Chapter 90

Eric’s POV

It’s happening again. It has to be. I crack my neck. I knew I was pushing her too hard. I jam my phone back in my pocket.

It’s not like she couldn’t handle the pressure. She’s stronger than she gives herself credit for. But maybe it’s just me she couldn’t tolerate. That’s why she left before now, it’s why she’s leaving now.

“Is she not coming?” Donna asks gently. Without thinking I run my fingers through my hair then quickly release when I realize what I’m doing. An old habit of my fathers.

“No,” I reply setting my jaw.

Donna looks at me with kind eyes that say a whole lot without saying anything it’s like she can read my soul. I don’t like it.

“We can still use the time if you’d like,” she says with a sweet smile and I wish I could indulge her for the sake of pity, but I can’t. I have to go find my wife.

“That’s all right,” I tell her and toss down some money on the table to pay her for the wasted time, she flinches like she’s insulted but it’s a cold fact that she gets paid to listen to us

I yank open her door and step into the summer sun, already shoving down whatever feelings were coming up.

I get into my car and pull out onto the expressway. The long open road ahead allows me to sort my thoughts.

Part of me thinks I should just leave Renee be, maybe she didn’t run away. I could wait until tonight and see if she comes home, but I don’t know something just seems off.

I’m not one for feelings but my gut is telling me something isn’t right. For one thing, she’s stopped answering and that’s not like her. At least based on the last year or so, that’s not like her.

She is still the woman who ran away and cha fed her identity, I just like to think that she isn’t. I really believed she isn’t that woman anymore.

But if she didn’t run away then why has she stopped answering? I know she’s in a meeting with a client but that’s never stopped her before.

I gain traction on the highway, smoking puffing up behind my tries. The faster I drive the better I think.

It’s too weird. The meeting with Mia and my father, now Renee gone. I tighten my grip on the wheel. Those two thoughts next to one another is enough to make my decision final. I’m going to get her.

Ifs she’s in a meeting then so what. I used to do business with this client, Natalie, I can smooth things over.

When I’m back in the area, I call Andrew. He picks up on the first ring.

“What’s up, man?” He says like he knows I have a task for him.

“I think Renee’s gone?”

“What do you mean gone?” He asks and my irritation grows.

“I exactly what I said,” I snap. “We have to find her,” hearing myself say this out loud makes me realize how urgent this need is, and I don’t even know why.

“Did you call Emily?” He asks.

“No, why?”

“That’s her best friend. Maybe Renee told her something,”

I snarl. “Last time Emily helped her get away. I doubt she’d help me if that’s what Renee is doing again,” I whip the car into the ice cream parlor that Mia took Debbie too. A few protective parents usher them away from my car and shoot me dirty glances. “Besides,” I add while scanning the lot for any sigh of her. Maybe she’s here doodling. “If Emily does know something and we contact her, she could reach out to Renee and tip her off,” No sign of Renee here. .

“Meet me at our spot,” I tell Andrew before hanging up and throw the car into reverse. I hear the awe of children and cursing if parents as my car speeds out of the lot.

Twenty minutes later, I spot Andrew at the woods where we meet when we need to talk privately. I explain my last interaction with Renee and Andrew nods, taking in every detail.

Andrew may not be the most outgoing or personable person there is, but he’s a damn good beta.

“Something sounds off,” He says when I’ve finished. Hearing him agree with me on that only solidifies my beliefs that something is wrong.

“So, you don’t think she’s at a clients?” I confirm. Andrew squints his eyes like he’s zeroing in on a thought.

“No, but I don’t think she’s run away either,” he says slowly.

“What do you mean then?” I ask getting ready to transform. Andrew looks at me and clocks his tongue.

“We need to confirm that it was actually the client who rescued out,” Andrew says. I nod. “You find the client, I’ll sniff out for Renee,” my senses begin to heighten as I tap into my wolf and set my mind to locating my mate.

I know Renee had an appointment today at the hospital so I take off in that direction and try to follow her scent from there.

As I need the hospital her scent lingers in the air still, she wants here too long ago. At least within the past couple of hours. I avoid the main areas to avoid getting overwhelmed by scents and to now alarm any pedestrians.

The last thing I need is a crowd gathering or the media picking up on the Alpha looking for his Luna.

I keep moving. My paws hardly hit ground as I interweave between branches. Her scent is getting stronger and stronger. I follow it until I come to the realization that maybe my scent is wrong.

My surroundings become completely remote. What would Renee be doing out here? The further I follow the trail the more convinced I am that either something is wrong or I’m the one who is wrong. But that can’t be.

I know my Lunas scent.

I got nothing to loose. I run and sprint until Renee’s scent becomes stagnant, like a cloud hanging in one spot in the sky. Her scent stops here.

But she’s no where in sight. I hear nothing but the beating of my own jheart. The only indication that life was once here is this now abandoned building.

I avoid calling out because if someone is here they probably don’t want to be found and I don’t want to give them a chance to hide.

I kick through the old metal door, it goes flying off its hinders and skids across the concrete floor. The building is open, no walls or rooms. No sign of anyone either.

I spin on my feet. And then I see it.

Renee’s phone lays sideways in the middle of the floor, like it was dropped and left behind.

I bend down to pick it up and just as I reach for it, the screen lights up. There’s an incoming call

The ringtone echos through out the otherwise silent and forgotten building. The number on the phone is one I haven’t seen in awhile, but will never forget.

I slide her phone open, cutting off the alarm and bring the phone up to my ear. I know now that Renee didn’t run away. She doesn’t want to leave me.

In fact, she needs me to find her. “I don’t keep the anger out of my voice as I speak into the receiver. “Father,” I growl.