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CHAPTER THREE

APOLLO

"W here's my daughter?"

Shouting woke Apollo, and he blinked several times, trying to orient himself. A beeping sound sounded next to him, and he recognized the hospital equipment.

He sighed. Still in the safe house. How many days had it been?

His wolf whined as he sniffed the air.

Still no River.

He sat up and groaned as pain shot through him. The wolfsbane mixed with silver bullets had done more damage than he'd thought they would.

He remembered very little after being shot and Titan taking River. He vaguely remembered Silas and Thomas picking him up. Ares had been shot as well as Cherry. And someone else… someone- Bennett.

His wolf whined. Titan had killed Bennett.

His best friend had sacrificed his life to protect Apollo and River. He hadn't expected that to ever happen. Yes, Bennett had put his life on the line every day for Apollo, but Apollo had never felt like he was in danger until that night. That moment. And now, Bennett was gone.

It was like losing his parents all over again. His gut squeezed tight, causing more pain than it should.

"I don't care! I'm leaving. If you assholes can't find her, then I'm gonna have to do it myself!"

He rubbed his face. Sounded like Cherry was finally awake. Good. He did not want to have to tell River her mother had died. Somehow, he thought that would be worse than telling Cherry River died.

He threw his legs over the side of the bed and stood. His legs wobbled and his head spun, but he forced himself to stay on his feet.

The monitors went crazy, and Apollo pulled the wires off his torso and fingers.

"Sweetheart, they're looking." Strider's calm voice floated through the door.

"These buffoons couldn't find their asses to scratch them," Cherry retorted.

"Cherry-" Tension laced Ares' voice.

Apollo shuffled to the door and opened it. Cherry stood so close to Ares, he was surprised that Santiago hadn't stepped between them.

Cherry shoved Ares, but he didn't move. "Get out of the way."

"You need to go back to bed," Ares replied.

"Screw bed. I need my daughter back!" She pushed him again, but stumbled. Strider steadied her, but she pushed him off.

"Cherry-" Ares tried again.

"Love, you need to get back in bed. You just woke up. You need-"

She shook her head at Strider. "I should have kept them safe. I should have done more. I need to do more. I can't lie around while… who knows what is happening to my daughter."

"Cherry," Apollo finally said, making every eye turn his direction. "Please. You and I both know that if we let anything happen to you, River will murder us all when she returns."

Cherry stared at him for a moment, and then dropped to her knees, heaving with sobs. Strider knelt beside her.

Steps cracked up the staircase, and Zeke and Bianca came into view holding bags of food. Bianca took one look at Cherry and dropped her bags.

"Mom!" Bianca ran to her and wrapped her arms around Cherry. "You're awake," Bianca cried. "You're awake."

Bianca clung to her, and Cherry patted Bianca on the back. "Okay, Baby girl. Okay."

Bianca let go. "We haven't found her yet. We have been looking in shifts day and night. Everyone. Me. Zeke. Ares. Apollo's guys. Even the Alphas who stayed have been searching for her."

"We have to find them. We have to."

"We will, Love." Strider lifted her into his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

In that moment, Apollo's arms ached to hold River. To smell her. Taste her. Feel her and know that she was okay, that she was safe.

"He won't harm her," Apollo assured them. "He wants her for himself. He won't get that if he hurts her. He saw what she did last time. He won't make that same mistake."

Cherry looked so small in Strider's arms. "You don't know that. You don't know what he'll do when…" She trailed off.

"When what?" Ares asked.

Cherry shook her head and pressed her lips together. "Find her. You need to find her. Fast."

Strider turned and carried Cherry back into the room she'd been in. As Apollo watched them go, he got the feeling there was something Cherry wasn't telling them. However, there was no way she would tell him until she was ready. He just hoped it didn't cost them anything in finding River.

"Hey." Ares walked to him. "Get your ass back in bed, too."

"How long has it been?"

Ares chewed his lips. "A week."

A week? They hadn't found her in a week?

Apollo opened his mouth to say something, but seeing the look on Ares' face, he changed his mind.

Ares' cheeks were sunken in, as were his eyes.

First time that Apollo had seen in over five years, he wasn't wearing a suit. Instead, he wore a T-shirt and slacks.

"I'll get back in bed if you tell me what's been happening."

Ares nodded and followed Apollo into his room. Apollo sat on his bed, waiting. Ares shut the door and dropped into a chair across from him. He sat forward and hung his head in his hands.

"Are there any tracks?"

Ares shook his head but didn't look up. "Nothing. It's like they disappeared. They could be anywhere."

