Raquelle’s phone was buzzing relentlessly on the nightstand.
She groaned, burying her face deeper into the pillow.
The phone continued buzzing.
With a sleepy sigh, she reached out, grabbed it, and squinted at the screen.
Dominic.
She answered.
“Hello?” Her voice was thick with sleep.
“Alpha…” Dominic’s worried voice came through immediately.
“Yes…” she answered reluctantly.
“Alpha, where are you?” Raquelle frowned.
“In my parents’ house.
Why?” “Alpha, you need to come now.” “Huh?
Why?” she asked, her voice becoming more alert as the sleep gradually left her.
There was a brief pause.
“Alpha…
twenty children are missing.” Raquelle immediately sat upright.
Her eyes widened.
“What are you saying?” “The pack’s school bus was found abandoned this morning.
It was supposed to pick up the children and take them to school, but—” “What?” She was already throwing the blankets aside.
“The bus was found completely empty,” Dominic continued.
“There wasn’t a single child inside.
Not even the driver.” Raquelle’s heart began pounding.
“Twenty children?” “Yes.” “How?” “We don’t know yet.
The parents are going frantic.
Everyone is demanding answers, but nobody saw anything.” Raquelle ran a hand through her hair.
“The children disappeared on the way to school?” “Yes.” She stood.
“Did anyone see the bus?” “That’s what we’re trying to find out.” “Oh, fuck.
What the hell is going on?” She grabbed the clothes she’d worn the previous evening and hurried into the bathroom.
“I’m coming right now.” She ended the call.
Within minutes, she’d brushed her teeth, washed her face, and changed into yesterday’s clothes.
She didn’t bother doing anything else to her appearance.
Twenty children were missing.
That was all that mattered.
She grabbed her phone and hurried out of the bedroom.
As she reached the staircase, she found her father already standing downstairs.
He looked toward her immediately.
“What happened?” Raquelle descended the stairs quickly.
“Twenty children are missing.” Her mother’s expression changed instantly.
“What?” “The school bus disappeared this morning.
Dominic said they found it abandoned.” Her father straightened.
“Children from our pack?” Raquelle nodded.
“Twenty of them.” Vanessa appeared from the hallway, her face concerned.
“How did they disappear?” “We don’t know.” Her father stepped closer.
“Where was the bus found?” “Dominic didn’t tell me yet.
I’m going to the office now.” Her father nodded.
“Keep me informed.” “I will.” Her mother moved toward her.
“Raquelle, be careful.” Raquelle gave her a reassuring nod, though the tightness in her chest refused to disappear.
“I’ll call when I know more.” Her father looked at her seriously.
“Don’t rush into anything until you know what happened.” “I won’t.” She turned toward the door.
Then Vanessa spoke.
“Raquelle.” She stopped and looked back.
“Bring them home.” Raquelle held her sister’s gaze for a moment.
“I will.” She walked outside.
The morning air was cool against her skin.
She hurried toward her SUV, opened the driver’s door, and climbed inside.
The engine roared to life.
Seconds later, she pulled out of the driveway and sped toward the pack headquarters.
Raquelle reached her office.
She pushed the door open.
Five men were waiting inside.
Dominic stood near the large window, his arms crossed over his chest.
Jake was beside the conference table, his expression unusually serious.
Delta Rivers stood near the opposite side of the room, holding a folder tightly against his chest.
The fourth man was one of the senior warriors from the eastern patrol division.
And beside him stood another man Raquelle didn’t immediately recognize.
The moment she entered, every conversation stopped.
Raquelle closed the door behind her.
Her golden eyes moved across the room.
“What happened?” No one answered immediately.
Her gaze hardened.
“I asked a question.” Dominic stepped forward.
“We’ve been trying to piece everything together, Alpha.
This is the man who found the bus.” He gestured toward the man standing beside him.
“He was taking his son to school this morning.
His son was running late, so they missed the school bus.
While driving him to school, he came across the bus.” The man nodded.
“I thought something was wrong because it was just sitting there.
I stopped to check.” “What did you find?” “Nothing.
The doors were unlocked.
The engine was off.
There was no driver and no children.” Raquelle’s hands went to her face, her palms pressing against her cheeks.
“Oh, the parents are going to go crazy.” She lowered her hands.
“This is getting too much.
Just too much!” Her voice echoed through the office.
The men shifted slightly at the sudden outburst.
Raquelle took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
“We have got to do something.” “What, Alpha?” Dominic asked.
Raquelle stared at the floor for several seconds.
Then suddenly, a small smile appeared on her face.
“Did you check the CCTV on the street?” “Yes, Alpha.” “And?” Dominic hesitated.
“Where the bus was found, there is no camera.” Raquelle’s smile disappeared.
“No.” Dominic frowned.
“No?” “There was a camera there before.” The room went quiet.
Raquelle’s eyes narrowed.
“What the fuck?” She began pacing.
“I was there with the security company when we installed those cameras.
I made sure CCTV cameras were placed on every street in our territory.” She stopped abruptly.
“That’s what we’re going to find out.” She pointed toward Delta Rivers.
“Find out which security team was responsible for that particular camera.
Then I want the installation records, maintenance records, and every access log associated with it.” Delta Rivers nodded.
“Understood.” Raquelle turned back to Dominic.
“And I want the footage from every camera surrounding that area.” “Even if the bus doesn’t appear on them?” “Even if it doesn’t.” Dominic’s expression sharpened.
Raquelle folded her arms.
“If someone deliberately removed that camera, they didn’t do it for fun.
They knew exactly what they were doing.” The room fell silent.
For the first time since Dominic had called her that morning, Raquelle felt something other than panic.
She began to feel suspicious.
Someone had taken twenty children.
Someone had abandoned their school bus.
And somehow, a security camera that had been installed to watch that exact street had disappeared.
That wasn’t a coincidence.
Not anymore.