Page 3 of Awakening

“He’s been violently ill. He needs to be checked for poisoning. Just trust me.” It would be extremely rare to find a werewolf with a stomach bug. Rage burns through my veins as panic sets in because I know there’s no way Ben’s illness and Olivia’s disappearance are a coincidence.

My body trembles as I take off down the hallway toward the ladies’ room. I storm inside, kicking open every stall. “Olivia?” Empty. I check the men’s room next. Nothing. I check every single room along that hallway before running out the back doors to the patio. “Olivia? Olivia, answer me! Olivia?”

“Hey, what’s going on?” Nick asks, running out the back doors to catch up to me.

“It’s Olivia. We need to assemble a search crew. Right fucking now.”

“Okay, man. Slow down and tell me what happened.”

“She’s gone.”

Nick looks like I just slapped him. “Gone? What do you mean, gone?”

“I mean, Olivia is fucking gone, Nick! Ben got violently ill when he was supposed to be watching over her, and now she’s gone.” Something on the ground catches my eye when it sparkles as the sun bounces off the item, and I’m instantly nauseous. I bend down and pick up Olivia’s engagement ring.

“Shit,” Nick says, getting out his cell phone. “Do you think it was Ian?”

“Of course, it was Ian. Fuck!” Why didn’t I just wait for her myself? I can’t contain my rage any longer. I charge back into the pack house and slam my fist through a wall before leaning my head against it while I try to calm my breathing. “Fuck him! That son of a bitch!”

“I’m on it. Just tell me what to do,” Nick says, following me inside.

“Have Lance put his best guy in charge of assembling the search teams. We don’t stop with our pack grounds. We need to reach out to other packs, and then obviously search surrounding human communities. Meet me at my house to strategize. I’m going to grab my dad on the way out.”

“Got it. We’re going to find her,” Nick says before charging away to talk to Lance.

I feel like I’ve been gutted as I walk back into the chaos filled party room. Pack medical staff are tending to Ben as he’s wheeled out on a gurney. I barely acknowledge Max with a nod as he tries to give me an update on Ben’s condition. I keep walking until I stop behind the cake. A lump rises in my throat as I stare at the piece of cake Olivia cut and placed on this plate just minutes ago, but I shake myself out of it. I don’t have time to dwell on a piece of fucking cake right now. I can’t allow myself to get caught up in my emotions.

“Ethan? Are you okay?” I look up to meet the concerned eyes of Chloe. “Where’s Liv?” The words won’t come. How do I tell Olivia’s best friend that I’ve allowed my fucked up cousin to get his hands on her again? “Ethan?”

Nick appears by Chloe’s side and nods his head toward my dad. “I’ll talk to Chloe. Just go see your dad. I gave him a heads up. I’ll meet you at your house in a few minutes.” Giving Nick a nod, I walk across the room to where my parents are standing.

“Ethan,” my mom says, embracing me in a hug.

My dad puts his hand on my shoulder. “Nick told us, son. Let’s go home and figure this out.”

My muscles twitch with anger. “He’s dead.”

Two

Olivia

The room is a blur when I open my sticky eyes and try to bring my surroundings into focus. My mouth feels like I’ve been sucking on cotton balls, while my stomach churns and my head spins as I try to assess my situation. Looking around, I find myself lying on a twin mattress on the floor, in a room with no windows, lit only by a single dim lamp. I sit up and take a few deep breaths as I try to find the strength to stand.

Rising slowly, I use my hand to brace myself against the wall as I make my way over to one of two doors. It’s locked, as expected. I take a few deep breaths to try to control the nausea, then stumble my way over to the second door. To my surprise, it opens immediately, revealing a bathroom with a sink, toilet, and a very small stand-up shower.

Leaning my back against the wall, I slide down to the floor. I’m not steady enough to stay on my feet. Drawing air in through my nose, I blow it out slowly through my mouth as today’s events replay in my head. As the nausea finally begins to pass, a key is inserted into the lock on the door. Fear hits me in the chest, knowing exactly who to expect on the other side.

He opens the door and his icy blue eyes meet mine with an evil smile. “Well, look who’s awake.”

“Ian.”

His eyes drill into me. “It’s good to see you too, gorgeous.”

“Let’s just get to the point, asshole. What is it you want?”

He crouches down in front of me, forcing my chin up to meet his stare. “I’d watch that pretty, little fucking mouth, if I were you.”

I jerk my chin out of his grip. “Whatever you have planned isn’t going to work.”

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