Nia and Rem looked at each other, the concern in Nia’s dark brown eyes as heavy as Rem’s heart.
Nia faced Freya. “We haven’t seen him in a week.”
Freya's face hardened, her gaze darting around the room, before slicing back up at them. “In aweek?”
Rem’s heart raced. “We thought he was with you,” Rem stated. “The Elders wouldn’t let us leave to check.”
“No, I have not seen him in over amonth,since he has been with you… Oh, no, Lothar, what happened?” Freya mumbled, staring at the table in front of her. “Where did you see him last?”
“It was about a week ago, and it was night when he said he had to check on something,” Rem replied.
Freya gradually moved her gaze to them, a depth of concern reminding Rem of her own mother’s eyes when she had first woken up with silver hair.
“If Lothar is not present, then something has happened to him. And if something has happened to one of the highest Betas, then that is even worse news.”
Silence.
They stared at one another.
“So, you say you couldn’t come sooner because of the Elders?” Freya finally asked, her voice and breathing calm, but her tapping fingers moved quicker.
Nia nodded. “Correct. They weren’t worried about it. We only got permission to leave yesterday but didn’t want to seem too eager, not with the Elders watching.”
Freya stood up, clearly trying to control her emotions as she steadied her breathing, her slender arms crossing over her chest. “Alright,” she said, staring at the floor, beginning to pace. Her lips wordlessly moved, the Alpha’s mother deep in thought. She looked back at Rem. “Go to Deacon, see if you can uncover anything. I need to process this information and think. Come back with what you can, and we will go from there.”
“Is it safe?” Nia questioned.
“Safety is beyond us, I fear. It is now a matter of time. The sooner we fill in the blanks, the sooner we can act.”
It startled Rem how much this reminded her of home, of when she first heard of the rumors. It was a sense of fear so much deeper than any nightmare could conjure.
Dread. It was pure dread.
“Yes, ma’am,” Rem said in English, not caring if that was proper or not, and quickly looked at Nia. “Do you know where he is?”
“I can show you,” Nia quickly replied, uncertainty in her eyes.
They moved away from the library and through the home. Rem was expecting to be taken to a dungeon, but Nia led them right back outside, the sun bright compared to the barely lit home.
“Are you freaking out at all? Because I am definitely freaking out,” Rem mumbled, walking quickly with a pounding heart. “I can’t believe Lothar is missing.
“Yeah… Yeah, this is all wrong. He’s as loyal as it gets, so him just disappearing makes no sense. He is probably in trouble.”
“Shit.” The foul language rolled off Rem’s tongue.
“Let’s just see what Deacon says,” Nia replied, although she grabbed Rem’s arm, stopping in the middle of the yard. Quietly, she added, “But don’t be shocked if we have to run for it, okay? Like, really run for it.”
“You don’t have to convince me to leave this place,” Rem said, already wanting to make a mad dash. “I can’t get stuck here when Oliver is in Warden.”
Nia sighed with a shaky breath. “Alright. I’m sure we’re okay, but on the off chance we aren’t… Well, I guess it’s good you’re at least stronger now.”
With a frown, Rem gave her a nod.
The two hurriedly neared the dark, moderately sized brick buildings, the guards outside nodding for them to enter when Nia informed them of Freya’s approval. Right away, Rem recognized it as a repurposed animal house with the pig pins turned into storage rooms. At the end of the hall was a guarded door, two shifters on either side.
Rem looked at Nia, who nodded toward the shifters. "He's down there. We have to use these since the homes are reclaimed and didn’t have dungeons built in. I will wait here and keep an eye out for anything. Good luck."
Rem paced the long hall. Dancing torchlight revealed the mismatched brick patterns where windows had been filled. Her heart pounded furiously.
