“What is it, Arthur?” I asked as soon as I entered, Alaric snarling inside me.
“Dennis and Daniel came to work here on Linda’s recommendation. They’d been on the security team for five years. She did everything very carefully,there was no trace of her manipulating HR to hire them. There was no apparent connection between them,” Arthur explained, his face grim.
“Explain better,” Kyle requested.
“They’re Leila’s cousins, from the Social Club management. I assume you know who she is.”
“Yes, we know, and we heard that name mixed up in some dirt these days,” I said, remembering the conversation with Jacqueline.
“That’s exactly why I remembered them when I saw the information my team gathered. You mentioned this to me, and I also recognized the connection,” Arthur explained. “The human police have already launched a search for them.”
“But how did Linda manage to get them hired?” Kyle asked, her brow furrowed.
“She managed because Draven ordered their hiring,” Arthur said and handed us the two security guards’ files.
“But I don’t remember this!” I said, looking at my signature on the papers. “This was five years ago. I wasn’t directly involved in security hiring and never recommended anyone to the pack security team.”
I was stunned, staring at the papers in front of me. That was indeed my signature. The word “hire” was written in handwriting that looked like mine, but wasn’t quite right. I couldn’t remember signing this.
“And how did this end up in Human Resources?” I asked, Alaric growling with suspicion.
“A pack member found it on your desk and gave it to the HR director. We’ve already called both of them here to better understand this,” Arthur explained. “According to this pack member, he and Linda had a brief fling, and she would often visit his desk. He found these two resumes right after she had been at his desk, and since it had your signature, he gave them to HR, who hired them without question.”
“But how did I sign this?” I couldn’t believe I had done that.
“Draven, five years ago you were overwhelmed with taking over as Alpha after your parents’ death. You were working around the clock, barely sleeping, missing meals,” Ryan reminded me. “Linda might have caught you on a day when you were exhausted or distracted.”
“Damn it! That’s possible… I trusted her. She was my father’s assistant before mine. I used to sign many things she brought to my desk without running them by Clara.” I remembered and slammed my fist on the table. “What else do we know about these two?”
“Right now, the police are tracking down every relative and friend of theirs,” Ryan said. “They’re also looking for Linda, but haven’t found her yet. They searched Howard’s house thoroughly but found nothing. However, his daughter Ella hasn’t been found yet.”
“I think she and Linda have my son. Moon Goddess, they’re both insane!” I shuddered at the thought of my pup with those two.
Dawn broke. We went to check on Caroline and Eleanor, inviting them for coffee. We were in the main hall having coffee and updating everyone on everything we knew. Eleanor had recovered and was already in “I’ll tear the world apart to find Liam” mode, her wolf clearly driving her protective instincts. Kyle signaled to me through our pack link that Caroline’s parents were about to arrive.
“Eleanor’s parents are with them, and so is Dr. Molina,” Kyle informed me.
I braced myself, knowing I needed to be strong for Caroline when she faced her parents.
“Any word from the border patrols?” I asked Kyle quietly.
“Nothing yet, Alpha,” she replied. “But we have eyes and ears everywhere. If they try to move him across any territory, we’ll know.”
Draven’s POV
I returned to the guest bedroom where Caroline was sleeping. The medication Dr. Molina had given her was wearing off, and I could see her face was filled with worry even while she slept. She made soft crying sounds and tears rolled down her cheeks. My heart ached watching my mate suffer like this.
“Caroline,” I whispered, gently stroking her hair. “Wake up, love.”
Her eyes fluttered open, still glossy with tears. “Draven? Did they find Liam?” Hope and fear battled in her voice.
“Not yet,” I said softly, pulling her into my arms. “But your parents are here. I thought you might need them.”
She buried her face against my chest, her tears soaking through my shirt. Alaric whined inside me, desperate to comfort our mate.
“You called them?”
“Yes. I sent the private jet for them. Eleanor’s parents came too.” I kissed the top of her head. “I know this isn’t how we planned to tell them everything, but they need to know.”
Caroline nodded against my chest. “Thank you. I… I do need my mom right now.”
I helped her freshen up, giving her a few moments to compose herself before leading her toward the elevator. My arm remained firmly around her waist, supporting her physically and emotionally. As the elevator doors opened, Caroline’s eyes lit up at the sight of her parents.
“Mom! Dad!” She broke from my embrace and rushed into their waiting arms. Beta Robert held his daughter tightly, his eyes meeting mine over Caroline’s shoulder with a mixture of gratitude and concern.
Eleanor was already embracing her parents, Alpha Gerald and his Luna looking just as worried as Caroline’s parents. The bond between pack families was strong, especially in times of crisis.
“Thank you for bringing us here, Alpha Draven,” Beta Robert walked over to me with his hand out after Caroline went to hug her mother.
“No need to thank me, father-in-law” I replied, accepting his firm handshake. “You’re family.”
Beta Robert frowned slightly when he heard what I called him and looked at Caroline strangely. Although the last time I visited Caroline’s home I was still a suitor, now I was Caroline’s fianc?.
Lena, Caroline’s mother, approached with red-rimmed eyes. I hugged her, feeling the motherly warmth she gave off.
“We’ll find Liam,” I promised, though my voice cracked slightly.
After briefly updating everyone on the situation, Dr. Molina took Caroline aside for a quick examination. When she was done, I asked if we could have a moment alone with her parents.
“You’re so thoughtful, Draven. I didn’t expect you to bring my parents here to be with me,” Caroline said, tears glistening in her eyes again.
“Sweetheart. I can only imagine how much I’d want my own parents here if they were still alive,” I explained. “I thought having your family close would help.”
“Thank you, Draven,” she whispered.
“But we need to tell them everything,” I said gently.
In Caroline’s temporary room, we sat facing her parents. Caroline’s hand found mine, squeezing it nervously.
“What’s going on?” Beta Robert asked.
I took a deep breath. “Father-in-law, I don’t know where to begin…”
Beta Robert hurriedly cut in, “Though it’s very rude to interrupt you, Alpha Draven, but you’ve been calling me father-in-law since we met, and I’m quite bewildered.”
Lena smiled at Robert and said, “Then let your son-in-law start by explaining why he’s calling you like that.”
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