Page 97 of His Wild Mate

Austin could be an idiot sometimes, but he was a good friend—the best.

When we stopped to shift in roughly the same place I'd been when the van pulled up, Thomas stepped out onto the front porch.

“Emmett, Austin, get in here. We have an update.”

I shared a look with Austin and the two of us took off running back to the house.

“Did you find her?” he blurted out before I could.

“No.”

I growled.

“Get in here so we can talk.”

A bad feeling settled into my gut.

He didn't speak again until we were back inside. Esme and Mom surrounded me on each side, and I knew then that I wasn't going to like what he was about to tell me.

“First, we know who her stalker is. Dumbass.”

“Yeah, he's a dumbass for sure, but who the hell is he?”

“Eugene Baker.”

“I don't know who that is.”

“Dumbass.”

“Don't call me a dumbass, Thomas. I honestly have never heard that name before.”

“No, you know him as Dumbass.”

I froze. “What?”

“Sonofabitch. Are you shitting us right now?” Austin cursed.

“I would never joke about something like this. Dumbass is Eugene Baker and he's the one that's been stalking Paige. Don't even ask me how I figured that out because quite frankly, you don't give a damn about that, but it's him. I promise you.”

“He has my mate, Thomas. I don't even trust that kid with my horse and he has my mate.”

“I know. And I'm not sure how he did it, but he got her despite my order and everything. I'm sorry. I feel like I failed you.”

I shook my head. Even standing here living my biggest nightmare, I knew this wasn't his fault.

“This isn't on you, this is on him.”

The way he looked at me, I knew in my heart there was more.

“What else?” I demanded.

He sighed. “Linc and James traced the trail to a patch of blood in the snow about ten yards off the road. You probably drove right by her. We may have too.”

I growled and my whole body shook as fur sprouted up my arms and my nails grew into long claws.

“Calm down. There's no way you could have known that.”

His Alpha powers washed over me once more and it pissed me off when my body began to relax in response to it.

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