Page 56 of Can't Be Love

I had resented my mother for her actions after my sister’s disappearance. Never had I stopped to consider her feelings or what she must have gone through with the loss of a child. I was getting a glimpse of what it must have been like for her. That terrifying hopelessness, consumed with the need to do something, anything, but nothing would change the outcome.

We lost Madelyn for eight years. I had been young and unable to even help in the search. It had weighed heavily on me for a long time. I would not live with that fear again. This time, I would do everything in my power to make damn sure my girl got back home safe and sound.

With my plan cemented, I tried to close my eyes and prayed for sleep that didn’t come.

My phone rang, and I picked it up with a frustrated sigh. Kyle Westin’s face flashed across the screen.

“Hello?”

“Thomas? How you holding up, man? And why the hell didn’t you call us?” Kyle asked.

That was my breaking point. I wanted to ball up and cry, but I had to be strong for her. I felt like I had let down so many people—Kyle, his family, their pack, my pack, Tulok and the Alaskans who had invited me here to help find their missing people but had another go missing on my watch, and most of all, Lily. My biggest, most important job in life was to protect her, and I’d failed.

“That good, huh? I can’t even imagine what you’re going through right now, but cheer up some. We’ve got a lead,” Kyle said, after I didn’t respond to his question.

“You what? How did you even know she was missing? Did Tulok call you?” I asked, suddenly regaining my brain and realizing I hadn’t called and told Kyle that Lily was missing.

“It’s a long story. I’ve got a team deployed just waiting for the storm to pass, they’re in Anchorage right now, and they will make the final trek as fast as they can at first break in the weather. We have a man on the inside. He tipped Patrick off and we have the coordinates of Lily’s location. It’s a human faction we’ve dealt with before.”

I was overwhelmed with relief. We had a lead. We had her location. I’d have her back in my arms tomorrow. That elation was short-lived, though, broken by a flood of thoughts, questions, and concerns.

“Wait. What? Humans know about shifters?”

“Uh, dude, there’s a lot we are going to need to discuss, but let’s save it till we have Lily back.”

“Kyle, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I should never have let her . . .”

He cut me off. “Don’t do that to yourself, Thomas. I know you aren’t the douchebag Lily always claimed you were. And I know what it’s like to be a mating male with the emotions coursing through you. I can only imagine how on edge your wolf is, and as an Alpha, there’s the added fight for dominance. Kelsey and I were newly bonded when the Bulgarians put a death warrant on her. I do understand what you’re going through right now, probably better than anyone else. Just remember not to suffocate her when you have her back tomorrow. Lily has always had this special light about her. Don’t snuff that out. She is strong-willed, independent, and she will challenge you every step of the way, but she will make you stronger, too. Keep that in mind tomorrow when every instinct in your being yells for you to lock her away and keep her safe from anymore threats.”

I let out a sharp breath. “That’s a lot to ask of me, Kyle.”

He laughed. “I know that, but my mom says God doesn’t make mistakes in matching true mates, which means you, my friend, are strong enough to handle this. Probably stubborn enough to match her, too, but smart enough to know when to pick your battles. I wish I could be there with you tomorrow, but Kelsey’s been having some contractions and we’re on baby watch here. I hope you’ll consider coming here for a visit when things settle down up there. We’ll have that talk, and I’ll fill you in on some highly confidential stuff you’ll need to be aware of as Collier’s next Alpha.”

I thanked him, said we’d see him soon, and ended the call. We had her location. I’d have her back in the morning. It should have relaxed me, but a few hours of staring at the ceiling confirmed that wasn’t going to happen until I physically had my girl back in my arms.

Lily

Chapter 21

By mid-morning I was going out of my mind with boredom. My whole body ached from the cramped space. I couldn’t stretch my legs. It was miserable. Plus, they didn’t even give us coffee with breakfast, which made me very grumpy.

Kent walked in, and of course he was carrying a fresh, steaming, hot cup of coffee in his hand. I was ready to kill for that cup.

“Is this your idea of torture? Why do you get coffee and not us?” I asked. “I get we’re prisoners and all, but come on, isn’t there some sort of ethical code here?”

He looked at me with a puzzled look, and I quickly realized he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. “How is coffee against an ethical code?”

“I’m certain it’s in the book of war or something marked under cruel and unusual punishment to drink coffee in front of prisoners without offering them some.”

He panicked for a moment. “Let me check with Trevor,” he finally said, quickly leaving the room.

When the door shut, Samson started to laugh a full belly laugh. “You can thank Lyle up there for your lack of coffee,” he said once he composed himself.

“Whatever. I did what I had to do,” Lyle said.

“They were sending in a woman named Helen to deliver our meals, but she got close to the cage and as she gave them their meals up there, I grabbed for the keys and Lyle dumped scalding hot coffee on her head as a distraction. I had managed to get out, but not before the others came in from the commotion and someone tased me, before locking me back up once I was subdued. It was worth it just to stretch my legs for those few minutes.”

“We haven’t seen Helen since,” Lyle added. “Or any coffee.”

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