Chapter Twenty-Four

Xerxes

She was gone. When I returned with her food, instead of Wynter, I found her stepsisters, whatever their names were, sitting there and quick to grab the plate and my arm.

“Wynter had to go,” one said. “But she told us to be sure and keep you company. The band is about to start up again.”

The other, the one who obviously used all the hair dye, batted her eyelashes. “Maybe you and your friends would like to dance with someone else now that our pushy sister is gone.”

Stepsister, I wanted to correct, hating thinking of her having any more connection to them than necessary. But I was too busy looking around for Wynter. “Where did you say she went?”

“Oh,” the purple-haired one said, “who knows with that one? She’s probably catting around with someone. She’ll let anyone pick her up, you know.” Her voice lowered. “Our mama quite despairs. She’s done everything for her.”

“We all have,” her sister agreed. “Sad. Now about that dance?”

Before I could tell them what I really felt, Titan and Smoke arrived at my side. “Wynter ran out, someone told me. What happened?”

I waved them away from the cackling sisters. “They happened. Apparently. While I went to get her something to eat.” The food I’d selected so carefully was not being devoured by the other two. “Let’s try to catch up. I hope she hasn’t gotten in her car already.” Cars were faster than wolves.

We ran outside, ignoring the stepsisters calling after us and the council members trying to get our attention. There was not a moment to lose. A black limo idled in front of the house, but the driver said he did not know his passenger’s name.

“Does she have long silver hair?” I asked.

“Yes, and she was wearing a dress to match. Pretty little thing. Much nicer than the others I’ve picked up at the address.”

He seemed inclined to chat, but we didn’t have time for it. After confirming where he’d picked her up, we set out to search the grounds.

With no success. Our mate had disappeared, and not in the vehicle she’d arrived in. Her stepsisters claimed she’d probably gone off with someone, but I didn’t believe it. And days later, when we’d searched everywhere we could think of between our pack and her home, we had no more information than when we started.

The council was demanding I mate, and they gave me a deadline of six months to do it in. Now the situation was dire for so many reasons, but the rest could wait until we found our mate. If she rejected us, we’d figure it out. But if she was our fated, would she do that? Would she have left this way?

Was she all right?