Page 134 of The Wolves of Forest Grove

I remembered now. Luke shared a cabin with two other unmated males, though for the life of me, I couldn’t remember their names.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. “We’ll give it another hour,” I told her. “And if he isn’t back then I’ll wake Charity and go with her.”

“We’ll come too,” Sara offered, and even though it was clear she hadn’t slept either, I was in no position to deny her. If it were my friend missing, I’d want to go, too.

Archer nodded his agreement and rubbed his wide hand over Sara’s back. I got the feeling she liked Luke. Maybe as something more than just a friend and fellow packmate. Though I couldn’t remember ever seeing them together.

That was generally how it went though. Other than casual sex, most shifters preferred not to date. Getting serious with someone who wasn’t your mate could spell disaster and heartbreak for all those involved if one wound up mating to someone else.

Better to just wait and hope that you won’t be one of the unlucky few who have to wait decades if not longer to find their mate.

I scanned the trees as though if I looked hard enough I’d be able to see Luke rushing over the moonlight-dappled forest floor. Coming home. But other than the sounds of nighttime insects and an owl far off in the distance, there was nothing to be seen or heard.

Except...I realized there was a light on in one of the cabins in the next row. Or at least, I assumed there was.

I could see the glow of it tinting the dirt a muted gold from here. Was that Layla’s cabin?

“Have you been awake long?” I asked Sara, already moving away from them and toward the light with slow steps.

“Did you see Layla and Seth get back from Portland?” I added before either of them could answer, wondering if they’d only just returned.

I could think of no other reason why Layla’s light would be on this late.

Squinting, I tried to see if the cabin Seth shared with Kyle and Jake also had a light on, but couldn’t tell from this far away.

“I don’t think they came back yet,” Sara told me, making my throat tighten and my steps falter.

“What do you mean? They should have been back just after dark at the latest.”

I’d spent the evening reading before bothering to try to sleep. Why hadn’t I come out to check that they’d returned? Why hadn’t I realized they may not have when they didn’t come into the main cabin to tuck the meat away in the deep freezer in the basement?

Fuck.

Footsteps followed me as I rushed toward Layla’s cabin, heart in my throat. Please be there.

Please be there.

I didn’t pause to knock, flying through the cracked open door of the cabin to sweep the interior. Charity and Danny blinked at me, startled, their inner wolves immediately on the defensive as I invaded their territory. At least until they saw who I was.

“Allie?” Charity asked. “What’s going on?”

“Where’s Layla?”

My hands twitched at my sides, and my sleep- deprived brain was already swiftly moving into kill- mode. If someone didn’t speak the fuck up right now…

“We tried calling,” Charity supplied. “She texted earlier and said they might be a bit late so we went to sleep, but they still aren’t back.”

Don’t panic.

Don’t fucking panic.

I am the alpha. I need to be calm.

“I left my phone at the cabin,” I said in the most level voice I could muster, lying to myself with an inner monologue of reassurances. Layla was fine. Seth was fine. Everything was fine.

Charity rushed to grab hers from the nightstand and hand it to me, coming to stand in the middle of the space.

Layla’s trademark jasmine scent clung to everything in here and it was easy to tell which bunk was hers.

Deep navy sheets rumpled on her top bunk had little silver stars on them.

Long, silver-chained necklaces were strung over the edge of the ladder, pointed gemstones dangling from their tips.

My fingers fumbled over the screen of Charity’s phone, and I had to move out to the porch where Sara and Archer hovered to be able to make the call. We had reception out here, but in certain areas of camp it was spotty at best.

“We already called twice,” Charity said, wrapping a shawl around her bare breasts to come outside and join me.

I thumbed to her recent calls and jammed Layla’s name in the list of calls, resisting the urge to pace along the foot trail as the call connected.

“Hey.”

“Layla, thank—”

“It’s Layla. Leave a message if you must or just text me like a normal person, and I’ll get back to you.”

Damn.

A lump formed in my throat, and it was impossible to get any air past it. My head spun as I jammed her name again and put the phone back to my ear.

“Pick up,” I muttered. “Pick up, dammit.”

When it went to voicemail again, I went to Charity’s contacts and searched for Seth.

“Allie, what’s going on?” Sara asked, and I could hear the accusation in her tone without having to look up and see it on her face. I’d somehow begun to pace, and I hadn’t even noticed it, and I had to force myself to stop.

Charity came down the step to join me standing barefoot in the dirt and lifted her hand to my arms. “Hey. I’m sure they just got held up or whatever.”

