Hey! So there wasn't going to be a chapter this week, but I made a schedule switch. Unfortunately that means the next chapter won't be posted for about 2 weeks. Sorry about that. But I'm so glad you all are enjoying this! The response has been wonderful! Thank you for your reviews. Love some more! Indulge, my friends!

I sat hunched over in my chair, fingers pinching the bridge of my nose. My head was pounding from the overbearing amount of information Luke had just given me. I could feel the older man's eyes on me as I massaged my temples. He said nothing, waiting patiently as I slowly absorbed every word he had said.

Simon Lewis had gone missing at the age of seven. He'd been at the playground with his mother when he had suddenly disappeared. Like Alexander Lightwood's case, there had been no witnesses to attest who had taken him. The entire community had set out on a frantic search for the missing child, but the lack of evidence led them to nothing but dead ends. He'd been found nine years later, two states over from his hometown.

Jordan Kyle had been abducted at the age of nine. It had been determined that he'd been kidnapped on his way to a friend's house. Because the friend lived nearby, Jordan had been allowed to walk over on his own. In the seemingly safe neighborhood, there had been no reason for worry of any danger. Jordan's mother had told investigators that she'd assumed her son had simply forgotten to call to tell her he'd arrived at his friend's; it had happened before. Only when the friend called Jordan's house a few hours later to ask where he was were the police notified. No one had seen anything; no one had heard anything. Blockades set up on all main highways had turned up nothing. Jordan had been found seven years later, four states over from his hometown.

As for Alexander Lightwood. . . The boy who had been missing for fifteen years had never even left the city he'd been taken from.

I should have felt exhilarated by the rescue. Luke and I had delivered three abduction victims into the safe, caring arms of medical professionals and protective services. Simon and Jordan's families had been notified and were currently en route to the hospital. I wanted to share the relief and joy of reuniting the families, but the image of Alec haunted me. I saw his gaunt body every time I blinked, saw his vacant blue eyes staring up at me, felt his fingers clenching the front of my uniform.

"You should go home," Luke said, interrupting my dark thoughts. "Get some sleep. We'll tackle this tomorrow."

"I doubt I'll be able to sleep after this," I mumbled.

Luke reached across his desk and put his hand on my shoulder. "Don't focus on the victims, focus on the survivors. All three boys are alive and safe. Let's be thankful for that."

I nodded and stood from the chair. There was still a mountain of paperwork sitting on my desk, but I left it behind and made for the exit. Inside the cruiser, it took nearly three attempts to get my shaky hand to put the key into the ignition. The engine finally roared to life and I pulled out of the parking lot and into the street. Traffic was slow again but I couldn't have cared less. My mind wandered as I drove to my house. I wondered how the victims— survivors —were doing at the hospital. Had they been separated or kept together? Were they being badgered by the police for interviews? It was nearly dawn, which meant Simon had probably been reunited with his family. Jordan's parents might be at the hospital already if they had flown in. But Alec. . .was anyone with him?

Muscle memory had me pulling the cruiser into my small driveway, but before I put the car in park I threw it into reverse, backed out, and sped toward the hospital.

"Cat!"

The woman standing at the front desk looked up as I called her name. She scribbled something onto a clipboard and handed it to a nurse before jogging over to me. Her white lab coat billowed around her as she approached. She stood on her toes as we embraced. I inhaled the comforting scent of my closest friend. As she pulled away, I curled one of the tendrils framing her face around my finger. It fell back against her cheek and she nervously tucked it behind her ear.

"You colored your hair again," I said softly.

"The auburn was fading. I decided to go blonde this time."

Catarina Loss was an unusual beauty. She was tall and slender, and her milky skin complemented her starlit blue eyes. Her laugh was infectious and she was fiercely loyal. What set her apart from other women was her naturally white hair. It had been white gold when she was young, but over the years the blonde had started to fade. I'd always found her snow-like mane to be striking, but Catarina hated the color. She was constantly dying her hair, switching from redhead to brunette to hair as dark as a raven's feathers.

"You look wonderful."

Catarina smiled and touched my elbow. "How are you doing? I heard it was you who found them."

"Just Alexander. Luke found Simon and Jordan."

"Don't be so modest. You saved their lives."

