Forever Luna

Inconspicuous

adjective ~ not attracting attention

NOVA

My entire face drained of colour as I stared at the stilled image on the screen.

It was my brother. There was no denying it. The faint pull of recognition teamed with the long blonde hair proved it.

In the middle of the night, a broad man carried him barely dressed over his shoulder into the back of a vehicle.

No plates.

No faces.

Professionals.

"Play it again." I whispered.

"Nova..." Phoenix mumbled.

"Again." I demanded.

He sighed, rewinding the clip before hitting play. He slowed it down to capture every detail, and I greedily looked over it all.

The investigator Phoenix had working on the human side of things had sent CCTV videos from the restaurant, hotel and streets for us to scan. He would've looked through them himself, but like Phoenix said; it wasn't his business.

Pollux had followed a girl into a restaurant, and then hours later stumbled after her down the street. He swayed with a drunken haze, staring up at the sky before he rounded the block and entered a building. From there, the video sped up, Phoenix skipping to the next sighting.

A black van.

Three men.

Entering the building.

Dressed in dark clothes.

They were large, but held no visible weapons.

Seven minutes later, one left with my brother over his shoulder. Pollux was just in his boxers, his pale skin shining beneath the moonlight. I chewed my lip as the inconspicuous male placed him into the van and slid in next to him. The windows were tinted and I couldn't see what was happening inside, but then the other two men came out of the building.

As they headed toward the van, the girl Pollux followed home came stumbling through the door. Her mouth parted and through the rustling of night, you barely heard her plea for them to not hurt him. The largest male, who later climbs into the driver's seat, laughed at her, telling her she got what she wanted before slamming the doors and leaving.

The van sped off north, and the cameras tracked them for five miles before they disappeared into the forest.

"Someone took him." I whispered. "Why would someone take him?"

"His blood?" Sean suggested.

"Probably." Phoenix agreed. "But until we know who they are, we won't know why they took him."

"The woman must've sold him out." I stated. "You got what you wanted seems ominous enough."

"But how did she know who he was? Does Pollux know anybody from that town?"

"He never really speaks about the people he has met. But he's been to that town twice, so maybe?" I shrugged. "If we find out who she is, we could find out who they are."

"It shouldn't be too hard to find her." Phoenix hummed, leaning back in his chair. "Unless she has run."

"I don't think she would." Sean interrupted. "The entire... heist was inconspicuous, and Pollux is away from his pack. If werewolves are involved, they probably figured out he is distant from his family."

"It's been weeks." I whispered. "I received a text after they took him."

Sean's face creased with sympathy. "You think it really was him?"