I couldn’t watch TV either. I would turn to her to make a joke—just so I could see her smile—and she wasn’t there.
She wasn’t fucking there.
Claudia searched for Tessa every night, but she kept finding empty space. As far as her magic could tell—as far as anyone’s magic could tell—Tessa never existed.
But she did. We all knew it. So, it was a trick. Some kind of fucked-up trick.
And now I was back in Los Angeles. About to ask help for someone who’d already refused to take my calls. Refused to even take Claudia’s calls. We didn’t even know if she was getting our messages.
But I’d beg. I had no pride left. I would beg. We’d nearly gotten Samantha killed the last time we asked for her help, and she’d probably slam the door in my face. And yet, I had to try.
I knocked on the door of the old apartment. I could hear footsteps, and then the door swung open.
Wide, stormy gray eyes stared at me. Samantha’s long, wavy brown hair hung loose down her back. She was wearing a plaid uniform skirt, and an untucked white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up enough to show a few crystal bracelets on each wrist. “Dastien?” she said.
“Hi, Samantha.”
Claudia said not to tell her we were coming. To just show up. Otherwise, she’d rabbit herself away, and that would do us no good.
Samantha looked past me and saw Michael, but she looked back at me. “You want me to find Tessa. I saw the news, but if you’re here, that means you think I can help. I don’t know that I can.”
“Can we come in and talk? Please?” I hated talking about how Tessa was gone, but I couldn’t really talk or think about anything else. So, it didn’t fucking matter. It shouldn’t matter. I’d explain what happened a million times over if it got me closer to finding her. “You haven’t gotten our messages?”
“No.” She looked away from me, chewing on her lip. “I’ve been busy. I’ve been ignoring my calls and…”
Now that I was looking at her, I noticed that she was thinner than the last time I saw her. There were dark circles under her eyes. She looked about as tired and heartsick as I was. She might need help as much as I did. Before I left, I’d make sure she ate a real meal with protein.
“Honestly, I saw the calls, but things have been…I meant to call, but…” She shrugged.
Right. I had to remember that Tessa wasn’t the center of everyone’s universe. Just the center of mine. “Can we come in? Please.”
She looked at me again, leaned against the door jamb, but said nothing.
“If you can’t help me, then…” Then I wasn’t sure where to go next. I’d figure it out. I would. But I had to know if Samantha could find Tessa. I couldn’t leave—wouldn’t leave—until she gave me a chance to explain. “Please.”
Samantha let out a soft sigh. “Look. I know I helped you before, but I can’t do it again. Shit has been going crazy here, and I’m wiped to the max and—”
“Someone kidnapped Tessa, and I can’t find her. No one can find her. I can’t even feel our bond anymore. It’s like it doesn’t exist. I’ve tried everything. Claudia’s tried. I can’t…”
“But you’re her mate. I saw your bond to her. I held it in my hand. If she’s not dead, then follow it—”
“She’s not dead!” I screamed before I could stop myself.
Samantha stepped back slowly, as if she were backing away from a predator. Except I was the predator.
I was messing up. I was messing this all up. I ran my fingers through my hair as I tried to calm down.
Michael’s hand squeezed my shoulder. “He’s sorry, but this is really hard for him. It’s been a very long couple of weeks.”
I closed my eyes and tried to shove down the screaming panic, but every day that passed, it
got harder.
I opened my eyes, but I knew she could see the wolf staring at her. “I’m sorry. The bond is gone. Someone took her, and I really need help because I don’t know what to do without her. Help me. Please.”
She shook her head, and I wasn’t sure what else I could say to convince her.
But then she said, “Okay. Come in. Start at the beginning.”