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I turn back to the phone, Cayenne still waiting on the line. “We all realize how badly we’ve messed up, Cayenne. But right now, Aria needs us more than ever. Please, help us make this right.”
“Listen to me right now, you imbeciles,” Cayenne snaps. “Dark humor is the only thing keeping her going. She’s like a rubber band getting stretched too far. Eventually, she will snap.”
“She’s going into heat,” I add, the realization hitting me like a freight train.
“If Noah finds her…” Cayenne’s voice shakes. I’ve known this woman for years, this woman who put fear into homeland security, and her voice trembles.
My heart beats too damn loudly in my head.
I take a deep breath, trying to center myself. “Cayenne, we screwed up,” I admit, my voice steadier now. “But right now, we need to focus on finding Aria. What else can you tell us about Noah that might help us predict where he’d look for her?”
There’s a brief pause on the other end of the line, and I can almost hear Cayenne collecting her thoughts.
“Noah is cunning and patient,” she finally says, her voice tense. “He won’t just be wandering the streets. He’ll have a plan. He knows Aria’s habits, her fears. He might stake out places she frequents—cafés, libraries, anywhere she might feel safe.”
Malachi leans in closer to the phone. “Does he have any particular methods he uses to track people? Any contacts in the area we should be aware of?”
“He’s got connections,” Cayenne replies grimly. “Former military buddies, some with less than stellar records. They might be helping him. And he’s tech-savvy. He could be monitoring social media, security cameras, anything that might give him a lead.”
“What about Aria?” Dash interjects. “Are there any specific places or people she might turn to when she’s scared?”
Cayenne sighs. “She…she might look for somewhere quiet, secluded. When she first ran, she hid in an old abandoned church for days. Look for places like that—old buildings, quiet parks, anywhere she could hunker down and feel hidden.”
I nod, even though Cayenne can’t see me. “This helps, Cayenne. Is there anything else? Anything at all that could give us an edge in finding her before Noah does?”
“Stay calm,” she says, her voice steady but urgent. “You need to search everywhere she might go. Contact everyone she knows in town. I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
“Okay,” I say, my heart pounding. “Please hurry, Cayenne.”
“I will,” she promises. “Keep me updated, and, Quinn…be careful. Noah is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He even had me convinced.”
“I will,” I reply, hanging up.
I turn to the others, who are anxiously waiting.
“Cayenne’s on her way,” I say, my voice strained.
As I hang up the phone, Cayenne’s words echo in my mind. The weight of our mistake settles in my chest, making it hard to breathe.
How could we have been so blind? I think, shame washing over me. We knew about Noah all along, but we let our personal feelings overshadow the danger Aria was in. We were supposed to protect her, and instead, we drove her right into harm’s way.
I look around at my packmates, seeing the same guilt and fear reflected in their eyes. The extent to which we failed Aria is overwhelming.
We got so caught up in our own drama—the omega revelation and the potential legal issues—that we completely lost sight of why she came to us in the first place. She trusted us with her life, and we let her down.
A surge of determination cuts through my guilt. No more distractions or petty squabbles. We need to find Aria and make this right. Whatever it takes, we have to keep her safe from Noah. That’s what matters now, nothing else.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what’s to come. “Okay, guys,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel, “we know what we’re up against now. Let’s split up and start searching. We need to find Aria before Noah does. Malachi, you and Zane check the park and the nearby streets. Dash and I will head toward the bay.”
“What if she’s hiding?” Dash asks, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes wide with fear.
“Then we’ll find her,” I say, trying to infuse my voice with confidence I don’t feel. “We have to.” The desperation in my voice echoes in the silence that follows.
Just as we’re about to head out, Logan rounds the corner, his brow furrowed in concern. “What’s going on? I heard shouting.”
“It’s Aria,” I say quickly. “She’s gone. We can’t find her, and she’s going into heat. We need to find her before someone else does.”
Logan’s eyes widen, and he nods. “I’ll help you look. Where do you need me?”
