Sirens sound in the distance a second before a sharp pain rips through my head and the world goes black.
53
RODERICK
Juliet is gone.
I know before I even jump from my bike. There is a shadow over her normally inviting home, as if the heart had been ripped from the place.
Still, I sprint to the front door, shouting her name as I go.
Could she have hidden from him?
No, he’s a wolf. The bastard would have been able to sniff her out.
When I wrench open the front door, the alarm doesn’t make a sound. When I glance at the screen on the keypad, I see the colors have illuminated orange, meaning the silent call for help was plugged in. Explains the cruiser outside.
I slide into the kitchen, and my chest cracks open at the sight of red droplets on the linoleum floor. The pure scent of Juliet, mixed with iron, rises from those traces of her.
With the smell of her strong in my nose, I follow her trail, straight out the back door.
The scent leads me into the woods, and I keep running. My wolf form is faster, but I would have to pause and take time to transform.
Juliet doesn’t have time.
After I cross a mile of woods in minutes, I burst out onto a two-lane road.
Her scent trail ends.
I let out a frustrated roar.
End? Why does it end?my wolf snarls in animalistic confusion.WHERE IS OUR MATE?
My eyes lock on tire tracks in the mud on the side of the road.
A vehicle was parked here and pulled away fast.
He had help.
But that doesn’t tell mewhereshe is.
My wolf wants to start running, needing to move, to find our mate. Somehow, I maintain a semblance of reason, holding on to control with the tips of my claws. This isn’t a solo mission.
Ineed help.
With a frustrated snarl, I sprint back toward Juliet’s little house.
Thad crouches by the back door, and the wolves I commanded accompany me wait by Josie and Dan, the two cops who showed up in response to Juliet’s silent plea for help.
Luckily, both are wolves and therefore don’t bother to try throwing their weight around. They simply wait for me to tell them what needs to me done.
“Cory was here. He took her,”Thad signs.
“Yes.” It’s all I can do to form actual words with my mouth instead of growling in fury. “They drove off with her.”
Warner dismounts from his bike then, stepping toward me. “Her street is a dead end. His bike is a junk heap at the bar. How could he have gotten her away without running into anyone?”
Even though I don’t want to waste another second explaining, the more facts everyone has, the more likely we’ll find the best way to save my woman.
