Chapter 4 Found Her

Victor POV

After hours of driving and following dead ends, I collapsed onto my hotel bed, feeling exhausted. I'd been surveilling women, hoping to find my missing friend, Tori, but all leads had led nowhere. My phone dinged when I was about to zone off to sleep. Blinking at the screen, I saw a message from my Gamma: "I found her." I bolted upright, heart racing. The message continued, "Bar 99, tonight at 9." After seventeen long years, we finally had a lead. Her mother had taken Tori at the age of five, and her father had been searching for her ever since. This could be the breakthrough we needed after two years of frustration.

I was so excited that I headed to the bathroom to shower and prepare for a night out at the bar. I remember Tori from her childhood, and I used to babysit her while the Alpha and Luna were busy with other things. But for me, it was more like playtime with a friend. We would have water-gun fights and play hide-and-seek in the garden. I even taught her how to use a water gun and track animals in the forest. She would watch me train and try to mimic my movements, even though she was only five years old. Despite her youth, she was both beautiful and intelligent. Hopefully, if all goes well tonight, we can confirm her identity and report the good news to the Alpha.

After showering and drying my body and hair, I threw the towel back in the bathroom and walked to my luggage to find appropriate evening attire. I found a pair of dark gray jeans and a white button-up dress shirt. I guess that will have to do. After putting on my clothes, I judged myself in front of the mirror.

Of course, being me, I see every flaw, scar, and mark on me, wondering if she will even remember me. My deep brown hair lies just past my shoulders in slight waves. My ocean-blue eyes stare back at me with sadness and longing. Then, my thoughts turn towards the ugly side of my mind. If she does remember me, will she be happy to see me? Will she hate me for not being able to keep her from leaving? My wolf and I have always held a special place in our hearts for her, as she is a close friend I love dearly. I pray the Goddess accepts me and does not run away again.

I hope that... I am good enough to be back in her life.

I reach across the table, grab my black leather coat from the back of the chair, and take one last look in the mirror as I zip it up and straighten the collar. I shot a sad smile before turning to the door and leaving the room.

I arrived at the bar just before nine and found a parking spot in the back. I watched patrons walk in and out, and a few stumbled out. I kept an eye out for Eric. He said he would be there with his fiancée, Tammy, and her friend, Tori.

I am getting slightly anxious. I hope they have not decided not to come or go elsewhere. I waited another ten minutes, then gave up and got out of my truck. I hit the lock button and headed towards the bar.

Suddenly, I hear a girl's voice yelling at someone. I stopped and listened to where it came from. Behind me, a couple is arguing over something in the back lot. I turn and slowly walk in that direction, along the parked cars, to stay out of sight. Once I reach the corner, I see a beautiful young lady screaming at a man with a blond lady standing behind him. He is pleading with her to listen, but she seems too angry. He has done something wrong. I feel uncomfortable eavesdropping on a stranger's fight, about to turn and leave when I hear the man call her name.

"Tori!" Immediately, I turned around just in time to see her pound the hood of his truck and kick the fenders. I smiled a little at myself at that. Good for her. As she stepped away, I saw her shaking her hand from the pain and found myself letting out an angry growl in my chest. I see him exit the truck, followed by a scantily dressed blonde female. He was hooking his belt as he did, which angered me even more. I was beginning to understand the cause of the fight. What an asshole! I wanted to tear him apart for hurting her!

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" He screamed at her as he approached her.

"With me? You disappeared for weeks without a phone call or a text, not a single word!" She yelled back in a raspy voice. Her breathing was heavy and difficult. "...and here I find you with...this!" She looked disgusted at the blonde, who tossed her hair over her shoulder and smirked.

"Oh, he's been...quite busy." The blonde interjected as she pulled her dress down.

Tori, please... let me explain... Tori wanted nothing to do with his excuses. She shook her head at him and walked away. Then I saw him run up to her and grab her arm. What she did next surprised me but filled me with pride. She spun around and, without missing a beat, hauled off and slugged him right across the jaw. It was a beautiful hit. He grabbed his jaw and glared right at her. Without wavering, she challenged his glare and did something I did not think he was expecting. Honestly, neither was I.

She flashed gorgeous amber fire eyes at him, and as quickly as she did, they were gone. She turned on her heel and walked back to the bar.

