Page 86 of Tides of Fate

“He’s not here.”

It helps Gideon keep his fear at bay when he notes there is no sign of struggle and only the same tinge of singed vanilla. No signs of pain or fear, and no blood. They need to see the camera footage to figure out what the fuck is going on.

Leo is ahead of him, as usual, and with a breadstick hanging out of his mouth like Bugs Bunny with a carrot, he opens the cupboard where they keep the security electronics and grabs two linked tablets.

“When did he leave, do you think?”

Leo doesn’t waste time asking how Nix could leave the house without Gideon knowing. He just focuses on trying to figure out where he went.

Jay’s growl makes the hair on the back of Gideon’s neck stand up. His alpha is hanging on by a thread.

“Gideon?”

He is doing an admirable job of not losing his mind, but Jay’s smoky pine scent fills the kitchen, causing Luca to cover his nose with the bottom of his t-shirt, leaving him perfectly naked, as usual.

It takes Leo just minutes to pull up the in-house security footage. There are cameras throughout the house; it won’t be hard to see when their mate left.

Gideon is only worried aboutwhy.

Sighing with frustration, Gideon runs his hands through his hair, and Jay’s nose flares again.

“Hey, I smell actual fire—burned plastic and gasoline. What the fuck is going on, Gideon? I am hanging on here, but I need—”

He needs his omega.

Same-same.

The news about Quest should be the worst information he’s had all day, but that feeling of dread says it’s only going to get worse.

“I had a call from the arson squad about Quest.”

“No,” Luca gasps.

“Yeah, baby. Look, someone torched the kitchen this morning. Must have been after all of you left for your meetings.”

Something about that tickles the back of Gideon’s mind. Some pattern he’s missing.

“I didn’t want to take Nix with me. There were just too many cops and unknowns.”

Too many damn questions about his perfect, sweet-smelling mate—who still can’t wear a scent blocker and who draws people to him like the rising sun.

“You left him here alone?” Leo asks incredulously as there’s a swoosh, and both tablets light up with footage already in motion.

There is no sound, but they can see Nix talking to Tsuki and then leaving the room.

Leo brings up the next camera footage for the hallway outside Nix’s bedroom.

Fifteen minutes later, he jogs out of range in his new clothes, Tsuki hoton his heels.

Another camera changes, and Nix is digging something out of the couch.

Luca’s eyes pop wide. “My phone. Shit.”

They watch as their mate answers it with a concerned frown while walking out of range.

The front door camera picks them up on the porch as Nix resets the alarm and walks through the gate toward the city.

“Why would he go? Who would call me, and what’s so important that he would leave? Did he look upset?”

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