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CHAPTER TWENTY

logan

Monday Afternoon

C icadas screamed in the trees, so loudly Olivia and I could hear them from inside the manor where we worked on construction company business. The creatures outside always chorused in the hottest part of the afternoon, and today had been more summery than the weekend had been.

Normally, the large insect calls made me feel at home. However, today, the cacophony grated on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard, giving the day an edge, and I made another agitated lap around my study.

My phone chirped with a text from an employee, asking for approval on a change order for a project. My work crews mostly managed themselves depending on the day and the tasks ahead of them. Change orders required my input.

I answered succinctly and let them know I’d drive in tomorrow to check on the progress to the repurposing of the commercial building.

The job was large enough it required the whole workforce.

Originally, it had been an abandoned skating ring until a big-box retailer bought it, gutted it, and hired Six-Mile Construction to run the remodel.

Olivia looked up from proofreading a printed contract. “What’s wrong?”

“The alphas are taking too long,” I snapped at Olivia for the dozenth time. Dammit. Pacing off the tension wasn’t working. “Don’t they understand the gravity of what’s going on?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you told them why you were calling an emergency meeting of alphas this evening. If you wanted them to respond more quickly, you should have mentioned the multimorph emergence. Discussing the prophecy is something we do every year at the Hunter’s Moon gathering.”

“What if Acheron intercepted messages about the multimorph? He’d hunt her down. The only reason I called the meeting is because Marcus and Jasper already know about her. It’s not a secret anymore, but I want to keep her from Acheron as long as possible.”

I wasn’t about to risk Emma like that. To keep her safe, she had to come back to Six-Mile Pack. Once I shared the truth with the rest of the packs, we’d retrieve her any way possible.

“Did you set the gate to open for any vehicle?” I asked.

“Yes, I did, Logan. ”

“Is the meeting room ready?”

“We set everything up in training room. It was the only place with an air conditioner large enough to make at least thirteen alpha shifters comfortable while also being secure from listening devices. Big tables, chairs, and place settings have already been situated inside. Phil is on his way back with the food, and he’s been instructed to take it right into the meeting house. ”

“Good. Did you invite Marcus as well?”

She studied her fingernails. “Did you tell me to invite Marcus?”

“I did.”

“Then I invited Marcus,” she snapped. “I’m sure he’ll show. Now I’m going to go check on something that isn’t in your study.”

“Very well.”

She jumped up and jogged away, flipping her blond hair over her shoulders.

After she’d gone, I also left my study and positioned myself on the front porch of the manor to wait for alphas. Dianthus circled the large trees in the sprawling front yard, scenting the heavy still air with cloves. I leaned against the column.

Dr. Wise’s vehicle rolled through our gate and eased down the driveway at a sedate pace. She pulled to a stop and stepped out. “I have the documents for Emma. Is she here?”

“No,” I barked at her.

Emma should be here .

Dr. Wise blinked at my tone and pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose. “Very well.”

“I meant she’s not here right now.”

“Will she return this evening? May I leave the information she wanted with you?”

I couldn’t answer without explaining how I’d botched my attempt to convince Emma that her place was with us.

Before I could stumble my way through an answer, a shout came from one of the tiny homes on the main grounds.

Dr. Wise turned at the same time I did.

Olivia marched across the grass with a severe look on her face. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “We can’t find Rachel.”

“Not in her home?”

“I just came from there. She hasn’t been back since she spent the night with Jasper.”

“Maybe she’s still with him,” I said.

Olivia shook her head. “I checked with him. She wasn’t there when he made it back to his den yesterday.”

My jaw clenched. Another missing shifter? This time, it had happened under my nose. I’d been here.

“Perhaps we should add her name to the list,” Dr. Wise said, her voice matter of fact, clinical even.

“We don’t know she’s been taken.” I huffed at the air, trying to pick up on some a scent other than dianthus, Dr. Wise, and the handful of others nearby. Nothing but swamps and forest of the lowlands .