I surmised that there was some relationship between the guy and Tori, and he f*cked up. By the looks of it, big time! Seeing a blonde girl get out of the truck with him, I am guessing he didn't tell her he had a woman already, or that he had cheated on Tori with her. Either way, the guy was a scumbag who hurt Tori.

'Let me tear him apart!' My wolf, Ivan, demanded.

'No. Not now, anyway. We cannot alert the humans to our presence.'

'He deserves pain! He hurt our Tori!' I thought about what he said. "Our Tori" sounded nice, comfortable, and correct. It gave me a warm, tingly feeling inside my heart.

I find a pair of wolves as bouncers when I reach the door. It does not surprise me; they make exceptionally good muscle men. I stare at them and see a slight bow of their heads as their wolves recognize mine as a ranking wolf. I nodded in return and walked inside.

I slowly walked towards the large wooden bar at the back of the building, taking in the scene around me. The place was packed. Many were dancing and grinding on the dance floor, mingling through the crowd, expertly balancing their drinks without spilling on fellow dancers. I spotted an empty place at the bar and sat down. The bartender eyed me and nodded.

"What'll it be?" He asked while throwing a white bar towel over his shoulder.

"Beer. Draft"

"Leaded or unleaded?" He asked with his brow raised. That was this bar's code for human beer or wolves' beer. A regular beer does not affect a wolf. A slight buzz occurs if they drink enough; otherwise, it has no effect. A "leaded" beer was for wolves only. It had a shot or two of wolfsbane in it to enhance the effects of the alcohol. It gets us drunk faster.

"Unleaded." He stared for a moment, then went off to get the order. I spun around and watched the humans dancing, or what looked like dancing, to the base thumping music coming from the DJ booth on the other side. Many couples were grinding against each other, apparently wanting to do more than dance with their partners.

I grabbed my beer and was searching for Eric when the DJ announced karaoke. I was intrigued when I heard a seductive reggae beat and spun around to see a beautiful woman onstage. It was Tori, the woman I had seen in the parking lot. I froze, captivated by her stunning voice and how she swayed to the music. Her hips moved smoothly, and her hair whipped in rhythm, teasing the crowd. I wanted to rush up and pull her away from all the eyes watching, but I was frozen. As the song ended, she smiled and waved, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

I heard the DJ announce Tori's name, but I was not ready to talk to her yet. I needed to calm down and think of how to introduce myself. As I turned to find Tori, I noticed the man and the blonde from earlier walking towards her. I followed them and grabbed the man's arm before he could reach Tori. I glared into his eyes, hoping he would back down. I just wanted him to stay away from her. "Stay away from the young lady before you regret it," I said low and menacingly.

"What are you gonna do, huh?!" This guy was either drunk or stupid. I was at least four or five inches taller and twice his size. I could break him with one punch. I stood blocking his path with my hands balled at my sides, attempting to control my anger when I heard it. "Victor," in a slightly breathy tone. I spun my head around and caught her eyes with my own. We stared at each other briefly before I noticed her looking up and down my body. When her eyes returned to mine, I saw a slight blush on her cheeks, and she turned away. I grinned before returning to the guy before me and grabbing his arm.

"Let's go find out!" I pushed him towards the door and out into the parking lot.

Once outside, he threw every swear word he could at me. I just stood there, growling lowly at him, deciding if I should throw him in the lake nearby or punch him in the face and knock him out. Either would make me happy.

"What do you want with the young lady?" I said through gritted teeth.

"None of your business, man, back off!"

"It is my business! Now take your sorry ass out of here before you regret it!"

"Tori!" He yelled as he jumped around me and ran up to her. He grabbed her by the arms and got in her face.

"Did you send him after me, huh? Trying to get rid of me by scaring me?!" He screamed at her as he shook her violently. "You're such a bitch! I never did anything to you!" Before I could grab him away from her, his hand came down across her face, and the distinct sound of slapping skin echoed through the lot. She fell back on the ground, hitting her head on the pavement. He lifted his leg and began kicking her in the legs. I was behind him in a flash. I grabbed him by the neck and dragged him away. I threw him to the ground and started punching him in the face. He tried blocking with one arm and swinging punches with his other. He landed a few on my chest and head, but they were like gentle slaps. I was so enraged that it did not register any pain. I picked him up and put him on his feet right in front of me. I was drawing back to punch him again when I caught Tori stumbling over and placing her hand on my arm, which was pulled back to hit.

