Chapter 131

Art POV

Rachel was an asset. Her unborn child was an asset. Abducting her while pregnant was literally hitting the two-for-one special on some random Tuesday.

"If you keep panicking, I'm going to knock you out."

We had been dealing with Tyler Wright in a blackout rage since he'd arrived at his home to discover his pregnant mate missing.

To say he 'wasn't handling things well' would have been understating the situation to an absurd degree.

"Touch me. Touch me and find out what happens, Alpha Inspector."

I could hear more than a hint of Wright's wolf in his words; I was reminded, again, why I didn't want to make him angry enough to start a real fight with him. I didn't need to know if my wolf could best his or vice versa. We lived in a world big enough for both us.

No one needed to say aloud how a fight between our wolves would result in at least one death if not two.

"I'm just saying you aren't helping the situation, Wright."

My head ached worse than a sore tooth from the force of all the emotions around me. I tried to sort through the feelings to take stock of everyone present.

Nathan Lewis had been called by Lindy before anyone could stop her; I was dreading his arrival on a cosmic scale. I could count him out of the current emotional medley.

Lindy couldn't stop crying. Her entire aura was in mourning for Rachel as if the Flores woman was dead on the floor right in front of us. There was absolutely no hope to be found in Lindy Campbell; I turned my attention away from her as quickly as I could.

Magda, the housekeeper, had shed a few tears, but was proving to be a stalwart servant of the Wright home. Her emotions were locked down behind a cool acceptance of reality I wished I could claim for my own. She continued to tidy the house even though she was limping from the beating she'd received at the hands of the kidnappers.

Adam Adsit was angry. His anger was a slow burn he was keeping a lid on for the moment. I wasn't sure if he wanted to kill the ones who'd taken his Alpha's mate or kill Rachel herself for the madness overtaking Tyler Wright. Adam was a weird one for a Beta.

Tyler Wright himself was so angry I felt blistered every time he got close enough to me to force his emotions into my face. I had taken to shielding myself from him because no one needed me to go into a frenzy.

Bloodlust was a real threat for the vampire demon damned to spend his eternity inside my mind with my wolf. I worked hard to keep the hunger at bay. The last thing I wanted to do was make a bad situation worse by losing control of myself.

"When do we hear back from the Alpha Council? Are they usually this slow to respond when an Alpha's heir has been abducted?"

"Technically we're splitting heirs at the moment since the child Rachel carries could be either the heir to House Wright or House Campbell. The ongoing argument is whose claim is stronger."

"What does it matter whose heir she is? She's been stolen! Shouldn't the focus be on getting her back?" Wright demanded, punctuating every word with a snap of teeth too sharp to hide behind his lips.

Oh, he was on the verge of a bloodlust himself, wasn't he? That could prove to be a very bad situation.

"It matters because if the Campbells took her? They might be deemed the ones with the right to her."

I shrugged even as Wright and his Beta went into a matching tirade about diplomatic insanity, child abduction, and potential revenge scenarios if the female wasn't returned immediately.

No one had needed to tell me what I had to say would not go over well. I'd kept the news to myself as long as possible. The only reason I'd finally answered was to distract Wright from the front door where Nathan Lewis was lurking.

Focusing hard, I vanished from the living room to appear outside Wright House behind Lewis. He was distraught enough not to even react to my sudden appearance.

"You don't know anything, do you?"

His voice was subdued as was his aura. I couldn't tell if he was sad, numb, confused, or actively grieving the loss of the Flores woman.

Lewis had strange emotions under the best of circumstances; I hadn't been in a hurry to feel him wounded down to his soul.

"No," I answered, "I don't know anything about who took her beyond they were strong. They took out Lindy which wouldn't be too impressive on its own, but they got her then the housekeeper in minutes. Neither of them even had time to scream to warn Rachel."

"Is she dead?"

No one had dared to make the suggestion up to now. I had to give it to Lewis: he was bold as brass.

"I don't know. I'm not actually a witch. I just have a few extra tricks up my sleeves."

"Wizard."

"What?" I asked, mind derailed as Lewis looked at me with a weak smile on his face.

"Isn't a male magician a 'wizard' and not a 'witch'?"

"You want to argue semantics with me right now?" I asked.

I couldn't help my incredulous tone. Lewis was a few crayons short of a box, but I'd not realized he was insane to the point he made no sense at all in a crisis.

Lewis walked over to the fountain at the center of the round drive facing the house. He sat on the edge and crossed his feet at the ankles while letting his hands rest loosely in his lap. If his face hadn't been devoid of emotion, I'd swear he was enjoying himself.

"No. I don't want to argue at all. That's my problem. I don't want to do anything. I think she's dead and I can't feel for certain because she's not my fated mate---and I can't ask her fated mate because he's looking for a fight to take his mind off the fact she's gone."

Lewis was in a world of hurt. I didn't envy him his position. I had no idea what to say to him to offer him comfort of any kind. The best I could do for him would be to maintain an open, honest dialogue as the investigation went on.

"I don't think she's dead. I can't tell for certain. That's not in my wheelhouse. I can say there's no direct benefit to taking her if their goal was to kill her."

Lewis nodded slowly, processing out loud, "They had to break in to get to her. If they wanted her dead, they could have killed her right here and left her. They would have killed the other females too, right? No reason to leave witnesses if you're going to commit murder."

Wolves weren't always like humans in their dealings which Lewis should have known. Killing females wasn't considered sporting. The only time it was encouraged was for taking over a pack or assuming control of an Alpha House.

"They didn't need to kill them. Even if they took her for murder, they could have left the other females because it wouldn't have been in their nature to kill them without cause."

Why had I poked at him? I could have let Lewis keep thinking there was every chance the women being left alive was a sign Rachel was alive.

I just found I couldn't lie to him when he looked so damned defeated already.

"Is the Alpha Council sending someone to help you investigate or are you going to handle things all on your own?"

Lewis must have had a lot more faith in me than I thought if he figured I'd be left alone to deal with Rachel's abduction.

"They're sending Justice. She's running down a lead. When she gets here, do you want to be present for the debriefing?"

Lewis nodded his answer. Words appeared to have deserted him.

Justice arrived in a rush, "Art!"

Her call summoned Tyler Wright and his Beta who burst out of the house to confront my newly arrived companion.

"Rachel is alive!"