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Sheila: It shows the message’s been read, but she hasn’t responded.

My groan brought Olivia out of the chair across from me and to her feet. Her hands clenched. “What is it?”

“Emma isn’t responding to Sheila, and she’s not sure why.”

“You should have gotten her number when she was here.”

“Cell phones weren’t big on my mind,” I grumbled.

“No, it’s obvious that there’s not much else on your mind except Emma when she’s within a hundred yards. If you had her number, then you could know if she’s just pissed at you or if she’s in trouble.”

“Pissed at me?”

“She probably feels like you’re checking up on her,” Olivia said. “She’s not into being controlled, Logan. She’s going to have to buy in to the idea of the prophecy and everything else.

Emma was a prickly, difficult woman. Didn’t she understand I was trying to keep her safe? She should just let me keep her safe.

“What do you want me to do about it? Any of it?” I asked.

“I’m not foolish enough to think there’s anything you can do. Have you given any thought to explaining you’d like to bed her? Might be better for the pack if you satisfied your curiosity and got on with her training.”

“I’m more interested in convincing her she needs to stay here.” My chair creaked as I stood, unconvinced having sex with her would cleanse her from myto-dolist. “I’m not going to sit here making small talk while I’m concerned about her. I’m headed into Willow Creek to check on Emma. If everything’s okay with her, how do you feel about making your supply run tonight?”

Her eyes widened, but she frowned. “A couple of the stores are open twenty-four hours, so it would probably work.”

“Pull the truck around so we can head into town. I don’t want to others to know what we’re doing, so tell them we’re making a site visit.”

“Strange time for a site visit,” Olivia countered. “It’ll be dark out by the time we get to Willow Creek.”

“Then tell them we’re making a site visit to check on the shifters in our pack. Some of them stay in town during the week, and after our attack, we should check on them.”

She nodded, keeping her expression guarded as she spoke softly. “Weshouldcheck on them. That’ll make more sense to the others.”

The admission sledged me in the gut. Of course, we should check on the members of our pack—our family—in town. As much as Emma was foremost in my mind, we’d been invaded, and my responsibility was to my people.

My cell rang while I was seated in the passenger seat.

Olivia glanced at me as though I’d done something unforgivable. “Who the hell is that?”

“Phil,” I answered, surprised to see his number. Maybe something had happened to Rachel. I accepted the call and put the phone to my ear. “Yeah?”

“She’s gone,” he gasped.

“Who’s gone?”

“Rachel,” he said. “She got a crazy look in her eye and busted out of here, saying something about Acheron. We can’t find her.”

Shit. Shit.What had that mage asshole done to her?

To Phil, I said, “Keep looking, and we’ll back as soon as we can.”

After I ended the call, Olivia asked, “What is it?”

“Dammit! Acheron fucked with Rachel’s head, and she’s left,” I growled, “so he could finish the job, probably.” Tension snapped through me, my hands clenched, and my stomach twisted.

Olivia pulled onto the shoulder. “What do you want to do?”

I didn’t have an answer.