Marked Northern Shifters 1

let Alec go?”
She hunched forward and whispered, “The boss had it in for him.”
Okay, move on. “Where is Alec now?”
“I wouldn’t know.” She sounded defensive.
“Would anyone?”
“He worked here, he didn’t live here.” Her gaze returned to the computer. She wanted Liam to leave.
“Would you mind if I asked your name?”
She hesitated. “Sharon Eccles.”
“Thank you, Sharon Eccles.”
Her voice dropped even more. “Tell him, I’m sorry, truly sorry.”
“What are you sorry for, Sharon?”
But she just turned away, her face closing. “Have to work.” She walked off and Liam was left standing alone.
Shit, Alec. Where are you?
He drove around the city for a while, as if he would catch sight of Alec strolling along a sidewalk. Then he got annoyed with himself for wasting time and went home. When he got there, Veronica sat on his doorstep, arms wrapped around her knees, rocking slightly.
He frowned down at her. “You can let yourself in, Veronica.”
She lifted her face and looked as troubled as he felt. He reached out a hand to help her up and they wrapped their arms around each other for comfort.
“I wanted to be outside.” She pulled back. “But let’s go in. We need to talk.”
Liam dug in his pocket for his keys. Casey was inside, watching Ira, but they kept the front door locked.
“Besides,” Veronica continued, “Casey would have fussed at me.”
Liam shot her a look. Usually Veronica enjoyed Casey’s motherly fussing, given that Veronica’s mother had absconded years ago. Werewolves and their mothers. It made you wonder.
“Bad news. From Trey,” Veronica said.
“Well, it’s never good news, is it?”
When she didn’t bother to defend her uncle, a cold ball of fear formed in Liam’s gut. He was already worried about Alec. Liam turned and demanded, “What is it?”
“The quad is close. Trey says you should take Ira out of school and keep him close by you.”
Liam rubbed the back of his neck. The nightmare was beginning again and not only Ira was vulnerable. Though at least he could protect Ira.
Veronica frowned at him, as if he was acting oddly. “Trey was attacked.”
“He okay?” Liam didn’t like Trey, but he didn’t want him hurt. For one thing, like it or not, he depended on the man.
“I don’t know.” Her voice was small. She had an emotional connection to the stonecold bastard because he’d reunited her with her brother three years ago. But Trey was still a bastard. “He had to take a couple of days to recover.”
Liam lifted his brows. “You’re telling me he almost died?”
“Trey wouldn’t admit something like that, but how else would the quad leave him behind? He must have been seriously weakened. He’s on the move now, but trailing them.” Veronica paused. “Here’s a disturbing piece of news. They have a little girl, Liam. Girl cub.”
“Girl cub?” They were so rare. And, unfortunately for them, valuable to male werewolves who wanted to father cubs. “I’m sorry to hear that. Where the hell did they find her?”
“Distant relative of Luke, apparently. Trey says she doesn’t like her human form and stays wolf all the time.”
Liam winced. “Too young to be feral.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“She must be warped already. Are they abusing her?” Liam knew what the quad did to kids. He wanted to rescue the girl, find Alec and just save the world in general.
“Trey doesn’t think so. He thinks they may be trying to make her comfortable with them, so they’re careful.”
Liam grunted. “Their last girl killed herself so she wasn’t much success as a breeder.” He refused to think deeply about that. He couldn’t afford to take a trip down that nightmare of memory lane his childhood had been, though he’d briefly met the girl, who’d been a couple of years older than him, before her suicide.
Veronica didn’t say anything. She just clasped and unclasped her hands.
“Before my time, Vee.” His mother had given him over to Gabriel after the girl’s death.
She jerked a nod.
He tilted his head towards the kitchen. “I’ve been running around all morning and I’m starving.”
“I’d better eat,” she said rather tonelessly.
“What you’d better do”—he pulled some cold cuts out of the fridge—“is stay here until this is over. You and David. They could be after you, too, you know.”
Her mouth twisted. “I’m sterile and they know it. I’m in no danger.”
Liam had assumed she wanted it that way, not to bring baby