I felt heat creep into my cheeks. I took to praise about as well as one takes to an allergic reaction. Switching the conversation's direction, I asked, "How are you doing, Cat?"

She nodded and tucked her hands into her coat pockets. "All three boys are under my care. Simon and Jordan are with their families."

"And Alec?"

"Nurses and officers have offered to stay in the room with him." Cat sighed. "He doesn't want anyone around him."

I lowered my voice. "Has he been informed about his family?"

"An officer sat down with him early this morning. Poor kid hasn't said a word since."

"Do you think I can see him?"

Catarina stared into my eyes, considering it. She nodded and motioned for me to follow her. I was glad I hadn't changed out of my uniform. The last thing I wanted to do was compromise Cat's job as a doctor by getting her into trouble with her superiors. I'd never asked her to break any rules for me, but in this situation I had the advantage. She would be able to tell me everything I needed to know about Alec's condition, what was in store for him. For some reason, I had to know. And I wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away.

Cat led me down the hall to a room with a window. She peeked inside before beckoning to me with her hand. I cautiously crept to the window and peered into the room. Alec was in bed, a blanket pulled up to his waist. His blue eyes were staring down at his feet. An IV stuck out of his left hand. White gauze was wrapped around his neck where there had once been a strap of black leather. Under the hospital's bright lights he looked even paler and withered than before. He was the human embodiment of suffering.

I let out a long, shaky breath. Catarina placed her hand on my back, her eyes watching me with worry. My heart was pumping agony into my veins. I'd seen victims before: survivors of horrible car wrecks, women marked by spousal abuse, fatalities of accidents of all forms. Why was this hurting me so much?

"Have you looked at him?" I asked without taking my eyes from Alec.

Catarina hesitated. "I performed Alec's physical, yes." Her wary tone suggested she knew where I was going with this.

"Tell me what you found, Cat." I turned to face her. "Please."

Again, she hesitated. I could see an argument poised on her curved lips, but when her blue irises fell to the patch on my uniform her shoulders relaxed. She glanced around, searching for anyone with prying eyes and ears.

"The first things I noticed are that Alexander is seriously malnourished and underdeveloped," she began. "He's not as starved as Simon and Jordan, but I reckon he was being fed just enough to keep him alive. As for his development, he's small for his age. His muscle mass is below normal. He could barely stand on two feet for some of the tests I gave him. Most likely he hasn't been getting any exercise for the past fifteen years. It was mentioned that he was found in some sort of locker. The majority of his time was probably spent locked up in there. His body would be unable to grow in such a cramped space. This is just speculation, but I believe the abductor intended to keep Alec as small as possible. He or she wanted to keep Alec's body as close its child form as possible."

My stomach twisted. It sickened me to think that someone had seen Alec's frail body with desire-fueled eyes. I knew without being told that another motive for keeping Alec small was to decrease the chance of Alec fighting back.

"What else?" I prompted.

"His vision, hearing, and speech are all fine, but I highly recommend that he sees a psychiatrist on a daily basis. He'll also need a tutor; he lacks reading and mathematical skills, as well as everything in between."

My mind jumped to the one tutor that I knew personally. She was an outstanding teacher. She was good at what she did, but she was one of the last people I wanted to see again. Our history was a bumpy road, full of potholes and skid marks. I doubted she would be pleased to see me on her doorstep asking for a favor.

"There'll be scarring around his neck. We have a good plastic surgeon here. He may be able to help soften their appearance, but Alec has given no inclinations of meeting with him."

"Scarring from what?"

"There was a piece of leather around Alexander's neck when he was brought in. It was actually a spiked dog collar. The spikes had been filed to be sharp enough to pierce skin. Each of them were embedded into Alec's flesh. From the scars' appearance, that wasn't the first time Alec had worn the collar. The ones at the front of his throat are worse, which leads me to believe Alec was choked from behind. Maybe to be subdued."

"His throat wasn't damaged?"

"No, his larynx is fine. The spikes were strategically placed to avoid any serious damage."

To avoid serious damage or so the abductor could continue to hear Alec's screams? I shook my head and looked back into the room. Alec had part of the blanket wadded in his hands. He rubbed his thumbs over the soft material. His head was bent so that his hair fell into his eyes. My fingers twitched, desiring to push it back from his face.

