The initial steps he’d have to take were easily determined. First he’d send Lucy off on some complicated errand to ensure she didn’t return too soon. Once she was out of the way, he’d wake up Melody, using whatever means necessary, so he could grill her about what she knew and who she’d told.
Tracking down her boss, Aldrich, would likely be next on his list. He’d have to cross check what Melody had told him to ensure she’d been truthful; at this point Ryne knew he couldn’t afford to trust her word completely, too much as at stake. So he’d find Aldrich but... Therein lay his stumbling block. How was he supposed to track down Aldrich while at the same time keeping Melody under observation?
The cold, logical part of him said to just drag her along, regardless of her condition, but not only did his wolf howl in protest at the idea, it wasn’t easily accomplished. Even in a neighbourhood as seedy as this, a cabbie would question someone carrying an unconscious woman about. If it wasn’t for Lucy, he could leave Melody by herself and hope that her condition didn’t worsen while he was gone, but Lucy was a factor. He couldn’t keep her occupied forever and leaving Lucy in charge of Melody was tricky. What if Melody transformed in the other woman’s presence? Or took a turn for the worse and Lucy called 911? The complications that would involve brought another knot of pain to his already throbbing head.
There seemed to be no easy answer and he didn’t have the luxury of time. Not only was Kane waiting for his call, but the longer he took figuring out this mess, the farther the information could be spreading.
Still pondering the problem, he approached Melody’s apartment, only to come to a sudden halt. All his senses went on high alert as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. Something was wrong. The smell of fresh blood filled the air, overpowering everything else. Around him the sounds of daily life continued; the human inhabitants apparently oblivious to the danger around them, but to him the evil oozed down the hallway, as palpable as a living thing.
Cautiously, he traversed the remaining distance to Melody’s door, then cocked his head and listened. His keen hearing caught the barely perceptible sound of breathing inside. Slowly he reached out and nudged open the door while testing the air for subtle clues that existed under the scent of blood. The acridness of fear lingered as did the unmistakeable odour of another male. Possessiveness flared inside him and he fought to keep it from clouding his judgement.
Lazily, the door swung open about a foot, squeaking on the partially broken hinges that were evidence of his earlier break-in.
“Hello?” He called out the greeting in a casual tone as if unaware of any problem.
There was no response. Somehow he wasn’t surprised.
Muscles tensed and ready to respond, he pushed the door open wider and stepped inside. The door responded quickly to his shove until the presence of something unexpectedly stopped its inward motion. As it bounced back towards him, Ryne swiftly turned to see what was impeding its movement. There was nothing at eye level and his gaze immediately dropped to the ground.
There was a heartbeat of silence, then a savage growl erupted from his throat at the sight before him.
“Lucy!” He breathed her name out in shock.
The woman was lying in a crumpled heap surrounded by a pool of blood. He dropped to his knees to check for a pulse. Pressing trembling fingers to her throat, he detected the faintest hint of a throb. It was weak, but offered some hope.
Grabbing the phone, Ryne dialled 911 while visually searching the apartment for signs of Melody. When the operator came on the line, he rattled off the needed information, hanging up without answering the superfluous questions peppered at him. He had no time to talk.
Swiftly, he completed a circuit of the apartment, confirming what he already suspected; Melody was indeed gone.
“Damn! I shouldn’t have left...” Muttering self-retributions, Ryne returned to Lucy’s side. He knelt beside her, feeling more ineffectual than he had ever felt before. He was Alpha, his job was to protect, to nurture and defend, yet despite his desperate wish to do something for his dying friend, he was helpless. As his hands hovered uselessly over her body, he noted a partial message written on the floor; Greys. What could that mean? Ryne furrowed his brow and stared unseeing across the room. Greys... The word niggled at his memory, but why? His gaze lighted on Melody’s laptop. Greys...Greyson! The name was in one of the files he’d found. Shit! Whoever had injured Lucy must have something to do with that damned report she’d written.
A change in Lucy’s breathing caught his attention; it had been shallow before but now it seemed uneven. His heart thumped heavily as he stared at her pale face and blood soaked blonde hair. With trembling fingers, he brushed her cheek, leaning forward and softly calling her name. There was no response. He swore vilely. It wasn’t right that she was hurt and possibly dying. This wasn’t her problem. She’d never done anything mean or hurtful. Lucy was warm and giving to a fault, always happy... The backs of his eyes pricked as he recalled her teasing, the way she’d sashay across the room with a tray of drinks in her hand and a smart comment on her lips. He blinked rapidly. Compressing his lips, he wished he could do something for her; that he could stay and hold her hand, but the lives of so many hung in the balance. He needed to find the truth on the off-chance that he could halt the Keeping before Kane took the final steps.