GoodRead65. Area Code
***Jordan***
Aater spending all day searching for clues on Talia’s whereabouts at her house, I finally find what I am looking for
on her laptop. Luckily for me, she still uses the same password. I also find a list of phone numbers taped to the refrigerator that
could be of use to me and another scrap of paper with a name and phone number scribbled on it. Excited about my discoveries, I
walk over to Nikki and Micah’s place in hopes they’ve heard from Natalia but as the wind blows past me, I catch an all too
familiar scent lingering nearby.
Brody
Of course Christian sent a spy, I scoff realizing the bastard likely sent Brody to keep an eye on me.
Fortunately for me, Brody is only a kid, barely 18 years old and a kiss ass who is far too inexperienced in combat
to really pose a threat to me. He likely begged for the job to get Christian’s attention.
He must be here to report and not interfere, my wolf, Adam observes. Well, it’s already clear he’s useless.
Thalf expected Christian to watch my every move but I can’t have this t**t interfere with my plans to help
Talia,
if Christian sent Brody to spy on me, he must suspect me of disloyalty. A dark thought enters my mind. Perhaps Christian knows
I plan to challenge him?
My stomach churns at the potential danger I face should Christian find out his own family plans to overthrow him soon. Knowing I
need to find out the truth, I pick up my pace a little and turn a corner, hiding in a nook behind a building. Not long after, I hear the
quick shuffle of shoes running in the direction I was heading in. Just as I see a shadow approach, I reach out my arms and hook
them around Brody’s shoulders to pin him against my body in a
choke hold.
“Care to tell me what the f**k you think you’re doing here?” I ask, Brody thrashing his body violently to be released.
“Get off me man!” Brody shouts as I tighten my squeeze on him.
When he doesn’t calm down, I grab one of his arms and pin it behind his back while smashing his head against
the wall of the building.
“Sorry, I’m gonna have to ask you to speak up. What do you think you’re doing here?” I snarl in his ear, Brody panting heavily as
he thinks of an answer.
Losing my patience, I twist his arm far enough so that his shoulder pops out of its socket, Brody screaming in
agony.
“Okay, okay, okay!” He cries, banging his palm on the surface of the wall. “I’ll tell you what you want. Just please
let me go,” he begs.
I relent, popping his shoulder back into place as Brody whimpers.
*Some f*****g spy,” | mutter, Brody glaring at me as he soothes his injured shoulder. I grab him by the elbow and
drag him out onto the street, shoving him in front of me. “Walk,” I command, Brody lifting his uninjured arm in
surrender and walking slowly towards Nikki and Micah’s house.
When we arrive at the house, I bang on the door while restraining Brody’s wrist until Nikki lets us in, a look of
surprise on her face when she sees Brody.
“We have a rat,” I groan, shoving Brody into the house as Nikki steps aside. “The kid’s been following me since
got here.” I drag him to a chair and tie him to the seat with Micah’s help. “And now you’re going to talk. Why did
Christian send you here? What does he know?”
“N-nothing!” he shouts back.
I snap through gritted teeth.
“But I don’t-”
“Wrong again...” I growl, this time nailing him square in the jaw.
“I don’t know!” Brody begs, spitting blood from his mouth. “Please, I swear!”
1 punch him in the gut this time, Brody bending over in agony and wheezing. Nikki squeaks nervously, hiding her face behind her
hands as I punch him once more.
“All you gotta do is answer the question,” | shrug, yanking his head up by the hair with one hand and gripping his jaw with the
other. I tap on his cheek gently.”Just tell me why the f**k you’re following me and I’ll stop. What does Christian know and what is
he planning?”
“I don’t know!” he pleads, shaking his head adamantly, “I don’t – I just got assigned here and Keller got
Derek..”
So Christian is watching both of us... He must suspect something is on the horizon...or maybe he already knows
“What’s his plan?” | snarl, gripping him by the neck.
“I don’t know! I don’t know!” Brody insists, his lips blood red. “He just wants to find his mate. He even called
witches-”
“Witches?” | ask, trying to think if he had ever mentioned using witches before.
A very brief memory enters my mind of Christian reaching out to other Alphas with connections to witches a
couple months ago. While witches are supposed to be our mortal enemies, some are willing to help you for a
price.
Looks like Christian made a deal. Adam mutters.
“Yes, witches,” Brody nods. “I overheard him confirming a meeting with a coven before he sent me out here. That’s all I know
though, I swear! I know nothing else!”
So he’s seeking the help of witches to locate Natalia and the pup, I think to myself as I connect the dots. He’ll find
them sure enough with their help.
