Olivia looked horrified and Robert turned to console her. The fear in their eyes was reflected from me. Olivia turned to Robert and grasped his hands tightly in hers.
"You have to find her."
He nodded to her.
"I have everyone on it," I assured them. "We're currently trying to pinpoint her location. I have trackers on it as well. Every werewolf I have available is working on this."
This was my pack's top priority at the moment.
"I appreciate all you are doing but no one will look for her like I will," Robert said. "To everyone else she is just a member of the pack. Her life means more to us."
He had no idea what she meant to me. Granted we hadn't connected as mates with skin-to-skin touch but I would do anything to bring her back safely. If this was how I felt now I couldn't help but wonder how I would feel once fate sealed our pairing.
"Trust me, I'm doing everything I can to get her back unharmed. To me, she's more than just a member of this pack."
Robert gave me a questioning look.
"She's my… mate." And there was another shock.
"But how…?" Olivia seemed at a loss for words.
"It's a long story," I explained, not wanting to go into all the details. It was hard to admit that Crystal knew I was her mate when she had left for the second time. Nothing like feeling I wasn't good enough. It was a major dent to my ego.
And it hurt somewhere in the middle of my chest like an ache that wouldn't go away. My only consolation was that we hadn't touched yet. If we had I would be taking this a lot worse.
Robert looked at Olivia before fixing his eyes on me.
"I will do everything I can to find her," I promised them. I had to believe I would find her alive and safe. Even when I felt like I was walking a tightrope. One wrong move and I would plummet to my death.
Robert nodded at me, understanding I wasn't going to give up. Like him, I was dedicated to this.
"Please keep us updated," Robert asked. I assured him I would let them know as soon as I knew something more.
They knew nothing more than I did. Another dead end. There was another reason I had kept them from getting directly involved. Emotions clouded judgment. It was a fact and I didn't want to take any risks. There was no room for mistakes.
But what about your feelings?I shoved that thought from my mind. My emotions would also cloud my judgment but I refused to give up control of this dangerous situation to someone else.
I would be unable to forgive another person for a decision that resulted in the death of my mate. I was the only person who could carry that responsibility.
Crystal
I watched as Flynn left the property. He looked back once and I held his gaze. The moment he disappeared into the forest, I felt a cold fear creep into me.
Even though Flynn hadn't exactly been friendly, I had felt a certain amount of safety with his presence that had left with him. I bit my nail as I tried to figure out what to do next. The sound of the gates closing behind him gave me a jolt back to the present.
"He'll be back."
My heart slammed into my chest at the intrusion of the voice. I turned to see Travis watching me from a few feet away. I swallowed hard, trying to hide my nervousness around him. His eyes were sharp as they swept over me.
He looked at me like he was trying to figure out what I was hiding. How on earth did he know I was hiding something, or was it something he did with everyone? Unsure of what to say, I linked my hands together to stop them from shaking.
A commotion from nearby pulled Travis' attention away from me. I watched as he, along with a couple of the Keepers, walked to the big iron gates as they swung open.
Two Keepers who were hard to miss because they had the same stoic face as Flynn were dressed in all black and were dragging a guy fighting to get free.
When they entered, the gates closed and I took a step forward, trying to see the face of the man they'd captured. Blood from cuts on his head ran down his face. Something about him seemed familiar. The mark at the back of my neck heated up. He was a werewolf.
"What have we got here?" Travis asked as the injured guy collapsed on his knees when the two Keepers released him.
