Page 103 of His Wild Mate

“Don't worry. We'll find her,” Kano told me.

I was certain they wouldn’t let me help much, but at least I got to go along. With two Alphas watching my every move, it was a little annoying.

When we reached the shed, I was told to stay back while they checked the place out. They all knew I was a ticking time bomb and if I found Dumbass, I'd kill him. It would be the greatest honor of my life. And if anything happened to my mate, I would make it a slow, excruciating death.

“Stay here,” Thomas said, but it didn't feel like an actual order, more like a request. I could tell I was free to ignore it if I chose to.

Kano stayed behind with me while the others went inside.

I frantically looked around, trying to find any sign of my mate. The air smelled of fresh snow that continued to fall, but it was tainted with something else.

“Do you smell that?” I asked him.

“What?”

“I'm not sure yet.”

I wandered around to the back of the building where the scent was stronger.

“Smoke,” I whispered to myself.

“I smell it too. Look, up there.”

A pipe came out of the roof. It was hot enough to melt the snow around it and cause icicles to form along the roof line.

“You can barely see the smoke from the snowfall, but it's there. There's no reason for there to be smoke unless someone's in there.”

“Wait out here. They'll find them.”

About fifteen minutes later, Thomas returned shaking his head.

“There's no sign they’ve been here.”

“But the smoke. They have to be,” I insisted.

“What smoke?”

Kano pointed up the roof.

Thomas squinted until he saw it too. The snow was falling heavier now, making visibility more difficult.

He studied the roof and then stared at the door on the back of the building with a frown.

“I don't remember there being a door on this side.”

I suddenly remembered the safe room in the basement and couldn't help but wonder if the owners had put in more than one.

I walked to the door and jiggled the handle. It opened easily, too easily. I stepped inside and was overwhelmed by the scent of my mate.

Mine, my wolf growled.

There was a hole in the floor but curled up in a ball in the corner was Paige.

“She's in here,” I yelled as I ran to her side.

Tears pricked my eyes when I reached out to hold her and couldn't.

She looked up at me with tears streaming down her face.

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