Chapter 27
Carter
“Want some more?” I dug into the picnic basket on the coffee table between Kevin and me that Laura had brought over. We sat in the lobby while he ate. I pulled out a glass container. “Looks like some stew here.”
Kevin nodded, his mouth still full from the half roast-beef sandwich he’d just stuffed in his mouth. He’d already downed a container of macaroni salad and eaten all the meat off a roasted hen.
Apparently nineteen years without food did that to a shifter.
He took a deep breath between bites. “You know, each thing I eat gives me so much more strength. I almost feel as good as I did twenty years ago.”
“That’s a relief. Keep eating. We have plenty.”
Kevin wasn’t only gaining strength, but also weight. I could see him filling out with each bite he took. He was nearly as big as me now.
My phone buzzed with a text from Toby.
We picked up Katya’s pack scent on the other side of the woods. Hers was mixed in with theirs.
I stared at the text in disbelief.
“Waf?” Kevin swallowed his food. “I mean, what?”
I couldn’t find the words. Even though I hadn’t been able to get ahold of Katya, I’d assumed she was still in the hotel.
Before I could process that, Jennifer and Alley walked down the stairs. Kevin had his back to them. They walked over and stood behind him, staring at me.
“You should probably go now, Carter,” Alley said.
My brows came together. “What do you mean? Am I not welcome here?”
Jennifer stepped forward. “That’s not it, but Katya isn’t here. She won’t be back for some time.”
My mind spun, trying to make sense of what had happened. Why didn’t Katya’s mom seem concerned that she was gone?
Kevin spun around.
Jennifer stared at him, her mouth gaping and her face paling. She stumbled forward. Her mouth moved, but no words came. She fell toward the floor.
Kevin leaped up and caught her. “My Jenny, you look exactly the same.”
“Kevin? You… you’re alive?”
“Katya was right,” Alley whispered.
Kevin swept some hair from Jennifer’s face and kissed her. “I’ve been here in the hotel this whole time.”
“But, but… How’s that possible?”
He walked her over to the couch where he’d been sitting and held her close. “Baby, there’s a lot about my family that you need to know. I don’t know where to start…”
Jennifer sat up straight. “Like what? Katya’s with your father.”
Kevin jumped back. “She’s what?”
“He said she had a mental illness. That it ran in your family.” Tears filled her eyes. “I never should have believed him, should I? It’s like something came over me…” She paused. “Wait. He gave me something to drink when we talked. Then suddenly everything he said seemed to make so much sense.”
“You can’t blame yourself. You were only trying to help our daughter. Now tell me everything. Don’t leave out a single detail.”
While she told us the whole crazy story, I texted back and forth with Toby to find out how close they were to Katya.
“Is she going to be okay?” Alley asked me.
“I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure she is.” I continued texting with Toby.
“So, what’s going on if it’s not mental illness?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“I just found out that my dad’s actually alive—and he’s been living here this whole time. Whatever you have to say can’t be weirder than that.”
“I’m going to leave that up to him to tell you. Better yet, Katya.”
She huffed. “Who are you texting?”
I hesitated. No matter how I said it, it’d sound weird. I was talking to my alpha. Her sister’s math professor.
“What’s going on?” Kevin asked.
I glanced up from my phone. “I have a lead. You and Che should come with me, but Jennifer and Alley should stay here.”
“Sexist much?” Alley glared at me.
“Trust me, it has nothing to do with that.”
She folded her arms. “Right. The men are going to save Katya while the women stay here. What should we do? Make dinner? Knit?”
“It’s dangerous. There’s a whole world of things you don’t understand.”
“Whatever. You aren’t keeping me from helping my sister.”
I glanced at Kevin.
He gave me a slight nod and turned to Alley. “We wouldn’t dream of keeping you from helping. You two look around here, and we’ll track down my family.”
I rose. “And to prove how un-sexist I am, I’ll have Alex and Bobby come over here.”
Alley arched a brow. “Because Mom and I need protecting?”
I threw my arms into the air. “What do you want? I’m trying to help—and I need to get out there to find Katya!”
“Just let me help!”
I turned to Kevin. “If you want to explain your… family dynamics to them, go ahead. I’m going to find Katya.” I didn’t wait for a reply. We were wasting too much time as it was, and I wasn’t going to let another second slip by while she was in danger.
I raced out the door and sniffed the air. The slightest trace of her scent lingered. It headed toward the woods.
Several of my bones popped.
“Not just yet.” I followed the trail until it came to a dead stop a couple blocks away in a small parking lot. They’d taken her somewhere by car.
Great.
I closed my eyes and sniffed the air, holding it in my nose. The trail ended here, right where they’d forced her into a car.
There had to be more to go on. Some other clue. Something. Except that there wasn’t anything. No stray items left. Nothing.
I called Toby. “They took her by car. I can’t tell what direction they went.”
“Killian’s here, and he’s running a locator spell.”
“What about Gessilyn?” Her husband was a well-respected witch, but we needed the high witch at a time like this.
“She’s working on something back at home. Some of her other family members are preparing some other spells.”
“Tell me the moment you know anything.”
“Of course. And Tap’s working on something, too. He was speaking too fast for me to understand, so I don’t know what. You can try talking to him.”
“Not when he’s that frantic. I’m going back to the hotel.” I ended the call and headed over.
Kevin and Che were both putting on coats. Jennifer and Alley were nowhere in sight.
“Find anything?” Kevin asked.
I shook my head. “I followed her scent to an empty parking lot. They took her somewhere, but where is anyone’s guess.”
“I know exactly where they took her.”
“You do?” I gave him a double-take.
“Our family has a cabin in the woods about fifty miles from here. It’s rarely used, but I’m sure that’s where she is.”
I tugged on my sleeves. “Should we drive or shift?”
He cracked his neck and then twisted his body, sending popping noises down his spine. “I don’t know about you two, but I could really use a shift about now.”
“Probably faster, anyway.” Che unbuttoned his shirt.
“What about clothes to change into?” I asked.
“We’re shifters.” Kevin slid off his jacket. “We have outfits all around the cabin for miles. They might be out of date, but they’ll do the job.”
“Sounds good to me. Let’s not shift right here, though.”
We headed outside.