Chapter 229 The Boy in the Ambulance

Chapter 229: Chapter 229 The Boy in the Ambulance

Morning came gray and bitterly cold.

After washing up, Eira knocked on Alpha Killian ’s door. He opened it almost immediately. Faint shadows sat beneath his silver-gray eyes.

The hotel mattress had been too soft, the walls too thin, and freight trucks had rumbled along the highway most of the night. Alpha Killian looked as composed as ever.

"Breakfast here or on the road?" he asked.

"On the road."

They met the county education liaison in the lobby. He was waiting beside a county-issued sedan with a folder tucked beneath one arm.

"The registrar is ready for you," he said. "We’ll start there. If the district finds a possible match, I’ll contact the school and arrange a meeting."

Eira stopped at the café near the front desk and bought three breakfast bags: sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits, hash browns, coffee, and bottled orange juice.

She could eat while they drove. Alpha Killian needed both hands on the wheel, and he had barely slept. She made a mental note to get her license as soon as possible.

Forty minutes later, they pulled into the county education office.

The registrar checked Eira’s identification and reviewed the documents Gwen had provided to confirm her connection to Sam.

"I need to be clear about what I can and can’t do," she said. "I can’t show you protected student records. But I can search recent transfers using Sam’s legal name, age, and date of birth. If I find a possible match, I can contact the receiving school and ask them to verify the student’s safety."

"And if his name was changed?" Eira asked.

"Then the search may come back empty. If this involves an endangered child, law enforcement or a court order can request more information."

Eira tightened her hand around her phone.

The registrar made several calls. She asked about recent transfers, private placements, and residential programs in the neighboring district. Ten minutes later, she put down the phone.

"There’s a private residential program in the neighboring district that recently admitted a boy who matches Sam’s age and support needs. The student is registered under a different name. It’s only a possible match, but it’s the closest lead I found."

Eira’s breath caught. "Can you tell me what name they used?"

"I’m sorry. Not without proper authorization." The registrar glanced at the liaison. "But I can ask the school administrator to meet with you. The county office can verify the inquiry without releasing the student’s file."

It was not enough, but it was a lead.

They left the office and climbed into their vehicles. The liaison’s sedan pulled onto the highway, and Alpha Killian followed.

Half an hour into the drive, Eira opened one of the breakfast bags.

"You need to eat."

"I’m fine."

"You look exhausted."

"I’m driving."

"That’s not an answer."

She unwrapped a sausage biscuit and held it out. Alpha Killian kept his eyes on the road, but after a moment, he leaned over and took it from her fingers.

Her fingertip brushed his lower lip.

His skin felt dry from the cold.

Eira quickly steadied the biscuit before it fell apart. "I wiped my hands. It’s clean. You’ll survive one breakfast sandwich."

Alpha Killian gave her a sideways glance.

"If you hate it, I’ll make you something better when we get home."

He finished the biscuit in two bites. Eira lifted the straw from the orange juice and held it out. He took a drink without complaint, then returned his attention to the road.

"Make me breakfast sandwiches bigger than your fist," he said.

Eira blinked.

Then she remembered the homemade dishes she used to bring to Sterling Group. Everyone on the executive floor had received some except Alpha Killian .He had not forgotten.

A small smile tugged at her lips. "You’re still holding a grudge?"

"I remember what matters."

The warmth in his voice eased something tight in her chest.

The county sedan eventually turned off the highway onto a private road. A sign marked the entrance to a residential program for students with intensive support needs.

A security guard stepped out of the gatehouse. The liaison lowered his window, showed his county identification, and explained the registrar’s request.

The guard made a quick call, then opened the gate.

Inside, the campus was quiet and carefully maintained. A landscaped pond divided the main drive. The academic buildings stood to the right, while the residential wing sat behind a line of tall cedar trees on the left.

The vehicles turned toward the academic buildings.

They had gone less than a hundred yards when an ambulance siren cut through the morning.

Eira looked in the side mirror.

An ambulance came from the residential wing with its lights flashing. It sped past the gatehouse and disappeared onto the highway.

She could not see who was inside.

The road curved, blocking her view, but a cold weight had already settled in her chest.

The liaison parked near the main entrance and led them inside.

The building was clean and well maintained, but the halls were loud. Voices echoed behind closed doors. A student shouted from one classroom while a staff member repeated the same calm instruction.

"Residential programs can be intense," the liaison said carefully. "The students have different support needs. Some are quiet. Some need constant supervision. A few may become aggressive when they’re overwhelmed."

Alpha Killian turned his head and gave him a hard look.

The liaison stopped talking.

They reached the administration office. Before he could knock, a man in a staff polo opened the door. He recognized the county liaison and forced a polite smile.

"Good morning."

"This is Mr. Sterling, and this is Ms. Crawford," the liaison said. "The registrar asked us to follow up on a possible transfer."

The staff member’s smile faded when he saw Eira’s phone.

She held up Sam’s photograph.

"This is my brother. His name is Sam."

The color drained from the man’s face.

Alpha Killian ’s voice turned cold. "Where is he?"

"Everything is under control," the staff member said too quickly.

A principal stepped out from behind a desk. He looked calmer than the others, but sweat darkened the collar of his shirt.

"The student is registered here as Jae," he said. "J-A-E."

Eira’s brow tightened.

The principal glanced at the staff member.

"Jae is autistic," the man said. "He is mostly nonverbal and needs close supervision. He likes to climb. Trees, stairwells, fences. We have staff assigned to monitor him."

"Then how did he get out of a second-floor window?" Alpha Killian asked.

The man swallowed.

"We found him outside the residential wing early this morning. He had fallen from a window. We called emergency services right away."

"Why are you saying it like you’re not sure?" Eira asked.

"We are sure," the principal cut in. "The fall was from the second floor. The ambulance crew took him to County General."

Eira’s stomach dropped.

The ambulance at the gate. The flashing lights. The residential wing.

Sam had been inside it.

Her hands turned cold. "When did this happen?"

"Just after dawn."

"And you waited until now to tell anyone?"

No one argued.

Eira was already running toward the SUV.

They reached County General less than twenty minutes later.

Alpha Killian stopped at the emergency entrance, and Eira jumped out before the vehicle had fully settled.

She hurried to the reception desk.

"A fifteen-year-old boy was brought in from a residential school this morning," she said. "He’s listed under the name Jae."

"Are you listed as family or an emergency contact?"

"I’m his sister. Here’s my ID."

The nurse checked the computer again.

"The school listed an old emergency contact. We’ve been trying to reach them for hours, but no one has answered."

Then she read it aloud.

Eira froze.

She knew that number.

It belonged to Alpha Sebastian.