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“I know she’s important to you, Little One,” Zandren said gently as he continued to drive down the pothole-riddled road. “But this is important too. We need to stick to the plan. Then, as soon as we’ve dealt with Howar and Lerris, we’ll go find Gemma and Melissima.”

Omaera shook her head. “That’s not good enough. I’m not going to be able to concentrate until I know she’s okay.”

Without any notice, Zandren yanked the wheel to the right and pulled overto the shoulder, putting the SUV into park. “Somebody give me their phone.”

I handed the bear mine.

“What are you doing?” Omaera asked.

“I’m sending some bears I know that live near Melissima to go check on things.”

“And you’re sure we can trust them?” Drak asked.

Zandren whipped his big frame around and growled at Drak. “I trust them more than I trust you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Let’s table the pissing match for now, hmm? We have bigger issues to deal with than the ongoing war of whose dick is bigger between vampires and shifters.”

“The answer will always be shifters,” Zandren murmured, firing off a series of messages. He pressed so fucking hard on the screen of my phone with his enormous sausage fingers I was worried he might crack the screen.

He handed the phone back to me, then pulled out onto the road again. “Let me know when they text back.”

I saluted him. “Will do.”

The sign for the barbecue place, saying it was a mile away, came into view. “We still stopping to eat?” Zandren asked.

“I’m too stressed to eat,” Omaera said, shaking her head and staring out the window.

“We’ll get it to go,” I replied, reaching forward and squeezing her shoulder. “Melissima is a brilliant mage. She will have contingencies in place for an attack. She’ll have hideouts and passageways for escape.”

“But if Gemma is unconscious or sick, how’s she going to move her?” Omaera choked out. “Is she just going to leave her?”

I couldn’t answer that.

Zandren’s phone buzzed in my hand, and a message popped up.

I read it out loud. “Hey, Z. For sure we can take a look. Going to head there now. Will touch base with you when we’re there and let you know what we find. -O.” Only a modicum of relief from Omaera made its way toward me. “Who is ‘O’?” I asked.

“Ottvo,” Zandren said. “Was my father’s enforcer for over a century before he mate-bonded and started a family. He’s loyal through and through, and tough as nails. He’ll take his two grown sons, Niall and Dorryn, with him.”

Omaera exhaled a deep, defeated sigh which caused her shoulders to round forward. “I’m going to be nauseous until we hear from them. How far away are they from Melissima’s?”

“An hour or so, maybe,” Zandren replied. “We’ll hear soon, Little One. Don’t worry.”

The junction where the barbecue joint was came into view, and Zandren pulled into the fairly-full parking lot. He parked the SUV and turned off the ignition.

“Might want to put a shirt on, big guy,” I said before climbing out of the back seat.

The bear grunted, but didn’t argue. He located his tight black T-shirt and tugged it over his muscles. “You coming in or staying here?” he asked, directing his question to Omaera.

“I’m going to stay here,” she said.

“I’ll stay with her,” Drak replied. “Please order me a rare steak with a spinach salad if they have it.”

Zandren merely growled, but I nodded and shut the door. The bear and I headed to the front door of the restaurant, leaving the vampire, our mate, and her frazzled nerves in the vehicle.

“This isn’t good,” I said to Zandren as he held open the door for me.

“No shit,” he grumbled. “If something happens to Gemma, Omaera’s never going to forgive herself.”