Mellifuous ✔

Chapter 8: Missing

♕♕♕

Conall closes in on the packhouse with Grace, Will, and Santiago trailing behind him. As his boots crunch against the snow, a sudden wave of discomfort and distress washes over him. It's a sensation he knows all too well—it's coming from the hospital wing of the packhouse. His heart sinks. His mind immediately races with a dozen possibilities, none of them good. Without a second thought, he increases his pace, his long strides pushing him toward the front door.

The moment he steps through the door, the chaotic noise of frantic movement greets him. The packhouse is in disarray, a flurry of activity that reminds him of a pack of hyenas circling their prey. His sharp senses catch snippets of panicked whispers, hurried footsteps, and the faint scent of fear. A cold, uneasy feeling twists in his stomach, and he feels the adrenaline surge through him. Something is wrong—terribly wrong.

"What the hell is going on here?" His voice booms through the room, a thunderclap that instantly halts every movement. Silence falls like a heavy blanket, and every pair of eyes snaps to him. The pack members freeze in place, their expressions a mixture of guilt, fear, and confusion. No one speaks. They simply look at each other, their eyes filled with unspoken questions and trepidation.

Conall's gaze sweeps over them, his sharp eyes narrowing. He raises an eyebrow when not a single person speaks up. The silence is suffocating, and the longer it lasts, the more his frustration grows. His temper flares, but he fights to maintain control. His pack needs him calm, steady.

"Someone better tell me what's going on, or I swear to God..." His voice drops into a low growl, a threat wrapped in ice. He steps forward, making his way deeper into the chaos, his imposing presence enough to make the pack members shuffle back, uncertain.

From the corner of the room, a woman steps forward, her posture stiff with nervousness. Conall recognizes her immediately—Emily, the nurse he had entrusted with the care of the pup. She scratches the back of her head, avoiding eye contact, clearly uncomfortable.

"Well... uh... we have a problem. A minor, itty-bitty, tiny problem," she says, her voice quivering. The attempt at humor falls flat, and Conall's patience snaps.

"It sure as hell doesn't look like a 'minor' problem when this packhouse is flipped upside down," he retorts sharply, raising a brow. His gaze never leaves her, and she stammers as she tries to find the right words.

"Well, okay, um... you see, the pup—well, I mean..."

Conall's heart skips a beat. "The pup what?" His voice is suddenly tight with fear.

"He—he's not here," Emily says, her words tumbling out in a rush.

Conall freezes, his blood running cold. "What do you mean he's not here?"

"I mean... he's missing," Emily continues, the fear clear in her eyes now. "We've searched everywhere, we can't find him. No trace. He's gone."

A wave of panic surges through Conall's chest, and without thinking, his alpha voice erupts. "Gather some trackers and hunters. Now! We have a pup to find!"

His command slices through the air, and the pack instantly springs into action. Conall whirls around, changing into his wolf form and moving toward the door as quickly as he came, his feet hitting the floor with a rapid urgency. Will, his trusted beta, follows closely behind, the tension in his body matching Conall's. They don't speak, the silence between them filled with a growing dread.

Behind them, Grace and Santiago remain, their job now to calm the pack, to ensure order is restored in the wake of the chaos. The news of the pup's disappearance is far too dangerous to let the pack catch wind of. Not yet, anyway. They can't know. Conall can't afford to have the pack members swarm the pup before he's healthy enough to meet them. The last thing he wants is to overwhelm the child, to add more fear to what will already be a terrifying experience. For now, the pup needs comfort and privacy, and Conall is determined to give him that.