My planning was interrupted as the door opened, and I looked up, half-expecting to find Torin back in my space again. Only it wasn’t.

An unfamiliar woman closed the door quickly, her gaze darting around as if ensuring we were alone before she focused on me.

“Uh, hello?” I said, getting to my feet. “Can I help you with something?”

She hurried closer, and I took a moment to pay attention to her. She was tall and statuesque, with perfect brown skin, deep, rich emerald eyes, and long, straight black hair.

Not black like Simone’s; it was closer to mine, with deep auburn undertones.

She was stunning. Model perfect. And there was no way she was a Torma local because I’d never forget a face like hers.

“Alpha Wolfe,” she said respectfully, half-bowing her head. “My—”