"I'm done with you, Jonas. I never want to see you again. Stay. Away. From. Me." She enunciated each word to make her point through gritted teeth. He drew in a ragged breath and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Yeah? Or else what?" He stared right at her. That is when we both saw it. Her eyes flashed with amber fire, then returned to normal in seconds. Controlling her rage, she calmed it down and blinked a few times. He had a shocked expression while panting to catch his breath.

"You wanna find out?" She let go of my arm, and I dropped the guy. He rubbed his jaw, glared back and forth between us, and turned to leave. He got into his truck with his woman and kicked up dust before screeching out of the parking lot. I glanced at Tori and saw her talking with her friend, her arm wrapped around her.

I looked at Eric and nodded my head, giving a slight command to watch her. Eric nodded back and led the ladies to his truck.

I slipped away quietly before Tori could ask questions; I wasn't ready to answer. As I drove back to my hotel, I gripped the steering wheel and took calming breaths, realizing I was about to follow that guy and do something I'd regret. I needed to compose myself before reporting back to the Alpha, hoping he'd be pleased we found her and would keep an eye on her.

Upon reaching my hotel, I shut off the engine and took a deep breath before heading to my room. Images of Tori's captivating dance filled my mind-I couldn't believe how beautiful she had become. I sensed a spark of recognition in her eyes, but I wondered if she truly remembered me. My wolf whined at the thought of her not knowing us.

"It's all right, man. She will come around," Ivan whined, and his words slipped into the back of my mind. I understood how he felt. I was hoping she would recognize us, but soon enough.

I swiped the key to my room and entered. Again, throwing my card on the bed, I slumped down and rubbed my face with my hands. I heard my phone ding and quickly picked it up to read the incoming message.

'Taking Tori home,' Good, I thought.

'Text me her address.' A moment later, I received the text with her address. I punched it into my contacts and brought it up on my map. It was only about 15 minutes from here, on the outskirts of town.

I studied the map of her home, which was a bit secluded at the end of a cul-de-sac with only two neighbors. Woods surrounded the backs of the houses, leading to the small town's main street. Just outside was Hidden Falls Medical Center, the only major hospital in the area, run by the local Hidden Falls Pack, a wealthy group with about eight hundred members. Their Alpha, Damon, and Luna, Daria, were well-respected, and their son, Ronin, was still without a mate. The Beta, Raymond, lost his mate during a hunter's attack, and his son, Jax, is next in line for the position. The pack mostly stays out of trouble and has a good reputation for treating its members well.

I slipped off my jacket, threw it on the chair, and headed into the bathroom. Removing my shirt, I stared at the scars and marks in the mirror. Again, I could not help but judge myself negatively for the story marred on my skin. I remember every scar on my torso and where it came from. Not one of them is worth reliving or even mentioning. They all ended painfully and traumatically. Being a Beta and a warrior comes with the territory. Being mateless and alone, I bear the nightmares alone.

I remove my clothing, shower, and turn the temperature to hot. Letting the water wash down my body, I reflect on my evening at the bar. In my mind, I see Tori singing up on stage. Her sweet voice, beautiful face, and perfect body strolled across the stage in front of everyone. I couldn't help the jealousy that ran through me, but I remember our eyes locking with one another and the slight hint of recognition and longing. Maybe she does remember me, or at least finds me familiar. I can feel my heart racing and my breathing hasten as I hear her voice. I place my hands on the tiled walls and think about her. My mind is racing, my heart is longing, and I can feel a painful tightening in my groin. I look down and find myself at full mast and groan to myself. Thinking about what to do, I hesitantly grab myself and begin to stroke slowly. I close my eyes, and all I see is her. Her perfect body was dancing just for me. My strokes become more robust and faster as I lose my breath. Before I knew it, I was stroking hard and fast as I felt my balls tighten and pull up toward my body. I increased my speed and felt the spark run through my lower spine as I released myself all over the tile. Streams of cum run down the wall and wash away in the shower stream. I watch as it disappears down the drain. I can't help but let a wave of sadness wash over me as I return to reality, finish washing myself, and rinse. I hear pounding on my door as I step out and dry with my towel.

"Hang on, I'm coming," I yelled out as I wrapped the towel around my waist and reached for the knob. I could sense my Gamma outside, and a wave of fear ran through me. I opened the door and found Eric standing there, Tammy hiding behind him, worry on her face.

"Gamma?" I tilt my head at him, and he gives me a look of frustrated fear before slightly bowing.

"Beta. We have a problem...."