“It would be reasonable to assume…” Dr. Wise countered.

I cursed under my breath. Reasonable to assume… Yeah, reasonable to assume that while I’d been distracted about Emma, I’d lost another of my pack to… to… what?

“Why would Acheron take our shifters, Dr. Wise?” Olivia asked.

“We don’t know it’s him,” she said.

“But it’s reasonable to assume…” Olivia said.

Dr. Wise’s mouth pinched.

“Why would he be taking seemingly random shifters?” I echoed.

“Since the disappearances, I have put together some theories about what he might be doing.” She paused. “None of the options are good.”

“It’s Acheron. Good isn’t in his nature.”

“He’s all dark magic and soul-poisoning spite,” Olivia quipped, “with a little retaliation tossed in for good measure.”

“That does describe him,” Dr. Wise agreed.

“Do you have any theories?”

Dr. Wise studied the ground. “I’ve discovered mention of several incantations which would make Acheron stronger than he is now.

One of the worst requires the use of shifters.

Since shifter magic doesn’t exactly mix nicely with mage magic, a large amount of potent dark magic is necessary to combine the two. ”

“What does that mean?” I pressed.

“Death. It means death,” she answered.

“Explain. ”

“To make dark magic darker, more potent, life force is required.... Life force can only be harvested after death.” Her voice trailed away, and she gave me a sad look. “I’m still running down a few leads and working out the details.”

None of it sounded encouraging.

Crossing my arms, I returned to the subject of the meeting at hand.

“We have to be here to greet the alphas when they arrive. When Phil gets back, have him organize a search party. Maybe we can find a clue somewhere between our territory and wherever the scent trails ends at the border of fox. Tonight’s meeting will be a good time to ask them about any new information regarding the disappearance of their members and Acheron’s location. ”

“If they have any,” Olivia said, jogging away as Phil also pulled in with the food. She helped him unload as she told him about the patrol.

Dr. Wise lifted her phone, scrolled several times, and waited without speaking. Anytime she had a moment, she scoured old archives on the internet for any information. Her lack of inane chattiness was something I often appreciated about her.

Soon, a rumble sounded in the distance, turning into the deep growl of a sports car.

The cat alpha’s signature black Jag swerved around the corner into view and up our driveway.

He skidded to a stop at the end of the circle.

Not only had Marcus Steele shown up, but he had also been the first to arrive.

Olivia returned with a smug look on her face, and I shot her a warning look. No “I told you so” today.

“Dr. Wise, we’re having a rather important meeting this evening. You’re welcome to stay, eat, and take an account of the historic event.”

“I accept,” she answered. “Will Emma be in attendance?”

“No,” I said, “Not tonight.”

“I’ll get Dr. Wise situated,” Olivia said, stretching out her arm to guide Dr. Wise to the training-room-turned-meetinghouse.

Next, a red Bronco turned in, followed by a shiny silver coupe. A long line of vehicles was soon parked in our circle drive. The alphas gathered at the base of the steps, and I joined them.

Marcus was the last to step out of his car. His dress shoes slipped against the loose gravel of our driveway, and he frowned at the ground. When he looked up, he scanned until his gaze came to rest on me. “I thought you owned a construction company.”

“And?”

“Must not be doing well,” he said, kicking a larger rock aside.

“Why do you say that?”

“Seems you would have paved your driveway if you had the funds to do so.” He shook his feet as though to get the dust off them and strolled toward the group.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I greeted the others warmly. Marcus wanted to piss me off, and he did, but I wasn’t about to show how easily the big cat could push my buttons. A fight would make the alphas declare sides and effectively do the opposite of what I meant to make happen.

Besides, alphas weren’t supposed to hurt each other without cause, and an alpha could be deposed if they attacked another. It was the way it had always been, and it would always be that way.

No matter how hard Marcus worked to get me to punch him in the face, I wouldn’t give him the pleasure.

Probably.