Page 43 of Finding Sunshine

“No,” Salem stopped him. “I need you here. I cannot haveallof my children out there.”

“Dad, she’s my—”

“I know exactly who she is,” Salem said tiredly. “You think I don’t want to be running out after my daughter?” Salem’s hand slammed on the desk. “But I have a duty to let my best soldiers do this. We can check with the school, maybe she has simply gone to see this...this...boy.” Salem snarled the last word, and Michael crossed the room to his father.

“I will check with her friends,” Michael said quietly. “Some of them know me.”

Commander Bryce had come back into the office. “They need ten minutes, Marcus, and then they are all yours.” He looked to Salem and Michael. “Take Kallie with you. She knows who Zahra’s friends are. And who the boy will be.”

“Kallie, of course.” Michael nodded. “Thank you, I am not thinking clearly.”

“It’s easy to do,” Bryce said consolingly. “Salem, I do not think Sloane is a good idea to go on the hunt. Tegan, yes, but she is not as invested.” Bryce coughed slightly. “Plus, she is exceptional.”

“You think I am not?” Sloane asked as he walked into the room.

“You are, but of the three Akrhyn in this room, you rank third.” Bryce looked at Sloane with a little compassion. “You are hurting, you are embarrassed, but you have nothing to prove here, Sloane. I have eight Lycan Elites, plus Marcus, Tove and Tegan for this hunt. Only Tegan is the non-Lycan because she can keep up with them. I do not want to put any of my team in danger because they are falling behind for you.”

“Always so harsh, Commander,” Sloane said bitterly.

“Always so honest.” Bryce gave a small smile to soften the harshness of his words. “You will be better served here.” He turned to Salem. “If anything, I think Sloane would be best to go to the school with Kallie.”

“Are you insane?” Michael barked. “Sloane will kill the boyfriend.”

“And you think her friends will talk to her brother?” Bryce opened the office door and let in Kallie, quickly bringing his daughter up to speed but keeping the potential pregnancy to himself. “Kallie, can you tell us what you think?”

“Sloane, definitely. The girls are manipulative brats; they will fall over themselves to tell Zahra’s handsome boyfriend that she’s been messing around.”

“These people sound disgusting,” Michael muttered.

“You are definitely not best placed to be there,” Kallie said dryly. “Plus, you’re kind of intimidating.” She shrugged self-consciously when Michael speared her with an angry look.

“I need Cord,” Marcus said with a side look to Tove. “I need him to portal the team to where I left the scent.”

“Why didn’t Tove remain on their scent?” Salem asked as he looked at the female Lycan.

“I know where they are going,” Marcus told him quietly. “They are heading to Tongass. I have friends in there. I sent word.”

“There are many packs in there,” Sloane said downheartedly. “How will you know who to contact?”

“There are, and they are mostly good packs. The pack I contacted, the Second, Elrick, is a noble male and already has his best Lycans and a neighbouring pack hunting. Former Sentinel Nyla is the Alpha Female of the second pack. Trust me, they will be on the trail of the Drakhyn.” Marcus shared a look with Tove, and she nodded in confirmation. “As they come down from the north, we will cut across to the west.”

“No one knows where my brother is,” Sloane told them. “He could be anywhere.”

“Call him,” Salem said gently. “He will come for you.”

“He will not, he told me he needs to study,” Sloane laughed sardonically before he let out a loud groan. “He will come for Tegan though,” he told them reluctantly. “She will not be happy.”

“I do not think she can call him like you can,” Salem said as his confusion shone through.

“She is bonded.” Sloane looked out the window onto the grounds, his head messy with his emotions. “Trust me, he will hear her.”

Tegan came back into the room looking agitated. “Why are you all still in here? We need to hunt.”

“We need Cord,” Sloane told her bluntly.

“No, you don’t,” Tegan immediately responded, firmly. “His stupid ego will not let us forget that we need to call on himagain.”

“Yes, we do.” Bryce fought back his smile at Tegan’s accurate description of her mate. “Please, Elite Sentinel Tegan.”