The Missing Wolf: The Familiar Empire Series

by Bailey, G.

  “Can I come inside? It’s freakin’ freezing out here,” I ask, looking between Liam and Alex who are having a silent conversation of some kind.

  “Yes,” Liam says at the same time Alexander says no. Liam only elbows Alexander in the stomach before grabbing my suitcase with my bag on top and wheeling it inside, with me following him in. The warmth of the room hits me straight away before I even see the giant fireplace in the middle of the room. It is made of stone, stretching all the way up to the top of the cabin. I’m sure it keeps the whole place warm. The bottom part has an open fire blasting heat into the room, and three brown sofas surround it with a rug in front of one. I spot two doors behind the fireplace, going off somewhere, and a door leading outside to what looks like some decking. Liam places my suitcase and bag by the bottom of the stairs as I look around. The door slamming shut behind me makes me jump, and I look back, seeing Alexander has left the cabin.

  “What is his problem?” I ask Liam, who scratches the back of his neck as he clearly thinks of an answer while he walks to my side. I glance at his black jumper that tightly fits him and grey joggers, knowing he must have an awesome body under those clothes.

  “Alex is like a brother to me, but he is an asshole at the best of times. He doesn’t like change, and you are certainly a big change,” he tells me, which I guess makes some sense, and Liam quickly changes the subject. “Can I get you a hot chocolate and something to eat? I bet you haven’t eaten since you woke up.”

  “No, I haven’t eaten, so that would be amazing. It’s all been a bit of a rush,” I explain to him, rubbing my arms.

  “I get it. We’ve all been there. It’s best you eat now though before our familiars come back from their hunt. They will just be trying to steal your food otherwise,” he explains with a grin, then nods his head for me to follow him. I run my eyes over his toned back and slim waist under his black jumper, noting how very attractive he is. What is in the water here? Hot guy serum or something? I beg my cheeks to not be red when he looks back at me as he pushes the door open and holds it for me to walk in.

  The room on the other side is a kitchen, and when I get into the room, I can see how large it is. It’s a long room with wooden cabinets on either side that match the wooden floor in colour. I would even go so far as to think they are made of the same wood. There is a large double cooker in the middle of the room and a sink with piles of dishes and glasses in and at the side of it. Liam is making his way towards a fancy looking coffee maker on the side, with a holder full of different pods.

  “Grandma Pops—well, not my actual grandmother—had one of those,” I muse as he picks up a hot chocolate pod, clicking it into the top.

  “Who is that?” he asks, opening the cabinet in front of him and picking out a red mug.

  “My foster carer, though she is more like a grandma to us,” I explain to him as he clicks the machine on. He seems to think on my answer as he goes to the fridge, getting some milk out while I slide onto the counter behind me, sitting down.

  “Us?” he asks, running his eyes up my legs until he gets to my face as he comes back, placing the milk on the side.

  “My sisters and I,” I answer, rubbing my nails in a nervous motion as I think about my sisters. I can only see Phoebe crying as I got on the train and how upset she will be when Bethany tells her everything. Then I think about Bethany, the look on her face before I passed out. Her screams for me.

  “I have a sister on the outside too,” he tells me. “It was difficult to be made to leave her, but she is older, settled with a fiancé. I know she doesn’t need me. Are your sisters older?”

  “One is older, another is only eleven,” I explain to him. There is an awkward silence, only filled by the noise of the coffee machine as Liam flashes me a sympathetic look. I don’t need his sympathy; I will get to see them once more.

  “I’m sorry you were forced to leave them. Sometimes being a familiar comes at such a high cost. My mum used to say that only the best changes in life are the hard ones. The ones that are easy can never bring about the best,” Liam tells me, and we seem to just stare at each other, stuck in a strange moment of understanding before the machine beeps, telling us it is done. Liam shakes his head as he looks away and pours the milk in before handing me the drink.

  “Hugh promised if I bond with Shadow and do six months as a nurse here, I can see them,” I say, and Liam looks at me strangely before going to the fridge again.

  “He promised, huh?” he asks, looking shocked.

  “Yeah...was he lying?” I ask. If he was, I am going to try to escape. I can’t live a life never seeing my sisters again. They are my family.

