Fallen (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 55 - Desperation

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"Kendrick –"

"I shouldn't have left him – I shouldn't have. How could I think he would still be here? How could I think his father wouldn't make him leave? It was fucking stupid," I hissed, running my hands over my face.

The witch had agreed to help us, but did it matter?

Since Zev and Lyall had met me at the airport, we flew out together. After arriving back, Lyall had decided to stick with me so we could get Talian while Zev took the witch to our pack.

But Talian had not answered when I tried to reach out to him, and not a sound came from the house when we arrived, so I went inside.

It was empty. There was barely a trace that anyone had been there other than their fading scents, which were almost completely masked by the smell of detergents, bleach and other cleaning products.

It had been just over two days. I had become concerned when he did not reply to my messages, but I thought maybe it was just network issues. That was what I hoped.

"Kendrick, calm down. We'll find him. There has to be a clue somewhere," Lyall said. "Though... this place does not seem like it had much in it, to begin with. I don't think they were travelling with much."

"They could be anywhere by now. It took us months to find him." It didn't feel like we had that kind of time anymore. Something felt so much worse this time.

He wouldn't have told his father about meeting me. He said he would wait.

I felt a hand fall onto my shoulder, squeezing it lightly in an attempt at comfort but I was too angry. At Lyall's father, at myself for thinking it was at all okay to just leave him behind. I should have pushed. I should have convinced him to come with him.

How the hell did I think it was okay to just let him stay because he asked when he literally could not remember a thing and I already didn't trust his father?

I was just so focused on getting the witch.

I was an Idiot.

"We should head home. I'm sure we can predict where they went next," Lyall said.

"Or she might be able to track him," I realised.

"Right!"

"Right."

I shifted and headed for the door, deciding to just run home because it would be much faster than an accelerated car would be.

It was sometime in the afternoon when I arrived home, and I headed straight for my house as it was where we agreed to let the witch stay for the time she was with us.

I could smell Hilliel, Zev, and the witch as soon as I entered. I shifted in my room to keep from shocking the witch before heading down to the kitchen where I had smelled everyone.

"Esme –" I began to address her as soon as I saw her but was cut off as someone stepped between us, slamming into me as their arms circled me tightly.

"You're back!"

"Hilliel –" Zev began, clearly noticing that I was in a hurry.

"Not now." I reached for Hilliel's arms in an attempt to unwrap them from my neck, but his grip tightened, his face squeezing into me.

"You're back! You've been gone for months! You expect me to ignore that I haven't seen you in ages? Are you okay? You feel thinner –"

"Hilliel!" I snapped, shoving him from me. "I can't deal with this right now. I need to find Talian –"