adjective ~ not attracting attention

NOVA

My entire face drained of colour as I stared at the stilled image on the screen.

It was my brother. There was no denying it. The faint pull of recognition teamed with the long blonde hair proved it.

In the middle of the night, a broad man carried him barely dressed over his shoulder into the back of a vehicle.

No plates.

No faces.

Professionals.

"Play it again." I whispered.

"Nova..." Phoenix mumbled.

"Again." I demanded.

He sighed, rewinding the clip before hitting play. He slowed it down to capture every detail, and I greedily looked over it all.

The investigator Phoenix had working on the human side of things had sent CCTV videos from the restaurant, hotel and streets for us to scan. He would've looked through them himself, but like Phoenix said; it wasn't his business.

Pollux had followed a girl into a restaurant, and then hours later stumbled after her down the street. He swayed with a drunken haze, staring up at the sky before he rounded the block and entered a building. From there, the video sped up, Phoenix skipping to the next sighting.

A black van.

Three men.

Entering the building.

Dressed in dark clothes.

They were large, but held no visible weapons.

Seven minutes later, one left with my brother over his shoulder. Pollux was just in his boxers, his pale skin shining beneath the moonlight. I chewed my lip as the inconspicuous male placed him into the van and slid in next to him. The windows were tinted and I couldn't see what was happening inside, but then the other two men came out of the building.

As they headed toward the van, the girl Pollux followed home came stumbling through the door. Her mouth parted and through the rustling of night, you barely heard her plea for them to not hurt him. The largest male, who later climbs into the driver's seat, laughed at her, telling her she got what she wanted before slamming the doors and leaving.

The van sped off north, and the cameras tracked them for five miles before they disappeared into the forest.

"Someone took him." I whispered. "Why would someone take him?"

"His blood?" Sean suggested.

"Probably." Phoenix agreed. "But until we know who they are, we won't know why they took him."

"The woman must've sold him out." I stated. "You got what you wanted seems ominous enough."

"But how did she know who he was? Does Pollux know anybody from that town?"

"He never really speaks about the people he has met. But he's been to that town twice, so maybe?" I shrugged. "If we find out who she is, we could find out who they are."

"It shouldn't be too hard to find her." Phoenix hummed, leaning back in his chair. "Unless she has run."

"I don't think she would." Sean interrupted. "The entire... heist was inconspicuous, and Pollux is away from his pack. If werewolves are involved, they probably figured out he is distant from his family."

"It's been weeks." I whispered. "I received a text after they took him."

Sean's face creased with sympathy. "You think it really was him?"

"There was a hidden message. It had to be. They probably told him to text me about a break so we wouldn't get suspicious."

"We don't know how much they know about Nova's gifts." Phoenix began. "If they know her gift isn't as developed as she'd like, they may know she wouldn't look into anything."

Sean frowned, nodding. "He is still alive. That is something we have to hold on to."

Silence enveloped the room, and I continued to stare at the back of the van like it would give me all the answers. This entire thing was well-planned, and it seems the people who took him had eyes everywhere. That, or they never stopped watching Pollux from the moment he left.

All it took was one slip up.

But why would Pollux get drunk at a bar? Why would he follow a girl, maybe even a stranger, home?

What has happened to him?

I replayed the video again, watching the van pull up before watching it drive away through town. I paused it at the forest, staring at the leaves through the darkness of winter skies.

Surely it would be damp and treacherous to go off the road in a vehicle like that? They'd need a four-by-four, an SUV at least for it even to be comfortable.

So, does that mean that it was a trick? Did they only the enter the forest to trick us into believing that was their direction? Was it a false trail, and they actually left the forest at another point? Or did they ditch the van and go by foot?

"Do you think there would still be tyre tracks?" I wondered.

"It was weeks ago. Months." Sean shook his head. "They'd be washed away by now."

"True. I think it will be worth having a look at least. Just in case."

"We can, but it may be a waste of time." He shrugged. "His scent will be long gone, too."

I frowned, disheartened. "So, what do we do?"

We could really do with our excellent tracker beta right now.

"We start by finding that girl," Phoenix stated. "I can fly out tonight."

"Just you?" I squeaked.

"I will have guards, Nova. I will not go alone."

I shook my head, frowning. "I want to go."

"It is not safe for you."

"I'm safe with you." I insisted. "So that is bullshit."

"Nova..." He sighed. "If Apollo is truly after us, your safest place is home. With the entire pack around you."

He was right.

As fucking always.

Phoenix and a couple of guards may protect me, but exposing myself in the 'wild' could be risky. We don't know how many people Apollo has working for him or where they may be. This female may not even give us any information, but for Pollux to go out with a stranger and get inebriated was so unlike him.

I could risk myself, or my children. And if anything did happen to Phoenix, I was the only one who could heal him.

My fight didn't last long, and my shoulders sagged with understanding. His hands cupped my cheeks, kissing my forehead.

"Okay." I mumbled. "What time will you go?"

