Page 21 of Clash of Kings

Sebastian disagreed. Dakota wasn’t cute. She was exquisite. “Please forward that picture to me.” When his phone pinged with the incoming message, he asked, “Seriously, Tony. How did you get Jolee to tell you all this?”

Anthony threaded his fingers and cupped the back of his head. “I appealed to her romantic gene. Most females have one. After we” — Anthony paused, probably considering Lydia was in the room, — “after,we snuggled, and I asked a lot of benign questions about the pack, stating I wanted to get a feel for how King was as the Alpha since we were considering him for the council. When she mentioned Dakota being her best friend, I encouraged her to tell me all about the other woman. I tossed in a few probing questions, and the truth spilled out. Being an investigator, I’ve learned how to lead a conversation in the direction I want it to go.”

Anthony dropped his hands to his lap and leaned the chair back on two legs. “What I learned is Dakota’s family assumed you were dead after Pheonix attacked you that day in the woods. Her father contacted a friend, Davis Bridgewater, who was Alpha at the time, and asked if they could relocate to West Virginia. Jolee and Dakota went to school together and became best friends immediately. They both got jobs at The Depot right out of high school. Dakota moved behind the bar when she was old enough and has been slinging beer ever since. Vernon, the owner, offered Dakota the assistant manager job, but she turned him down because she hates paperwork.

“King’s been after Dakota to be the Alpha Mate for quite a while, but she never accepted the role because of you. Even Jolee thought she was crazy for saying no all for someone she’d had a brief encounter with ten years ago who was more than likely dead. Dakota’s father is furious with her, and the two of them have a strained relationship. Jolee said it finally got to be too much, and Dakota took off. I asked if she thought Dakota might have headed for Utah, but she said no. That’s the first place her parents would look for her.”

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. “I hate this. What if King finds her?”

“Honestly, I think that’s the best-case scenario. If she’s in Panther, you’ll at least know where she is.”

“But how am I going to get close to her if he brings her back?”

“We are Gargoyles. Wolves are no match for us.”

“Maybe not a few, but King has a whole pack at his disposal.”

“Defeatist, thy name is Sebastian. Seriously, Cousin. We’ll figure something out. I’ll—”

Sebastian’s phone rang. When Carleigh’s name flashed on the screen, he took a deep breath. He answered it, putting it on speaker even though his cousins could hear her without it.

“Hey, Carleigh. Please tell me you have something.”

“I have good news and bad news. The good news is I was able to trace the GPS on Kingston’s phone. The bad news is I tracked him to Asheville, North Carolina. His location was static for about half an hour, and now he’s headed back this direction.”

“You think he found Dakota?” Bas asked.

“I know he did. When I got a lock on his location, which was a hotel, I hacked into the hotel’s information and found Dakota Young had spent the night. I tapped into their security feed and watched it all play out. He and another male were waiting for Dakota when she exited the building. After a few heated words, Dakota handed over her keys, the other male got into her car and drove away, leaving Dakota with King. She got in the backseat of his vehicle, and they’re headed back this way.”

Lydia gripped Sebastian’s arm. “This is good news, Bas. Nix mentioned Dakota was supposed to be at the meeting. If King is bringing her back, we’ll reschedule, and hopefully she’ll be there.”

“And if she isn’t?”

Anthony drummed the table. “Panther’s a small community, and wolves aren’t the only ones who can track by scent. We’ll reschedule with King. If Dakota isn’t in attendance, I’ll call Jolee and have her set up something where the two of you can talk privately.”

“Saying what?”

“The truth. And you can show her your scars to prove you are the one they left for dead.”

Sebastian rubbed his chest. The scars had faded, but they were still visible. Anthony’s aunt, Lilly, was a half-blood, but she was also a witch. She and her twin daughters, Luna and Solara, had woven their magic after Bas was attacked and stitched his chest back together. He owed his life to them.

“I guess all we can do is wait and see if Dakota attends the next meeting. Thanks, Carleigh.”

“You’re welcome. Call me if you need anything or if you do meet your mate.”

“Will do.” Sebastian disconnected, then leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Could he really be this close to finding his little she-wolf?

Anthony slapped the table, startling Sebastian. “What was that for?”

“As good as those pastries were, I’m a growing Goyle, and I need sustenance. I’m going to shower, then we’re all going out for breakfast.” He stood from the table and headed toward the bathroom.

Lydia was watching him as she sipped her coffee. Bas twisted his neck to both sides and let out a deep breath. “Well, you heard the man. We’re going for breakfast, and I need to shower too.”

Lydia rose as well. “Knock on my door when you’re ready to leave.” She shoved a danish in her mouth and took her coffee with her.

Once she was gone, Sebastian walked outside onto the balcony. He inhaled deeply while rubbing his hand across his chest again. Growing up, Bas hated his scars. He still did, but now, he would use them to convince Dakota he was the teen from Utah. The one she saved. If she hadn’t attacked her brother, there wouldn’t have been anything left of him for Lilly and the twins to stitch together. He remained on the balcony, staring at Dakota’s picture, until Anthony informed him the bathroom was free.

Since the weather was nice, they opted to walk to the restaurant. While they devoured biscuits and gravy, eggs, hash browns, pancakes, and bacon, Sebastian told them more about the Wellis Lodge and the town of Carlton. He showed them the pictures he’d taken, and by the time they finished eating, Lydia was brimming with excitement.

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