“I’m not going. Not until I find V,” I said firmly. Liam had told us we were going with our grandparents, away from the pack, for safety while he searched for Lea.

“Missy, it’s the safest option right now,” Maddox reasoned. We were arguing in my room. I’d stormed out of Liam and Lea’s after refusing to go.

“He won’t answer his phone, Maddox! What if he’s hurt? You heard Felix and Lacey talking; people are missing!”

“Missy, if vampires took them, staying at the packhouse won’t help. You’re a target! I’m not convinced they weren’t looking for you today!”

“I’m not going to run, Maddox! I’ll help,” I argued. He ran his hands through his hair, his stress evident. He remained silent, so I called V again. His phone went straight to voicemail.

“If we find him tonight, will you leave with your grandparents tomorrow?” Maddox asked, looking almost defeated.

“No,” I said. “I don’t want to hide! Hiding won’t help anyone, and it certainly won’t get Lea back.”

“What if something happens to you? How will Alpha feel? How will I feel?” He was almost shouting.

“And what about me? What if something happened to you while I ran away?” I yelled back. We were both breathing heavily. Maddox closed the distance in three long strides and embraced me tightly. He buried his face in my hair as I hugged him back.

“They got your brothers once, and now your mother. Missy, they’re going to come after you. I’d die if anything happened to you,” he whispered.

“I’m not entirely helpless. And I don’t want to leave the pack. I feel safer with you, Felix, Damien, Liam, and all the other warriors.” He squeezed me tighter.

“Your dad’s going to wring my neck for failing to get you to go,” he said with a shallow laugh.

“You can have him,” I joked.

He sighed and pulled away. “Can you stay here? I need to go to the briefing and help with the cleanup. I should probably also tell Felix and Damien you won’t be going.”

I nodded. “Yeah, but I really want to find V.”

“If he can’t be found in the next couple of hours, I’ll take you to look, okay?” he offered.

“Okay,” I agreed.

“Maybe you can help your brothers pack? I’m sure they’d like to spend some time with you before they leave,” he suggested.

“That’s a good idea,” I said. He kissed my forehead before leaving my room. I sighed and hugged myself. Liam would be furious I wasn’t leaving, but I had to do what I could to find Lea, even if it was just helping around the packhouse.

I splashed water on my face in the bathroom, trying to compose myself. Liam was barely holding it together; I could tell. Being away from your mate is supposed to be painful after a while, and males are very protective of their pregnant mates. Junior and Leo would be equally upset and needed their big sister. I just hoped we could find Lea before anything terrible happened to any of them.

I changed into clean clothes—mine were a mess from running through the woods—and headed to Junior’s room. His small suitcase was open on his bed, but he was staring at it, only partially packed.

“Hey, bud,” I said gently. He looked up, wiping away tears. “Want some help?” He nodded and turned back to his suitcase. I knelt beside him and pulled him into a hug. I hadn’t realized how tall he’d gotten at sixteen. “Dad will find her, okay?” He nodded. I held him for a moment before letting go, ruffling his hair and starting to fold his clothes.

We worked silently together. I got extra things from his drawers, unsure how long their grandparents would keep them away. As we zipped up his suitcase, Delilah entered. She hugged him tightly.

“I’m sorry about your mommy,” she said. He hugged her back even tighter. I slipped out, leaving them to their moment. They’re young, but it would be incredibly sweet if they ended up mates someday; they’re already best friends. My heart ached at how much this would make them grow up.

I found Leo in his room, sniffling on the floor. “Hey, Little L,” I said softly. He looked up.

“Sissy, I want Mommy,” he pouted. I sat beside him.

“I know, big guy. I do, too,” I said. He lay on my lap, and I rubbed his back.

“Did Daddy leave to find her?” he sniffled.

“He will soon. He’s going to bring her home safe and sound,” I said.

“And my baby, too?”

“Mmm-hmm. And the baby, too.” Leo snuggled closer.

