Chapter 31

Aubrey was jolted awake when her cell phone rang on her nightstand. The time was 11:56 p.m. and it was her father calling.

“Hello, Daddy,” she said groggily.

“Hello, Sweetheart. I’m so sorry to wake you up, I just couldn’t wait until morning before calling you,” he said in a disturbed tone.

The worry in his voice sent off alarm bells in her head. “Daddy, are you ok?” She asked worriedly.

“Yes, my dear, I am ok. I’m just so shaken right now,” he said shakily. “Something awful has happened.”

“What is it, Daddy? What happened?”

“We think Eric has been kidnapped.”

Aubrey froze. “What?”

“He was here tonight to see me, but I wasn’t home, so he went into the study to wait for me. Heather said she heard a blast followed by some commotion in the study, and when she went in there to check, she found the place disheveled, and Eric gone. When she looked out through the broken window, she saw a black van speeding out of our driveway. Can you believe that, Aubrey? Someone broke into my study and abducted Eric. This is crazy!”

Aubrey was speechless. What her father was telling her didn’t make any sense. How was it possible that someone would break into their house and abduct Eric? How? Their neighborhood was a very safe place where crime rate was less than one percent, nobody bore any animosity against one another there and everyone said Eric was the most friendly and easy-going person around there, so why would anyone want to kidnap him?

“Aubrey, honey, are you there?” Her dad asked from the other end of the phone line when she didn’t say anything.

“Yes, Daddy. I’m still here,” she said quietly. “Have you called the police?”

“Yes, they’re driving in now as we speak. You know what, I’ll call you tomorrow. I have to go and speak with the cops. I’m not sure Heather would be able to answer any questions right now, the poor lady is so upset.”

Their housekeeper, Heather, was a kind-hearted middle-aged woman who was said to be very fond of Eric and always treated him like a son. Aubrey could only imagine how terribly shaken she must be right now.

“Have you called his family?” Aubrey asked.

“Yes, they’re here with me. I have to go now, darling. I’ll call you in the morning,” Gary said, sounding weary.

“Ok, Daddy. Bye.”

After Aubrey hung up, she leaned her head on the headboard, thinking. Who would want to harm Eric? And why did they kidnap him in her father’s house? Had they been following him? Had Eric gotten himself mixed up in some shady stuff? What the hell was going on and what can she do to help?

Unable to go back to sleep, she padded into the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. While she was at it, she wondered if Eric was ok wherever he was right now. She didn’t want to imagine what could happen if he had been kidnapped by a bunch of ruthless gangsters. The police had to swing into action and find him fast, she thought when another thought occurred to her.

Aubrey ran back to her bedroom and grabbed her phone off the nightstand to dial her dad’s number. He answered on the second ring.

“Hey, darling, what is it?” He asked. Aubrey could hear some background noises that sounded like people talking, police sirens and dogs barking.

“Daddy, why don’t you send out some werewolves to try and find Eric’s scent?” she asked excitedly. Finding Eric as humans might be challenging for them but doing so as werewolves would be a lot easier.

“Yes, Jared Black and Ian White are on it,” Gary informed her.

“Only two werewolves? Daddy, you need to send a whole pack to find him! What if he was kidnapped by armed gangsters?”

“I doubt that is the case, but if it is, the boys will let us know what they find, and if they need backup, I’ll send the others. Plus, the cops are about to send out a search party too. Don’t worry, honey, we’ll find him.”

Aubrey sighed. She wasn’t satisfied with her dad’s response but there wasn’t much she could for now, so she had to trust his judgement and assume that the situation wasn’t as terrible as it sounded. She hung up and sat down on her bed, nursing her cup of coffee. She felt awful because the last time she had seen Eric, he’d been mad at her, and she had not had the opportunity to apologize or explain things to him properly.

What if he is not found? she asked herself fearfully. What if he never comes back?

Why wouldn’t he? Her mind questioned her. Don’t worry, Eric is strong, and he can take care of himself. He will return. He has to.

“He has to,” she said aloud to herself. “He has to come back. Eric has to come back to me.”

She began to sob. “You have to come back to me, Eric. Please, you have to come back to me. Please!”