He glanced out of the window, staring at the setting sun. Now it was December, the sun disappeared around five o'clock. As sad as it was for the lack of sunlight; I found it oddly cosy.

"It will take me an hour to rally everyone, and then another to be ready." Phoenix spoke. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we find things out."

"In the middle of the night?"

"It will take a couple of hours to fly there." He shrugged. "May as well scope the place."

"In the dark." I repeated.

"Nova, I can see, smell, and hear in the dark." He chuckled. "My wolf will blend in, too. Less obvious."

He had a valid point.

A werewolf spotted in a human town would definitely be a big talking point.

I nodded. "Sorry for all the...this."

He smiled softly, moving closer to me. "Valid questions, my love. This will make us one step closer to finding him."

"You think so?" I wondered. "What if it is a dead end? What if she has fled town?"

"Depends on who she is. Or rather, what she is." He murmured. "She would stick around if she was human. Only a wolf would flee if they were unaware of who Pollux is. A wolf in a human town is usually an easy-going rogue, and they tend to stay out of trouble."

"So, she's either unaware or human." I huffed. "I don't know what I'd prefer."

"Wolf." Sean muttered. "We can get information from a wolf a lot easier than a human."

I frowned at what he was suggesting. Would he truly torture a girl for something she seemed slightly regretful for? She asked them not to hurt my brother. In my eyes, that was slightly redeeming.

I say slightly; my opinion may change come tomorrow.

"So, entire plan. Hit me with it." I demanded.

"Fly tonight." Phoenix began. "There are forests circling seventy percent of the town, so we track through those in fur before venturing into town on foot. Once we gathered what we can, we ask around. I'm thinking, just try all the rooms in the building."

"If she isn't there, we find out any connections she may have. If nothing turns up, she is our only lead, so we need to bleed this dry," Sean added.

"And if you find her?"

"We question her however we need to. But we need to be inconspicuous. We don't know who is watching her home." Phoenix stated.

"What if this is a dead-end?" I wondered.

"Whilst I am gone, Sean will look into Kasper and Apollo." Phoenix blinked up at me. "You should help him. You know more about this man than any of us do."

"I can do that." I agreed. "Maybe I'll try a vision-

"No, the last one you just had, you passed out."

"I think that was more hyperventilating than the vision itself." I muttered.

"Nova, please just take it easy. I will be gone just for the day."

"I will."

"Promise me."

Rolling my eyes playfully, I nodded. "I promise you."

His arms wrapped around my hips, pulling me closer. My eyes fluttered closed as he kissed the baby bump before he rose to his full height to kiss me, too.

"It will all be okay. I can feel it in my bones." He chuckled against my mouth.

I leaned away, scoffing. "I thought I was the one with the odd sixth sense."

"I still have one." He mused. "Just not as good as you, my love."

"Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes.

I paused, curling my hands into the collar of his shirt. His eyes burned into the side of my face, watching me debate over my own mind. Too many thoughts raced through it at once, completely overtaking my basic concept of thinking.

Worry.

Fear.

Anxiety.

Anger.

Anticipation.

All were scarcely similar, and it was becoming too much.

"Just... We have to find him." I whispered.

Phoenix recognised my worry, kissing my forehead again.

"Let's go spend some time with the babies before I go," He suggested. "It's going to take some time to debrief the pack."

"Okay." I whispered.

***

I wasn't sure I was going to sleep tonight.

I couldn't help tossing and turning in the bed, a deep aching in my gut that reminded me of Phoenix's absence.

The twins settled easily, and Rose even stayed after Phoenix left to keep me company in the quiet of the house. I enjoyed the couple of hours after the twins fell asleep at night because I got to spend it with Phoenix. Rose had recognised the unease and waited up with me until they landed safely.

And then, and only then, did I retire to bed.

Just to be fucking stuck wide awake.

Phoenix had muted the communication part of the bond so he could concentrate. If I focused, I could feel his essence, and that soothed me as much as the thrumming of the baby's heartbeat did.

Sighing, I settled my hand on my bump.

Only a few weeks left.

Why did everything come at once?

Why couldn't it just be easy for once?

Winters were hard as they were, even without all the family drama.

Snow was drizzling outside, and I rolled onto my side to stare out of the window. I left the curtains open, enjoying staring up at the half-hidden moon as though she could comfort me. The grey clouds flickered across her face every so often, dulling the sky, but she'd soon return and guide all those lost souls through the dark.

Comfort.

Friendly.

This room was awfully lonely with only me inside of it.

The dark twilight hours only reminded me of how life could be without Phoenix. It made me miss him, childishly, hopelessly like a teenager. There was no actual need for it; Phoenix was strong, and has survived nearly thirty years without me in his life.

I suppose it just proved how much he meant to me. He was a big part of my life. As much as the children were.

The baby in my stomach kicked, and I smiled, poking their little foot back.

They were always active at night, and would often keep me up for an hour before I could sleep soundly.

I sighed.

At least I had the babies.

At least I had the comfort of life.

Phoenix had this under control. I would wake up, and there would be less anticipation.

I just needed to sleep.