“It’s been three days, we should have heard something by now, right?” Matthais didn’t quite glare at Neely, who continued to ignore him.

“It’s entirely possible Cassian just doesn’t want to be found.” Maggie reached over the massive worktable to borrow the soldering iron from her husband. “Papa isn’t worried for the same reason I’m not worried, Cassian will come home when he wants.” She gave Matthais a measuring look. “He isn’t just another college student to wander off.”

But that was exactally what Cass had done, which was far enough out of charactor that Matt had finally tracked down his roommate’s relavtives. Finding Cassian’s aunt and uncle turned out to be as useful as Matt’s previous attempts with the campus police. The two of them were focused on the various broken gadgets that littered the shop table, seemingly oblivious to anything beyond the scent of burning metals.

Matt counted to ten before answering, even though he was well aware that both of the weres could probably tell he was angry regardless. Politeness was key to these things. “can you at least give me a hint of where to look?”

“No.”

“No you don’t know or no you don’t feel like helping me?” And Matt found himself on the ground outside of the toolshed before his brain had begun processing Maggie’s lunge. She pinned him to the ground for a moment, a blur of fangs a fur, then was gone as quickly. He waited until he heard the door to the shed latch, and then picked himself gingerly off the gravel driveway. Dammit.