Panic ripped through her body, and her mind was going blank. Allie did the only thing she could do before she passed out.“Marc! Help me! Please!”she shouted, hoping her message would be carried through their mating connection.
TWELVE
MARC
Marc flipped through the channels, trying to find something to entertain him until Allie showed up. He didn’t know why but he’d been restless all damn day, knowing that she was going to meet her parents and tell them about their mating. She’d seemed nervous the night before about talking to them, and that didn’t sit well with him at all. He wondered for the hundredth time why she would be nervous about telling them that she had met her mate.
He had stopped by his mom’s home on his way home from Allie’s house the first day they had been back from the impromptu camping trip to let her know that he had found and claimed his mate. His mom had been ecstatic … so had his siblings. It was a joyous occasion to be celebrated.
Hell, his sisters had gone with him to help him pick out the engagement ring. He pulled the box from his pocket and flipped the lid open. Staring at the three-carat diamond surrounded by a dozen tiny diamonds, he couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.
Marc wanted Allie in his arms, kissing him as she said yes to his proposal. Though they were already mated, he wanted it to be official in all ways. Both in the shifter world and in the human world. He wanted Allie in ways he had never wanted another.
He tucked the ring back into the box and slid it into his pocket for safekeeping. Then he continued flipping through the channels until he found a high-octane action flick, hoping it would occupy his mind for a few hours.
Deciding that no matter what movie or TV show he put on was pretty damn useless, he clicked the TV off and shot off a quick text to Allie.
Heading to my mom’s for a bit. Text me when you are on your way. Good luck with your parental units.
Days off for Marc were hell. He never quite knew what to do with himself. He usually volunteered to work, or he’d help his mom with projects around her house. Since all the shifts were covered at the station, he headed to his mom’s to work on the ongoing list of repairs to her older home.
The short drive took less than ten minutes before he found himself sitting in the driveway.
“What are you doing just sitting there looking like you’re lost, baby boy?” his mom, Judith, asked, knocking on his truck window.
“Hey, Mom. Sorry. I guess I don’t know. I feel off. Like anxious. It’s weird.” He tried to explain the nagging feeling in his gut, but it was hard to explain when he couldn’t exactly pinpoint the issue.
She pressed the back of her hand over his forehead. “You’re not running a fever.”
“Such a mom thing to do.” Marc laughed, leaning down to give her a hug. “I said I felt off, not sick.”
“Where’s Allie tonight? Are we still on for Sunday dinner so we can finally meet her?”
“She’s telling her parents about us tonight. She was really nervous about it, but I don’t understand why. And yes, we’re still on for Sunday. She’s looking forward to it.” A wave of nausea hit him hard. He felt his stomach churn. The anxiety he’d been feeling turned into sheer panic and almost brought him to his knees.
“Marc!” his mom yelled. “Are you okay?”
“Something’s wrong,” he shouted, feeling like his heart was going to explode.
“Marc! Help me! Please!”he heard Allie’s voice in his head, calling out for help. His beast charged forward, demanding control of their body. He felt his fangs punch through his gums, his eyes stinging as his face started to transform into that of his tiger.
“Easy, Marc. Talk to me.Tell me what’s wrong,” his mom begged. Her calming voice broke through the overwhelming emotions wreaking havoc on his body.
“It’s Allie! There’s something wrong with her. I heard her in my head screaming for help. How is this even possible,” he said, still fighting the urge to shift.
“Calm yourself. You must remain in control of your form. You won’t be any good to Allie if you turn into a senseless beast hell-bent on revenge.” She ran her fingers lightly up and down his arm calming him as only a mother could.
“I know, but …”
“Where do her parents live?” she asked.
“I don’t know. She didn’t say.” Marc pulled his phone from his pocket and hit the speed dial for Gerri Wilder.
“Good idea,” his mom said as he pushed the speaker button on his phone.
“Marc. How are you? I’m assuming all has gone well with your mating,” Gerri said as she answered his call.
“There’s something wrong with Allie, and I don’t know how to find her,” Marc yelled into the phone.