For a moment, no one said a thing. Sterling Chase's absence was the elephant in the room, the topic on everyone's mind, if not their tongues.
"No word," Gideon answered. "His cell rings straight to voicemail and he's not returning my calls."
"Same here," Dante put in from the other side of the conference table. Of all the warriors, Tess's mate was easily Chase's tightest ally. Just a year or so ago, when Chase had come on board with the Order, he and Dante had been at each other's throats. In the time since, they'd had each other's backs as friends and brethren. But even Dante seemed doubtful about Chase now. "I tried him just before we came into this meeting but got no answer. Harvard's dodging us hardcore this time."
"That's not like him at all." Elise glanced at Tegan as he reached out to draw her hand into his. "He's too responsible to just take off like this without any explanation."
"Is he?" Tegan's question was gentle, but there was tension in his jaw - a fierce protectiveness - as he looked at his troubled Breedmate beside him. "I know you want to think the best of Chase, but you need to look at him through clear eyes now. You saw him last night, Elise. You told me how he acted with you in the chapel. Was that the Chase you think you know?"
"No," she answered quietly, her eyes downcast as she slowly shook her blond head. Earlier that day, Elise had relayed to everyone her confrontation with Chase in the moments before he'd left the compound, how he'd lashed out at her, full of anger and crudeness. Lucan had bristled to hear about the whole thing, but no worse than Tegan. The other Gen One still vibrated with palpable malice toward Chase's actions, despite the care with which he handled his beloved mate's feelings for her former kinsman.
"I shouldn't have struck him," Elise murmured. "I knew he was upset. I should have walked away and left him alone. That's what he told me to do. I shouldn't have pushed him - "
"Hey," Tegan said, tenderly lifting her chin with his fingertips. "You didn't push him out that door last night. He went willingly." Tegan glanced Lucan's way then. "Let's face it, Harvard's been walking a damn thin line for a while now. Maybe it's time we all start looking at him with clearer eyes. Time we stop making excuses for Chase and acknowledge what I'm sure more than one of us has been thinking about him lately."
Lucan caught the meaning in Tegan's knowing stare and in the statement that hung over the room like a funeral shroud. Hell, how could he mistake Tegan's point, considering Lucan's own recent history and the battle he'd waged not so long ago to resist falling victim to the weakness that plagued all of the Breed?
"Bloodlust," Lucan said, grim with the thought. He glanced up at the faces of his Breed brethren seated around the table, more aware than any of them - except Tegan, that is - of what it meant to become addicted to the thirst. Once a vampire stepped foot on that path, the decline was swift. Plummet too far and you never came back. "No offense, T, but I hope you're wrong."
Tegan's stare remained steady, too certain. "And if I'm not?"
When no one else filled the answering silence, Dante hissed a curse. "Either way, we need to haul Harvard's ass back into the compound and set him straight. Someone needs to tell him to pull his shit together before it's too late. I'll pound it into his thick skull personally, if that's what it takes."
Lucan wanted to agree with Dante's argument but found himself shaking his head the longer he considered it. "Chase knew what he was doing when he walked out of here. And if he didn't, then he sure as hell knows now. We've got bigger problems to deal with than cleaning up another of Harvard's messes. He's AWOL, and that's coming on the heels of a f**ked-up mission that might have gone even further south if not for Hunter having been with Chase on patrol. Let's not forget it was Chase who failed to keep Lazaro and Christophe Archer safe during Kellan's rescue last week. He's been screwing up left and right. Frankly, he's becoming a liability."
"I can go after him, try to bring him around," Dante insisted. "I mean, Christ, Lucan. He's proved to be solid in combat. He's saved my ass more than once, and he's done a lot of good for the Order since he's been on board. Don't you think he deserves some benefit of doubt here?"
"Not if his behavior jeopardizes the Order's objectives," Lucan replied. "And not if his presence here endangers the security of this compound or anyone within these walls. Like Tegan said, nobody pushed Chase out of the fold. He walked out of here on his own free will."
Dante stared in grim silence, along with the others seated around the table. This wasn't a call Lucan wanted to make, but he was leader here, and, ultimately, his word was law. None of the warriors would argue the subject any further. Not even Dante, who slumped back into his seat and muttered a low curse.
Lucan cleared his throat. "Now, let's get back to Murdock - "
Before he could finish the thought, the tech lab's glass doors hissed open and Rio's Breedmate, Dylan, rushed into the room. Her freckle-spattered face was pale against the fiery color of her hair, her eyes wide with panic.
"Tess sent me," she blurted, skidding to a sharp halt. "She's in the infirmary. She needs help quick!"
Dante shot out of his seat. "Oh, f**k. Is it the baby?"
"No." Dylan shook her head. "Nothing like that - Tess is fine. It's Kellan Archer. Something's wrong with him - really wrong. He's in a lot of pain. We can't get him to stop convulsing."
The meeting broke up in a rush of movement, Lucan and Dante leading the way. Everyone scrambled down to the infirmary at the other end of the corridor. Dylan hadn't been exaggerating when she said the situation with young Kellan Archer was bad. The Breed youth was doubled over on his infirmary bed, clutching at his abdomen and moaning in obvious agony.