“Nothing like that,” I said softly. “It was all real. A home filled with love. My folks came to all my after-school events and wanted me to be happy.”
Frank was silent for a moment before he moved towards the door. “Well, I have a phone call to make, so...” He waved a hand. “Enjoy the space.” He was gone before I could say anything, and I just sat there, letting his words sink in. I couldn’t imagine growing up under the pressure of being raised to be an Alpha, but also having no mother figure in my life.
I tried to turn back to the TV and watch it, but I couldn't. I felt so twisted up inside. I couldn't understand. How could a mother do such a thing to her child? How could she live two lives and act like everything was so perfect?
I got up and grabbed my jacket, deciding I needed air. I couldn't stay in the same space that his mother had once loved and turned into her own.
I drove and headed downtown. I parked my car on the street and stepped out, letting the air hit me. I needed it against my skin. I felt like I was on fire for several reasons. I was so angry at this woman; she had thrown away something perfect. I felt a need to protect him. Frank wasn't nice to me, so why should I even consider being nice to him? Just because I knew his past didn't change that, did it? There were plenty of people out there who had a hard childhood who didn't insult people like Frank did.
But he'd been nice recently, and maybe that was why. How he had been acting towards me seemed more normal.
I paused and sighed. I just wish things were a little simpler. I wish I didn't have to comb through everything. I wish Frank would open up a little more and let me in.
The door to the building to my left opened, and my body tensed up as Zanth stepped out of the bar. He rolled his shoulders as he walked out and turned to the right, just where I was standing. He froze for a split second before a smirk pulled at his lips. “Well, if it isn't Nina.”
Shit. Of course, I ran into him.
I turned, starting down the road to get away from him, but I felt his hand grab my wrist, yanking me back. “I'm not done talking to you.” his voice shifted into anger, and I tried to break free, but his hold was hard.
“Let go,” I snapped, trying to free myself. I was getting ready to elbow him when he yanked me back into an alleyway, shoving me hard against the wall. My head smacked against the brick, and I instantly felt tears bloom as pain radiated around my entire head.
“You don't get to just walk away. I was talking,” Zanth said, his shadow covering me. “And you're going to listen.”
I stared at him, hating how scared I suddenly felt. I had been training, but with a dummy. Even when Frank was training with me, I could tell he wasn't using his full strength against me like Zanth was.
I swallowed, trying to remain calm. If I tried to shove him, he would only shove back harder. Timing was key.
Chapter 14 - Frank
I paced as Kerr spoke, telling me about the meeting with the teacher that we’d been planning for some time now. Her name was Sasha, and for the past month, Kerr had been trying to set up a meet and greet, but he wanted her kids there as well, in case they knew anything. The kids had refused for a while, stating their mother was old and fragile and they didn’t want to confuse her. But Kerr convinced them, stating it was important to the safety of the pack. “How did it go?”
“Well, it was okay. Sasha has good memory, but it’s only on certain things. The kids were pretty nervous. We were correct that Sasha signed an NDA. She was afraid to give too much information away.”
I figured out what I didn’t understand. Why the hell had she signed an NDA over something like this? The only logically thing I could come up with was that whatever happened wasn’t good, and the Council was covering their tracks.
“What did she say?”
“She remembered having a boy in her class. The year was 1980. He was a sweet kid with happy parents. Nothing out of the ordinary. She said it happened over the weekend. He was just gone. No one told her anything but that to delete him from the computer system and get rid of his record.”
“What happened?”
“No one knows. They said he died, but no one knows how. They don’t know what happened. The mother ended up committing suicide a year later, and the dad disappeared. But the kids did have all of their mother’s stuff from school, and there was a name written down at the beginning of that year that was gone by the end. Joshua Wartner. Does that ring a bell?”
It didn’t. Nothing came to mind.
“Were there articles or anything?”
“That’s the weird part. There is nothing about this kid. I looked him up, and it’s like he never existed on the computer, but he does on paper. Some things you can’t erase.”
We had that at least going for us.
“You haven’t even heard the worst news.”
“There’s more?”
“The dad, yeah, he was a bioengineer scientist, and the mom was a chemist. My best bet is this is all connected and the dad is coming back for revenge.”
My stomach dipped, and I ran a hand through my head. “Well, that’s fucking great.”
