Chapter 42: Can't believe it

Roxanne’s POV

“Do you really think that she left?”

“Why would she leave? She was going to be the Luna of this pack.”

“I don’t think that it mattered much to her, Ryan. She’s not a werewolf.”

I stayed silent in my chair listening to my family wonder if Mina had run away from us. The whole thing seemed so ludicrous to me that I couldn’t even bring myself to talk.I knew this girl like the back of my hand. She was starting to feel comfortable with us and she no longer had a reason to get away. Even if she was unhappy and needed to escape, she knew better than to leave me this long without any news from her. Something much bigger was afoot and I was beginning to fear for her safety. Nobody else could sense it, not even my brother, but I was sure that Mina was in danger.

I stood up without a word and headed straight for my car. I ignored my parents’ and my mate’s calls as I drove off to the last place we knew she had been. I couldn’t stop thinking about the events of yesterday and the way Micheal had lured Mina and I into the woods. He had us trapped and would have certainly killed us if Ryan hadn’t shown up. Death and revenge were his only beacon of hope and I knew that he would stop at nothing until he succeeded. As I neared the hospital, there was no longer a shadow of a doubt in my mind. Micheal was the one behind Mina's disappearance and I had to prove it.

I parked the car and practically ran inside the building in search of answers. I reached the third floor where Mina had been admitted and stumbled upon a long time friend of mine. She had been working since last evening and I knew that she could be of help.

“Kara, I need to talk to you.”

“Roxy?” She looked back at me from the high counter separating us. “Didn’t you go home a few hours ago?” She asked puzzled.

“It’s a long story." I sighed and leaned over the counter. "Kara what happened with my brother’s mate?” I asked her in a hushed voice.

“It's crazy, she just left and without being cleared by the doctor. I mean, why would she do that?” She answered back whispering.

“That's what I'm trying to figure out. Was somebody with her last night?”

“Yeah... You and Alpha Benjamin, remember?” She looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

“I meant, did you see anyone that wasn’t US with her?”

“I don’t think so. Doctor Ramsay was the last one in her room when she woke up.”

I sighed in complete frustration. She wasn’t giving me anything useful, but there had to be something out there that could help explain what was going on. I was certain of it. I just couldn’t give up so fast. *’Maybe I’m not asking the right questions.’* I thought to myself.

“Okay Kara, listen to me. Did you see anything weird at all, like maybe somebody that should not have been there?” I finally asked after racking my brain up.

“No, I told you…” She paused for a second. “Wait, yes. Emma was here last night. It was weird because it was her night off. Nobody shows up on their nights off, but she was here for a while.”

“How long did she stay?”

“I’m not sure, I got really busy. Maybe ‘till about one.” She managed to say before another woman took her attention away from me.

I didn’t know who this nurse was, but I could feel it in my guts that I was finally getting somewhere. ‘*What do you think, Jaya? Did we just get a lead?*' I asked my wolf who had been pacing around in my head. She growled lowly and I knew that we were both on to something. I had to figure out who Emma was and how involved she was into all of this. I thanked Kara who simply waived in return and I raced back to the car trying to mind-link Ryan. I knew my mate would know exactly who she was. After all, if anybody kept themselves just as informed as Benjamin on pack business, it was his Beta.

***Ryan?*** I tried to connect with him through the mind-link.

***Oh, now you want to talk?*** He quipped back in my mind.

***I’m sorry, but I need your help.*** I started to plead with him.

I was interrupted mid-sentence when my body slammed into none other than Ryan's. Worried about me, he had followed me to the hospital from Benjamin’s house. I looked up at him and could make out the exasperation displayed on his face. Before I could get a word in, he took the car keys away from my hands and scolded me all the way to the vehicle. I kept my eyes down as he lectured me on how dangerous my habits were becoming. I couldn't blame him for being irritated since lately, I’ve gotten used to doing things without talking to him first. He wanted to keep his family safe from harm and my methods weren’t helping.

I sat in guilt with my head bowed as I let him finish his rant. Once he calmed down, I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on his lips to apologize. It didn't take more than that for Ryan to forgive me. He pulled me in closer and cupped my face between his hands. His lustful eyes lingered heavily on my lips before forcing my mouth open with his tongue. Our kiss deepened and I knew that I would find myself naked in the backseat in no time if I didn’t redirect his energy. As much as I was enjoying making out with my mate, time was running out and I couldn't let sex get in our way.

