CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE
SANDRO DAVALO
We haunt them!
Alex and I were becoming really worried about Nadia’s absence. It had been days since we had last seen her, and panic crept into our hearts like a creeping shadow. This troubling silence felt wrong, and we knew we couldn’t just sit back and let it be.
We searched everywhere, even though we had gone half the places before, for her, retracing her steps, and speaking to anyone who might have seen her. The school felt different without her presence, and every corner reminded us of her smile. We even promised a reward to any student who had an idea where she might be, hoping someone would come forward with any clue.
“I didn’t see her; I have no idea where she might be. We don’t talk; she’s not my friend.” Those were the constant responses we got from those we asked about her. It was frustrating, really frustrating!
One afternoon, we made our way to the grocery store where she worked part-time, hoping someone there might know something. We had not gone there before, and so we had high hopes that, at least, someone there might have an idea what had happened to her. As we stepped inside, the familiar smell of fresh produce and baked goods wafted over us, immediately mixing with a sense of dread.
“Have you guys seen Nadia?” Alex asked a cashier, desperation creeping into his voice. She shook her head sadly.
“She hasn’t come to work for the past few days. What happened to her? Is she okay?” the cashier probed instead.
With every dead-end, our anxiety grew. I leaned against a shelf, frustration bubbling inside me. “What do we do now?” I asked. I was helpless.
Alex ran a hand through his hair. “We could get the cops involved,” he suggested, his voice uncertain.
“Are you crazy?” I snapped, shaking my head vigorously. “We can’t do that! If we go to the police, it’ll expose us for the times we bullied her. We’d just make the whole situation worse! Everyone might then think we were involved in her disappearance, and are only putting on a show to deflate accusatory eyes on us. Think about it, Alex.”
Alex sighed heavily, his frustration mirroring mine. “What then? Should we just sit here and wait? Let her down like we did in the past?”
“I have no idea,” I admitted, defeat hanging heavy in my voice.
My wolf started to grow restless, sensing the urgency of the situation. Nadia should have been able to lead us, but there was nothing, no guiding feeling, no connection that usually came so naturally. It made me doubt our bond; I wondered if we were truly mates at all.
“What if we told Dad?” Alex tossed out the idea, but I shook my head.
“That’ll just give him more questions than answers about us, Alex. He’ll think we’re not capable of handling the pack when he hands it over to us as the next Alphas,” I replied fiercely.
“Damn it!” Alex cursed, the frustration bubbling over.
While we were still standing in the aisle, desperately trying to come up with a solution, a figure approached us. I looked up and recognized him instantly. It was Todd, one of Nadia’s classmates. He stopped right in front of us and hesitated for a moment.
“Hey, guys,” he greeted nervously.
“Do you know where Nadia is?” I asked quickly, my heart racing at the prospect of any news. “If you don’t, get the fuck out of my face!” I added.
“I have something to tell you… about Nadia,” he stammered, glancing around as if someone was watching us closely.
We exchanged worried glances, anticipation churning in my stomach.
“What about her?” Alex pressed, his eyes narrowing with concern.
“I know what happened few days before she disappeared; I know who took her,” Todd said softly, his voice trembling as he spoke.
The shock registered in our faces immediately. “What? Who?!” Alex exclaimed.
But before we could react further, Todd seemed to shrink into himself, fear written all over his face.
“Why did you fucking lie to us that you knew nothing about her disappearance?” Alex shouted, unable to contain his frustration.
“I did not want to get involved!” Todd stumbled over his words. He was clearly terrified. Seeing him like that made me realize that he wouldn’t have hidden this from us without a reason.
I stepped in front of Alex to block him from attacking Todd. “Look, Todd, we need you to tell us everything. We know you’re scared, but we’ll protect you if you tell us the truth.”
He looked around again, eyes wide with fear, before he began to speak. “Okay, I’ll tell you everything. Just please, don’t hurt me, alright?”
“Just spit it out,” Alex growled, his anger still palpable.
“Few days before she vanished, Nadia was in class. Fletcher walked in, Lara’s new boyfriend,” he paused, licking his lips nervously.
“What happened?” I pressed.
“He just grabbed her and dragged her out of the classroom. We wanted to protest, but Lara and Bethany showed up, daring us to stop them.”
My blood boiled at the mention of Lara and Bethany. I could feel the anger simmering inside me, making it hard to think straight. “And you just stood there and did nothing?” I asked, incredulous. “You let that happen?”
“I… we were scared of them!” Todd replied, his voice a mere whisper now. “You know how they are, man! Those guys and their girlfriends don’t play fair. But I did not pay attention to it, as she returned back that day.
It was only later that I began to piece it together that they are probably the ones that took her.”
“Do you know any other thing that seemed off?”
“I have no idea,” Todd said, shaking his head hopelessly.
“If I find out that you’re hiding something from us, I will deal with you in ways you won’t recover from,” Alex threatened, standing taller and more menacing than ever.
“I’ve told you all I know!” Todd pleaded, his fear clear. “You have to believe me!”
“Leave,” I told him, trying to sound more composed than I felt.
Once Todd stepped away, I turned to Alex, frustration boiling beneath the surface. “What do we do now that we know who has her?” .
“We haunt them,” Alex said simply, his expression hardening with determination.
The very idea sent a chill down my spine. I leaned in closer. “You mean… we scare them? Get back at them for what they did?”
“Exactly,” he replied, fire igniting in his eyes. “We make them feel the fear they pushed onto Nadia. It’s time to show them who they’re messing with.”
I nodded, my heart racing with fear adrenaline. The thought of confronting Fletcher and Lara felt dangerous, but there was a part of me bubbling with anger and a strong will to protect Nadia.
At that moment, we made a silent pact. We were going to do whatever it took to find her, protect her from those who might harm her again, and teach Fletcher and Lara a lesson they wouldn’t forget.
With our hearts set on a single mission, we got into the car and drove off, determination etched into our features. It was time for us to reclaim control.
“We haunt them,” I repeated, savoring the taste of the words as if they were fuel for the fire brewing within us.
Let the hunt begin.