Pretty Baby(20)

       
           



       

"Sounds good."

Tommy nodded, although he wasn't sure he was agreeing to anything  exactly. More like nodding because that seemed like the thing to do. He  needed to get home, not only to see Elliot but to talk to Nate about his  friend Roane. Tommy needed to make sure that the man was on the up and  up. He needed to know that Nate trusted Roane.

"So, Bishop … "

Bishop rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you can have the week off, but I  expect to meet this mate of yours the minute you get things worked out."

"It's a promise." Tommy grinned. "I need to go, need to get back to  Elliot. In his present state he seems to only listen to me and I don't  want him hurting anyone." He glanced at Levi again. "You know where you  can find us."

Levi nodded.

Tommy said his goodbyes and headed for the door. He tried to act casual  as he hurried. He tried to not act like he was walking faster and  faster, but the sudden need he felt to get back to Elliot was  overwhelming.

Strange and disturbing thoughts began to race through Tommy's mind. His  head swirled with confusion as a cold sweat broke out over his skin.  Tommy clenched his fists when he felt his claws trying to extend.

Something was seriously wrong and Tommy knew his mate was involved  somehow. As they hadn't completed the mating all of the way, Tommy  didn't know how he knew Elliot was in trouble, but he did.

Tommy pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and flipped it open,  dialing Nate and Joe's house. His heart pounded faster in his chest as  he waited for someone, anyone, to pick up. He needed to know if Elliot  was safe more than he needed his next breath.

If he wasn't in the middle of town, he would have shifted and ran to  Nate and Joe's house as fast as he could. It just wasn't possible. Most  of the citizens of Wolf Creek knew of the pack, but there were some that  did not. Secrecy was what kept them alive and safe.

"Nate?" Tommy asked the moment someone picked up and said hello.

"Tommy?"

"Is everything okay there?"

"Funny you should ask." Nate laughed nervously.

"Elliot?"

"Yeah, um, here, you better talk to your brother."

Tommy felt like his heart was going to jump right out of his chest as he  waited for Joe to come on the line. Fear and anger at himself for  leaving Elliot unprotected began to knot inside him. If something  happened to Elliot while he was gone, Tommy would never forgive himself.

"Tommy?"

"Joe, what's wrong? What happened to Elliot?"

"He's gone, bro."

"Gone?" Tommy gasped, realizing a shiver of panic. "What do you mean gone?"

"He's not here. He was in the kitchen lying down and Nate went to the  bathroom. When he came back, the backdoor was open and Elliot was gone."

"Did someone take him?"

"Well, that's always a possibility, but I don't think so."

Tommy frowned at the hesitation he could hear in Joe's voice. "What aren't you telling me?"

"The backdoor was smashed from the inside, Tommy. I think Elliot left on his own."

In his heart, Tommy had always been afraid that Elliot would leave.  Finding a mate that was so perfectly matched for him just seemed too  good to be true. Just thinking of Elliot leaving nearly shattered  something inside of Tommy.

"Okay, I'll be back to the house as soon as I can."

"Tommy, he could have just needed to go out for a run. Being a wolf seems to be kind of new for Elliot."

Tommy swallowed with difficulty and found his voice. "Yeah, maybe. Look,  I'll be home in a few minutes and we can figure this out."

"Tommy, don't see this as more than it is. Elliot could have simply gone  for a run or maybe he went searching for you. He doesn't seem to want  to be separated from you. It could be as simple as that."

"That's funny coming from you." Tommy chuckled anxiously. "You haven't  wanted him here from the very beginning and now you're telling me that I  shouldn't worry when he's missing. That's rich, Joe."

"Look, Tommy, I may have been wrong about Elliot. I just-"

"May have been wrong?" Tommy snapped.

"Okay, I was wrong. Happy?"

"Not really. It would have been nice for you to accept my mate from the  very beginning instead of treating him like the spawn of hell. Elliot  has no control over who his father is, and he shouldn't be judged by the  things his father does. He should be judged by his own actions."

