Shattered - Completed

14 - Master

Gavin

"How is this possible?"

"Alpha..."

I hold up my hand to stop Javi from speaking. Claws curl from the ends of my fingertips. I stare dispassionately at the blackened color. My feet are bare, my half-shifted feet bursting free from my boots as soon as I heard the news.

I look around my son's room. It's pristine. Immaculately clean with his clothes neatly pressed and hanging in the wardrobe. His school books are stacked neatly on his pup's desk. The bathroom is stocked with his favorite comic book character shampoo and soap. His toothbrush is utterly dry. His backpack is missing. He's missing.

"My mate and my son are gone," I say it out loud. My voice is raspy, but the tone is mild. It's a complete contradiction to the seething morass of rage and fear boiling inside of me. My wolf paces, gnashing his teeth, froth spilling from his curled lips. He's insane from fury. As I stare into his eyes, he rakes his claws down my spine. I bite back my howl. My claws click together, the sound echoing ominously in my heir's empty room.

"My heir's scent is faded from this room."

"Salvatore's nanny told me he ran away yesterday," Javi states. He's just as furious.

"Yesterday," I say flatly. My wolf flashes fang as he paces, back and forth. He shakes his head. Saliva goes flying. His chest is heaving in great drafts, in and out, back and forth.

I stretch out and probe the bond with my princess. She's just fine, but now I find myself questioning what that means? Is she fine because she is involved with Salvatore's disappearance? But then, Salvatore disappeared before she did. Did someone abduct them both? This can't be a coincidence.

Did my sweet little princess betray me already?

"Is the nanny in my interrogation room?" I ask Javi.

"Waiting for you, Alpha."

"And Celeste?"

"Sobbing away downstairs. She wants to see you."

"No. She's a distraction I don't need." My wolf licks his spittle from around his maw. He wants blood.

Javi's eyes meet mine for a brief second. "Alpha... I wouldn't assume Celeste is innocent in this."

I blow out a breath that sounds like a growl, "Do you think I haven't thought of it?" It would be just like Celeste to pupnap her own son to grab my attention. But how is CeCe involved? And, if CeCe was abducted, why isn't she terrified right now?

"No, Alpha," Javi responds.

"Interrogation, first," I rasp out. My wolf wants nothing more than to track down his mate in the forest, but I know I need information, first.

"Yes, Alpha."

The interrogation room is in the dungeon. My grandmother didn't even know that they were there, but Grandfather used them all the time right under her nose. It reeks of despair and mold. The only light comes from the scattering of weak, flickering lightbulbs. Somewhere in the distance, water drips.

In the cell, the nanny hangs from her chains. She's young and pretty. Correction - she was young and pretty. Her face is already swollen, eyes black and blue, the left can hardly open, lips bleeding. My elite who arrested her didn't like her attitude. My wolf curls his lip at her, chuffing in amusement at her broken state.

"Where is my son?" I'm still speaking in a mild tone as I bottle all my rage.

"Alpha," she rasps.

I don't know her name. Celeste chose her and I never bothered to give two shits who she was. Javi screened her application and that was enough for me. "When, precisely, was my son abducted?" I ask her.