"There's more," Catarina said grimly.

I knew what was coming. This was the darkest shadow of the nightmare. I was afraid to hear what Cat had to say next, but it was imperative to get every detail. If we wanted to help Alec, we could not pretend the darkest pieces of information did not exist.

"All three boys have anal scarring. The number and severity of the scars show that they were likely sexually assaulted from a very young age. That being said, Alec's scars were the worst out of the three boys."

"Damnit."

I rubbed a hand over my face. It shouldn't have surprised me that Alec had obviously been the 'favorite.' He'd been taken first and he'd been locked in a separate room from the others. But that did not soften the information's blow.

"You should go in and talk to him."

I blanched at her suggestion. "Me?"

"The paramedics said he didn't want to let go of you. It might do him good to see a familiar face."

My mouth bobbed open and closed as I searched for an excuse, but when I turned and saw Alec alone in his room, I nodded reluctantly. Cat smiled encouragingly and took my arm, pulling me to the closed door.

"I'll have a nurse bring a tray of food. Try to get him to eat. He always stares at the tray with starved eyes but he never touches anything."

I nodded and Cat pushed the door open. Alec jumped, startled by the sudden noise, and tugged the blanket closer to his chest. Anxiety glittered in his blue eyes as he watched Cat but his fingers loosened around the blanket when I stepped in. I offered a friendly smile, which Alec did not return.

"Alexander, you remember Magnus Bane? He came by to say hello."

Alec said nothing, which did little to ease my apprehension. Cat did a quick check of Alec's vitals and inspected his IV. Alec kept his head down when she was near him. His body was noticeably tense. I wondered if his lack of social interactions was causing him to be shy or if one of his abductors had been female, which could result in timidity around all women.

Cat dragged a chair from the corner of the room to Alec's bedside and placed her hands on her hips. "All right. I'll give you two some privacy. See you in a little while, Alec."

I gave my friend a nod as she left. She stopped in front of the window and gave me a thumbs up before walking away. Nervous, I wiped my clammy palms on my pants and slowly lowered myself into the chair. Alec's head was still ducked and he did not peek at me from under his hair.

I kept my voice gentle and calming. "How are you feeling, Alec?"

He shrugged.

Not helping. "Do you need anything? Another blanket?"

He shook his head.

"Do you mind if I call you Alec? Or do you prefer Alexander?"

I might have imagined it, but I thought I saw Alec flinch slightly when I said his full name. The nineteen-year-old slowly angled his face toward mine, though his shaggy hair still hung in his eyes.

"You can call me Alec," he said, his deep but soft voice an odd contrast to his fragile body.

Before I could say more, a nurse walked in and set a tray on the table on Alec's other side. She smiled at the two of us and left without a word. Alec stared at the tray wordlessly for a long while. The warm smell of chicken broth wafted over to me. Alec slowly tore his eyes from the tray and stared down at the blanket again, twisting the material between his hands.

"Are you hungry" I asked.

He nodded without looking at me. Slowly, so as not to alarm him with any sudden movements, I rose from my seat and wandered around the bed. I lifted the lid from the tray and wheeled the table so it was situated in front of Alec. I thought I saw tears pooling in his eyes as he beheld the broth, cracks, and cup of water.

"Eat as much as you like."

His blue irises drifted upward to meet mine. I read suspicion as well as astonishment in his expression. With a quivering hand, he reached for the spoon and scooped up some broth. He blew on the liquid a couple times before sliding the spoon into his mouth. His eyes closed with satisfaction and he went for another spoonful. I watched him carefully to make sure he did not eat too fast. His starved stomach could only handle so much. As he munched on a cracker, I moved away and seated myself again.

"Why haven't you been eating when the nurses bring you food?" I asked curiously.

Alec stopped chewing for a moment but reached for his water instead of answering me.

I thought for a moment. "Were you waiting for permission?"

He stirred his broth with his spoon and nodded. My heart clenched when I imagined this starving young man watching nurses taking away his cold food not because he had refused to eat it, but because they had not given him permission to eat it. How much more torture could he handle?

I knew I now had to tread carefully. "Why do you need permission to eat, Alec?"

Alec abruptly stopping stirring his broth. He stiffened and leaned back against the pillows. I fought the urge to wince as he turned his despondent eyes to me and whispered, "Bad things happen when you don't get permission."

