We made our way back down the trail leading to the pack house in a matter of just a few minutes. However the moment I stepped out of the woods and into the backyard I could feel it.
The tension hung in the air like a low dense fog over the lake in the early morning. People were running around all over the massive backyard looking underneath tables and behind all the shrubbery, some were even peering up into the trees.
I glanced around spotting my dad setting at a table with an ink pen in his hand and a notepad in front of him talking to a sobbing lady in a green sweater and black slacks.
From this angle I really couldn't see her face clearly. After taking a few steps closer I recognized her as Luna Rebecca of the Snow Valley Pack.
I took another quick glanced around the yard catching sight of her husband Alpha Mitchell. He was talking to my dad's Beta over beside the big fountain in the center of the garden.
Alpha Mitchell had his head lowered with a grim expression on his face,something an Alpha would never do when talking to a Beta. They're just too prideful,in the werewolf society to lower your head in front of someone is a sign of submission. Seeing his head lowered in front of my dad's Beta told me without a shadow of doubt that Alpha Mitchell was on the verge of a complete breakdown.
Slowing my steps I eased closer to where my dad was setting. I strained my ears and heard Luna Rebecca say " He was playing with his toy truck right over there." As she pointed in the direction of a secluded area of the yard close to a row of tall hedge bushes.
The row of hedge bushes she was pointing to covers the generator and the outdoor wood furnace that we use during the brutal winter storms here in Alaska.
However beyond the row of hedge is nothing except the plush green forest. I immediately realize what was going on . Luna Rebecca's three year old son Young Alpha Chase is missing, and everyone is looking for him.
I quickly made my way over to the table eggar to help. Clearing my throat to get my dad's attention as I arrived. Just as his eyes landed on me I went straight to the point not wasting anytime with apologies for interrupting his conversation.
" I'll get the maps out of your office and get a group of the teenagers together. We can make a field search of the woods in human form with the radio's to communicate with each other."
I also informed him through the mind link about the human scent on the trail. I did it through the mind link so that it wouldn't upset Luna Rebecca anymore then she already was.
A three year old lost in the woods was a bad situation and a tariffing thing for a young mother to think about. I sure didn't want to add the thought of a possible kidnapping when I had no proof.
It's not that uncommon for human hunters and hikers to wonder into our pack territory. Actually it happens about once every couple of months.
It's really no big deal when this happens our pack lands are posted with no trespassing signs. Usually patrol is sent out to inform the humans that they are trespassing on private land. No trouble has ever come from it and the humans are escorted back to their vehicle.
I heard Aiden's voice from my left side inform me "You and Andie get the maps and I'll go gather up all the teenagers." I glanced over my shoulder giving him a nod with further instructions.
" Meet me by the pool soon as you can."
He grabbed Jaylee's hand with a clipt " See Ya in a few minutes " dashing off towards the pack house in a quick jog.
I glanced down at Andie to see a frown had settled on her beautiful little face and I'm sure she was thinking about the same thing I was.
Every young werewolf is always cautioned about humans and the possibility of them trying to kidnap a small werewolf for scientific research.
Theoretically humans aren't supposed to know about werewolves. However through the years some have become aware of our existence. Ether by accidentally wondering onto Pack land and witnessing a werewolf shifting or through some other means.
Just like other mysteries of the universe some greedy bastards always want to cash in on that knowledge.
Giving my girls hand a reassuring squeeze I direct my attention back to Luna Rebecca "Can you give me a brief description of what Chase is wearing and provide something for us to get his scent from."
Luna Rebecca wiped her nose on a tissue and answered me through tearful sobs " He's wearing a dark blue t-shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans with a light weight navy blue jacket."
Glancing down in her lap briefly she brought her hand up offering me a soft looking stuffed gray wolf for a scent object " Please be careful with this he can't sleep at night without it." Her words reminding me that we are searching for a small child who may be frightened at this very moment and time is of the essence.
" I will Luna Rebecca, just as soon as all the teenagers get his scent from it I will send it right back to you." I reassured her grabbing the stuffed wolf and dashing off towards the pack house.
Andie and I made quick steps across the empty reception hall and through the double doors that leads to the hallway to my fathers office. Not wasting anytime I reached into my pocket and grabbed the keys to unlock the door handing Andie the toy wolf as I did so.
I gathering the maps from the filing cabinet as fast as possible turning on my heels with Andie right behind me. We hurried back out of the office down the hallway to a storage closet that has emergency equipment inside.
Even though werewolves can use the pack link it's only truly effective within a couple of miles and can only be used with members of the same pack. It's always a good idea to keep handheld radios in the pack house for an emergency such as this one.
When I stepped inside the storage room a low rumbling growl ripped from my throat and it took everything I had within me to stop from shifting.
The strong scent of a human lingered inside the room penetrating my nostrils like a hot knife slicing through butter.
Stopping in my tracks I threw my hand up to stop Andie from stepping inside the room. A strong werewolf can take on at least ten humans in a fair fight. However when dealing with humans you never know if they have automatic weapons on them which puts a werewolf at a serious disadvantage.
