Bram looked over at Ford, who was still grinning.
“What in the hell is so funny about my mate being sick?” There was a bite to Charlie’s words.
“Chill the fuck out. I’m not smiling because Ary is sick, but because I can’t wait for Talia to get there.”
Charlie snorted and leaned against a worktable placed outside at the site. “You say that now, but it’s a whole different story when your mate is dry heaving because her stomach is empty, and you have to hold her hair back because there isn’t anything else you can do.”
Before he could listen to what would soon be a full-out argument between his older brothers, Bram waved goodbye and headed back to the trailer. It was right when it came into view that he knew something was wrong.
It wasn’t because the door swung open or the fact that he sensed Kenzie wasn’t inside. It was the fresh scent of her blood that filled the air, and the closer he got, the stronger it filled his nose. He rushed to the trailer and ripped the door from its hinges. Searching the interior wildly, he already knew she wasn’t in there.
Throwing his head back and letting his bear come out full-force without shifting, Bram roared out loud enough to shake the trailer. He rushed outside and inhaled deeply. The wind blew from the south, and because of that, he hadn’t scented the metallic tang of her blood that tinged the air until it was too late. Seconds later, Charlie and Ford were rushing over to him, their expressions on alert as they scanned the area.
“What the fuck is going on?”
“What’s wrong?” his brothers asked him in unison, but Bram couldn’t speak, couldn’t think about anything aside from the fact that he knew that motherfucker Rook had gotten his girl. He could smell the fucking panther stinking up the air.
He would have to tell his brothers what was going on, because he needed their help. He could track her down from the scent of her blood, but he would need the back up from two of the hardest bears in Sweet Water. No doubt, Rook had been waiting for this moment when Kenzie was alone, and he had basically given his mate to the psychotic shifter.
“Fuck.” He ran a hand through his hair and scanned the area. His whole body shook, and he was having a hard time keeping his bear in control. He wanted nothing more than to let his animal free so his senses would be more attuned to finding Kenzie, but he needed to explain everything to his brothers so they knew what the fuck they were dealing with. “I have to find her.”
His whole body shook with so much force his teeth rattled together. His muscles tightened, expanded, and the promise of his bear coming forth was only seconds away. He needed to do something instead of standing there, but just as he took a step to head into the woods and let his animal fully out, Charlie gripped his forearm and brought his face close to his.
“You need to calm the fuck down, take a deep breath, and tell us what the hell is going on so we can fix this and get your mate back.”
Charlie could read him so well, and even though he didn’t mention anything about Kenzie being taken, no doubt they could feel his emotions as if they were their own. Looking between Charlie and Ford, Bram felt his brothers’ bears starting to rise to the surface. They sensed the danger and tension that thickened the air.
“Tell us what the hell is going on, brother, and we can start to make it right.” Ford slapped him on the back, his expression tense and serious. “Just take a deep breath and tell us.”
He didn’t have time for this, so as quickly as he could, Bram told them about Rook and Kenzie, their history, and the fight at the bar. When he was finished, his brothers were shaking as badly as he was.
“Lead the way, Bram. We got your back.”
Bram took off toward the woods, toward the thick scent of her blood, and he didn’t stop his bear from emerging. His animal broke free and charged forward at full speed.
Charlie and Ford were in their animal forms too, and as the three of them charged forward, Bram knew one hell of a fight was about to occur, but that thought excited him and had his blood pumping faster and harder.
It wasn’t lost on Bram that Rook was probably setting a trap, getting him alone so he could finish what they started at the bar. But that was exactly what he was hoping for, because by the end of the night, he was going to rip the fucker’s throat clean out and bathe in his blood.