Pride

Chapter 24 - updated

Chapter 24

Jon and Zane had paced the house searching for any sort of clues. Zane... refused to leave the house but Jon knew they had to.

Dialing his phone the next morning, Zane knew what had to be done. The only way Katelyn wouldn't come back to this house... If she wanted "home" she would have to come back to him.

"Zane?" Sara answered surprised.

"Sara, we couldn't find her. She's not here... Katelyn... I think... moved out."

"What!" Sara cried.

There was a scuffling and the phone was jerked away from Sara, "What's going on? Where's my sister?" Grant said into the phone.

"She's gone... I need to talk to Sara." Zane said reluctantly.

Grant didn't like the idea, he wanted more info. Instead of handing it over to Sara, he clicked speakerphone.

Knowing Sara was there, Zane told her his plan. "Sara, we need the house sold ASAP. I need you, Grant, to come over and we're packing up everything that your family wants to keep."

"I don't know if that's a good idea..." Jon muttered in the background.

"Well... what else can we do!" Zane hissed out dejectedly.

"Zane. That's a bit extreme. Kaitlyn didn't want to sell just yet." Sara offered.

"Then what else is there!" Zane cried out.

"I have an idea..."

Zane and Jon set Grant's idea up and hoped for the best. There was nothing else they could do but to go back home. Katelyn hadn't been home in a while and the trail was tainted with rain, a stray, and various animals.

***

Zane was all out of sorts. There had been no sign of Katelyn. He had given up on "mating off" the girls. He had set guards out around her house and then there was the pacing. Zane had begun pacing the property line and it was really beginning to irritate everyone.

A long while later, at the Fenners' home while everyone was eating breakfast the phone rang. "Hello?" Sara answered.

"Oh my goodness!"

Jon and Grant jumped up and raced to steal the phone from Sara. "Hand it here! Is it..."

"Yes boys!" Sara growled. "Now, let me talk to her!" She shoved the boys away and turned back to the phone with Katelyn. "Hey there darling. How are you?"

"I'm doing just fine." Katelyn muttered.

"Can you come for Thanksgiving?" Sara questioned.

"No Sara... I can't. I'm sorry." Katelyn had tears in her eyes as she spoke. She put her hand on her stomach and rubbed it gently. She had never been without her family on the holidays.

"Sweetie, I can hear you crying..." Sara cooed. Then she looked back at the boys who were ready to jump through the phone. She walked toward her husband's office and slipped inside the soundproof room. "The doctor told me about your blood tests..."

Katelyn gulped on the other end of the phone.

"I knew something wasn't quite right! I mean I am surprised I didn't notice the stomach beginning to pouch when you were here..."

Katelyn began to pace, "I'm sorry Sara. I shouldn't have called..." she began.

"Yes You should have." Sara snapped bluntly. "Listen to me Katelyn. I may not be your mother..." tears threatened the older woman, "but I am the only thing your family has! Now. I want you to get back here and see me for Thanksgiving. There is so much about shifters I need to teach you. And you're pregnant... I want you here."

Katelyn whimpered. "I need to finish school..."

"You need to come back and let me and Zane take care of you and the baby. He can't control his beast with you gone..."

"That's not my problem," Katelyn grumbled as she sat down tiredly on the couch at Naima's house. She had been hiding out here for nearly two weeks now but with each passing day, she missed everyone so much more.

Sara spun around in the office chair. "Yes it is. Zane will only declared alpha if you come back here for him. He marked you... you are his mate."

Katelyn sucked in a breath. "What are you talking about?"

Sara sighed and placed her hand on her head. "The mark on your neck..." she paused as she reached up and fingered her own mark, remembering her husband in his prime.

Katelyn walked to the bathroom. The mark on her skin was fully healed but still was plenty noticeable.

"That's from Zane... isn't it..." Katelyn nodded her head not able to speak. "Please Kate... come back..."

Katelyn was so broken. Her heart being pulled in all directions was giving her a whirlwind headache. She had an overwhelming urge to get closer to Zane, learn who he was... Her heart ached to be with her family that needed her but what would her parents think of she dropped out of college?

"Can you send the boys to come get me?"