22. Emma

TWENTY-TWO

Emma

The sky was turning a soft gray as dawn broke. I was slumped against the passenger seat of Daniel's truck, watching Wade and Beth shuffle next door. Their shoulders were hunched, their steps heavy with the night we'd all had.

"Take care," Daniel called out to them, his voice gravelly with fatigue.

"Thanks, you too," Wade managed to say, lifting his hand in a half-hearted wave before disappearing inside his house.

I turned to Daniel, feeling the silence settle around us like dust. "You think they'll sleep now?"

"I hope so." He rubbed his eyes and turned the key in the ignition, cutting off the engine. The sudden quiet felt loud. "Surely they’re too tired for… other things.” He chuckled. "I know I am.”

"Same,” I said, shocked that there would ever be a time where I’d be too tired for some fun with Daniel.

"Everything feels... surreal, doesn't it?" My voice sounded distant, like it belonged to someone else.

"Yeah," he replied, staring at the steering wheel. "It's hard to believe it's over."

"Over..." I repeated, letting the word hang between us. It didn't feel over. Not yet.

"At least the sheriff and his crew came fast and brought that vampire detective with them, too."

Daniel had called the sheriff and within a half hour, he’d been there, followed closely by Vance Acheron. The crew had quickly gotten the werewolf out of the hole and tied up, while another group took care of the unicorn’s body. They seemed confident and efficient, making me certain that things would be handled the right way.

"Good riddance," I muttered, thinking of all the chaos Mestin had caused.

Daniel's mouth quirked up in a tired smile. "They're not going easy on him. He’ll be lucky to ever see the light of day again."

"Good." A feeling of relief washed over me, cool and soothing. "He deserves whatever he gets."

"Agreed," Daniel said, nodding solemnly. "Now, let's get some rest. We've earned it."

"Rest sounds perfect." I unbuckled my seatbelt, ready to leave the night behind. But even as we headed for the door, I knew sleep wouldn't come easy. Too much had happened, and the world felt like a different place now.

Daniel’s phone pinged. "It’s the sheriff.”

I leaned back against the truck's seat while he talked to him. "They get everything out of Mestin?" I asked when he hung up.

"Uh-huh," he grunted, his eyes heavy with fatigue. "Coughed up the location of the unicorn horns real fast."

"Thank the stars," I breathed out, my body sagging with relief. "The infected?—"

"They'll be cured," Daniel interrupted, his voice firm with conviction. "The Sheriff said they're on it—no one's gonna suffer 'cause of that monster anymore."

"Good." The word was a soft puff of air, my heart finding a rhythm less frantic.

Daniel reached over and took my hand. It felt like an anchor in a still-turbulent sea. He looked at me, and we just sat there, the early morning chill wrapping around us like a shared blanket.

"Come on," he finally said, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. "Let's head inside. We've got a wedding to focus on."

"And Travis," I added.

"Right, Travis." His smile broke through, transforming his face. "I can't wait to meet your boy."

"Me neither," I said as we both got out of the truck.

Then, right there in the gray light of dawn, Daniel wrapped his arms around me, and I let myself melt into the warmth of his embrace. Our lips met, a tender seal on the promise of new beginnings.

"Inside?" he murmured against my lips. "I might have caught a second wind.”

"Oh yes," I agreed.

The door creaked open, and the cozy warmth of the house wrapped around us. Henry stood in the middle of the living room, his fingers tangled in his black hair. It was so unexpected that I stopped short. He shouldn’t be up at this time. No one should be up at this time.

"Emma," he blurted out, his brown eyes wide and frantic. "Help.”

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked, dropping Daniel's hand to approach my brother.

He handed me a crumpled piece of paper. His hands were shaking. Every muscle in my body tensed, and I was already prepared for something bad. I unfolded it, and read the hurried scrawl:

I had to go. Don’t look for me.

"Alice?" My voice sharpened with worry.

"She left that note, and I've looked everywhere."

Why would she leave a note like this and where would she go? Alice liked to stay home or be with Henry. She was the ultimate introvert. This didn’t make any sense.

"Did she say anything before she left this?" I tried to keep my impatience in check. Concern gnawed at me. "Anything to indicate why she did this?”

"Nothing. No magic gone wrong, no signs." Henry paced again, steps quick and uneven. "Everything seemed to be completely normal. Did someone hurt her? Is she scared of something?” Then, his gaze met mine. "Or did she just change her mind about marrying me?”

"I don’t know, but we’ll find out. Okay, we'll find her. We always do." I tried to sound more confident than I felt.

Alice truly hadn’t given any signs she was leaving, and I couldn’t imagine this was just about cold feet. Something must be going on. Something that will require the use of Karma and her friends if we’re to figure things out before the wedding. But time was already ticking.

"Let's start from the beginning, Henry," Daniel chimed in, calm and steady as ever. "Tell us everything."