My inner investigator wanted to know what kind of things, but to save Alec the trauma of reliving such events, I moved on. "Are you sure you don't need anything? More pillows? How's your pain?"

Alec ducked his head again, hiding behind a mop of ebony hair. His shoulders started to shake ever so slightly. I thought he was laughing until I saw teardrops splatter against the blanket. Alarmed, I jumped to my feet and reached for him.

"Alec?"

He wiped at his eyes with his wrist. When he looked at me I saw that the whites were pink and glimmering. "You're so nice, Magnus."

I straightened, baffled. I'd thought that something I'd said had upset him, that maybe I'd pushed too far, but it had been my kindness that had affected him. It troubled me to ponder what his abductors had been like when my asking if he needed another pillow had brought him to tears.

Alec wiped at his eyes again and took a shaky breath. There was still a teary streak on his cheek that I wanted to wipe away with my thumb, but I refrained from touching him. I did not know how he would respond to another man's touch, even if my intentions were innocent and gentle. In the back of my brain, I could hear Alec's voice repeating my name over and over. I'd never been fond of my name, but why did it sound so good when Alec said it?

Movement by the window caught my attention. I looked up and blinked in surprise to see the chief of police staring back at me. He flicked his head, indicating for a private word.

"Excuse me for a second."

Alec's hand darted out and snatched my wrist as I turned. He released me the second I turned back to face him. His expression was fearful and apologetic. Something told me he'd grabbed someone before and it had not ended well for Alec.

"Are you coming back?" he whispered, twisting the blanket in his hands.

"Of course," I answered immediately. "I'll just be a moment."

He nodded and attempted to smooth the wrinkles in the blanket before reaching for his broth. I exited the room and closed the door behind me. Hodge Starkweather regarded me with intense, curious eyes. His hair had grayed recently, but his eyes were steely and his stance held the same power of intimidation he'd had when I'd first met him.

"Shouldn't you be at home?" he questioned.

"I just thought I'd come in and see how he was doing," I responded honestly.

Hodge looked through the window at Alec. "He seems to be doing better now."

"Were you in to see him?"

"I was the one who told him about his family."

I sighed. "I heard he took it pretty hard."

"Difficult to say," Hodge muttered. "The kid didn't even respond. Just stared at his feet, blocked everything out. I don't think the reality has set in yet."

"Have you heard any news on his brother?"

According to his file, Alec had an older adoptive brother named Jace. He was now Alec's only remaining relative, but authorities had been unable to contact him. Word had been that Jace had left the country years ago. His trail led to locations around the world, and with no indications of where he was heading next, finding him was at a standstill. Our best chance was the news of Alec's rescue reaching Jace's ears, prompting him to contact us.

"Nothing useful. Some believe he's halfway around the world, probably on some godforsaken island or in the middle of the desert."

I folded my arms across my chest, watching Alec as he leaned back against the pillows and winced when his neck pressed into them. "Adopted or not, how could his brother just up and leave the country?"

"Rumor has it that Jace has been travelling everywhere that there's been a possible sighting of Alec. He took matters into his own hands."

"Either that or he's sitting on a beach somewhere with his inheritance," I said bitterly.

"Maybe he did leave the country to get away," Hodge agreed. "But can you blame him? First his brother was kidnapped, then he lost the rest of his adoptive family. Maybe he just needed to leave it all behind, to start new. You can't grieve forever."

I nodded, considering it. "So what does this mean for Alec?"

"Alexander is nineteen, a legal adult. Maryse and Robert left the house and all their possessions to their children in their will. With Isabelle gone and Alec missing, Jace inherited everything. He put the house up for sale when he left."

"Which means Alec has nothing."

"The hospital will keep him here for as long as is necessary, but when Alec is cleared for discharge, I'm afraid that he'll have to fend for himself. I'm sure we can find a shelter to set him up in."

"No," I said, surprising both myself and my chief. "Absolutely not. A shelter isn't safe for him, not in his condition."

"What do you suggest, then?"

I looked Hodge dead in the eye. "I have an spare room. He can stay with me."

He scratched his bearded chin. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"There's no one left to keep him safe," I said. "But someone has to, and it's going to be me."