Page 39 of The Weakest Wolf

Gone.

“It can’t be gone,” I tell myself. “You’re not looking hard enough.”

So I get back to my feet and drag the headboard away from the wall. Maybe it fell through the wooden slats and landed behind one of the bed’s wooden legs.

But it didn’t because there’s nothing there.

My palms are clammy and I feel like I haven’t blinked in the last five minutes. That must be why my eyes are burning.

Without knowing when, or what triggers it, panic takes over. I shove the bed even further away. I tear the room apart. I search the bathroom, the kitchen cupboards, the fridge, and the freezer.

It takes a long time before I can force myself to stop.

It’s not here. Iknowit’s not here.

Stumbling back, I hit the wall and slide down it, my eyes glued to where it should’ve been.

I want to cry, but I know if I start then I won’t be able to stop.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I lift my hands to my head. “Think, Sierra. Think. Where could it be? Maybe you moved it and you just forgot? Maybe…”

No.

You didn’t touch it. The last time you had your hands on it was when you shoved it under the mattress.

“If you didn’t move it, then it has to be Galen,” I mutter.

But then I remember the disgust on his face when he thought Leo or one of the other guys had given it to me. He wouldn’t have taken it when he didn’t even want to touch it. It couldn’t be him.

“He wasn’t the only one here,” I whisper the words because I’m not ready to admit where it might be. But it’s the only possibility that makes sense.

The pack was in here before they dragged me out of the bathroom. That’s when someone could’ve found it.

I wondered why none of them have crept back into my cabin to torment me.

“They were waiting for me to notice it’s gone. That’s why they stayed away.”

That feels right. It feels like something they would do to me.

“Not just anyone. There’s only one person who would do it, and for one reason.”

I shove myself to my feet and rush from my cabin, leaving the door wide open.

Laughter and catcalls follow me as I sprint past the few who are already awake and gathered around their cabins. I block them all out. Only one thing matters now.

Finally, I reach the biggest cabin.

I fly up the three steps and bang hard on the door. I don’t care that it’s still early enough that the sky is still a deep, rich blue.

A moment later, the door swings open to reveal Bowen, fully dressed in a gray t-shirt that looks brand new, and blue jeans.

He smiles. “Sierra, it’s early. What can I do for you?”

“Give it back,” I snarl. “I know you took it.”

His eyes widen in a pretense of innocence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What thing could I have possibly taken?”

I step closer. “You know.”

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