But I was afraid that if I got there and didn’t find Tessa that I would lose it again. Because I’d heard what my friends said on the call. If this doesn’t lead anywhere, then we were well and truly fucked.
No one would be stupid enough to go after Helen. No one wanted a fey war. And no one could force Helen to tell us more than she already had without winning a war.
Which meant if Shannon and Imogene didn’t know where Tessa was being held, then we would be left with a whole bunch of nothing.
I closed my eyes and reached for my bond, but it was still gone. Still missing. And I was still empty without it.
I was unable to focus on anything but getting there. My wolf was too close for me to do anything but hang on.
And then Michael parked the car. “This is it.”
We got out in front of a tall, round building with balconies on each level. We walked in through a too-small revolving door that smelled of sweat and sand and salt. Inside, the floor was gleaming white marble, and there was a chandelier hanging in front of the security desk. It was large and glittering, and I would’ve thought it looked chic and elegant, but I’d been to the Lunar Court. This one paled in comparison to the throne room’s chandeliers, glowing walls, and magical floors.
A security guard waited at a desk in front of a bank of elevators. I wasn’t sure I could speak without growling—which would do no good. Michael gave our names and who we were there to see, and the guy stood up.
“Oh! Laurent, Dastien. Ms. Hoel said he’s to be let right up.”
“We appreciate that,” Michael said. He’d hidden any hint of his surprise flawlessly, but I was stunned.
The guy swiped a card across a security pad and pressed a button. “I’ve programmed the elevator on the right to take you straight up.”
The elevator dinged as it opened, and Michael pulled me inside.
My name was on a list? She thought I would come here?
Because of Tessa. It had to be because she knew where Tessa was and knew I’d figure it out eventually. She couldn’t really think that I’d come back to her if Tessa was out of the way. That would be…insane. Complete and utter insanity.
Because it wasn’t stupidity. It couldn’t be.
No. She wasn’t that dumb. I’d known Imogene my whole life. Her father always made it clear that it had been agreed that Imogene and I would marry, but Michael was always against it. He never said why, but maybe now I knew.
Imogene was insane.
If she had anything to do with Tessa’s disappearance, I wasn’t sure what I’d do. I knew that’s what we came here to confirm, but if this was all some ploy to get rid of my mate so that I would marry her? I was pretty sure I’d finish what Tessa started in the hallway a year and a half ago.
If she’d taken Tessa from me, I’d rip out her throat and enjoy watching the light fade from her eyes as she bled out.
My wolf was on the verge of a rampage, and I wasn’t sure there were enough tranqs in the world to put him down.
“Are you okay?” Michael stepped closer to me, and I wasn’t sure if he was going to feed me more of his power or readying to move if I lost it completely.
I wasn’t okay. Not even close, but the elevator dinged, saving me from answering him.
The elevator doors opened up directly into the unit. The floors gleamed with giant glassy white tiles. The walls were white. The sofa was white. What wasn’t white was either chrome or glittery or mirrored. White was supposed to be clean and bright and vibrant, but this place felt like it had no soul.
Or maybe that was just Imogene.
Either way, I wanted to shift and tear up the place. But I wasn’t going to do that. Not right now. Not when I had important questions for her.
We stepped farther into her condo and listened. I could hear the refrigerator humming, the air conditioning, and sounds from the condo below us, but that was it.
Damn it. “I don’t think anyone is here.” It was more than frustrating. I was ready for answers, not more waiting around.
“Good.”
I turned to Michael. He had to be joking. “Good?”
His eyes were his wolf’s bright green. Michael wasn’t as calm as he was letting on. That made me feel a little better.