My throat burned as I met her steady gaze. “I can’t find Seth,” I said, still scrolling through contacts.

“He’s under Dirty McFlyboy.”

I raised a brow and she smirked. “Long story.”

“Allie?”

Whirling, I found Clay approaching and something inside of me snapped a little.

His brows drew together as he took in the small group of us, the moonlight casting deep shadows over his every muscle as he stalked forward.

“It’s Layla and Seth,” I managed around the still- growing lump of dread blocking my airway. “They haven’t come back yet.”

His lips parted in surprise, and just as I had, he scanned the trees and squinted toward Seth’s cabin, searching for signs of life.

“And Layla isn’t answering her phone,” Charity added, tossing her dreadlocks over her shoulder with a frown.

“I’m trying Seth now.”

Clay’s warm hands folded around my arms, lending me some strength. He leaned in to my side and whispered breathily against my cheek. “Breathe, Allie.”

I pressed the screen to call him and waited, vibrating more and more with unease as each ring went unanswered.

“He isn’t answering,” I hissed, my voice trembling. “Here,” Clay said and held out his hand for the phone. I passed it to him and he listened for a second before hanging up and placing another call. “If she doesn’t answer then—”

“Charity?” I could hear Layla’s voice connect on the other end of the call and snatched the phone back from Clay.

He flinched as I put it to my ear. “Where are you?”

“Allie?”

“Are you guys all right?”

“Yeah,” Layla replied, some trepidation in her voice. “We just stopped at the barrens to stargaze. Don’t worry, we packed the meat with tons of ice so it’ll be fine—”

“I don’t care about the fucking meat,” I snapped, unable to help myself as my entire body sagged with relief and a muscle below my eye began to twitch. “Why weren’t you answering your phones?”

“It was on silent.”

“And Seth’s?”

“Can’t find the damn thing anywhere,” I heard him call in reply.

“Just...get back here, okay? Now, please.”

“On our way,” she said, and the line went dead.

“I’m losing my fucking mind,” I muttered to myself, forgetting there was an audience surrounding Clay and me. Ugh.

Charity stepped in and rubbed my back. “Girl, I think you need some sleep.”

She wasn’t wrong. I nodded numbly, and let Clay guide me into his side, relishing in the comfort of his body pressed along the side of mine.

“Wait,” I said on a breath. “Luke still isn’t back.”

Clay stiffened against me but grunted that he understood. “Charity and I will take care of it,” he said and then turned back to face her and the others. “Just let me get her back to bed and then we’ll track him.”

“We’re coming, too,” Sara and Archer piped up. “Meet you at the fire ring?”

Clay grunted his agreement again and even though I knew what the answer would be, I tipped my head up to him as he guided me away and asked anyway. “I won’t be able to sleep, maybe I should just go with—”

“Not a chance. You’re having a stiff whiskey and then going to bed. You’re fucking shaking, baby.” He pulled me in tighter, and I let him, needing him to hold me together for just another second before I put myself back together.

The door opened before we could even make it to the front porch, and Jared stepped out, all sleep rumpled hair and downturned eyes. “Allie? Clay? It’s like four in the morning, what are you guys—”

“Luke still isn’t back,” Clay interrupted him, helping me up the steps to place me into Jared’s arms. I shuddered against his heat.

“She hasn’t slept. Give her a whiskey and put her to bed, yeah?”

“Allie,” Jared chastised, “You should have woken me up if you couldn’t sleep.”

I sent a glare to Clay who only shrugged innocently, as though he didn’t just ensure that I would be babied until I finally forced myself to sleep.

No, not babied, that wasn’t the right word.

Taken care of, I supposed, but he knew I hated anyone doting on me.

He knew because he was the exact same damn way.

I’d take the whiskey, though, if only to calm my nerves.

“Careful out there,” I warned Clay, giving him a meaningful look as I saw the others gathering around the fire ring to head out for the search. “And I want you back before breakfast.”

He raised a brow. “That an order?”

“You’re damn right it is,” I barked back, though I didn’t bother lacing the command with the power of my alpha status to strong-arm him into complying. I rarely did. He just better fucking listen or he wouldn’t get any nookie for a goddamned month.

He smirked, but leaned in and brushed his lips over my forehead, eyeing Jared, who surprisingly didn’t show any discomfort at the gesture. “Don’t worry, babe. Everything’ll shake out all right. You’ll see.”