“Do you know an Emma?” I asked him breaking his hold on me.

Ryan pouted and his eyebrows drew together when he realized that I didn’t want to take things any further.

“Baby, Emma? Do you know her?” I repeated myself.

It took a little while for him to get out of his arousal state and process anything else. Werewolves were notoriously known to get aroused easily but we had great difficulty with containing the high once we'd let it take over us.

“Yeah, she’s Craig’s mate.” He finally replied pulling himself away from me.

“One of your Captains?”

He nodded his head yes and after much protest from my mate, I convinced him to drive us to Craig’s posting. On the way, I began laying out all of my suspicions and fears to my partner who, unfortunately, shared Benjamin’s opinion.

“She knows that I’m pregnant. She wouldn’t leave now, let alone without a goodbye.” I tried to reason with him.

He shrugged, still not convinced, which forced me to keep going.

“Think about it, baby. She was almost in a coma. How could she wake up, go home, pack her bags and leave in less than an hour?” I insisted in a heavy voice.

“Maybe she had help.”

“From who, Ryan?” I yelled, frustrated that he wasn’t seeing what I could see. “We’re the only friends that she has here.”

It baffled me that he still couldn’t grasp the seriousness of the situation and I refused to let up even as we approached the campsite. I told him about my beliefs that Emma might be involved in Mina’s disappearance.

“Maybe even Craig…” I said opening my door.

“This is crazy, Roxy. You’re accusing a Captain and his mate without any proof.” He replied as he followed me out of the car, stunned that I could be so bold.

“Then let’s go find some proof.”

I took his hand and we walked into the patrol camp where a few werewolves were keeping guard. Craig came out of one of the cabins and when he saw Ryan and me, he walked over to us with a big smile. He hugged us both warmly like he always did and, for a second, I wanted to turn around and pretend that I had never doubted him. I felt horrible for what was about to transpire as he had always been a trustworthy man and a great warrior. I knew how angry he could get, but I also felt like I had no other choice. I glanced at Ryan who stood silent for a while. He sensed my apprehension and, in front of a very grateful me, he took the lead in questioning Craig.

“Mina disappeared from the hospital last night.” He opened the conversation in a very matter-of-fact tone.

“Really? How’s Benji?” Craig asked sounding concerned.

“She’s his mate so he’s a bit of mess right now. I was wondering if you or your men had seen her pass through here between one and two in the morning.”

“I wasn’t feeling well last night, so I stayed home. But my men would have told me if they had seen our future Luna leaving the pack.”

“Emma was seen in the hospital around the same time last night. Maybe she saw something?” Ryan asked at my request after I mind-linked him about it.

Craig convincingly explained his mate’s scheduling error and how she had come back home to take care of him when she realized that she had the night off. His words sounded right and he showed absolutely no signs of deception. I was about to believe him when I caught sight of a few guards looking at each other perplexed, as if something was bothering them.

“What is it?” I asked aloud looking past Craig and Ryan.

Both men followed my gaze to the young werewolves sitting by the extinguished campfire. They remained silent as they looked to their Captain.

“I believe she asked you both a question.” Ryan authoritatively spoke in their direction.

Craig’s self-assured front fell apart as they admitted to have seen him and his mate drive out of the pack’s land in the middle of the night.

“We went on a drive to help me feel better.” He explained before Ryan even asked him anything.

“Where’s your car, Craig?” I asked him sternly, curious to see if there would be any traces of Mina in it.

“At home, I didn’t bring it.” He answered back in the speed of light.

“It’s by the main road.” The two young guards revealed in one blaring and incriminating voice.

Ryan grabbed Craig by the arm and ordered the guards to follow us to the main road. By discovering the shattered window and the blood pooled in the front passenger’s side, it became more than evident that Craig had been lying through his teeth. His car, however, spoke the truth and he had nowhere to hide.

“Fuck it. She’s probably already dead.” He spat his last words in a poisoned tone before getting tied up and thrown in the back of our car.

I couldn’t believe the once gentle and trustworthy man that I knew had vanished to make way for this vile ugly traitor. I told Ryan to hurry us back to Benjamin as Craig's words echoed loudly in my mind. Mina needed help.