New In The Territories (Book 1) COMPLETED

Chapter 44 Dmitri

Pulling up to Katie's apartment building, I spotted my pack brothers cars and two of them standing in the shadows. Getting out giving them both the barest of nods of acknowledgement, I took the stairs four at a time to her third floor apartment.

The door was ajar so I let myself in. The room looked the same as last time I was there except for the scattered photos all over the coffee table. At closer examination, I noticed all the pictures were of Katie and her lover, Cassie. How could no one have noticed this? They look so damn happy together. Taking one of the photos of the table, staring at the love that generated from their eyes.

"Hey Dmitri," Nate greeted me from the kitchen.

"How did we not know?" I continued to stare at the picture of Katie and Cassie in each other's arms, without a care in the world.

Nate coming to my side and looked at what I was holding. He sighed, "I don't know. The wolves and cats don't usually associate." Getting back to business, he continued, "We know the last time anyone had seen her was leaving the café around six last night and she always walks home. Jack sent a few guys to check different routes. Her purse and keys are missing and so is one of her uniforms," he pointed down to the table, "Beside this, everything else seems to be in order."

Rubbing the back of my neck, thinking. "So what do you think?" My thoughts went to the worst case scenario. Whatever happened to Cassie might be happening to Katie as we speak. By the expression and lack of response, I knew Nate came up with the same conclusion.

"Nate?" Quinn called out, entering the apartment. Nate was Jack's right hand man in the security company as well with any pack business; I was third. "Oh, hey Dmitri," Quinn added, spotting me. "We found this in a dumpster a block over. It's Katie's purse. I did a brief check and her wallet, money and keys are still in there," he handed the purse over to Nate, which he passed it to me.

I probably had the best nose out of all of them in our human form and always seemed to catch the smallest things out of place. Moving aside some of the pictures on the table, I sat and started to empty out her purse. Spots of dried blood on the outside as well as the inside of the purse were pretty easy to see. Taking out my pocket knife scrapping a small sample, I sniffed it confirming it was Katie's and was less than a day old. Normally it would not be alarming but with her missing, it was not a good sign.

I was pretty much up for anything, but going through a woman's purse always made me uncomfortable. The things that I had found in my previous searches had always mind boggled on what personal items women carried around with them.

Reconfirming that her ID, money and keys were still there and so were the traces of blood I found, I started to check all the other compartments in her wallet. Finding a picture folded in half with last year's date written on the back with "MY FAMILY" printed below. What I found surprised me. Jack, Abby, myself, Katie, Nate, and Mady all arm in arm at what I think was one of the barbecue's Jack held last year. I liked Katie, thought she was a nice kid but was never really close to her. To see this, the only picture she carried in her wallet of them with "MY FAMILY" printed on the back hit me hard.

Sitting there stunned. "Shit." Was the only thing that came to mind.

"What you find?" Nate was back by my side.

Passing the picture to him as the need to get out on the street to find Katie was even greater than a few minutes ago. Jumping up off the couch, the guilt for not being there for her was growing at every breath.

"Oh," was all that came out of Nate's mouth.

"I'm going out looking for her," I started to undress, deciding my wolf could find more and we needed more.

Nate seen the determination in my eyes and knew I was past the point of arguing. Being the night before the full moon, tempers were short enough never mind starting a fight with someone that would not listen to anyone besides their Alpha at that point. "You know we can't pass you off as a huge dog so stay with Quinn and make sure you stay in the shadows. The streets are pretty empty tonight but be careful."

Within minutes, Quinn and I were off in the streets looking for anything that would put us on her trail.