"Kian..." I whispered, horrified.

Kian didn't speak.

He silently scanned the perimeter, taking in the arid terrain. Tension gripped his body as he slowly ambled to the closest building- a bungalow with a chestnut roof, grey bricks and wide arching windows that carved the front of the homey place. A bamboo wind chime danced in the cool breeze, playing a sombre song near the cherry wood door.

I followed him up the stairs sprinkled with flower petals. He twisted the knob, and it easily gave way with a hollow creak. His brow wrinkled as he pushed inside, pausing briefly at the entry. I stepped up behind him, taking in the twirling staircase that disappeared to the upper floor. A long shaky exhale escaped Kian's lips. There was no colour in his face as he took in his surroundings.

"This place..." I started, feeling the cool air tickle the nape of my neck in an eerie greeting.

"...has no warmth." Kian whispered.

I watched his gaze settle upstairs with apprehension before he ran to the foot of it, racing up the spiral with a burst of caged energy.

"Kian, hold up. We need to check if there's danger-"

"Fuck that! Dad! Dad!" Something a lot like panic coated his yell as I heard his boots move frantically along the carpet above me.

I chased after him as he raced down the hallway, opening the second door to the left.

The bedroom was empty, save for an unmade bed, bedside table and a deflated bean bag. Kian cursed viciously, "Why the fuck aren't you here. Dad!" He disappeared behind two doors that I assumed linked to an adjoined bathroom.

I examined the room with a critical eye. There were no signs of struggle or anything peculiar for that matter. No blood. No scratches on the wall. It just looked as if Kian's dad just left the house like any other day. I browsed the miscellaneous bits and bobs, ascertaining nothing of interest.

I spotted a framed photo of Kian and his dad. They shared the same dark locks and dusky eyes. Although Kian was slim, his father was bulky and looked as if he never smiled a day in his life. Kian obviously inherited his bright, exuberance from the man.

Not.

Yet, there was something inherently gravitating about the two men.

"He's not here." Kian shoved a hand into his hair, struggling to keep his emotions in check judging by the tight clench of his jaw.

I peered out the window that overlooked a great portion of the Pack for miles. There was no one loitering around, and I couldn't scent anyone. Not a single wolf.

We had to be the only ones here.

Why hadn't anyone picked up on that?

"Where did they all go? I thought Tatum's men surrounded the Pack grounds. How haven't they detected that not a single changeling is here?"

"It has to be the tunnels. It's the only way in and out I can think of. You can leave this place basically undetected through them. I didn't think anyone in the Pack knew about them. It's the only plausible reason I can think of." Kian replied, pacing the room.

"We at least know how they potentially got out undetected but why? Why did they leave here?"

"That's if they left here. They could have been taken. We need to look around." Kian moved to the door. "Let's do it quickly before something happens."

I nodded, following his lead back down the stairs and out the door.

***

It was eerie hearing no one else.

We scouted a few other houses, but our search gave rise to nothing.

The houses that we searched were all vacant, only deserted shells of waste.

Again, there was nothing in the Pack to let us know that there had been violence.

A brief walk through the Pack confirmed that we were amid nothing more than vacant houses.

"Who owns this house?" I asked Kian who paused in front of a sprawling abode. His jaw tightened with each step he took closer to the house.

"This is the Pack house." He said. "The Alpha and his family lived here as if they were royalty ruling over the peasants."

"Really?" I didn't know why I was surprised in the slightest. There were many people I'd crossed paths with that were despicable. Death shouldn't have been their punishment. It was too light of a consequence. They deserved nothing but eternal hell.

At first, the thought used to make me twist in discomfort. Now, it only settled with rightness.

"This place shrivels my balls right up" Kian shuddered.

The front door had been left ajar, swaying lightly in the soft breeze when we arrived.

Kian kicked it open without warning, striding inside. The door rattled violently against the wall, embedding a long crack along the plaster. Dry crumbles rained at our feet as we strode inside, examining the large living space. Frankly, it just resembled a glass abomination with the endless clear doors and wide windows. The house oozed no measure of warmth. It was unbelievable that anyone could live in a place like this.

"No one is here." I eyed the barren walls, devoid of family portraits or anything that denoted that anyone resided in this skeletal building.

Kian took the hallway to investigate the rooms. I trailed after him, feeling colder the longer we stayed between these pristine walls.

We ventured further into the house, walking by vacant rooms.

"This place seriously gives me the creeps. You sure someone lived here?" I asked, flinching when a cool gale brushed along my arm from a small crack in the wall.

"Well, the Alpha family weren't friendly. I don't even know how dad put up with them considering he was the Beta. I don't know. I never came here unless dad had meetings."

"It's like a museum."

"I think the Luna enjoyed having everything organised from ceiling to floor. She was kind of like those people who had to have everything sorted in a specific way."

"Oh." I nodded, although I truly didn't understand.

We browsed the rooms, finding nothing but empty shells.

"There should at least be something we haven't seen." I ambled by a diamond shaped window that overlooked a garden. It looked like the image was stolen from a painting. Whomever tended to this garden placed a lot of detail and care into it. The hedges were cut into crisp lines. Each section blended well together from light hues to dark shades. It was a kaleidoscope of bright colours. There was a certain charm to it all.

