His Unidentified & Untouchable Mate

What I'd Forgotten

Jacob POV

All but three of the missing wolves were found. Among their ranks, four sustained injuries that proved fatal. Though they’d been pulled out of the factory, they succumbed to infection, or fever, or shock. Another 138 were injured so badly they needed immediate hospitalization. Many, many others had smaller, less severe injuries.

Once the first family member was alerted, the news spread like wildfire. We had buses porting people either to the hospital, or to their homes. What we found, however, was when we crossed the courtyard in front of the central pack house, a mob greeted us. A form of chaos ensued, that we didn’t bother to control. Those that had remained crashed into the returned, who were confused, as if dazed. We allowed them to go home, with the understanding that they were not to go to sleep, and any wolves showing symptoms of concussion were to be reported to the hospital immediately.

I watched from the front steps of the pack house. For once, father had kept me by his side all day. I was no longer just the numbers guy, I was making decisions. I was being looked at not as an unwanted fifth-born son, but as a true member of the High Alpha’s cadre. I loved the attention, but in equal measure, I wondered when the false bottom would fall out, leaving me to fall forgotten out of the public’s eye once more.

“Let’s go inside and let the deltas and gammas handle it from here, son.” Dad looped his arm around my shoulders, and walked me inside. “You did good work today, Jacob. I don’t think anyone else could’ve found them.”

He was right – because Zahraa wouldn’t have been with anyone else. I felt a surge of guilt at the thought; I was riding her coattails. She’d put in the work. Without her, I wouldn’t be here. But she…

Gods, had I left her there?

“Let’s go to my office,” dad said, “I’d like to talk about your position in this pack. I’m not fool enough to ignore when I’ve been wrong about someone.” His arm fell away from my shoulders and he offered one more supportive squeeze of my shoulder before dropping it entirely.

It was as though I’d been presented with a path. Get everything I’d ever wanted versus go to my mate.

“Sure. I’ll be right behind you – I’ve just got to make a quick phone call.” Father nodded, turned and left me. I grabbed my phone and dialed Zahraa.

She didn’t answer until the fourth ring. “Hello?” Her voice sounded even, and there was no anger in her tone. Almost as though she was confused as to why I’d called at all.

“Hey,” I sighed, sagging in relief. “Did you make it back okay?”

“Yeah. Alpha Rowan drove me back to Ingrid’s house.” A pause, concern dripping from her tone when she added, “Her father is hospitalized. I’m at the hospital with Ingrid now.”

Despite the bad news, by blood was boiling. Again, Rowan was meddling with my mate. I took a deep, shaky breath and exhaled before answering, “Good. Great. I’m glad you got back safely. I’m sorry, I got swept up in the recovery.”

“Yeah, no…” there was hesitation in her voice. “Don’t worry about it.”

Oh, I was worried about it.

I’d experienced enough of that pushed aside feeling to know the subtle underlying sadness in her tone. “I’m really sorry, Z. If you don’t mind me stopping by tonight, I’d love to make it up to you.”

Another pause, this one longer. “Um. Actually, Jacob, I’m sleeping over at Ingrid’s house tonight. They’re saying they want to keep him overnight, and her mom is going to stay with him, but Ingrid doesn’t want to be alone in that house.” There was the sound of a door opening and closing, then wind on the other end of the line. I started making my way up the steps, to dad’s office. “Mr. Kemp doesn’t really remember anything. Like, at all. He was finishing up a house inspection, and next thing he knows, they’re pulling him out of the factory.”

“He’s not the only one. Most remember some sort of party or gathering, but it’s all a little overwhelming right now. We’re going to have them write a statement and submit it, and we’ll probably have to question them all to see what happened.” I arrived at the first floor landing and paused a moment before proceeding up the next long set of stairs. “It will probably take over a week to sort out what happened.”

She was quiet again.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, though I felt like the answer probably had to do with me leaving her in the first place.

I heard her adjusting, then the squeak of a chair. “Rowan said something to me.”

My hackles raised again. That bastard and I were going to have it out if this kept up. I fought my instincts to produce an even tone when I asked, “What?”

“We’re both probably going to be questioned pretty intensely. People are already calling this convenient.” Another pause, “And then… something’s just not adding up. How did all those people fit into that room? It was big but not that big. The doors were sealed on both sides, the whole compartment looks almost like it was made for that express purpose and they say they fell into it, but how? It doesn’t make sense.”

I didn’t know how to answer that. On the second floor landing, I leaned over the railing, staring down to see the base of the first floor. “We’ll make it add up,” I said, finally. “We’ll collect all the evidence, and we’ll figure this out.”

I wished more than anything that I knew what was going on in her mind. When she didn’t respond, I asked with forced cheeriness, “A penny for your thoughts?”

“I’m worried about Mr. Kemp,” she blurted. “It’s really bad. They think he’s got a concussion. But there’s no visible bruising or trauma on him…” Another pause, then, “We’re just not sure how any of this could’ve happened.” The silence on the line was heavy, and I wasn’t sure what I could say to erase her worries, or to help. “It seems like no one is very sure on how any of this could’ve happened.”

“We’ll find out,” I said, my voice firm and confident. Inside, I felt much less confident. Zahraa was right; how had any of this happened? If all the wolves couldn’t fit in that room, how had they all come out of there? And if there was no sign of outward trauma, where were these concussions coming from?

“Thank you, Jacob,” she sighed, and I wondered what on earth she could be thanking me about. “Talking to you makes me feel a little more secure.” I started my ascent to dad’s office once more, and she asked, “Do you need me tomorrow, or will your secretary be returning?”

I hadn’t checked on Lara yet, and maybe it would be rude to replace her as secretary after three years together, but I needed every chance I could get to be closer to Zahraa. I’m ashamed to admit there was no hesitation in my voice when I replied, “I’ll see you in the morning, bright and early.”