Chaos

Western Time Zones

Ryker

"Meri wants you to cut your trip short. You're done your half, aren't you?" Car's voice sounded amused through the phone, though it was a low murmur, more for the fact that the man was sitting with his sleeping mate a couple of time zones away.

Ryker nodded as he pushed the hotel room door open, frowning when he noticed that Daryl was obviously not within.

"Yeah. Daryl has to wait to find out if he has a secondary interview tomorrow." Ryker answered absently as he glanced around. He smirked when he saw the half-finished smoothie forgotten on the counter. "You're sending him those meals here?"

There was a pause, then a soft chuckle. "They help. He still eats everything under the sun, but they help give him the nutrition he needs when he isn't hunting."

Ryker moved the cup to the sink and smirked as he leaned his head into the phone when he moved to their closet, seeing Daryl's suit absently hanging within. The man had answered none of his texts in the past two hours, and it did not surprise Ryker when he found Daryl's phone in the jacket pocket of the thing. "Hey, he's wandered off. I'm going to go call the team to see where they are. I made reservations at that seafood restaurant you recommended."

"Make him wear a suit. And you as well." Carbry laughed softly. "Send..."

"You a message when we get back in." Ryke grinned. "Always, boss."

Ryker hung up as Carbry was cursing softly to him in Gaelic, shoving Daryl's phone into his pocket before dialing Daryl's driver.

"Cayan." The shifter was yawning as he answered.

Ryker frowned, knowing the man wasn't prone to be off guard when on the job. "Hey, where are you guys?"

Cayan was silent for a moment, then slowly answered. "I've been sitting down here in the team room since I dropped Daryl off. Why?"

"You're supposed to stay with him. Where'd you drop him off?" Ryker growled as he turned and started out of the room, rushing to the stairs and taking them two at a time as he raced down toward the lobby.

Cayan joined him in the stairwell, both of them hanging up their phones as the shifter glanced at him. "Front of the hotel. I parked and returned to the room. He said he was going to call to let me know if he wanted to go to the beach. I figured he fell asleep."

Ryker scowled at the man, not answering as they stepped out into the lobby. He stayed silent until they were out on the street, both of them lifting their noses to the air, looking for his scent.

Frustrated as he tried to decide on a direction to go, Ryker growled. "You weren't watching the door?"

"It didn't open from the moment I sat down. The rest of the team has been roving the hotel." Cayan growled back.

"What are you guys looking for?" Daryl was standing in front of them then, soaked in sweat, dusted with sand, wearing black shorts and running shoes, a t-shirt in one hand.

The other carried an empty water bottle.

"You." Ryker frowned at his mate, who had the nerve to merely give him a sheepish grin. "You were supposed to call Cayan."

"Shit. Yeah. I forgot." Daryl reached up to rub the back of his neck, wincing down at his feet. "It's not his fault, Ryke. He asked me to, and I barely waited long enough to change before leaving. I just wanted to get a workout in."

"We have dinner reservations." Ryker shook his head before offering Daryl a smile and moving to kiss his cheek. "We can talk about it later."

Daryl nodded and started into the hotel once more, though Ryker paused to level a glare on Cayan. "Not again."