Page 117 of The Rust in Her Hair

The room shifts, and we all go still.

Lyra takes a step back, looking from Owen to me, then back again. "What happened?" she asks so sweetly. "Is it the deaccession forms for the exhibit? Did the board finally kick them back?" Her brow creases with genuine concern.

But before Owen can answer, Mack pulls out the nearest chair, then reaches for Owen's hand, closing his big fingers around it and giving a gentle tug.

"C'mere," Mack says softly. "Sit down first."

Owen lets himself be guided into the chair, and I quickly take the seat next to my beta, resting my knee against his.

"Talk to me, cariño," I say. "What happened?"

Owen drags a hand through his hair. He looks tired already. "Director Ellsworth called me up to his office today. There was a man there waiting to talk to me. A private investigator." His eyes flicker to Lyra as she sits down next to Owen. "He's looking for you."

My body locks up, but Lyra doesn't flinch. She leans in, placing her hand over Owen’s, silently encouraging him to continue.

"He knew we were friends," Owen says to Lyra. "And he wanted to know when I last saw you."

"What did you say?" I ask.

Owen rolls his eyes like he can’t believe the answer he gave. "I played dumb, and told him we weren't that close. I pointed out that I didn't even have her number, which is true." He rubs the back of his neck. "I think he bought it. I'm not sure. He just kept staring at me like he knew something I didn’t."

"Did he say anything else?"

"Just that her family thinks she ran away." Owen swallows hard as he turns and looks at Lyra. "He said that you were arranged to be married, and that your parents assume you got cold feet and took off. He made it sound like they were confident you’d come back home on your own."

Lyra lets out an annoyed huff, while Adrian makes a low sound in his throat.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Mack barks out a laugh, but there's no humor in it. He drops into a chair at the end of the table, his jaw gone tight. "They waited a whole damn month to send some rent-a-cop to look for her?" His drawl has gone hard and flat. "Their kid vanishes into thin air and that's the best they can do?"

"Mack," Owen says quietly, glancing over at Lyra.

But the omega doesn't seem bothered at all.

If anything, there's a wry tilt to her mouth, like she finds the whole thing a little funny.

"You'll have to forgive my parents," she says, her tone breezy. "Caring for their child was never really their strong suit."

She reaches across the table for the serving spoon and sinks it into the pot of mashed potatoes. She calmly scoops a generous helping onto her plate.

I watch her, thrown by her demeanor.

She really doesn’t seem upset at all.

"Well, I’m sorry, darlin’. But I think it’s bullshit," Mack says as he crosses his arms. "If my kid went missin', I'd burn this city to the ground looking for her. I'd have the cops, the news, every damn person I could find out looking." His eyes cut to me, rage etched around his mouth. "All that money, and all they did was send one guy a fucking month later?" His lip curls. "That's fucking pathetic."

I press my tongue against the inside of my cheek and say nothing.

Because he's right. Every word of it. And the rage sitting in my own chest right now is worse than anything coming out of Mack's mouth. But Mack shouldn’t be saying any of this in front of Lyra.

"Owen." I wait until he looks at me. "Why do you think he came to talk to you?"

Owen shakes his head slowly. "I don't know. I’m assuming someone at the library mentioned that we were friends, but he—" The beta lifts his glasses up, rubbing his eyes hard. "I’m sure they’re talking to everyone." He fixes his glasses then looks at Lyra, the twin lines between his brows running deep.

But Lyra shrugs.

"It was probably my driver who told them," she says as she reaches for the gravy. "He was only allowed to take me to the library or club. But I wouldn’t worry about it." She gives Owen a little smile. "You're all working yourselves up over nothing." She spoons the gravy over her potatoes like we're discussing the weather. "My parents don't care that I'm gone. If anything, they're probably relieved."

Mack frowns, as Adrian slips into the empty chair next to Lyra. He smooths one hand slowly down the length of her spine. I know he’s trying to soothe her, but I don’t feel any fear or distress from the omega in our bond.