Using my heightened sense of sight I didn't bother flipping on the light. Immediately making visual sweep through the well organized storage room confirming what I had already suspected. Nobody was inside whoever was in there had already fled.
' Skyler get over here to the pack house come to the storage closet down the hallway from my father's study and bring our best trackers with you .' I informed my future Beta through the mind link.
Stepping on inside the storage room I gathered all the radio's with one swift scoop.Taking the same path out that I came in an attempt to minimize my scent the best I could.
Back out in the hallway I halted my steps and glanced around spotting Andie all the way down the hallway reaching for the bar on the emergency exit .
"Andie" I shouted to get her attention.
Turning she glanced over her shoulder bringing her hand up to wave me over to where she was.
A bit confused about what was going on with her but seeing she had no intention to come to me. I sprinted off down the hallway to where she was standing.
" Babe come on we don't have time to waste the pool is the other way." I explained
" Can't you smell it." She ask me with her little nose scrunched up and a sour look on her beautiful little face.
Taking a deep breath pulling all the jumbled scents into my nostrils as I tried my best to pull anything definite out of the mix of cleaning products that I was familiar with and another faint chemical smell that I wasn't familiar with which just confused me more. I shook my head and had to ask.
" What is that?"
" It's propofol, a drug used for general anesthesia during surgery. It's also mixed with a faint human scent. The same scent that was inside that storage room." She replied, sending my brain reeling into a million different directions.
Horrible images of a small child being dissected like a bullfrog in a high school chemistry class flashed through my mind. Luckily before my imagination could conjure up anymore horrific scenes the sound of foot steps at the end of the hallway caught my attention.
" Skyler " I called out to get his attention waving him towards us. After seeing him making his way to us I immediately turned back to Andie. " Can you track that scent "
" I can try" she murmured kinda low not sounding too sure of her tracking skills.
" Let's try babe" I encouraged her , it was the best lead we had so far and I didn't want to waste a second and risk the scent getting mixed anymore then it already was.
Skyler approached us with hurried steps and I shoved the radio's into his arms with a brief explanation " Take these out to the pool find young Alpha Aiden he knows what to do with them. Assist him with what ever he needs. Tell him Andie and I are going to check out a lead and we can get in touch with you through the mind link if y'all find anything."
" Zack what the hell is going on. I partied late last night and you woke me up with a order for trackers." Skyler asked confusion all over his pillow creased face.
I could tell he was a total unfocused mess. He looked like hell with a serious case of bed head, swollen bloodshot eyes, pillow creases on his face ,along with a bit of dried up drool on his cheek. If the situation wasn't so dire right now I would ribb his hung over ass.
" I don't have time to explain just go to the pool and find Young Alpha Aiden he will explain. Oh and stop by that storage room and let the trackers get a whiff." I ordered turning on my heels and pushing the door open for me and Andie to step out.
I froze the moment I stepped out that door causing Andie to crash into my back. She stumbled a bit but I caught her pulling her into my arms before she could fall to the ground.
" What's wrong did you forget something?" She ask as tried to push her way out of the tight hold I had her in.
I heard what she said but I was still frozen trying to get a grip on what I had just discovered.
" Uh..Zack" I heard Andie squeak
" Yeah babe" I replied while still staring at the emergency exit door.
" You're mashing me." She breathed
I shook my head a bit to clear my mind and peered down my chest loosing my grip when I seen Andie's little face smashed against my sternum.
" Sorry babe, did I hurt you?" I didn't feel anything from the mate bond but I wanted to ask just to make sure.
" No, I'm fine,but what's wrong with you."she ask pulling me out of my thoughts.
" We have a trader amongst us, not one that's just trying to bring down a pack for more power. I'm talking a about one who is willing to go against the whole werewolf society." I murmured still trying to wrap my mind around the evidence that was right in front of me.
" Those bastards ." Andie hissed with her cute little face scrunched up in anger as a wave of her teenage Alpha aura rolled out like a tsunami. I couldn't blame her for being angry. What I suspect is treason on the highest level. All werewolves are taught from a very young age that we're different and it's a must for us to keep our kind a secret.
" Calm down babe" I tried soothing her little Alpha temper. Her teenage Alpha aura was coming out in powerful waves.If I didn't have the mate bond to protect me from it Apollo would be clawing at the surface of my mind trying to come out. I'm sure she wasn't even aware of it , it's a common problem with male teenage Alphas. But I haven't heard of girls having this problem . I will need to talk to my mom about teaching her how to control it.
Reaching behind her I pushed on the bar to check if door was locked confirming my suspicion. " Look babe this is an emergency exit, it's always locked from the outside. My dad is the only one with the key. That means if those humans came in this door someone from inside opened it for them."
" We need to chain it" she murmured staring at the door like it was her mortal enemy.
I grabbed her hand pulling her while reminding her of what's important right now " Come babe we don't have time for that. Concentrate on the scent of that drug and don't think of anything else."