Out of all the things for his sister to be calling him about, he never expected it to be about White.
When Gary had saved her from Olivia, she had always been a quiet person, making the odd comnt or two. She never spoke too much, never pushed herself into conversations, and at first Gary hadn’t completely trusted her. He had been cautious. After everything that had happened, after betrayal and manipulation from so many directions, it had been hard to trust anyone new.
But that slowly began to change.
White never gave him a reason to doubt her. She stayed close to Amy, helped where she could, and over ti she beca soone Gary didn’t need to keep an eye on.
She had beco a close friend to Amy.
So much so that the two of them even lived together and went to the sa university together. They shared classes, shared space, and from what Amy had told him before, they spent most of their ti together.
Since so much ti had passed, Gary had just assud things were stable. Calm. Normal.
He never imagined sothing like this would happen.
“Wait, calm down for a second,” Gary said. “What do you an she disappeared? Was she taken away, or did she say she was going to leave?”
He tried to keep his voice steady. He didn’t want Amy panicking more than she already was.
“She was saying so strange things,” Amy replied. “Things about you… and how you needed to go through sothing. It didn’t make any sense.”
Gary frowned slightly.
“Things about ?”
“Yes,” Amy continued. “She kept talking like sothing was going to happen. Like you were ant to go sowhere, or face sothing. I told her to rest up, that she was overthinking.”
There was a pause.
“And the next day she just wasn’t there. She didn’t leave a note. She didn’t say anything. She just didn’t turn up.”
Gary’s mind began piecing together the tiline.
“I thought she was her own person,” Amy said. “So at first I didn’t think too much of it. But after two days of no reply and not coming back, I tried to get in contact. I tried calling. ssaging. I even went around asking people. I couldn’t get anything.”
Gary clenched his jaw slightly.
“So I asked the Howlers for help,” Amy continued. “And that’s when I found out you were missing as well. To be honest, I thought sothing was up when White was saying those things.”
White disappeared the day after they did.
That wasn’t coincidence.
“From what I found out,” Amy added, “White seed to vanish the day after you guys went missing. That’s why I was wondering if anything happened. Or if she might have returned with you.”
If White had gone missing the day after, then she had practically been missing for two months.
Two months.
Gary’s chest felt heavy.
As far as he knew, White had no family. No one looking after her. No partner. No support system outside of Amy and the Howlers.
Did she just disappear like that?
Or had sothing taken her?
“I’m sorry, Amy. She’s not with ,” Gary replied honestly. “But I’ll have the Howlers look into finding her. I’ll get everyone to try. I know she’s important to you.”
He paused before continuing.
“You rest up. And if there’s anything you or Mum need, just let know.”
The call ended there.
Gary lowered the phone slowly.
The others had heard everything. No one said anything imdiately. The joy from monts ago had dimd slightly.
White.
Missing.
It didn’t sit right with him.
That’s when the three of them heard footsteps from above.
“It looks like they’re here,” Kai said. “Why don’t we go and greet them? We’ve all been looking forward to this.”
Gary nodded. The three of them headed upstairs. When they reached the main room, they could see both groups had arrived together, joint as one. They were all there.
Marie. Xin. Innu. Austin. Marcus. Slit. Olivia.
The mont they saw each other, the entire group had large smiles on their faces. So of them looked like they couldn’t believe it.
“This is real, right… it’s really real!”
Marie ran forward, and so did Xin. The two won opened their arms and embraced Kai and Gary tightly.
They held onto them firmly, almost as if they were afraid they might disappear again.
Gary could feel Xin’s grip tighten around him. Marie didn’t let go quickly either.
It had been two months.
Two months of not knowing.
“Man, I miss him as well,” Innu muttered, nudging Austin. “But it’s kinda awkward to get in the middle of all that, right?”
Austin gave a small chuckle.
The others were slightly taken back seeing Lupus there, but at the sa ti, they half expected it considering what Lupus’s pack had told them.
“Sir, you’re alive!” Slit and Luzen said, getting down low, almost kneeling on the ground.
“Get up,” Lupus replied. “You know I’ve never liked any of that stuff.”
They stood imdiately.
“I’m happy to hear you’re alive,” Lupus continued. “I was worried sothing would have happened to you.”
There was no pride in his voice. Only relief.
“And don’t worry about joining the Howlers. You did what you had to do at the ti.”
The words were simple, but aningful.
Marcus stepped forward next with a grin on his face.
“When they said you were missing, I was shocked,” Marcus said. “But I knew you were far too strong to just die. You’re almost impossible to kill.”
The group shared several joyous monts. Laughter. Small comnts. Quick exchanges.
They didn’t imdiately talk about what had happened.
They were just enjoying the fact that everyone was together again.
After everything they had been through separately, after the uncertainty, the battles, and the waiting, just standing in the sa room felt like enough.
But they all knew it wouldn’t last. Eventually, the explanations had to co.
“So what happened to you guys?” Xin asked. “Where have you been this entire ti?”
Her eyes were serious now.
“And after you tell us, we have a few things to tell you as well… about what we just found out.”
****
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