Page 23

Axel

Back on Frasier Mountain

I hit the cabin like a man coming out of war and into a fire.

The place was quiet. Too quiet.

No note. No boots by the door. No half-drunk coffee on the porch.

I dropped my bag, crossed to the kitchen, and found her laptop open. Her last search?

Tornado activity—Oklahoma panhandle.

My stomach dropped.

I tried her phone again. Still nothing. Straight to voicemail.

I barely remembered dialing Max, but when his voice picked up, steady and deep, I knew something was wrong.

“Tessa’s with her,” he said quietly. “She was caught in a debris field. Took a hit to the head. Her friend called and told us about Lark.”

My blood went cold.

“She’s stable, Axel. Tessa got there fast. We’re at the clinic in Woodward. She’s unconscious, but breathing. You need to get here.”

I was already out the door before he finished.