Apollo's wolf paced, and the longer he was conscious, the worse his wolf reacted.

He wanted to be let out. To find her himself.

To save her from the man who had murdered his parents and bring her home to safety.

Damn rogues from the woods. He should have kept them alive longer.

Forced them to give up Titan. He should have tracked Titan down and killed him that night.

Then none of this would have happened. River would be at home with him and Ares.

"Stop."

Apollo looked up.

"It won't help," said Ares. "I've been doing the same thing for the last week. What if I'd tracked the rogues and Titan when we were in New York? What if I'd done this? What if I'd done that? Trust me, it doesn't help. We have to think of now. What can we do now?"

"Kill him." Apollo surprised himself at his total lack of hesitation.

"That's the plan, Brother. But first, we need to find him."

"What about rogues? Find them. Question them. Whatever it takes."

"Done that. Every Alpha has provided a list of all their rogues and their last known locations. They've been using all their resources to track them down, but most have gone underground."

"Or sided with Titan."

“Maybe.”

Apollo’s stomach growled.

Ares stood. "I'll get you some food."

Apollo shook his head. "Don't bother. I can't eat when my wolf is this wound up."

Ares snorted. "Tell me about it. It's taking everything inside me to keep him from running through Montreal and tearing everyone to shreds."

"There has to be something. Some way…" Apollo looked at Ares. "Wait. You said there was no trail beyond the gates."

"Yeah. Nothing. I should have at least been able to smell her going one direction or the other."

"Come to think of it, I don't remember smelling any of them. I smelled blood, and the Alphas and their mates, but not the rogues.

"And not Titan either."

Apollo thought for a second. "Right before Titan took her, after he…"

"Forced her to kiss him."

Apollo's wolf snarled. "Yeah. That. And after that, someone approached her from the side. A woman, I think."

Ares thought. "Wearing a cloak."

Apollo nodded. "And a moment or so later, River passed out."

"She must have been given something."

"An injection?"

"What if that injection didn't just have a sedative in it? What if it was a blocker? Like the ones the rogues were using in the woods. What if they are all on blockers?"

"It would make sense why there was no scent. Nothing."

"Nothing. That's the exact word River used. She said they didn't smell like anything, they smelled like nothing."

Ares nodded. "That's why there was no trace of her. But why do that if they were getting in cars to take off anyway? Eventually her scent would have faded."

"Maybe," Apollo mused. "Or maybe it's because she isn't as far away as we think."

"You mean they didn't leave town."

Apollo shrugged. "It would explain why he gave her a blocker. And how he kept tabs on us in the woods."

"But why stay close? Why not take her halfway around the world where we would never find them?"

"That is the question, isn't it? It could be that this is about more than just River. If he can prove to the Alphas that he's stronger than us. That he can attack us in our own home. And that he has an army of rogues at his disposal…"

Ares' eyes went black. "He wants the crown."

Apollo hated to admit it, but it was very well possible.

Ares growled and, without warning, turned and punched a hole in the wall. Several sets of rushed footsteps made their way up the stairs and down the hallway. The door flew open, and the men looked at each other.

Apollo waited as a shift rippled through Ares, and he turned to Apollo, fangs lengthened, talons thick and dark.

"I don't give a shit about the crown. If he wants it, he can have it. Or you can have it. All I want is her. Nothing else matters."

Apollo's chest squeezed, and he nodded. "Then we agree. We will do whatever it takes to get her back."

"Including burning the whole damn nation to the ground."

"How many did we lose to the rogues?"

Ares shook his head. "Too many. Ten Alphas and six Lunas."

Sixteen people. Sixteen people under their protection had died at the hands of Titan and his rogues.

Ares and Apollo stared at each other for a long moment, and for the first time in his life, Apollo knew what it meant to be a twin. For the first time, they had a common goal. They were united. The idea burned inside Apollo. Titan was truly in trouble.

"We will make sure they are avenged," said Apollo. "But first, we need to talk to Cherry."

Ares' brow wrinkled. "Why?"

"We need to find out where she got those blockers for River. If we can find out where Titan gets the blockers, we can follow the trail."

Ares nodded. "Thank you."

Apollo blinked twice. "What?"

"Thank you."

Apollo had never heard the words from his brother before, and he was tempted to ask Ares to say them a third time just to make sure he heard right.

"For the first time in a week, I feel like I'm not completely helpless." Ares' eyes held genuine gratitude.

Damn. If Ares didn't stop being so nice to him, he might begin to like his twin.

What the hell would that be like?