Phoenix's Wolf

Chapter 3

“Are you sure that it was a scream?” Her father Shane asked her after she had told him the same story that she had told her mom in the car.

“Positive. Jakon heard it too on his way to football practice,” Phoenix said. “We didn’t go investigate because we only heard it once and I wouldn’t have been able to find where it was coming from. But ever since we heard it, both of us have had a bad feeling about it.”

“You were with Jakon? I thought you guys didn’t get along,” her mother asked curiously.

“No, I was with Sarah at my locker and Jakon was heading to football,” Phoenix said, not really wanting to get into how she knew how Jakon felt about what they had heard. She breathed a sigh of relief when her mother didn’t push the issue. “I think I was closer to where the scream came from, but I never saw anything weird.”

Just then there was an almost timid knock at the door of her father’s office door.

“Enter,” Shane called out, holding his hand up for quiet as the door opened slowly. “Gretchen, what can I do for you?”

“Alpha Shane, I need your help. My daughter, Helen, has not returned home from school. I have tried calling her phone, but it goes to voicemail. It is not like her at all to not answer me.”

“Could she have stayed after school for anything? Practice or maybe to get help with schoolwork?” Shane asked, shooting a glance towards Phoenix.

Gretchen nodded. “She was supposed to stay and get help with her Calculus. She said that she would walk home with Jakon and Wes, but they have returned, and she is not with them. They said that she never met up with them, so they thought that she had already come home,” she said, her voice cracked a little as she finished.

“Don’t worry, Gretchen. I am sure she is fine. We will help you look for her,” Casey said, standing and walking over to her. She wrapped her arms around Gretchen and gave her a tight hug.

“Yes, we promise to help you find her,” Shane said, turning to pick his phone off his desk. After dialing Lane, in his Alpha voice, he said, “We have a situation. My office as fast as you can.”

Jakon, can you hear me? Phoenix sent, reaching out while her parents were starting to get a search party together.

Yeah. What’s going on? Grant just rushed out of here like a bat out of hell. Jakon answered, worriedly.

Helen is missing. They are getting a search party together to try to find her.

What? She never came home? Jakon sent both shocked and worried.

No, she didn’t. Jakon, what if she was the one, we heard scream back at the school? What if something bad happened to her? Phoenix sent, sounding almost hysterical.

Nix, breath. We don’t know for sure what we heard at school. I am going to go get Wes and Aaron to head back towards the school with me. Keep me updated and calm down a little. She will be fine Jakon sent, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt at that moment.

Don’t be crazy, Jakon. You guys can’t get back in the school this late. Phoenix sent back.

“Phoenix, do you remember where you think you heard that scream coming from?” Casey asked her daughter as she grabbed her keys and her wallet off the desk.

“Yes, ma’am. It had sounded like it was coming from the teacher’s lounge in the senior science wing. I was leaving Mr. Roger’s classroom when I heard it,” Phoenix answered, snapping back to what was going on around her. “Are you guys starting at the school?”

“No, just me. The guys are going to check the route from the school and the woods around the packhouse. Want to come with me and then you can show me where that teacher’s lounge is?” Casey asked.

“Yes, ma’am. Do you want to see if the principal is still there? I know there are cameras in the hallways, maybe something got caught on camera,” Phoenix said, standing and heading out the office door with her mother.

“I have the principal’s number in my phone. I will call him on the way to the school. That is a great idea, Nix,” Casey said over her shoulder as they headed down the hallway to the front door.

Jakon, go help my father and the other males search the woods and the route home from the school. Mother and I are heading to the school. Phoenix sent, hurriedly getting back in the passenger side of her mother’s car.

We are already here. We found something. In the marine biology room next to the teacher lounge. Jakon answered, being sure to keep his thoughts and emotions guarded from Phoenix. But she could sense the rising anger in his voice.

Did you find Helen? Phoenix asked, cautiously. She wasn’t really sure she wanted the answer to that question just yet.

Let’s just say that we found something that is going to make finding her a lot easier. Jakon answered vaguely.

Oh, no. Why do I not like that answer? We are on our way. Get out of there. I will take my mom there. Just leave the something in the door so that it doesn’t shut all the way and lock. Phoenix instructed him as she tried to keep the sudden worry and fear she felt off of her face.

Absolutely not. I will meet you guys out front. I am not leaving you guys alone in this building. Grant would have my head if I did. Jakon sent back.

Don’t try to be a hero, Jakon. We can handle ourselves. Especially if there are humans present. The principal is still at the school. He is going to meet us at the front door of the school and let us see the video footage from when the bell rang until after football practice, when Helen was supposed to meet up with you and Wes. Phoenix sent back, annoyed at Jakon’s sudden overprotectiveness. Her wolf growled in her mind; He only wishes to protect his mate. Pheonix mentally rolled her eyes, I don’t care if he is our mate. I hate him. He is so arrogant and mean. He acts like the world owes him something because of who his father was. I can’t be truly mated to someone like that.

I don’t care. I am still staying, Nix. That is not up for debate. You can argue with me on this all you want to, but I am staying. I don’t know if I trust anyone in this school right now, human or wolf. Jakon sent back. He had heard everything that Phoenix had said to her wolf, and it stung that she thought so lowly of him. But he had to admit to himself that she wasn’t wrong. He had been mean to everyone because he thought them beneath him because he was the son of an Alpha. A fallen Alpha, he reminded himself.

As they pulled into the school parking lot, Casey’s phone rang again. She answered it on the second ring, “Hey, Grant,” Casey said, before she was obviously cut off. “Please tell me that you are mistaken. I am at the school now with Phoenix. Okay, thank you for calling me. I will see you back at the packhouse,” Casey finished the conversation and hung up the phone. She then turned to Phoenix with tears in her eyes as she said, “Nix, they found Helen.”

“That is good. Is she okay? Do we still need to talk to the principal?” Phoenix asked.

“We need to see the camera footage to see if there is any evidence or clues as to what happened to her,” Casey took Nix’s hands and held them in hers as she said with a soft, caring tone in her voice, “Nix, there is no easy way to say this. Helen is no longer with us. She has died,” Casey said, her voice cracking as the tears started to fall. Phoenix could only sit in complete shock and stare out of the windshield.

Nix, are you okay? What's wrong? Jakon sent, sensing the change in her emotions. Nix please talk to me, tell me what is going on? Please tell me that you are okay. Nix talk to me, please.

Helen is dead, Jakon. That was all Phoenix said.