Chapter 25 - Justin

As the last embers of the fire flicker out, a sense of weary relief washes over me. We've done it. We've managed to extinguish the flames and save as many animals as we could. But there's no time to celebrate, not when the lingering smoke carries whispers of suspicion.

Leah and Sarah exchange worried glances as we gather near the charred remains of the shelter. The fire wasn't accidental, that much is clear. Someone wanted to cause harm, and they succeeded.

"We need to figure out who's behind this," I say to the girls. "We can't let this go unpunished."

Leah nods in agreement, her brow furrowed with concern. "But how do we even begin to investigate? We don't have any proof."

"We'll start by talking to everyone who was at the shelter today," Sarah suggests. "Maybe someone saw or heard something that can help us."

I scan the faces of the volunteers gathered around us, my mind already racing with possible suspects. Was it a disgruntled former employee? A rival shelter looking to eliminate the competition? Or something even more sinister?

I have an idea in the back of my mind, but I'm not about to voice it. Not until I have some sort of evidence.

"We'll need to be careful," I caution. "Whoever started this fire isn't afraid to resort to violence. We need to watch our backs."

Leah nods solemnly, her expression grim. "Agreed. We'll need to stay vigilant until we know who we're dealing with."

This fire was more than just an accident gone wrong. It was a deliberate act of malice, and whoever is responsible is still out there, lurking in the shadows.

Leah's car rumbles to life as we pile in, intending to head to my house and check on Callie and the animals she's brought there. But as we round the corner onto my street, something catches my eye. A group of animals, dogs and cats we rescued from the shelter, are darting across the road in front of us.

"Stop the car!" I shout, smacking the dashboard. Leah slams on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt. The three of us leap out of the car, but the animals skitter away, disappearing into the darkness.

"What the hell?" Leah mutters.

"They were all secure," Sarah comments. "I saw them locked in the pens behind your house."

I swallow hard, and a sinking feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. "It's Evan's pack. They must have released the animals from the cages." The words are out before I can rein them in, and now I can't take them back. Not that it matters. There's no doubt in my mind now that they're behind this.

Neither Leah nor Sarah respond before we all sprint toward my house. With each step, my heart hammers in my chest as I make my way around back. And then I see it: the empty cages. Their doors are hanging open, and the locks have been smashed.

"Where is Callie?" Sarah asks, looking around. "She wouldn't have let this happen."

Her words are like splash of freezing cold water in my face, and it's not because it's Sarah who is saying it. She's right. Callie would never let someone let all of these animals out without putting up one hell of a fight.

My mind races with worry, imagining all sorts of scenarios. Has she been hurt? Taken by Evan's pack?

Ignoring the protests of Leah and Sarah, I charge toward the house. The front door is unlocked, so I fling it open and step inside, calling out for Callie. "Callie? Are you here?" My voice echoes through the empty rooms, but there's no response. Fear tightens its grip around my chest as I hurry from room to room, searching for any sign of her.

And then, I hear it. The faint sound of whimpering coming from the living room. I follow the sound into the kitchen, where I find my highly trained military dogs cowering in the corner with Champ. At least the dogs are safe, but that doesn't answer my question about where Callie is.

I pull out my phone and dial her number, hoping against hope that she's going to pick up. The line connects, but it's Leah's voice I hear on the other end.

"I found her phone on the ground outside," she tells me. "She must have dropped it when she was chasing the animals."

It's a logical explanation, but I have this feeling in my gut. Like something's not right.

"I need you and Sarah to go and try to gather as many of those animals as you can, okay? I need to go find Callie. Now."

"Okay," she agrees. "We're on it. Be careful."

She hangs up the line, and I'm left on my own. Well, that's not entirely true. Snowy and Stormy might be acting like cowards right now, but their noses still work.

"Let's go, boys," I order. "Round up."

I text Ram as we bolt out the front door to let him know what mess we're in now.

As Snowy, Stormy, Champ, and I comb through the neighborhood, I call out Callie's name, hoping for some response, any sign that she's okay. The boys sniff the ground, but they haven't picked up a single hit, which makes absolutely no sense. We check every alley, every nook and cranny where Callie might be hiding, but there's no trace of her.

Every passing moment is torture. I imagine the worst-case scenarios over and over again, and it's tearing me to pieces. What if Evan's pack got to her? What if she's hurt somewhere, unable to call for help?

No. I refuse to entertain those thoughts.

"Come on, boys," I urge, trying not to let my panic get the best of me. "One more time."

Snowy and Stormy sniff the air, and Champ sticks close to my side, true to his recent training. But their noses are still trained on the ground, and they continue to lead me in circles.

We reach the edge of town, where the trees give way to open fields, and I pause to catch my breath. The moon hangs low in the sky, casting a silver glow over the landscape, but there's still no sign of Callie.

"We have to keep looking," I tell the dogs, my voice strained with worry. "She's out here somewhere, and we're not giving up until we find her."

The minutes turn into hours, and exhaustion threatens to overwhelm me, but I push through, fueled by the desperate need to find her. My eyes are raw from staring at the ground, and my muscles ache from the tension of holding myself upright, but I won't give up until I've exhausted every option.

When my phone rings, I snatch it out of my pocket, praying it's news about Callie.

"Ram," I bark into the phone. "Tell me you have good news?"

"Justin," Ram's voice crackles through the line, urgency dripping from every word. "We caught up with Evan. He confessed to starting the fire and releasing the animals."

My grip tightens on the phone. "What about Callie? Did he say anything about her?"

There's a pause, and my heart sinks as Ram's response comes through. "Evan says he did send a man after him, but his wolf came back empty-handed." There's a pause, and my heart sinks as Ram's response sinks in. "If there's anything else to find out, we will."

I struggle to process the conflicting emotions swirling inside me. Relief that Evan's been caught battles with the fear gnawing at my insides. "I don't believe him," I snap. "He's lying. Callie wouldn't just disappear like this."

Ram's voice is firm. "I understand, Justin, but he does seem to be telling the truth. We had to beat that much out of him."

"That's bullshit!" I shout, the stress and frustration getting the best of me.

"Justin, I'm sorry, but this is what we have. We're going to question him some more, and if we can find out anything about Callie, we will. For now, though, I suggest you get some sleep. It's not going to do Callie any good if you're too tired to look for her."

"No," I refuse. "I'm not leaving until we find her. Callie's out there, and I'm going to find her. Tonight."

"Justin, I... what the hell is that noise?"

Before I can ask what he's talking about, I hear commotion on the other end of the line. "Ram? What's happening?" I demand, but there's no response. All I can do is listen as chaos unfolds at Ram's house. Screaming and shouting from voices I don't recognize echo down the line. Then there's a loud crash and a string of curses followed by a sickening thud.

"Ram! Talk to me, dammit. What's going on?"

Another series of muffled shouts and the sound of scuffling fills my ears, and my heart stops dead in my chest.

"Ram! Ram!" I yell into the receiver, but there's only silence. "Ram, answer me!" I shout, but there's no response.

The line goes dead, leaving me standing in the darkness, feeling more helpless than ever before.

A cold shiver runs down my spine as I stare at the silent phone in my hand. Panic threatens to overwhelm me, but I force myself to take a deep breath. I can't afford to fall apart now, not when there's so much at stake.

With a heavy heart, I glance around at the empty fields stretching out before me, illuminated only by the faint glow of the moon. Callie could be out there, hurt or scared.

But Ram is in trouble.

Whatever chaos is unfolding at his house, he needs me. And as much as I want to find Callie, I can't abandon my pack.