Forget about me

Chapter eight

Ryder

"You really think she's here to find the treasure?" Jem asks when the front door's closed. When Alex left, we thought she'd either found the treasure and left with it on her own. But when Shade went to the orphanage and asked about Alex's disappearance Miss Lana told him someone had adopted her. Of course, we tried to get the papers to find out where they'd taken our girl but that shit's confidential and we were too young to do anything about it. By the time we were old enough to know how to, Alex was long gone.

"Yeah, I do. Don't know why though. Probably has something to do with that piece of shit who hurt her." I grumble trying to make sense of both past and future. Shit doesn't add up though. Why didn't she come back when she left whoever had adopted her? Why didn't she come back to us? Why is she so angry now? I have more questions than answers and it pisses me off. My eyes go to the front door as my fingers drum on the tabletop of the kitchen isle. Maddie seemed nervous as she left. Eager to leave. I'd chalk it up to us scaring her. A lot of people are nervous around us, but something tells me that's not it. There's something I'm missing and the way Shade is staring blankly at the door tells me he feels it too. "What is it?" I mumble to myself.

"We should help her." Jem states plopping down on one of the couches in the living room. "Finally, find whatever her ancestors left her." He grumbles. Everything that went wrong started with finding out about that treasure. I don't blame Jem for wanting to be rid of it.

Shade moves to stare out at the ocean putting his back to us. "No." he says sounding deep in thought. "We shouldn't. The second she has that treasure she's gone." He turns back around to look at Jem. "We'll never find her again. If anything, we should burn that damn diary." Shade does have a point.

"She'd never forgive us. It's all she has of her parents." Jem counters, the thought bothering him. I don't want to take away the only thing Alex has of the people who gave her life, but I'm inclined to agree with Shade. Those people don't deserve her anyway. She doesn't need that diary, not really. She has us. We're her family. Always has been, always will be. Burning that thing might not be such a bad idea. Alex finds that treasure and she'll disappear. I'm not letting that happen. My brother wouldn't survive losing her again. I wouldn't. 

The feeling that something's wrong grows. It gnaws on my nerves. Something inside me urges me to move. Pushing away from the isle I head for the stairs taking them two at a time. Reaching the end of the corridor I rap my knuckles against her door.

"Alex?" I call when there's no answer. "Alex, come on. Let me in." I soften my tone attempting to placate her anger. "Alex?" her name takes on a sharp edge. I press my ear to the door. Not hearing anything inside I grab the handle turning it down. The door doesn't open. "Alexandra?" I call raising my voice. Footsteps come up the stairs as I press my shoulder into the door pushing. When that doesn't work I slam my shoulder into instead. The door flies open making me stumble. A chair from the balcony is overturned on the floor by the door. The chair was blocking it. "Alex?" I call again even though I know there won't be an answer. The open balcony door makes my chest tighten. Her bedsheets are tied to the railing creating a rope down to the ground. She's gone. She snuck out.

My jaw ticks. "Who's working the gates?" I turn to Hunter who shakes his head. He doesn't know. "Find out." Nodding he turns and leaves to do just that. I turn to Jem and Shade. "I want every wolf in this city looking for her. Call Kai, if she shows up at the Peony I want to know." Shade nods slipping his phone from a pocket. "Find her." I growl stalking from the room, grabbing a shirt and a gun before heading for the garage. The cold metal presses into my lower back where I tuck it into the band of my sweatpants. Shade and Jem are hot on my heels. The former hops onto the motorcycle next to mine and the latter pauses by his jeep waiting for Hunter.