Cecelia's pov
Sleep came eventually while pulling me under into dreams where Golden was safe in my arms laughing about fish and singing his made up songs. I woke several times during the night reaching for him before reality crashed back and reminded me he wasn't there.
Each time Zeke would tighten his hold while murmuring reassurances until I drifted off again. The bond stayed active
all night providing comfort through the connection
even when words failed.
Morning came too soon while pale light filtered through the curtains. I felt Zeke wake before he moved while his body went from relaxed to alert in seconds. "What is it?" I asked while sitting up.
"Marcus just texted," he said while reading his phone. "They found something on the security footage."
We dressed quickly while I didn't bother with makeup because what did appearances matter when my son was missing. Zeke kept one hand on the small of my back as we
walked to the security office where Marcus waited with the footage queued up.
"This was recorded at two seventeen this morning," Marcus said while hitting play. "Watch the service entrance on the east side."
The footage showed a figure approaching the door while wearing dark clothes and a hood that obscured their face.
They moved with purpose while placing a box on the ground near the entrance then walking away without looking back.
"That's our package," I said while
my heart raced. "Can you enhance the image to see their face?"
"We tried but the angle and lighting make it impossible," Marcus said while his frustration was clear. "However we did get something useful."
He zoomed in on the figure's hand while showing what looked like a tattoo on their wrist. The image was grainy but I could make out what might be letters or symbols.
"Can we identify the tattoo?" Zeke asked while leaning closer to the screen.
"We're running it through databases now," Marcus replied while pulling up comparison images. "If it matches any known pack markings or organization symbols we should get a hit."
I stared at the frozen image while trying to memorize every detail because this person had touched something my son had worn. They'd been close enough to Golden to take his shoe which meant they might know where he was being held.
"How long until we get results?" I asked while my hands
clenched
into fists at my sides.
"Could be hours or could be days depending on how unique the tattoo is," Marcus said while his expression showed he wished he had better news. "But it's more than we had
yesterday which means we're making progress."
Progress felt meaningless while Golden was still missing but I forced myself to nod while trying to stay hopeful. Zeke's
hand found mine while he squeezed gently through the bond I felt his determination to see this through no matter how long it took.
"What else can we do while we wait?" I asked while needing action instead of standing around helpless.
"We follow up on every other lead," Zeke said while already pulling out his phone. "The shoe analysis, the note handwriting, Robert's identity, anything and everything until something breaks."
Marcus's phone rang while he stepped away to answer it. When he came back his expression had shifted into something I couldn't quite read.
"That was the lab," he said while looking between Zeke and me. "The preliminary soil analysis from Golden's shoe came back with results."
"And?" I demanded while my heart hammered so hard I could hear it in my ears.
"The soil composition matches an area about sixty miles north of here," Marcus said while pulling up a map. "It's mostly wilderness with a few abandoned structures from old logging operations."
"That's something," Zeke said while
studying the map. "We can send teams to search the area."
"There's more," Marcus continued while his tone made my stomach drop. "The soil also contained traces of a specific mineral compound that's only found in one location within that area."
He zoomed in on the map while highlighting a specific spot deep in the wilderness. My breath caught while I stared at the location because it was remote and isolated which would make it perfect for hiding someone you didn't want found.
"How fast can we get a team there?" I asked while already moving toward the door.
"Cecelia wait," Zeke grabbed my arm gently. "We need to plan this carefully because if we go rushing in we could spook whoever has Golden."
"I don't care about spooking them," I said while pulling free. "That's where my son is which means that's where I need to be."
"And you will be," Zeke said while moving to block my path. "But we're doing this smart with proper
backup and tactical planning so we don't make things worse."
I wanted to argue while every instinct screamed at me to run to that location immediately but the rational part of my brain knew he was right. "How long?" I asked while forcing myself to stay still.
"Give me two hours to assemble a team and plan our approach," Zeke said while his Alpha authority bled into his voice. "Then we go get our son."
Two hours felt like an eternity but I nodded while knowing it was
necessary. Zeke pulled me against him while the bond pulsed with shared determination because finally after days of dead ends we had a real lead that might bring Golden home.
"We're close," Zeke murmured against my hair. "I can feel it, we're so close to finding him."
I clung to that hope while trying not to think about what condition Golden might be in when we finally reached him. The shoe had been dirty which meant wherever he was being held wasn't clean or comfortable. The thought of my
baby in some filthy abandoned building made rage burn through my veins.
Whoever had taken him would pay for every second of fear they'd caused while I would make sure of that personally.
But first we had to find him while bringing him home safe because nothing else mattered beyond that singular goal.
Two hours, I told myself while watching Zeke coordinate with Marcus and the security team. Just two more hours then we'd finally
have answers about where Golden was and who had dared to take an Alpha's son.