  “Hugh doesn’t lie; it’s just that isn’t the usual rule. Most have to wait a year at least,” he explains to me. “I would keep his promise a secret around here. Most familiars have waited a long time to see relatives.”

  “I will,” I reply as he pulls out some sandwich meat, cheese and butter. I stare out the window at the trees as their leaves sway in the breeze. Why would Hugh give me special treatment? The only conclusion I can come to is because of Shadow. I know there is something being kept from me, and I think the best way to find out is to ask Raine a load of questions tomorrow night.

  “I’m sorry we don’t have much else. Tomorrow is the food shop for the week, and we all eat a lot,” he explains, looking a bit embarrassed.

  “I’d eat anything right now, so don’t worry,” I explain, not caring what he gives me. I feel like I haven’t eaten in years. “I grew up knowing how expensive food is, and sandwiches are a good meal.”

  “I thought you might be hungry, but I still wish I had more than a sandwich for you. When the police darted me, keeping me asleep for a day, it made me hungry. Must be the drugs,” he explains, taking the food over to a wooden platter where there is a loaf of bread just behind it. Well, not a loaf, just two pieces left, by the looks of it.

  “I can make my own if you have other things to do,” I suggest, pausing when I see the familiar mark on his hand. I don’t even hear his answer as I stare at the glowing purple mark that is the same colour as mine. His is a fox though, a large one that covers as much of his hand as mine does.

  “My fox is called Silver. You will see why when you meet her,” he tells me as he spreads butter on the bread.

  “My wolf is called Shadow. How come our marks are the same colour?” I ask him.

  “How big is Shadow?” he asks rather than answering my question.

  “Bigger than me by about two feet,” I answer, taking a wild guess.

  “He is an ancient then, just like Silver. We all have large familiar animals, and some people call them ancients. We all also have glowing purple marks that are bigger than anyone else’s,” he tells me. “That is why they have placed you with us.” I stare at Liam in silence for a moment as I process that there is something odd about me and these guys. So much for fitting into the crowd.

  “What animals do the other two have? I was told three guys live here,” I ask.

  “I will let you see them yourself. Though Alex’s animal doesn’t like to sleep in the house, so you won’t see her until tomorrow morning,” he explains.

  “Isn’t it too cold outside for any animal all night?” I ask.

  “Ah no, it isn’t, her kind digs holes and sleeps in the ground. She used to do it by the cabin, but after we realised she might bring the cabin down burrowing new holes all the time, she goes a little out of the way now,” he says as he finishes making the sandwich and hands me it. The familiar must be a mole or something along those lines. I eat in silence, well aware of Liam watching me, trying to figure something out, by the look on his face. When I’m finished, I put the plate with the others and make a mental note to find time to wash up tomorrow. It will take at least an hour with all these plates.

  “I can help out with cleaning. I mean, I don’t mind washing up, but I hate drying or putting them away,” I explain, and Liam grins, placing his hands on his hips.

 
“We all hate washing up, Miss Bossy, but we will happily dry and put things away,” he states, grinning just as there is a bang on the door. I sense Shadow near, like a warm feeling deep in my chest.

  “Shadow is here.”

  “Good, so is Silver. I hope they get along and don’t fight. Our last roommate had to move out because Silver kept being a little shit,” he says, beaming in what I can only guess as excitement, while that just worries me, as he walks out the door.

  Trust and lust should never mix.

  Liam jogs across the room, effortlessly leaping over the sofa to get to the door as I follow him. I can’t seem to pull my eyes from him until he opens the door, and Shadow tucks his head as he comes into the room. Liam’s eyes watch Shadow in awe as he comes right up to me, choosing to sit at my side as I place my hand on his back. I look up into Shadow’s eyes, knowing that he’s happy with himself.

  “Hey, Shadow, you smell like...well, dead things. I assume hunting went well,” I say, and he huffs.

  “Silver, come in here, gorgeous,” Liam calls, and I watch as a large silver fox comes into the room, stroking her tail around Liam’s shoulders as she ducks to come in. Silver is a stunning animal with white fur that almost has a silver tone to it and a massive bushy white tail. Every inch of her is beautiful, and she reflects Liam’s natural features. They are both cute. With these two giant animals in the room, it now feels tiny.

