Page 57 of The Bookseller and the Alpha
And you’re perfect for me.Beast purred at the reply. Even though we were now mated, he needed the reassurance. She could have rejected us when she saw our Beast form. We didn’t have a mate bond then and she could have said “fuck no” when she saw what I shifted into. But for some wonderful reason, that I would be grateful for every single day of the rest of my life, she accepted me and Beast. Both of us.
Right. I needed to concentrate on catching these motherfuckers because my mate was waiting for me.
“What have we got, people? Give me some good news.”
From his seat in front of a monitor, Sam replied. “Got something, boss.” There was fierce satisfaction in his voice. He had taken the attack in Caly’s apartment very personally.
I took a step towards him.
Caly’s shock reverberated down our bond.
Then my world tilted. My chest felt like it was being squeezed in a vise, my heart thumping as though I’d run a marathon. My skin was clammy and my gut clenched with nausea.
I couldn’t feel her.
I couldn’t sense my mate. One moment our link was solid, her presence steady in the back of my mind. Then it was just… gone.
I reached for her but it was futile. It felt like someone had pulled my heart out of my chest. I couldn’t breathe.
“Caly!” My voice filled the room, Beast’s power amplifying it, and I heard someone behind me swear in shock. In a blink, I was out of my seat and running to the double doors that were the only exit from this room.
“Boss?” Sam appeared at my side. “Let me come too.”
I grunted a reply, reaching for the door.
The handle didn’t budge.
We were locked in.
“What the fuck?”
Yeah, my thoughts exactly kid. My whole team was in this room. With one exit. And someone had locked us in.
I tried again, but the door handle broke off in my hand.
No more time.Caly?I reached for her again, but I still couldn’t feel her.
DO IT, NOW! Beast surged under my skin.
Dimly I noticed Sam getting out his sidearm, ready to shoot the lock out.
“Step back.” The words were guttural. The shift was easy, as if I’d done it all my life rather than only once before.
“Holy shit dude. I wanna be you when I grow up.”
Rage burned inside me. Someone had hurt my mate. I would tear off their heads then stomp on their broken bodies until there was nothing left but mush. “I’ll kill them all.”
“Boss, don’t kill them all. Most of them are loyal Palace staff.”
My shoulder slammed through the reinforced door like it was paper. Wood splinters and metal shavings flew around like kindling. “Keep up kid. If you see someone I shouldn’t kill, better let me know.” And with that, I took off.
The guard who’d been posted outside our suite was missing when I got there, Sam still on my heels. Lucky the kid was fast. The door to our suite was open. I scanned the front room. Caly wasn’t there. I raced to the bedroom. Caly’s phonewas on the bedside table. If Electra had tried to call, she hadn’t received the message. Pompy was sound asleep on the bed, snoring. Whatever had happened had been quick. And quiet. There was no sign of a fight in either room of the suite. My mate was simply… gone.
I drew in a deep breath, Beast giving me everything we had. There was no blood. No scent of death. Thank fuck. The relief made me momentarily lightheaded.
How had it happened? None of the other doors between the Security office and our suite had been locked. Which meant... I knew what it meant, but I didn’t want to acknowledge it. I didn’t want to acknowledge the betrayal.
“Someone locked you in there deliberately.” At my side, Sam gave voice to the thought.