I leaned over the ledge, cracking the glass door open. It swung out seamlessly. The sharp citric scent of lemons filled the air.

"Did you know they had this back here?"

"No." Kian shook his head, surveying the landscape. "Had no idea this place existed."

"I smell lemons, but I don't see any lemon trees."

"I don't know where it's coming from."

"Maybe we should head back now. It's getting late. We'll come back soon."

Kian agreed as we left the Pack house.

***

Once we returned to the Pack, Kian still hadn't spoken a single word on the return trip. We silently crossed the boundaries, ensuring we weren't caught. We had already dressed in our E.S uniforms several miles back, donning the dark skins in utter silence.

We kept our expressions perfectly poised as two E.S Enforcers walked by. Their gazes tangled with ours. We didn't falter a single step. We simply offered a nod and continued our path, feigning professionalism. If they had simply come closer, I was sure they would've detected the erratic pace of my heartbeat.

We only paused when we were at the halfway point between our residences.

Kian finally let his expression slip. I almost rocked back by the ravaged emotion that dragged the corners of his lips down. It could've been the lack of light, but I was sure his nostrils flared slightly as if trying to keep the raging sea of dread and worry down under a tight leash of control. "What the fuck am I supposed to do Pen?" His question bled helplessness. His voice was a low rasp, devoid of hope. "Where do I even start?"

"We will find him." I vowed. "We will Kian."

His jaw flexed with emotion. "I want to believe you." He sighed.

"I have enough faith for the both of us." I took a step into his space and pulled him into a crushing embrace. He didn't even try to resist me as his chin lightly settled on my head. "We'll find your dad."

The only reason I knew he could hear me was because his big palms twitched against my shoulder blades.

He didn't need to say a word, but I knew he would eventually believe.

***

Opening my front door, I was relieved to be back. I yearned for a deep, healing slumber.

My emotions were still awry. I yawned and turned to push the door shut behind me, but a firm hand stopped it in place. I caught his familiar scent before his body wedged through the small gap, opening it wider until he could squeeze his way through the door. I blinked from the bold intrusion, gaping at the man behind me who promptly ordered me to close the door in a rough growl.

"A-Alexei? What are you doing out here?" I screeched, stumbling back in surprise.

Instead of answering me, he fired his own question. "Where were you?"

I could see the outline of his face and the shadows that tried to obscure it. However, I didn't need the lights on to see the tension in his regard. They felt like burning stars as they fixated on my face.

"Where were you?" He growled again, prowling closer until his hand shot out in a blur. He closed the door, shifting the locks until they fell into place.

"I was with Kian."

If anything, this seemed like the worse possible answer. I hadn't expected to run into Alexei. The only reason I couldn't scrutinise my answer properly before blurting it out was because my nerves were heightened. I could barely hide anything from the man's intelligent perusal. He didn't miss detail and I was sure he could see the sweat on my brow as I blatantly avoided his gaze.

I felt the air still as Alexei stiffened. "Is there something between you two?"

I blinked in shock. Out of all the questions he could've asked, he worded the one I hadn't expected. In fact, I was beyond surprised by it. There was slight accusation in his tone but surely, Alexei, out of people couldn't be on the verge on lecturing me on my choice of bed mates when he himself didn't have issue jumping from one woman to the next. "Excuse me?" I met his gaze, trying to keep my tone as polite as I could, although I wasn't feeling a smidgen of kindness. I was still reeling at the fact that he made the question sound as if I had done something I should be guilty of.

"I asked if there was something between you two."

I studied those broad shoulders and wide chest. It appeared as if he wasn't breathing because I couldn't hear him pulling air into his lungs. "I really hope you're not insinuating what I think you are."

"Answer the question, Penelope." The vein at his temple pulsed.

"I don't owe you a reply Alexei."

That marvellous chest tensed, "I would think otherwise considering I spotted you two fools sneaking out of here. You really think no one would catch on? What if someone else saw and reported it to the Alpha?"

I cringed, cursing myself and Kian. Of course, we thought we wouldn't get caught. I had only ourselves to blame. However, I was infuriated that he had been spying in the first place, "Were you stalking us Alexei? Are you freaking serious?!"

"You should know that running off the way you two did could have resulted in serious trouble. If it was the Alpha himself who saw you two, you could've returned to an entirely different kind of welcome back. Me being here is a mercy and you know it."

I opened my mouth to speak but I was at a loss for words. I felt shame and guilt but Kian was my friend. If he needed help, I was going to give it to him. I couldn't explain any of this to Alexei. This was Kian's secret to keep. I had an inkling that Kian would tell the Alpha once the sun was up. He had more honour than I did.

"You two are Enforcers. Whatever relationship you two have shouldn't be interfering with our duty and responsibility. Something could've happened. Next time you want to have a romantic tryst, make sure it doesn't interfere with the protection of this Pack." He warned. His fists were still balled at his sides, the move completely controlled despite the dangerous aura he exuded in thick, potent waves.

He abruptly moved and I was forced to the side as he yanked the door open. He stormed down the set of stairs, into the night without another word.

I slammed the door shut, glaring at the spot he last occupied. "Good riddance you asshole!"