Truths Collide (WolfGirl 2)

Chapter 21: Scarlet

(Scarlet James)

My hands and legs are tied uncomfortably against a pole. Everything is still dark. There's a weird chemical smell that's starting to give me a headache. I hear a door open and footsteps enter. There's a few of them. The sounds of scraping metal and moving chairs fill the room as the door closes and someone locks it.

The black sack is lifted off my head and I come face to face with my kidnappers. There are five men standing before me and one beside me – the one who took off the sack. They look no older than twenty-five and for a fact are shifters.

"What do you want?" I ask, getting to the point.

"Tristan," the one in the middle replies.

I let out a humored laugh.

He steps closer to me, "Where is he?"

I snap back, "Who are you?"

He smirks at me, and starts undoing his belt buckle, "You're his mate, aren't you?" he asks, taking off his belt and keeping his dark gaze on me, "You know where he is."

"Why would I tell you?" I roll my eyes, "You abducted me, have me tied up, God knows where..."

In three long strides, he's in my face. His rough hand grabs my face and he smirks, "He marked you. Let's see if he comes to your rescue if that mark is threatened."

In that moment, fear courses through me like never before. Not even when they took me from the house was I this scared.

"You better pray to God someone is watching over you, because when we're done with you even the rogues won't want you, pretty face," his smirk doesn't falter as he pulls back and unzips his fly.

(Tristan Asher)

I should've listened to Rick and Neal and stayed out of this mess with Ava. I told myself it was redemption. But truth be told, I saw my mother in her; pregnant and abandoned. I had to help her. I reach the door and find it unlocked. Odd, but I continue in, "Scarlet!" I call out as if she will actually be happy to see me right now. The kitchen lights are on, so I walk down the foyer to it when I see her sandal on the floor by the lights. Frowning, I bend down to pick it up. It's the same one she was wearing earlier.

"Scarlet!" I call out again. I run upstairs to see if she's in the bedroom. She's not. I check the bathroom too and find nothing. I reach into my pocket and take out my phone to call Rick.

He picks up on the first ring, "Boss?"

"I can't find Scarlet," I say to him as I run to the garage to see if her car's still here or not.

"What do you mean you can't find her," he replies, "I walked her to the door myself."

"I can't find her. She was here when I came home earlier and now she's gone," I explain. Rick doesn't reply immediately, making me nervous, "What? What aren't you telling me?"

"She wanted me to take her to Portland. Check if her car's here or not," he suggest as I open the garage door.

Panic sets in me as I tell him, "Her car's still here. Where the fuck is my fiancé?"

"Maybe she went for a run? I'll send Neal to scout the forest and I'll be right there. You have cameras outside your home, don't you?"

"Yes," I reply, feeling sick to my stomach. It doesn't feel like she went on a run, unless she shifted in the kitchen before going, leaving a sandal behind.

"I'm five minutes away. We need to go through the footage," he says, "I'll have Neal go check her parents' and Caius's houses too in case she went there for space."