Page 114 of Beg for It

None of this makes sense. He was right there. I didn’t go very far. I was only gone a minute. How could he just disappear in the blink of an eye without a word?

Maybe he didn’t hear me about the rose and found the mushroom we’ve also been looking for. “Henley!” I call out. “I have the rose!”

With every passing second, chills prickle up and down my arm. Wrapping my arms around me, I rub them to try and get rid of this odd feeling.

“Where are you?” I grumble, trying his number again. Nothing. “Fuck it.” I call Brooks and he answers on the second ring.

“Camden, baby,” he purrs and a bit of that unease settles. “What's up?”

“Lee told you we’ve been doing the scavenger hunt, right?”

“Yes,” he says slowly.

“Well, I took off to go grab something on the list and when I looked back he’s gone. Brooks, I’m worried. I can’t find him anywhere.”

“What?” he growls. “Let me text him.”

“I tried calling, he’s not picking up.” I look around as the feeling of someone watching takes root.

“He just texted back. He said he thought you went back to the group. Fuck. Okay, I’m texting him, telling him to come find you. Stay there, okay?”

“Okay.” I hate how small my voice is. I’m starting to freak out. I don’t like the dark. I don’t like being out here alone. My eyes find the setting sun, and that unease prickles back.

My brows furrow when I realize Brooks hasn’t said anything in a good minute. “Brooks?” I ask, but I’m met with silence. “Brooks?” I ask again, pulling the phone back to see that we’re still connected. Maybe he’s doing something, talking to someone.

I give it a moment but when he still hasn’t said anything, I try again. “Brooks?”

My heart drops when the line goes dead. “What the hell?”

I’m instantly calling him back. But it doesn’t even ring, going right to voicemail. Fuck, his phone must have died.

Trying River, I curse when his phone does the same. And so does Lee’s.

“I have the worst fucking luck.”

A branch cracking has my head snapping up and my stomach dropping out my ass. “Lee?”

With every passing second, my breathing starts to come in quicker pants. I’m starting to freak out, real fear filling me.

Do I stay put, or start heading back?

“Fuck it.” I mutter. I don’t wanna wait in the dark. Lee can meet me back with everyone else.

Turning around to head back in the right direction, my eyes widen and a whimper slips free as real fear paralyzes me.

Right in the path stands a man. Not just any man. A fucking man in a mask.

Nope. Not happening. Today is not the day I fucking die.

Spinning back around, I go to take off in the opposite direction. But I don’t get very far, because there’s another fucking man.

“I don’t want any trouble.” I hate how my voice shakes. “Please, just let me get out of here.”

I want to go home. I want my alphas, my nest, my beta. I don’t want to do this anymore.

The sound of footsteps has my head snapping to the side. Another man. No. This cannot be happening.

What the fuck is going on?