  “She is gorgeous. I get the nickname now,” I tell Liam, and Shadow growls low, pushing himself into me to get closer and nearly knocking me over. I chuckle and pat his shoulder, stroking his fur. “You are just as handsome, don’t worry.”

  Silver purrs lightly, walking around us and jumping onto the sofa. She stretches out as we all watch her.

  “Seems Silver doesn’t mind Shadow one bit,” Liam comments, and Shadow pushes his head against me gently before walking away, going to lie down in front of the fire on the blue rug.

  “Is he okay to sleep in here?” I ask Liam.

  “Yeah, Silver always sleeps down here, so she will like the company. Mason’s familiar sleeps in his room on the top floor, and I’ve already said where Alex’s familiar sleeps,” he tells me.

  “Still not going to tell me what they are then?” I ask, and he shakes his head. “I thought I could catch you out there.”

  “Nope,” he replies with a cheeky grin. “Come on, let me show you your room. I moved out of mine so you could have it.”

  “You didn’t have to do that,” I protest, following him over to the stairs, where he stops to pick up my suitcase for me. I want to tell him I will carry it, but then again, it’s super heavy, and he looks like he has more muscles than I do.

  “It’s the only room with an en suite. I’m happy to share with Alex and Mason, but you should have your own space,” he tells me as he groans while carrying my suitcase up the stairs. I pick up my bag where it fell on the floor and follow him up the stairs.

  “Well, thank you. You didn’t have to do that,” I lightly say. I could deal with sharing a bathroom, I was planning to at university, but it was only with other girls. Liam has a point.

  “Nope, but my mum taught me how to be a gentleman, and that was the gentlemanly thing to do,” he tells me as he puts the suitcase down on the second floor. There is another staircase going up next to the one we came up, and four doors line the hallway, two on each side. “The upstairs is Mason’s space. I wouldn’t go up there without an invite though.”

  “I won’t go into anyone’s room without an invite,” I say. “That would be super rude.”

  “You are always invited into mine,” he tells me, grinning.

  “That was a terrible line,” I reprove.

  “I know. I can do better than that,” he says, and we both laugh. “What I meant is if you need anything, my door is open to you. Please don’t think you are alone here, as you’re not.” I smile at him, nodding once before he pulls my suitcase to the door next to the stairs. He opens the door and walks in, switching on a light before I follow him in. “I changed the sheets to these ones that are washed, and they are my spares, but you can keep them if you like,” he tells me as I take in the room. There is a large double bed in the middle of the room, pushed against one of the walls with light blue bedding on it. There is a dresser and another door in the room which I assume is the en suite. The window is long and showcases the frost trees outside. The trees make the room look really beautiful as the sun is just setting. There are blue curtains hanging at the sides and blinds pulled up at the top of them.

  “I can buy new ones soon, but I’d love to borrow them for now,” I reply, mentally calculating that my list of things to buy is getting pretty big. “So thank you.”

  “No problem. Honestly, you can keep them,” he says, leaving my suitcase by the dresser.

  “Thanks,” I reply, and he rubs the back of his neck.

  “You said you are going to work as a nurse, right?” he asks me, leaning against the wall with his feet crossed.

  “Yep,” I reply, placing my bag on the dresser, well aware of his eyes watching me.

  “I can take you to the infirmary tomorrow morning on my way to work,” he explains.

  “Thank you. That would be amazing,” I answer.

  “I can’t pick you up when it closes, but Mason works there too, so he should bring you back. I will ask him for you,” he suggests.

  “I’d owe you both then,” I reply.

  “We don’t owe each other anything for favours. We familiars have to look out for each other, you know?” he says, smiling.

  “I don’t actually, but I’m slowly getting the idea,” I reply as honestly as I can. I’ve always only had to look after my sisters, and Grandma Pops made that easy. It’s not the same as actually having people to trust.

  “You’ll be okay, I’m going to make sure of it,” he says before he smiles at me and walks to the door. “I’m off to sleep; we have to be gone at five a.m. tomorrow. I was up early today, moving this room and making this place presentable for a woman, and I’m exhausted.”

