Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

CAL

" W hat are you talking about? We need to get her back," I cried.

If I was an alpha, I would've snarled the words with much more fierceness than I did looking at Demetri.

His head was cupped in one hand as he looked at me, bracing my hands on either side of his desk. He locked himself in the office for ages now, likely trying to figure out a way to fix this– to get our omega back.

But it didn't look like we were on the same page.

"We can't just storm into wherever they have her and take her, Cal," said Demetri. "We're lucky that we are still in this house at all let alone not behind bars."

Liam mumbled something.

I couldn't hear it, but it sounded harsh as he continued to pace back and forth through the house and past the office, waiting for some sort of direction to figure out what we were going to do to get Ella back. He's been antsy like this ever since they pulled her out of my arms.

I expected one of the others to turn the most feral, but no. Liam surprised us all and had a black eye and bruises to show for it.

"I just don't understand how we don't even know where they have her yet," snapped Liam. He did much better at being a broody snarling alpha than I did.

"I will sort it. You all just need to calm down."

"Calm down?" asked Liam. "You want me to calm down right now?"

The two best friends since childhood looked at each other. I had never seen them like this before, but neither backed down.

"Calm down," repeated Liam. " Right ."

Liam twisted back to look at Dimitri bearing his teeth as if he was getting ready for a fight. Instead, though he clenched his hands at his sides and twisted around with a grunt. The door quickly slammed behind him echoing through the otherwise now Silent House. Between me and Dimitri we looked at each other.

He looked away first there was no reason that he did but I noticed it and narrowed my eyes at him wondering as I looked between him and the door again and again no matter how many times I went through the thought for I couldn't get it out of my mind.

Who told Omega Services about us? Who told them about Ella? How did they know that she was here?

It didn't make any sense.

We were risky. That was what Marko had been muttering for hours now. He was right. We took the risks of taking her out to the university and dinner for shit's sake.

Still, that didn't mean services would be called right away.

Certainly not with Demetri's precious family name that coated this city, hanging in the balance.

Demetri glanced up at me again, catching my eyes as if he could sense my unease or feel it pulsing through the frail bond that only Liam and I held together as true bondmates- an alpha, beta pair.

"Did you do this?" I asked.

Demetri remained quiet. With my eyes widening, he quickly shook his head. "Of course not. I would never. You know me better than that, Cal."

I nodded. "I do. I'm sorry."

He sighed again, looking confused as he stared down at all the papers in front of him that hours ago were meant to free him from under his father's thumb. To free a lot of people and start fresh.

Now, I wasn't sure what they planned to do.

"You mean it though, Dem. Right?"

"What?"

"You mean it when you say that we are going to get her back. I know you're worried about your father and everything that happened but…"

Demetri shook his head. "We're going to keep her safe Cal."

I didn't know what that meant. I hoped I did. But I narrowed my eyes. "Okay."

"Trust me."

"I do."

"Good. Can you close the door on the way out?" Demetri asked.

Right. Yeah. I dipped my chin but didn't answer, closing the door softly, After I took a step away from the door though, I couldn't help it. I wanted to punch something.

Hard.

"Feeding us all those lines of bullshit. I can't even tell if it's you or me angry right now." Liam was mumbling in the hall, clearly noticing me come out of the office but still unable to look back for fear that he would go right back in and give Demetri a real piece of his mind if not more.

I reached out my hand towards him. "Liam."

Liam twisted around to face me. "Don't listen to whatever he told you in there," he said.

"He said he didn't do anything."

Liam looked up at me. "Did you think he did?

"I," I paused, unsure exactly what I planned on saying next. "No of course not I'm just worried about Ella."

His hand hooked behind my neck, holding me tight until my forehead rested against his. After so long I hadn't realized how much I missed his touch. I'd been around Ella for such a long time and so had he.

It seemed she had woven herself perfectly into our pack and now neither of us quite knew where we stood or how to live without her here and yet Demetri remained beyond the door. He was just feet away.

But now, I was under Liam's eyes. Liam's presence always managed to both dwarf and make me stand taller than ever.

I'm his after all. At the thought, the bond bounced in my chest, assuring me so.

Liam shook his head it's going to be okay he said

I shook my head right back. "How can you be so sure?"

"I don't know but I am."

"How can you–

He cut me off.

"Don't worry, Cal," Liam said. His voice was a void, empty as he walked past me. "We're going to get her back no matter what his plans are."

For now, standing alone in the hallway unsure what I was supposed to do as just some beta supposed to wait for orders… I'd go and find Marko. I would go and find all of them while I tried to keep this pack together and hope if there was any justice in this world Ella would come back soon somehow.

And that there would be a pack still here for her to come home to.