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The honking continued. I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and glanced over when I saw a familiar flash of short red hair.

Blakely’s furious eyes met mine.

I cursed and dropped the phone into the passenger seat. This wasn’t just a random angry driver. This was intentional.

I slammed the brakes. Blakely’s truck surged forward as we approached a hill, and a loud honking rang out from ahead of us. An eighteen-wheeler barreled toward us, honking incessantly at Blakely.

Her truck swerved to the right, clipping the front of my rental.

I screamed. The steering wheel jerked in my hands as the SUV swerved. The car rocked under me as it bounced off the asphalt and onto the muddy shoulder. I struggled to keep control of it as it skidded over the grass and rocketed toward the surrounding trees.

I slammed the brakes and managed to keep the SUV upright. There was a loudpop!and my vision was surrounded by white—the airbag. I bounced against it as the engine came to a sputtering stop.

In the distance, the eighteen-wheeler’s honking faded. The airbag deflated, and I saw the front of the car was wrapped around a tree trunk. My phone was somewhere in the footwell or under the seat—I didn’t really know.

Heart galloping at a hundred miles per hour, I leaned against the passenger seat and took a slow breath.

What the fuck just happened?

18

ACE

“Harley? Harley!”

The line went dead. The last thing I’d heard was a shriek of terror before the call cut out.

I stared at my phone for a long, stunned moment.

She was alone. I hadn’t sent an escort with her. This was my fault. I’d been careless, I’d left a gap open, and now?—

I snapped into action. Now was not the time to panic. I had to get to her. I called Striker.

“Get to the alpha house,” I said. “Now.”

“There in five,” Striker said.

True to his word, his car pulled up four minutes later. Those four minutes felt like an eternity. My dragon roared and clawed at me from the inside, demanding that I shift, take to the skies.Find our mate.

“What’s going on?” Striker asked as he walked in. “What happened?”

“Dad?” Dylan called from upstairs. “My dragon feels weird. Is something going on?”

“Everything’s fine,” I said to both of them. “I’ve got to take care of some business. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“What is it?” Dylan peered down from the top of the stairs.

I hated leaving Dylan in the dark, but I didn’t want to scare him. I sighed, then squeezed Striker’s shoulder in thanks. “I’ll be back soon.”

Striker nodded. That was why I’d called him—he wouldn’t ask questions like Hawk would, not when I was in a hurry. I left the house with my heart racing in my chest. Though my dragon was still demanding I stretch my wings and fly to find her, I knew that would only cause more trouble. Instead, I grabbed my motorcycle instead of my car. At least on the bike, I’d be nearly as fast as I was on my wings.

I revved the engine and roared out of the driveway and onto the narrow, winding highway. I zipped past slow tourist cars, urging my bike faster and faster, taking the corners hard as I raced toward my mate. She’d said she was on her way back from Liz’s. I knew the road. I just had to find out what had happened.

As it turned out, I didn’t have to search. I saw the red-and-blue flashing lights as I crested the hill.

There was a long row of cars stopped in the middle of the highway. I slowed, then cut around the row, riding the yellow line up the road to where the police blocked off the road. Two cop cars were parked sideways in the road, lights on, while the police held up traffic. A fire engine and ambulance were on- site as well. I cut off my bike and rushed toward the police barrier. My thoughts matched the furious pounding of my heart.Mate. Mate. Mate.I could feel her presence nearby. Where was she?

“Whoa, Ace, this area’s blocked off.” The Lakeview police chief, Forest, stopped me with a stiff arm to the chest.