  “Was it that bad before?” I question, looking around.

  “Erm...I’d rather not answer that,” he says, winking at me before walking out the room, shutting the door as I can’t wipe the smile from my lips. Maybe being a familiar isn’t all that bad. Not with people like Liam around.

  There must be something in the water.

  I sink into the bedsheets after unpacking my clothes and briefly using the bathroom to clean up. The bathroom is super modern, and it makes me feel bad for Liam giving me this room. I will have to cook them all dinner—though maybe a take-out as I can’t cook anything but cookies well—as thank you. I could actually make Liam some of Grandma Pop’s famous cookies. I have the recipe in my notebook which is now on the dresser. Those cookies are to die for.

  The room is warm from the stone fireplace on the one wall by the bed, and all of this should be making me tired, but instead, I can’t stop thinking about everything. Running the last day, or however long, through my mind a million times like it will actually change what happened. The only question I have no answer to, which is bugging me, is how to bond to Shadow. Do I need training? Is it just going to magically happen? I need to ask about that, considering Raine said people die from not bonding.

  This is not how I pictured the next few years of my life. I’d planned to finish college, move with Bethany near Phoebe, and get a nurse job. Maybe meet a guy and eventually get married. That’s the life I thought I was destined for… This life? I don’t understand, and I hate that. I feel clueless and lost. I lie back into the mattress, which is extremely comfy, and I let out a sigh as I stare at the ceiling in the dark. The darkness of the room feels empty, quiet, and after today, it is comforting.

  It’s eight p.m. which is early for me to go to sleep, so that might be why I can’t stop thinking, but I know I should go to sleep with what is setting to be a long day tomorrow. I’d usually scroll Facebook and Twitter until I fall aslee
p, but that isn’t happening tonight. I’ve already checked my phone and laptop, figuring out in a matter of minutes that both of them have no signal. So there goes my sneaky plan of just calling Bethany and Phoebe to chat with them, to just tell them I am okay and I will work hard to see them soon. I hope they at least have a TV in this place, but as I think about the entrance to the cabin, I don’t remember seeing one around.

  I can live without the internet—barely—but not Netflix. Nope. I need my Netflix nights in with popcorn, comfy pyjamas and pop. It’s my Saturday night ritual since I got it. I used to watch movies before, every Saturday with Bethany and Phoebe, usually old ones we could afford to get. Grandma Pops used to make sure we had popcorn and some chocolate to watch a movie we would rent from a local store. I think back to last weekend, the movie night I had with Phoebe before I left, and it hurts just to think it will be a long time before I get to sit with my sisters again. It feels like I’ve lost them, which I know is ridiculous, but it does feel that way, nonetheless.

  I have to keep reminding myself that Hugh promised me I could see them if I get through this. If anyone can get through this, it is me. I just have to ignore the hot distractions I now live with and focus on the new job—being a nurse. I also have to focus on bonding with Shadow, which means I have my hands full without adding guys into the mix. I feel like I’m becoming my sister with how much I can’t stop thinking about Liam, his cute and sexy nature that could win any girl over. Then there is Alex, who is every girl’s bad boy dream. Though I know he wouldn’t be interested in me, I can’t help but think about what it would be like to date someone like him. Although with how he looked at me before, I’d end up in tears, running away after even two horrible words came out his mouth. If he was mute…well then, he would be perfect, I reckon.

  There are two firm knocks on my door that make me sit up straight in surprise, jiggering me out of my thoughts. Who would be knocking on my door? I guess it’s normal to be a little bit jumpy in a new place like this. Bethany told me she couldn’t sleep well for days when we all moved into Grandma Pops’s house after bouncing around a few foster houses for a long time. I don’t remember moving in all that much, but funnily enough, I remember the cookies Grandma Pops made us as a welcome gift and that her house smelt of lavender. I shake my head as someone knocks once more on the door, and I know I have to answer it. It’s Liam telling me something he forgot earlier or a Wi-Fi password. Damn, that would make me so happy. I could go find out more about familiars. I’d planned to google familiars and find out everything I could tonight to make me relax a little more, but with no signal, that isn’t happening. I’m still as clueless as ever.