“I don’t want to go with Grandma and Grandpa. I want to be here when Mommy comes home,” he whined.

“I know. But the bad guys could come back, so it’s best if you go with Grandma and Grandpa where there aren’t any bad guys,” I explained.

“Are you going?” he asked. I’d been afraid of that question.

“No, I’m going to stay here and help find Mommy,” I said gently.

“But what about the bad guys? I don’t want them to get you, too,” he cried. I ran my fingers through his hair.

“I have Maddox. And Dad, and Uncle Damien, and Felix. There are lots of people here, so don’t worry about me, okay? Plus, Dad taught me how to fight a long time ago. I’ll just punch the bad guys,” I said.

“I guess it’s okay if Maddox will protect you,” he said, lifting his head. “If he doesn’t protect you, I’m going to kick his butt. After I save you, of course.” I smiled. This kid had the purest heart.

“I’ll make sure to tell him,” I said. “Why don’t we get your stuff packed? Grandma wants to leave before breakfast.”

“Okay,” he sighed.

After helping Leo finish packing, he joined Junior and the others. I went to the kitchen after checking my phone again for a message from V. I was getting worried. The kitchen was empty—odd. I guessed Miss Marci had gone home after everything. Strawberry ingredients and a large jar of peanut butter sat on the island. Lea had planned to make us a cake. My birthday was ruined, but I could still make a cake. I grabbed the mixing bowls and started baking, remembering Azalea’s instructions. It wasn’t hard once I got going.

A couple of hours later, I’d finished the strawberry cake, even making a strawberry compote for the layers. I hoped Maddox would like it. It was already 10:00 PM.

My phone still showed no new messages. I called V again—no answer. I got an uneasy feeling. I covered the cake and put it in the refrigerator. I’d surprise Maddox tomorrow, hopefully. I hadn’t seen him since earlier.

“Maddox?” I mentally linked him.

“Yeah, what’s wrong?” he replied.

“Nothing. You’ve just been gone a while,” I said.

“I’ll be back soon. Should I come upstairs?” he asked.

“Please?”

“Sure. By the way, do you know what time you were born?”

“Um, morning, I think?”

“Sometimes the mate bond isn’t felt until you turn seventeen. Just wondering.”

“Okay. I guess I’ll see you soon,” I said. I was nervous again. I didn’t want to be alone, but I was worried about the mate thing. And I still couldn’t reach V. I looked in the fridge but was too nervous to eat. I went to my room. Peeking into Junior’s room, I saw all four kids huddled together on his bed. I grabbed extra blankets and covered them.

Back in my room, I plugged in my phone and went to get clothes for a shower. I wanted to wash away some of the sadness and worry. I missed Lea. She would know how to make this less stressful. Before I could shower, my phone buzzed. V's name made me nearly collapse in relief.

V | i’m okay | are you ? ME | sort of V | there is a rumor that your mom was kidnapped ? ME | its true… V | come to the cabin | i am already here ME | why? V | i was here when it happened | dropped my phone | had to come find it

I weighed my options. I didn’t know when Maddox would be back, and I didn’t want to bother him. Wolves patrolled the pack; no one could do anything tonight.

ME | for a bit | give me 15

Maddox “What’s wrong?” Beta Damien asked. I looked at the moon. I was born just after midnight; I’d know if she was my mate as soon as I smelled her.

“Nothing,” I muttered. Damien and I were tracking trails from where Missy and I hid, looking for clues, but the scents were fading.

“I know you want to find out if she’s your mate, but this is important. The attackers were clearly looking for you,” he said.

“Yes, sir,” I said.

“This way,” he gestured, and I followed, trying to pick up his scent. He pointed to some tracks on the ground.

After the meeting, Beta Damien had pulled me aside and asked where I’d hidden Missy. Since then, we’d been tracing the rogues’ path. I didn’t want to leave Missy, but this was a warrior’s duty. Since she’d linked me, I couldn’t focus. My wolf was on edge, desperate for her to be our mate.