033 Too Late

"You lost her?!" Erebus was in the office on the 19th floor of the hotel, and Menoetius was down on the floor on one knee in front of him with his head low.

"I'm sorry, my Lord. I followed her to the Fifth Avenue, and all of a sudden, she just disappeared in the middle of the road. I ran towards there but nothing was abnormal about that place other than the fact that she disappeared. I think she was heading for Maple Avenue though, it's only two blocks away from there, and Kitty seemed to have a clear destination." Menoetius explained in a hurried voice. He was in charge of Kitty's safety this morning, and somehow he lost her.

"Where's she now?" Erebus waved his hand. He believed Menoetius, but there bound to be something wrong with the store on Maple Avenue, the one Kitty took him to last time. She seemed surprised to see that store. That was not a normal reaction considering she suggested that place.

"She's returned to the hotel, and is now in her room." Menoetius answered, "Metis called me in the afternoon saying that Kitty went by to look for you, my Lord, and Metis didn't tell her you are here. But Metis said she looked upset when she came, AND when she left." Menoetius was still on the floor.

"It's okay, not your fault. Up with you. I need you to go and investigate Maple Avenue and the jewelry store. There's bound to be something there." Erebus hinted Menoetius to stand up, "When's her shift?"

"On 9:00, my Lord." Menoetius answered.

"Good, you may leave." Erebus stood by the window, gazing into the city view. He got a room for himself on the 61th floor, but he didn't dare disturb Kitty just yet. He wanted to find out more about her attitude on this, so he had been in the office instead of in the new room.

Though it takes great effort for him to stay away from her, her feeling safe in the hotel was still the priority to him.

He left for the rooftop on 8:00, got a drink and sat at the corner table. Behind him and besides him was only a short rail and great views. Except right now Erebus wasn't in the mood to appreciate them.

He was nervous.

Even though Metis said Kitty rejected him because she likes him, he still wasn't much assured on it, not before he could hold her in his arm again. He can't lose her again.

And this nervousness grew bigger as the day passed by because he asked the maid to put the phone in her room's lobby with her breakfast, and she haven't called, or texted, or anything. It was either she didn't want to accept, or she didn't want to talk to him, or she didn't even see the phone. Is it even possible? Is it too naive to just assume she missed the package?

Erebus didn't want to, but couldn't help himself from thinking into this. He had to talk to her! He couldn't wait any longer, but he also grew more and more nervous as the clock got closer and closer to her shift.

He put his phone on the table face down because he didn't want to check his phone every 3 minutes like a crazy man, like the crazy man he had been all day long. She WILL be there, within an hour, and he will talk to her.

Where did all his patience go when it comes to her?! Erebus thought with frustration. He had been a good predator all the time before her. He was patient, and cautious and crafty, and she, was the first prey that took away his cool--

And that was when his phone ring.

He grabbed the phone the second it rang and saw the number he had been waiting for all day long: Kitty.

"Hello?" Erebus said, trying to hold down his excitement.

"Erebus?! I'm sorry! I need your help! Please!! I'm in an abandoned building near the art mu-- Ahhh!" A scream was the last sound from Kitty. She was in horror and a haste, and she didn't get to finish her sentence before some huge noise rose.

The phone was cut off.

Erebus jumped up and ran towards the elevator while dialing Metis: "Get your people to the Home Inn on Abbey Road, right on the corner of the Art Museum! Call me back!"

It took him three minutes to get into his car and started rushing towards the art museum while yelling at himself in his mind. How could he let this happen twice?! This is HIS city, and there had been mysterious witches and werewolves targeting the one person he cannot lose, and he kept failing on protecting her!

"Speak." Erebus picked up a call, it was from Metis.

"I've got four unites on their way, they will be there in three minutes. What are we looking for?" Metis's voice was calm, but urgent.

"Kitty. She's there, and in danger. Tell them they can shift if necessary. Enemy might be wolves." Erebus hit again on the gas, "Get Tartarus on looking for Perses's men. They have been at the art museum today around 8:25, AND on the day when Kitty ran away. I want them out of my city!"

"Right away, my Lord." Metis simply answered before Erebus hang up the phone.

"How is it?" Erebus yelled at the man at the front door of the abandoned building. He was Tartarus's man.

"We got here two minutes ago, and caught him hiding in the first floor." Two men was around a man strapped up and unconscious.

"He was in wolf form?" Erebus frowned at the fact that he was unconscious. It was the only way to catch a werewolf without hurting them too bad for them to move, but he would be unconscious for a while before the drug get over.

"Yes, and we found this in a room on the third floor, but no one else in this building." The man handed over a phone. It was the phone Erebus got Kitty a day before. The newest model with his number in there. Now with a broken screen, indicating a fierce struggle.

Erebus took the phone into his hand with a dark look on his face. Kitty was definitely here when she called, and she dropped the phone or someone took it from her when she was on the phone with him. And that was 10 minutes ago.

Enough time for a werewolf to kill her hundred times over.

No! This was not the time to lose faith! He had to believe that she was still alive! Maybe she was still trying to escape somewhere, and he was her only hope!

"Take him back to the bar, Metis will know what to do. Take me to the room where you found the phone." Erebus headed into the building, followed by a dozen men around him.

"Please don't die. I'd rather suffer staying away from you for eternity, so long as you live and are happy. Please, don't die on me..." Erebus thought to himself, holding on the broken phone tight.

The phone cracked into pieces in Erebus's hand.