"You're right, Tommy."

"Damn straight!"                       
       
           



       

Joe sighed deeply. "I promise to apologize to Elliot the moment we find him, but first we need to find him."

"Yeah." To Tommy's dismay, his voice broke slightly when he spoke. He  took a deep breath and tried to calm his raging emotions. "I'll start  looking this way as I head home. You start there and we can meet in the  middle."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Okay." Tommy flipped the phone closed and shoved it back into his  pocket. A cold knot formed in his stomach as he thought of Elliot being  out in the world all alone. It didn't make sense because Elliot had been  on his own for a number of years, but Tommy's feelings for the man  after two days didn't make sense either.

Tommy clenched his hands as another wave of panic rolled through him.  His skin prickled, a sure warning that someone was watching him and  Tommy didn't think it was Elliot. He didn't get a good vibe like he did  when Elliot looked at him. This felt cold, creepy.

Tommy slowed his walking and tried to shut out everything around him. He  honed in on the feeling he got, sniffing the air until he found the  scent he was looking for. It smelled like rotten flesh, a sure sign of  something bad, usually someone evil.

Tommy immediately thought of Carl. He knew he had a natural hatred of  the man because of the way he treated Elliot but there was something  more to Carl than just that. Carl seemed to have an unnatural  fascination with Elliot that caused Tommy to be very concerned.

The second Tommy figured out where the scent of rotting flesh was coming  from, he changed directions, heading toward it. It was a foolish move,  Tommy knew that, but he wasn't going to let anyone harm his mate.

Tommy followed the nauseous scent to an alley between a general store  and a café. He tried to look casual as he pulled out his cell phone and  flipped it open. He didn't dial, just held the phone to his ear and  paused in the entrance of the alleyway.

Tommy started talking as if there really were someone on the phone then  nonchalantly glanced around him. His enhanced senses gave him better  eyesight, better hearing, and a better sense of smell.

He was grateful for every one of his senses when he spotted Carl hiding  behind a dumpster half way down the alley, and he wasn't alone. Tommy  could sense two more men with him. He figured the odds were pretty much  even.

Tommy snapped his phone closed and shoved it back into his pocket. He  took a deep breath then turned and walked into the alley. Someone was  going to walk out of this alley alive and someone wasn't. Tommy was  betting it wasn't going to be Carl.

"Hello, Carl. I hear you may have been looking for me."





Chapter 9


The white wolf's mind was working overtime as he ran through the streets  of Wolf Creek, dodging cars driving down the streets and people walking  down the sidewalks. The fear gripping him was almost debilitating, and  if his need to get to his mate wasn't so strong, the wolf would have  collapsed right there in the middle of the street.

The need to reach his mate started out as a small trickle, almost a  whisper across his mind. It grew stronger with each passing moment that  the man was gone until the wolf couldn't ignore it anymore and he had to  find his mate and protect him.

The wolf didn't know what was happening to his mate but he knew it  wasn't good. The feelings flowing through him made his hackles stand up.  They made him want to growl and howl and rip something apart with his  bare teeth.

His paws flew across the pavement as he ran all out as fast as he could.  He breathed in shallow, quick gasps as he ran. The need to reach his  mate pounded in his head becoming stronger and stronger until he was  almost mindless with panic.

He flew around the corner of a red brick building just in time to see a  man hit his mate in the face. The wolf bellowed out his outrage as he  watched his mate drop to one knee. Pure, blinding rage filled him until  he saw nothing but the overwhelming need to kill.

The wolf charged the man hitting his mate, biting him in the arm. The  momentum of his lunge tore the man away from his mate and took him to  the ground. The wolf growled and ripped at the arm with his teeth,  yanking and pulling. The bitter taste of coppery blood filled his mouth  just as the man's agonizing screams filled his ears.