Now, to convince my father, I slept in the car or at Deacon’s, because guaranteed, he’ll be looking for me and will be on a warpath.
Chapter 5
When I finally pull up into the driveway, I breathe a sigh of relief as I notice my father and stepmother’s absence, both their cars being gone. However, the sight of Lydia’s car elicits an involuntary groan and a roll of my eyes knowing she may just be worse than them together. Steeling myself, I step out of the car and head toward the front door.
“About time you showed up,” Lydia snipes as soon as I step inside, her voice dripping with disdain. “Are those new clothes? What brand is that?” she asks, pulling to see the tag. I shove her away.
She eyes me suspiciously. “Morning, Lydia, nice to see you, too,” I mutter, and she folds her arms across her chest. I drop my keys on the counter ignoring her.
“Where were you all night?”
“None of your business,” I retort, trying to hide my unease as I shrug off my jacket. Her gaze lingers on me, her lips pursed in disapproval.
“Really?” she presses, stepping closer, her eyes narrowing. “You were seen talking with Alpha Zayn last night at the club. You wouldn’t have been with the oh-so-dark and mysterious Alpha, would you? You know Deacon wouldn’t approve.”
“Lydia, don’t start,” I warn, feeling my cheeks heat as I do my best to keep them calm. Though thinking of Zayn makes me all hot and flustered, and I know it’s the sire bond. I still can’t believe he sired my wolf. Well, I’m pretty sure he did; I wasn’tthis overwhelmed by him when I first met him. “Deacon and I are adults; we don’t need your input on our relationship.”
“Relationship?” She smirks, her eyes gleaming with malice. “Is that what you’re calling it now? You don’t deserve Deacon, not with how you were throwing yourself at that Alpha last night.”
“I was not throwing myself at him, and since when are you the expert on relationships? What’s your longest relationship? A week?”She glares at me.
“Can you just go away, Lydia? I really don’t have time for your games today.” My patience is wearing thin. She doesn’t move; instead, she takes another step closer.
Close enough now, I can truly take in her appearance, my senses are immediately assaulted by the pungent scent of Lydia’s anxiety. Her eyes are wide with worry, bloodshot from crying, and her hands wring together nervously. She looks a mess, but there’s something undeniably satisfying about her vulnerability.
“Lydia,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady as I take in her disheveled appearance. “What’s going on?”
Lydia sighs heavily and rubs her eyes. “Your father won’t listen, nor does he care, I…” She pauses and sucks in a breath.
“Have you seen Deacon? He didn’t show up for patrol this morning, and his Alpha said he tried to mindlink him and found his tether broken,” she stammers, her voice quivering with concern.
“His pack tether?” I ask, feeling a cold shiver run down my spine at the thought. There are only two ways to sever a pack link; go rogue, either by choice or by force, or death. My heart races at the possibility Deacon might be in danger.
“He’s probably wrong, Deacon is probably passed out drunk somewhere, and it numbed his link to his Alpha,” I tell her. Something nags at me, and I pull my phone out of mypocket. Usually, Deacon visits me every day, it’s rare that I don’t see or hear from him.
I try calling Deacon’s number, it goes straight to voicemail. A sense of unease tightens in my stomach. Lydia’s worry seems to deepen, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “This isn’t like him, he always reports in,” she murmurs. “And why would his Alpha say it’s broken? He has no reason to go rogue, or what if he had an accident on his way home, or what…?” Lydia is rambling, and I’ve never seen her this worried about anyone before.
I try to calm her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, calm down, he’s probably fine,” I say, trying to catch her gaze. “We’ll find him, okay? We need to stay calm and think rationally.”
“Rationally?” she scoffs, wiping away a tear with the back of her hand. “How can I be rational when Deacon could be…could be…” She chokes on her words, unable to finish the sentence.
“Why are you so worried about Deacon?” I ask, suspicion creeping into my voice.
“He’s my boyfriend, not yours.”
Lydia shifts uncomfortably, avoiding my gaze. “We should all be concerned, shouldn’t we?” she deflects. She’s always had a thing for Deacon.
“We’ll check his house, he is probably hungover, or maybe he has passed out,” I suggest, more to ease her worry than to appease my own growing concern.
“Have you tried calling any of his friends?” I ask.
“Of course I have!” she snaps, her frustration evident. “They haven’t heard from him, either.”
“Alright, alright,” I say, placating her. “I’m just trying to help.”
“Maybe he went somewhere else after leaving the club,” I suggest, mixed emotions swirling within me. Worry aboutDeacon’s well-being churns with the lingering memory of his betrayal, and him ditching me in such a vulnerable state last night.
“Or maybe he didn’t make it home,” Lydia suggests, her voice low and desperate, as if she’s afraid to speak the words aloud.
