Revolting
Chapter 86 -

Chapter Forty Eight - Ryborg Pharmaceuticals William

My happiness with Heath was overshadowed by loss... the loss of Gabe, and now the loss of his sister. Whenever I wasn't occupied by my duties as the pack beta, I was helping Heath search for his sister. We sent her photo to every pack in the North East, and some even beyond. We even registered her as a missing person within the human system, just to widen the net. We spent every free day, combing the woods in ever widening circles, searching for any sign of her, any scent, any trace.

Daisy finally emerged from her bedroom, looking years older, and incredibly frail. Her lovely face had grown gaunt, and thin, and she seemed to have no energy left in her body. She kept a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and was always shivering with cold. Her blue eyes had grown dull, and no longer sparkled with joy. She knocked quietly at our door, even though the door was already open. "William?"

Heath and I were on the couch. He was sitting, with is feet propped up on the table, and I had my head in his lap, a book open on my chest. I lowered my book and welcomed Daisy into our room. She didn't enter, but hovered there at the door, grasping at that blanket. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Where... where is Hannah?"

I exchanged a worried glance with Heath, and carefully pushed myself up into an upright seated position. I chose my words very carefully. "She's not here, Daisy."

Her brow furrowed. "I know that. Where is she?"

I scrubbed my hands over my face. "She left," I finally admitted, "We don't know where she has gone."

Daisy sagged into the door jamb. "She... left?" Her face looked stricken. "Oh goddess, its because of me, isn't it?" She squeezed her eyes shut. "I said some horrible things to her... to all of you. I'm so sorry! I swear I didn't mean it!" I came off the couch to engulf her in a hug, "I know Daisy. We all know you were overcome by grief."

"But..." Daisy dropped her head down, "She left. Oh Heath, I'm so, so sorry."

"Don't Daisy," Heath shook his head, "It's not your fault, and nobody blames you."

"I... I want to help you look for her," she offered weakly. She had not left the house since the funeral. She barely had the strength of will to get out of bed. Maybe looking for Hannah would help her, give her some purpose, some reason. As long as she didn't become discouraged by the lack of progress, it might be a good thing for her. I communicated my thoughts to Heath through the mate bond, and he agreed.

"We would really appreciate that," Heath said with sincerity. "Another set of eyes would be a great help."

Daisy nodded, and pushed away from me. "Okay. Good night then." She adjusted her blanket, tightened it around her shoulders again, and shuffled back down the hall toward her own room. I watched her go grimly. Not everyone survived the loss of their mate. The deeper the bond, the greater the love, the more likely that the one left behind would not be able to go on. I wasn't sure if Daisy would be able to pull herself together. I said as much to Heath.

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He sighed. "I remember how it changed my Dad," he told me, his eyes distant as he relived the memories. "He survived, sure, but he was never the same. All the fun was gone, all the laughter. He did the best he could to take care of Hannah and I, but he wasn't really there, you know? He just... went through the motions. It was like the best of him died with Mom."

I swallowed, hoping with all my heart that things would turn out better for Daisy. I said a silent prayer that she would find something to live for, and that the joy would light up her eyes again, and her wide smile would split her face. I pulled out my phone to check my email again, just as I did dozens of times a day, hoping for any sign of our missing sister. Yes, I did think of her as my sister already.

Heath made himself a camp out at the ruined foundation. He allowed me to provide him with a tent, but that was about it. Some nights I went out and stayed with him there, and other nights I was able to convince him to come into the pack house and share my room with me. It wasn't the most ideal situation, but I was grateful for every moment we had together. I was grateful that he was giving us a chance. I was thankful that he hadn't turned and run away after his sister. I was still planning to build us a little house that we could share together, and until then, I accepted that he needed to keep himself separate and apart from the pack.

Days stretched into weeks, and I feared that we were never going to find Hannah. I know Heath worried about her constantly, even though he rarely spoke of her any more. He had a map spread out over my wall, and he studied it every night, as if the pale green topographical print was going reveal her hidden location. He leaned his forehead against the map and heaved a frustrated sigh. "She's alone Will." he said, finally voicing his fears. "How long can she last before she goes feral?"

I put my hand on his shoulder. "She's strong. So much stronger than any of us ever gave her credit for. She's going to be okay, Heath." I said the words to comfort him. She was one tough cookie, that much was true, but I also was beginning to lose hope.

She had been gone about five weeks when we got the first hint of her whereabouts. Daisy came into the room, looking excited and animated for the first time since she lost Gabe. "Have you watched the news today?" She asked. I frowned at her. "When have I ever watched the news?" I asked, rolling my eyes.

"Maybe you should start." She said. She came over to me, and sat beside me, letting her blanket fall away from her, forgotten for the moment. She pulled out her cellphone and cued up a news broadcast that originated from Ontario, Canada. The picture on the phone showed a big brick building engulfed in flames.

"Ryborg Pharmaceuticals was attacked today by an unknown arson," the female broadcaster was saying. "Authorities are still investigating the motive for the fire. This image was captured by security cameras." The screen flashed a grainy, black and white image of a tiny figure moving along the side of the building, moments before the windows exploded and the place went up in smoke.

I snatched the phone out of her hand. "Is that???"

"Based on the images from the security footage, it seems the fire may have been the work of a child, or a group of children," the reporter continued. "If anyone has any information regarding the fire, please call the Ontario Provincial Police Department at 807-..."

"Back it up! I want to see it again!" Daisy dragged the footage back, and I watched it again, zooming in closer to try and get a better look at the small figure. It was the right shape, the right size, and the figure moved just like Hannah, with that animal-like grace.

"She burned the lab." Daisy said, a bit of awe tinting her voice. Ryborg Pharmaceuticals was the source of the deadly, slow-acting poison that Michael had used to hunt and torture rogue wolves. The poison that had nearly killed her brother. I paused the video at the point the image was the clearest. I could make out the silhouette of a pony tail on the back of her head, and when she turned just slightly, there was a glimpse of the side of her face. Although nothing could be seen in detail, it was clear that the color, texture, and the reflection of light was different on the left side than it was on the right. I was positive, it was Hannah.

I shot up off the couch. "I have to show Heath," I said, starting to run out of the room with Daisy's phone.

"Hey, my phone!" Daisy followed me, leaving her blanket on my couch as the two of us hurried out of the house.