Wreck

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Rocky

“It’s been a week. Who is she?” Rocky roared as he paced in front of Terrell.

“I’m doing all I can, Rocky. We’ll find her,” Terrell assured him.

Rocky had barely slept since he woke up on the floor of the woman’s bathroom in The Alley. After the initial ribbing from his packmates about being knocked out by his mate no less, they finally realized his desperation. She was obviously in some sort of trouble. The problem was, she was virtually untraceable.

Rocky had been back to the bar every night since meeting her. Even though everyone seemed to know her, no one really knew much about her. They all said the same thing, that she was the life of the party, and could usually be found at any of the parties in the local area. She always left alone, and usually did so without saying goodbye to anyone. If that weren’t frustrating enough, no one knew her name.

“I still don’t know how this woman can be such a social butterfly and no one know her name!” Rocky voiced his frustration.

“Someone knows it. We just have to find them. I don’t think going back to the Alley is the answer. She’s obviously not going back there.”

“It’s the only place I know to try for right now.”

“I may have a better lead,” Terrell said as he spun his laptop around to face Rocky.

Rocky scanned over the page Terrell was showing him. It was some sort of f*******: event for a large party going on in the North side of Wheeling. With the party only a few blocks away from The Alley, the crowd would be on the rougher side of things, but close enough that Rocky’s mate may go. He checked the time on the event, and then noted that he had two hours to kill before it started. If she were like any other female Rocky had ever known, she wouldn’t show up right on time either.

“It’s worth a shot,” Rocky shrugged.

“If nothing else, maybe we can pick up some new information on our drug cartel. Dru’s persistent that we find something that will ultimately take down Vincent,” Terrell noted.

Rocky slumped down on the couch, exhaustion was beginning to creep in on him. He wasn’t sure if he should try and stomach more caffeine or take a nap. He had just closed his eyes when his cell phone rang. The number was from an unknown caller, which Rocky normally ignored. For some reason this time he answered it.

“This is Rocky,” he answered.

“It’s you.” Her sweet voice caressed him even through the phone.

“How did you get this number?” he asked as he sat straight up.

“I’m a resourceful woman. There’s a party tonight, and I need you to not go,” she said.

Rocky pulled his phone away from his ear and looked down at it as if she were going to be looking back at him. The fact that she had somehow known he was going to be at the party gave him chills. He had tried numerous times over the past week to reach out through their mate bond, and every time he had been unsuccessful.

“How did you know I was thinking of going?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just please don’t go.”

“Whoever you are afraid of, you don’t have to be anymore. I will protect you.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about. If you want to keep me safe, and ensure that we can be together again soon, you can’t go tonight. Promise me.”

“On one condition.”

“What?” she asked, her voice sounding hurried.

“What’s your name?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone. A low growl escaped his throat with his impatience and frustration that she couldn’t simply tell him, her mate, her name.

“I wish I could tell you, but you and I both know what happens once you have that information.”

“What happens then?”

“You come barging in like I’m some sort of damsel in distress and wreck everything. I have to go. Don’t call this number back. I’ll contact you again when the time is right.”

With that, she hung up on him. Rocky roared in anger. His grip tightened on his phone, almost breaking it. He set it down gently though, realizing that was his only means of contact with her for now.

“That sounded like it didn’t go over well,” Terrell said, still seated in front of his laptop.

“She called to tell me not to go to the party tonight.”

“Did you at least get a name?”

“No! Damn stubborn mate,” Rocky roared again, launching the closest thing he could get his hands on across the room.

“Rocky, what’s wrong?” Stephanie asked as she came into the living room.

“His mate called him,” Terrell supplied for him.

“That’s good!” Stephanie said, her face brightening with hope.

“Not really. She doesn’t want Rocky at a party she’s going to be at tonight, nor did she give him her name.”

Rocky continued to growl as he listened to Terrell replay the conversation.

“Where’s the party?” Stephanie asked.

“It’s down by The Alley.” Rocky said.

“What if me and Chelsie go?” Stephanie asked with a shrug.

“No! There’s no way your mates are going to allow you to attend a party in the slums,” Rocky said, completely outraged on their mates behalves.

He didn’t want his mate going either. Rocky picked up his cell phone and looked at the number she had called him from. He desperately wanted to call her back, but she had been adamant that he not. Even though the conversation had been short, Rocky could tell he had been right to assume Autumn’s party girl persona was just that. She was afraid of someone. There was way more to her story than she let on to everyone else.

“Where are you all not going to?” Joe asked as he walked in.

“There’s a party down by The Alley tonight that Rocky’s mate is going to, but she doesn’t want him to go. What if Stephanie and I go?” Chelsie chirped.

“No,” Joe said deadpan.

Rocky knew his pack mates wouldn’t allow their mates to go, but he did feel a since of defeat at Joe’s tone. He wanted to go himself, and damn the consequences. However, his mate had gone to great lengths to get his number to ensure that he wouldn’t be there. She had to have a damn good reason for it. It still didn’t stop him from wanting to make sure he had eyes in that party.

“I know the girls can’t go, but what about the rest of you?” Rocky asked.

“I would say any one of us would set off an alarm. The ZPO showing up to a party is worse than the cops showing up. We need someone else,” Terrell said.

“I know, I’ll call Lucy and Emily,” Stephanie said.

“That’s a rough neighborhood. Remember what happened to you the last time you girls ventured down there?” Jake warned.

“I also didn’t have an entire pack of bears listening in close by in case I needed them either,” Stephanie suggested.

“That would work,” Terrell said.

Stephanie looked around at everyone, waiting for everyone’s head to nod in agreement.

“I’ll make the call.”

“Tell them if they’re in to come over first. I can get them all set up before they go in. That way Rocky can not only hear what’s happening at this mysterious party, but he can see his mate as well.”

Rocky was so grateful for Terrell and his technology, he felt like kissing the ground. If he was going to watch his mate from the sidelines, first he was going to have to shift and let his bear work out his aggression. Otherwise the first person to put their hands on his mate was going to end up getting killed.