Page 20 of Mercy

Setting her phone on the bed next to her, she rolled to her side and stared at the window. She was tired, but she didn’t feel like she could go back to sleep. Something was bothering her suddenly. She rubbed the space over her heart, her mind on Barron.

She wondered if he was okay. The rational part of her brain was very certain he was fine. He didn’t work in a dangerous job, and he was a big lion who was strong and smart.

The irrational part of her, which was making her heart pang with worry, wanted her to make sure.

She sent him a text and waited. Minutes ticked by as her message went unread, her anxiety spiking with each passing second. She tried to connect with him with the video chat app. She sat up and gripped the phone, the request to chat going unanswered.

“Shit,” she whispered. She tried two more times to no avail.

Ten minutes had passed, and the feeling of foreboding rose. She swung her legs to the floor and stared at the carpet. Was she overreacting? Was he already on the way and just not answering his phone? Or was something more sinister going on?

Deciding she couldn’t wait any longer, she dressed in leggings and a top. She found her sandals on the floor by the bed and walked out of the room, dialing Ree’s number. It went to voicemail.

“Hey, I have a weird feeling so I’m going to the bar. Barron’s not answering his phone and I can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong. I’ll keep you posted.”

After grasping her car keys and wallet, she walked out into the hall. Twisting the key in the deadbolt, she dialed Barron’s number again, choosing a regular phone call instead of a video chat.

When there was no answer, she sent a text and told him she was coming to find him because she was worried.

Ree’s apartment door opened and Duke stared out at her. “Something wrong, Mercy?”

“Hey. I don’t know actually. I feel weird and I can’t shake a bad feeling I have about Barron.”

He frowned, his eyes narrowing. “You called him?”

“Of course. Many times. He hasn’t answered texts, phone, or video calls.”

He lifted his phone and poked around on the screen. A call rang unanswered and then she heard Barron’s voicemail message. “No offense, sometimes males will answer a high-ranked male calling when they’re too busy for their mates. Not that I think Barron would do that, but it was worth a shot. Let me try Titus.”

She nodded and waited while he called. Ree appeared, tying her robe closed and yawning. “Merc? Are you okay?”

“I left you a voicemail.”

“I didn’t check my messages. Duke said he heard someone moving around a lot and wanted to check it out. I thought it was Barron coming home from work.”

“He’s not answering my calls,” Mercy said.

“Titus isn’t either.” Duke growled softly. “I’m going to the bar.”

“I’ll come with you,” Mercy said.

“Hell no,” Duke said. “If something is truly wrong, I don’t want you in harm’s way.”

“You know you’re not my alpha yet,” she said, folding her arms. “I’ll just go on my own.”

“Damn it you’re stubborn,” Duke said.

“It runs in the family,” Ree said with a half-smile. “I’ll come, too. Give me ten seconds.”

She raced back into her room and Duke said, “Let me grab my shoes and we can leave.”

It felt like an eternity before they left for the bar even though it hadn’t been more than a few minutes. Mercy continued to try Barron’s number, fighting the worry in her gut that told her something was very, very wrong.

“It’s the connection,” Ree said, her voice punching through the silence in the car.

Mercy jerked her head up, blinking through her tear-blurred eyes until her sister’s concerned face came into view, lit by the dashboard lights. “What?”

“You feel like something’s wrong because you and Barron are mated. The connection between you two as heart-matches, from what I’ve come to understand, means that you feel connected to him on a level that isn’t normal for us humans. Your subconscious is entwined with Barron’s. You’re sensitive to his feelings, even from a distance.”

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