Greg shrugged. ‘I don’t know. An ogre’s honour is a funny thing. Although it might dictate that they don’t take a contract involving minors, it might not extend to actually rescuing the minors in question. I just don’t know enough about them. They tend to keep to themselves, and their reputation for killing anyone who asks the wrong questions, or looks at them in the wrong way, puts people off visiting.’
‘I bet.’
‘It didn’t put you off visiting and asking questions,’ he pointed out drily.
‘No, but occasionally I’m foolhardy. Besides, Bobby’s life is at stake and there’s not much I wouldn’t do to rescue that kid. He’s a part of my pack and his safety is on me. He was snatched from under my nose.’
‘He wasn’t snatched from under your nose,’ Greg argued. ‘He was taken at school. We can’t protect everyone every minute of the day.’
‘I know that, but my heart won’t accept it. It feels bruised. I keep thinking about what Sonia must be going through and it cripples me.’ I shook my head. ‘No parent should be separated from their child in circumstances like these. It’s heart-breaking.’
‘Sonia knows you’re doing everything you can to get Bobby back.’
‘Maybe, but it feels like we’re not doing enough.’
‘Marley is on it too, and he’s the professional. In the meantime, we’re tracking down leads. There’s nothing else we can do.’
‘We’ve run out of leads to tug,’ I pointed out morosely.
‘I know,’ Greg replied softly.
Shit. I was hoping he’d have another idea. Instead, we had nothing.
Chapter 15
Whenwearrivedatthe mansion, Greg hugged me. It was nice to be enveloped in his arms. He smelled of sandalwood and spice and something else – an element that was uniquely Greg. Butterflies took up residence in my tummy, and the moment hummed with tension. Then he pulled back and pressed an unsatisfying kiss to my forehead.
‘I’ll see you later,’ he promised. ‘I’m going to explore the roof and see what security measures we can put in place. I’ll contact the company we used for the rest of the security and try and get some night-vision cameras mounted. I’m also going to speak to Amber. I’m sure she ordered runes to stop eavesdropping, yet Bastion was able to hear us.’
‘You think someone screwed with a rune on purpose?’
‘It’s a distinct possibility.’
‘Let me know what she says, and get me a quote for the roof monitors. Let’s get the ball rolling sooner rather than later.’
He nodded, all business. ‘Will do.’ He peeled off inside and started upstairs to gain access to the roof.
I went to my living room so that I could at least do some helpful reading. This time I selected some of the books on gargoyles because Reynard’s beef with Amber was still annoying me. I hate ignorance. Knowledge dispels fear and I wanted to know as much as I could about the Other realm. I hated walking about not knowing what I was facing.
I’d been reading for some time when there was a knock on my door. It was Archie. ‘Come in,’ I called
He sauntered in and sat on the sofa opposite me. ‘I wondered if I could have a few moments of your time, alpha?’
‘Of course. What can I help you with?’ I set my book aside.
‘I want to talk to you about Thea.’
‘Sure. How is she settling in?’
He looked serious. ‘I think she’s been through the mill.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘She’s so jumpy all the time, skittish, like she’s afraid. We talked a little about her role in the pack. She’s being cautious about what she tells us, but I also spoke to Elena. It’s clear that the Devon pack has some serious issues. Beckett is nothing more than a bully.’
‘Of that I have no doubt. What has Thea said about him?’
‘It’s more what shehasn’tsaid. She hasn’t said anything positive about pack life. There’s no community feel. The way she talks, it seems like everyone is afraid. Plus, she feels guilty for leaving her pack mates behind.’