Page 82 of Hayden's Haven
Hayden’s hand tightened around the shifter’s throat as a pair of boots appeared behind the shifter’s head. Hayden didn’t need to look up to know Frank stood there.
“He’s turning blue, Hayden,” Frank said with a casualness that would normally make him laugh, if the situation weren’t so serious.
“Good,” Hayden ground out.
“No use to you if he’s dead.”
Hell. Hayden eased up, and Lars inhaled a deep breath. The bruises on the shifter’s neck reminded him of the bruises that he had left on Mila. Hayden had been too rough with her, without realizing it, and she had never said a word. She knew she’d be bruised the next morning, that his level of roughness had been meant for a strong shifter. He had never once considered she was anything but. Was this what she had been talking about, about weak shifters knowing their place? That abuse was rampant and accepted?
Hayden released the shifter and stood up. Lars remained plastered to the snow. He knew Hayden could and likely would end him if he dared move.
“Do you know where Mila is?” Frank asked as Hayden tried to make sense of what was happening.
“No,” the shifter rasped.
“Why does our second think you do?”
Our second.He still had Frank’s respect, even though he didn’t deserve it. “I jumped to a wrong conclusion,” Hayden said as he paced in front of Lars. “He had followed her home last night after she’d rebuffed him.”
Mila’s scent wasn’t on Lars, and Lars was not a trained fighter like Robbie was. Even if Robbie had been taken by surprise, there would be no way a weak shifter like Lars could have killed him.
Hayden extended his hand down to Lars. “I’m not thinking straight,” he said. It wasn’t the best apology, but it was all he could manage. Mila was gone, and they had no idea who had taken her or which direction they’d gone.
Lars extended a shaky hand and allowed Hayden to pull him up. The crowd that had gathered parted to let Hayden through. No one wanted to risk his wrath. They feared him, and with good reason. It was time to stop hiding from who and what he was.
Callen approach, as did Frank. “A white wolf was spotted coming from Liam’s property around dinner time. The guard on perimeter lost the scent in the storm.”
“Why am I just hearing about this now?”
“The guard is one of the new shifters we accepted into the pack. Ethan. He ignored protocol because he thought it was a single wolf simply off-course in the storm. My fault, Hayden. I should have trained him better,” Frank said.
Laying blame wouldn’t help Mila. And certainly not Robbie. It was a white wolf, that’s all Hayden needed to know.
Damien approached and held up his hand before Hayden could speak. “Callen already filled me in. White wolf killed Robbie, took Mila.”
“Vance,” Hayden said.
“Drake,” Damien said at the same time.
“Hell.” That was from Frank.
“Which one? Too much snow and wind,” Callen said. “There’s no trail and the entry point is due east. The shifter could have gone north or south. Or returned east, for all we know.”
“Not likely. There are no white wolves in Liam’s pack or direction. Coming through Liam’s territory to enter from the east, where we’re weakest along the border, was risky. He won’t return that way,” Damien added. “Either way, we’re looking at invading either Truman’s or Drake’s pack to get her back. We can’t split our forces and go in two directions, not without pulling shifters from protecting the pack. I won’t leave our pack vulnerable.”
“Liam’s pack is still being held hostage,” Frank reminded them. “That’s why this wolf came through there. He could have returned that way.”
Damien shook his head. “Doubtful. With all those DSA agents along the border, he’d be a fool to return with a kidnapped victim who could be fighting him, causing a commotion and drawing attention to him.”
“If he hasn’t already hurt her,” Frank added. “Sorry, Hayden, but she was taken from here and no one heard her.”
Hayden bent over, hands on knees, and focused on breathing. This couldn’t be happening, but it was. He had promised Mila that she’d be safe here. Now she was either with that abusive ex or Drake who wouldn’t hesitate to kill her.
“It’s not Drake,” Hayden said. “He has no reason to take Mila. Wouldn’t even know who she is.”
“Are you underestimating him after all these years? Perhaps you don’t know the level of hatred he has for you,” Damien said.
“I know exactly how he feels about me, and it’s not all undeserved. But he hasn’t been here since she arrived, and he has no reason to think she’s here or that she means anything to me. Vance was obsessed with her. He took her.”
