Elijah’s POV
It’s been a week. It’s been an entire week since I heard from Ava. Both myself and my wolf are on edge.
I have been in constant contact with anyone that could have been in contact with Jacob before her left. Nothing.
When I heard the phone rang I did not even bother to look at the caller ID. Since Ava and the twins’ disappearance I have taken a “vacation” at work until she can be found.
“Do you have any updates,” I try not to growl into the speaker phone. I place the phone on the counter, I want to try to avoid breaking this one.
“Well Alpha, Lewis confirmed it. Jacob never checked into the extraction point. Not did he make a request for additional permits for Ava or the children.” I could hear shuffling in the background.
I knew that Grayson’s was just as worried as I was. He had come to love those kids as much as I did. He even considered Ava to be family, so finding out that Jacob’s mate was Ava was a shock to us.
“How do you want us to proceed,” Grayson asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Contact the local witch of the area. Ask her for a favor, with any luck she might come out of curiosity.” I did not bother to say goodbye to my comrade and Beta.
The last time I said goodbye to someone she went missing. I could hear my wolf howl in mixed emotions.
Anger.
Rage.
Sadness.
And I had no way to qualm his actions. I leaned back into the chair and closed my eyes, I dreamt that maybe just maybe I would wake up and her scent would be here.
I woke up to a knock on the front door. I looked at the clock against the wall and saw that it was now a quarter past five. I had been asleep for almost three hours.
The thought alone drove me to anger at myself.
I heard the doorbell ring along with a sharp knock on the door.
“I’m coming and I heard you the first time,” I barked as I jogged to the door. I swung the door open to find a petite and young woman at the front door.
Her eyes would hypnotize anyone that was not careful.
“How do you do,” she said. Her voice dripped of nectar and venom. “You are the Alpha that wishes a favor from moi?”
“And you are,” I asked the woman in front of me.
“My name is Shanti and I believe that you have been expecting me.”
I backed up from the door and gestured into my home,
“So kind, I hardly ever see men so chivalrous these days and to have a wolf of your status so polite…it warms my soul.” She said smiling.
“Oh your kind still has one of those,” I growled. I instantly regretted my words. Here I had a witch despite the feuds and wars between our races willing to come to help and I was biting her head off.
“Do not take my kindness for granted Alpha. The only reason why I am her is because I owe your Beta a favor and I want to settle my account,” she sneered.
I wanted to ask her what she meant but no sooner did she utter his name did he appear walking out of the kitchen doorway.
“And I am glad that you are here, cherie,” Grayson said as he bowed his head to her.
“Enough of you begging Grayson, I came. Now what do you ask of me?”
I interjected. “I need you to locate my missing actress and her children.”
She gave me a side eye and then looked at Grayson’s who was now leaning against the wall. She sighed and began to chuckle.
“I am sorry Alpha but I cannot help you if you are going to start our encounter with a lie.” I could hear the change in her tone when she said “lie”. There was a hint of anger that began to coat her scent.
“What do you mean,” I asked.
“You don’t want me to find your missing actress…so tell me whom I am looking for?”
“I don;t understand,” I told her. I was confused by what she was asking me. I wanted her to look for Ava and the twins.
“Her name is Ava—
“That is not what I meant, Alpha Elijah. What I am asking you is this: who am I looking for? Who is she that is so important to you, that you would have your Beta call upon a witch in her territory, that has been here longer than any of you or the humans for that matter.”
I closed my eyes and remembered how it felt to hold Ava in my arms at night. Holding Lucas when he cried at night. I smiled when Olivia grabbed my finger in her hands and smiled for the first time.
They were a part of my pack now. They were a part of my family. I opened my eyes to see that Shanti was laying her head against her arms and leaning into the couch.
“So I’ll ask again; What do you ask of me?”
“ I need you to find my mate and our children for me.” I could feel my wolf howl in satisfaction by my answer. When I looked into Shanti’s eyes I saw a glimmer of joy for a moment before her eyes began to cloud. I saw Grayson come up behind me and pat down on my shoulders. It had to be his way of showing acceptance and congratulations for my blessing.
She stood up and began to walk up the stairs. “If the two of you will give me a moment to find something of hers and the children, I will use what I find to scry for their location.” With that she headed up stairs leaving me to my thoughts and Grayson with questions.
“When did you realize that Ava was your mate,” Grayson whispered.
“I am not sure, but knowing it is half the problem right now. She is mated to someone that has taken her and they are still mated.”
Grayson shook his head and tsked. “The Moon Goddess works in mysterious ways. But Caleb and Ivan both owe me twenty bucks,” Grayson snickered to himself.
“You made a bet about my personal life,” I growled at my Beta. He put his hands up in defense and began to laugh.
“Of course not Alpha Elijah I would never do something like that. But The Twins however wanted to wager that you would end up with Sissy and I knew better,” Grayson smiled brightly.
“That money is going to Ava’s children,” I ordered.
“Fair enough, as long as I get to mock Caleb and Ivan for their childish antics. I am perfectly okay with that.”
I was about to say something to my Beta when Shanti came back down the stairs.
“It seems that I have found what I needed.” She showed me two identical bracelets that Ava had made for the kids after they were born. One was purple for Lucas and the other was blue for Olivia. She wanted the twins to have a protection charm for them, but it seems neither child was wearing it.
“That’s strange, those are always on the babies.” I said. I frowned at the thought. “Ava would have never taken them off.”
“There is a lingering scent that matches what is coated on this piece of jewelry,” Shanti said as she revealed Ava’s necklace that she had gotten from Jacob months ago.
I could honestly say that I was actually glad she put it away before I could have the scent of the rogue Alpha diminished. If it could aid us in finding them, I could bear the scent for a few moments.
Shanti requested to use my kitchen to set up her ingredients and the ritual. She boiled water and other ingredients over the stove. When everything came to a boil she poured the concoction over the jewelry and wrapped it around a thick black cord with a clear crystal. She gathered the items in her hand and closed her eyes.
After a few moments that felt like hours her eyes quickly opened and she gasped for air.
She motioned for a pen and pad and drew the location out for us.
Before she finished the sketch I was able to recognize the location. It was an open range of fields and a pack village that was further away from civilization. And on the other side a made shift desert that hardly anyone crossed.
I looked over to Grayson, who was already making phone calls to the pack.
My command was simple: Every able bodied wolf and were would aid me in invading Jacob’s territory and we were not leaving without my mate and our children.