Brody knows more, Adam growls. He’s hiding something.
“When is his meeting with the witches?” | snarl, Brody trembling in the chair.
“It already happened,” he replies. “It was supposed to take place a few days ago. I was sent here before...”
I stop listening to his blubbering as I take a moment to think through my next moves.
If Christian has already met with the witches, it’s only a matter of time before he finds out where Natalia and the
pup are, unless he’s already found her...
The thought sends a cold shiver down my spine.
“We have to find Natalia quickly,” I mutter, pacing back and forth.
il
pull up the pack maps on my phone and groan in frustration when I realize San Francisco is surrounded by packs in every
direction.
W doubt she’ll want to surround herself with more wolves, so there’s a chance she’s not in a pack at all.
Adam
points out much to my dismay.
In short, she could be anywhere in the state.
“Whatcha groaning about now?” Micah wonders, taking the map from me.
“Natalia flew somewhere in here,” I mutter, pointing to the San Francisco Airport. “I found her plane tickets. But from there, I don’t
know which direction she could have gone.”
“Do you recognize any of these numbers?” I ask, Micah reading each one.
“Yeah that’s Dakota’s daycare, her work phones, Sarah’s bookshop...”
“Who’s Sarah?” I ask, Micah shrugging in response.
“Talia’s best friend for like ever. They do everything together and she would watch over Kota during Talia’s night
shifts at The Masque,” Nikki explains. “Talia told us she’s currently on a trip though so Sarah probably doesn’t know
where Talia is.”
***A/N Sarah is Gwen’s alias (the Earth Witch). See ch. 16.***
My heart sinks, but there’s a last ray of hope in my pocket and I pull out the scrap paper with the name and
phone number sprawled across it.
“Do you recognize this name?” | ask, showing them the paper. “Aurora Altamirano?”
US Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Micah looks at the name and number and types the area code into his phone.
“That’s a California area code,” he says, studying the map again before pointing to a specific location about two
hours north of San Francisco. “Here. That’s the place where this caller lives.”
I study the map and notice a small cluster of packs in the area. I start dialing the number when Micah stops
me.
“Don’t. If this person is helping Talia and you call them, you might tip them off that you know where they are and you’ll lose Talia.
We have to be smart. Wait until we get to the area,” he suggests. “Then we can call and verify that this person knows Talia.”
Inod in approval of the plan but look over at Brody sitting on the chair as Nikki tries to clean his wounds and
realize we’ll have to do something with the douche.
“We can bring him with us,” Micah shrugs. “Keep an eye on him this way.”
“No f*****g way,” Brody snaps.
I smile coldly at the twerp before punching him hard enough to knock him and the chair to the ground.
“Thave no problem chaining you here if you want to stay” I snarl. “Or you can come with us so we can keep an
eye on you. Your choice.”
“f**k you,” Brody groans.
“Suit yourself,” I sigh, swinging my leg back to kick him. “Okay, I’ll go! Shit...” he hisses. “Just get me out of this chair. Micah and
I grab him and slowly raise his chair upright again. As we go to untie him, Brody’s phone rings and he
th fear.
“Shhh,” I hiss, taking his phone from his pocket to check the caller ID.
ALPHA.
“s**t,” | mutter, grabbing Brody by the throat and pulling him close to me. “Listen very carefully, you little s**t,” | warn him. “You tell
Christian anything about our plans and I will kill you. Do you understand? I will cut off your balls, boil them and feed them to you
if you tell him anything.”
He slowly nods his head and I place the phone in his hand, clicking the answer button and putting the phone on
speaker.
“Go,” I mouth, Brody nodding silently.
“Yes, Alpha?” He says in a steady voice. “Any news on Jordan and his progress?” Christian snaps.
“No, sir. He’s still an i***t,” Brody replies, and despite my annoyance, I resist the urge to strangle him. “He’s holed up at the
Luna’s place.”
“Have you seen her or my pup?” he asks, a ray of hope in his voice. “No, Alpha,” Brody replies. “If she is here, she hasn’t left or
entered the house since I got here.”
We hear an angry growl on the other side, the sound sending chills down my spine. Loud sounds of things breaking echo from.
the speaker and it takes Christian a moment to cool down.
“Keep an eye on the bastard,” Christian snarls. “And if he makes a wrong move, kill him.”
“Yes sir,” Brody answers, the call ending with a click. The young i***t turns to glare at me. “Now what, prick!
“Now...” I mumble, taking his phone from his hand and stuffing it in my pocket. “Now we go to California.”
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