Chapter 59

Harper’s POV

My leg knocks into something, and it clatters to the ground.

“Crap,” I mutter bleach spills out faster than I can catch it. The clear liquid rushes out of the bottle, spilling everywhere. By the time I stand the bottle back up, a large puddle sits in the middle of the floor. I grab for some rags, but there aren’t enough to soak up the entire spill.

The acidic scent of bleach fills the air and sends my head spinning.

Turning, I look around the supply closet for something else to clean up the mess. However, what catches my eye makes my heart sink.

Sierra stands in the doorway, smirking, “I told you to stay away from Lucas, and if you can’t do that yourself, I’ll force you to.”

“What are you… No!” I fly forward, but the door slams in my face. “Sierra!” I grab the handle and turn it, but it doesn’t budge.

“Have fun in time out,” Sierra calls. “Maybe if you have some alone time to think, you’ll realize I’m serious.”

Then, there’s silence.

My eyes begin to sting, and I cough against the stench of bleach. I glance back at the puddle of bleach. If I don’t get out of here, I could pass out. It clogs the air, making it hard to breathe as I bang on the door.

“Is anyone out there?! I’m locked in!”

Lucas’s POV

“Hey, are you done yet…” Mason looks around the room before turning to me. “Where’s Harper?”

Irritation rises within me again as I glance at the clock. She was supposed to be here an hour ago for my weekly checkup.

“That’s what I was going to ask you,” I mutter, pushing off my desk. I walk to the large window and peer out of it. “She never showed up, and yes, I know today is the right day. I checked my calendar.”

Mason hums and moves to my side, looking out the window with me. His shoulder touches mine, and I bump him aside.

“What are you doing?” I growl, putting a bit of space between us.

“Just seeing what you’re looking at.”

“Nothing,” I tell him. “I’m not looking at anything… clearly.”

He shrugs again and hops up to sit on my desk, ignores my glare, and picks up a document. He looks over it while asking, “Did you try calling her?”

I glare at him, “Of course, I did. Do you think I’ve just been sitting here twiddling my thumbs?”

Mason chuckles and raises his hands in mock surrender. “Sorry, Mr. Grumpypants. Have you gone to look for her? Maybe she got caught up with something—”

“And didn’t inform me?”

Again, Mason shrugs. Fat lot of good he is. Another growl rumbles from my chest as I shove a hand through my hair.

“She wouldn’t be late like this if it wasn’t for a reason, and Harper is usually good at informing me if she’s dealing with something. This time, there was no message, she hasn’t answered my calls or messages.”

“Did you go—”

“To the medical wing?” I interrupt. “Yes. She wasn’t there.”

“Is she sick?” Mason questions, hopping off the desk. “I mean, if she was, she could probably handle it herself, but should we go check her room?”

Nodding, I shove my phone into my pocket in case she calls, and I lead the way. Mason follows me all the way to Harper’s room. I knock, but there’s no response. I knock again, thinking she might have fallen asleep, but again, she doesn’t answer.

“Harper?”

No response.

“Maybe we could check the medical wing again?” Mason suggests, and I nod.

However, when we get to the medical wing, there’s no sign of Harper. Her office is empty, and the other doctors are the ones dealing with patients. She’s not in the main room, so I search the patient rooms.

When I get back to the main lobby, Mason shakes his head, “I didn’t find her either.”

I try not to panic, thinking about all the times Harper has been hurt or lost since she’s arrived. She’s weaker than anyone here and doesn’t fully know her way around. She could have gotten lost, but then again, she wouldn’t have gone wandering because she should’ve been working.

Growling, I scan the room again.

“Jenna!”

Jenna looks up from the woman she’s talking to and smiles, but the happy expression falls quickly as I stalk over to her.

“Have you seen Harper?”

She glances at Mason then turns her attention back to me again, “No. She left earlier to go back to her room.”

Shit.

“Could she be with Logan?” Jenna asks. I shake my head.

“He’s on patrol today, and she wouldn’t have gone with him.”

Not like she went with me. Warriors aren’t allowed to bring regular pack members on patrol with them unless they’ve been given permission by me, Mason, or Brandon.

“Do you need help looking for her? I’ve just finished with my last patient for the day, and I could—”

“Thank you, but no. If I need help, I’ll ask some of my men. If she comes back here, let me know,” I tell Jenna, taking one last look around the room before walking away. If I can’t find Harper in the pack house, then she could be out in the forest. I doubt it, but then again, it wouldn’t be the first time she’s gone off in the forest alone.

“Patrols, I’m looking for Healer Harper,” I say through the pack link. “Has anyone seen her in the forest today?”

My wolf paces, making me feel more agitated as I continue to search.

“No healer on the south region,” Jackson says.

Roman chimes in as well, “She’s not in the west region either.”

“Just a few teenagers in the north region,” Weston says.

“North? Any signs of my missing healer?” I ask.

It takes a minute, but Logan finally responds, “My healer isn’t in the north region.”

I barely contain the growl that threatens to burst from me. I don’t have time to deal with his attitude right now, so I block him out and turn to Mason.

“We’re going to search the pack house. If Harper is hurt or in danger, I need to find her,” I say, unable to stop the barrage of terrible thoughts from flooding my mind. Images of her beaten and bloody on her bedroom floor come back to me, and I have to forcefully shake them off and focus.

Mason grabs me by the shoulder, stopping me from going off. He releases me when I set my icy glare on him but still speaks, “Harper doesn’t have any reason to be on the upper floors, so we should start at the bottom and work our way up.”

“I have a better idea,” I mutter, closing my eyes. I focus my senses, pushing them through the building to touch everything.

Then, my nose starts stinging and the scent of bleach becomes almost overwhelming.

“What is it?” Mason asks when I turn toward the back of the house.

“Bleach, and I think I can smell Harper.”

“Bleach? Like—”

I don’t wait for him to finish, my mind going to the worst places as I run toward the smell. I shove past pack members and nearly throw myself down the service staircase.

The small supply closet near the basement reeks of bleach when I stop in front of it, and I focus my hearing.

The soft thump of a heartbeat and ragged breathing reaches my ears. Shit.

“Harper, I’m coming in!”

“O-Okay,” she coughs.

Lifting my foot, I ram it just below the door handle. It splinters and gives way to reveal Harper with her shirt pulled up over her mouth. I catch her when she falls forward, lifting her in my arms.

“I’ve got you.”

Even as I say it, I catch another scent. Barely.

“Was Sierra here?”

Harper’s red, watery eyes rind mine, and she nods, “Sh-she locked me i-in. It’s j-just family t-trouble.”

The coughs shake Harper’s body as I make my way to the medical wing. I knew she and Sierra didn’t get along, but would Sierra go this far?

Would she really lock Harper up like this?