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and airports. And all I got was nothing. Lisa had vanished, like smoke through my fingers. And that pissed me off even more. With every hour, the pressure mounted. The council was waiting. The kingdom was watching. Lucien was circling like a vulture, ready to swoop down the moment I failed. I needed that marriage. And he didn't! I have never been a stranger to handicaps, but this... this was especially annoying. The time constraints mixed with the mounting pressure made every and all surprises even more of a problem. Everyday was a struggle. To make it worse. Not only did her disappearance shut down the marriage card, but also the child card. All my hands were revealed. In this game of poker, only a miracle would grant me a high card. I sat in my office, fists clenched so tightly my nails dug deep, drawing crescents on my palms. The scotch beside me did nothing to ease my temper. Today would just be like all the ones before. Damon stood before me, weary, but unwavering. He waited a few precious seconds. Obviously more concerned about giving information about a potential false lead or a plain dead end. "Alpha... we think we have something." My head snapped up, slow and cold. "Where?" "An orphanage. Outskirts of town. St. Agnes Home. A caretaker recognized her photo and called the search number. Said she showed up a couple days ago. Which matches our timeline perfectly." Without a word, I was on my feet. The chair scraped back hard against the floor. Damon didn't have to ask, he simply followed, already calling for the car. The drive felt endless, every mile stretching my fury thinner. What might have been a thirty minute drive stretched for what seemed like hours. We pulled up to a squat, weathered building. Faded paint, cracked windows, the kind of place that smelled of old damp wood and sad memories. I slammed the door behind me, my boots pounding up the steps. As t