chapter 23

What’s wrong?” Joe asked.

“The hotel hasn’t called.” Caleb ran a hand down his face, glancing at the time. They were deep in the forest and the scents of the rogue bear had been diminishing all day. He didn’t like this.

A few hours ago, fear had flooded his entire body. It had been so strong that his wolf had been close to the surface, ready to fucking kill. He’d gained control, but now, as he stared out across the night, only sensing sweet little creatures like rabbits or dear, he had a bad feeling.

“Your rogue bear, at any time he chooses, can he mimic people?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I assumed he was crazy and couldn’t control being both the bear and the human.” Caleb looked around the forest. “He’s not here.”

“No, he hasn’t been here for a while.”

“Why the fuck didn’t you say anything?” He was struggling not to kill this son of a bitch.

“What did you want me to say?”

“I don’t know. Maybe the guy we were about to hunt wasn’t even in the fucking woods.” He growled, running back toward the house where David, Brian, and Reese were waiting.

He didn’t like the look on his packmates’ faces once he walked through the door. “What is it?” Caleb asked.

“I called the hotel,” Reese said. “She didn’t arrive. There’s been no sign of her. They’ve even gone and checked the room. She’s not there.”

“There’s other bad news. I was just coming to you now,” David said. “Old Jack called.

The driver assigned to her … he was found with his throat slit. Ravaged as the man said. If it hadn’t been for his wallet, he wouldn’t have been identified.”

Caleb’s roar came quick and fierce. “He’s got her. That son of a bitch has my woman.

She’s right there now, terrified. I can sense her. Piece of fucking shit.” He didn’t try to control his wolf. He let the beast out.

His clothes tore from his body as pain struck him hard. He couldn’t control it.

We will get our mate back. We’ll find her.

His pack was close but they were giving him a wide berth. Right now, his mate was in the arms of the enemy. The woman he loved, the woman he’d sent to a different town in an attempt to protect her, and instead, he might have fucking killed her.

Kill. Hunt.

Annihilate. Claim her back.

His wolf wanted blood. Rogue bear blood. He sniffed the air and sensed Joe but it didn’t want him. Taking out Joe wouldn’t bring back his woman. No, he needed to take out the man responsible for Bethany’s disappearance.

Slowly, he turned back to his human form. His clothes were gone, and he panted, wanting to kill, but he stared at his men, all of whom admired him. They saw his control as strength. He had to get himself together.

“Where would he take her?” Caleb asked. “Don’t even try to protect him.”

“I won’t. We can try and go back to our den. There’s no guarantee that he’s going to be there though.”

“If anyone is alive, they’ll know, won’t they?”

“Possibly, but you’ve got to understand, Caleb, there might be no one.

He’s crazy and he’s on this path now.”

Caleb slashed his hand in front of him. “No. You don’t understand. I’m not going to stop until I have his heart in my hand. I felt her. She was terrified and I didn’t even fucking realize it.

I’ve never been mated before. This is all new. I had a chance to save her, and I’m not going to give up.”

“She could be dead,” Joe said.

Wrapping his fingers around Joe’s throat, he slammed him to the ground.

“Don’t you even fucking dare to speak about her like that, you piece of shit. Do you hear me?” He snarled in his face, wanting to bite him, to cause him pain.

His fangs elongated, pricking his gums. “The only reason you’re breathing is because I need you. If she dies, then that’s it for you. I’ll kill you.”

He got to his feet. “Now lead the way.” He forced himself to let go of Joe’s neck, but even that was a challenge. He wanted to do nothing more than kill him, but he held back.

Taking deep breaths, he tried to focus. Tried to gain some control over his own emotions, but it was next to impossible.

In and out.

One, two, three.

“I hate to say this to you, but you need some pants on,” Reese said. “If we’re going anywhere near humans, you’re too close to the edge, and it’s going to cause more than a few people to go bat-shit crazy. You could be arrested and if you sense anyone trying to stop you from claiming your mate, we can’t stop you.”

“He’s right,” David said. “Get some clothes on. Hurry up.”

Caleb forced himself to walk back into the house and go right to his room. Even as his wolf wanted to turn back around and kill. Entering his bedroom, he inhaled deeply.

His woman.

The scent filled the entire bedroom. He missed her.

Please don’t let anything happen to her. I promise I’ll love her, take care of her. She’s supposed to be planning our wedding.

He ran a hand down his face to clear his thoughts.

Clothes.

Get clothes. Find her.

Kill him.

Fuck her, marry her, get her full with my babies.

He had a plan. A very good plan.

Dressed in sweatpants and a shirt, he rushed outside. “Let’s go.”

They were all faster on foot, and as he took off, the speed of his wolf took over.

If he was to change into his wolf, he’d be even faster, but Reese had a point. If they were near humans, he didn’t want any distractions.

So long as he didn’t give in to his wolf, he wasn’t at risk of completely being at his beast’s mercy.

Right now, with his mate in danger, he had to be in complete control to be able to win her back.

His pack and Joe were close. Not once did he slow down his pace. He kept on running. The fire burned in his thighs, but he didn’t stop.

All he could think about was his woman.