Page 37 of Forbidden Virgin Mate

I look out over the mountainside through a break in the trees, feeling completely overwhelmed. If I can't figure out which way she went, I might end up searching all over the mountain for nothing. I sniff the air, check the tracks, and listen for any sign of a vehicle, but there's nothing. I need help.

Reluctantly, I turn back for the cabin. I shift and race in, grabbing my phone to check the security cameras at my place again. Still no sign of her. I know she wouldn't leave town without her truck and all her possessions, so she'd have to be heading back there. I'm beginning to doubt she's made it off the mountain, and she should have by now. Something must have happened.

I pick up the phone, calling Diego, who answers almost immediately. I don't even let him speak before I launch into the situation. "I don't have time to explain, but I need you to get some men and start heading to my mountain place. If one group can take the lower valley road and the other, the ridge, that would be best. I need to find my truck."

"Your truck?" Diego asks. "What the hell is going on, Zack? Are you in trouble?"

I shake my head, pacing the length of the room. "Not me—Tanya. I don't know what happened, but she took off in my truck. I didn't even know she was gone, and the GPS is off. It's been at least two, maybe three hours. I have to find her, Diego. I have to."

I know I'm rambling, and I'd be surprised if Diego can even follow what I’m saying. "Whoa, calm down, Zack,” he says. “We'll find her, and then you can tell me what the hell's going on. Are you sure you didn't just piss her off, and she'll be back before I drag everyone up there?"

"She's my mate, okay? She left a note saying she's sorry, but the GPS is off, and her truck is still at mine with all her things in it. I ca—" I say, getting increasingly frustrated.

Diego must sense my tone. "Okay, okay. Your mate? As in mated? You can explain all this later, but I'll get the guys up there."

I pause for a moment to catch my breath. "Do you think they'll come? For me?"

"Of course, they damn well will. And for her. I'll call Mateo—he's her alpha, after all. If she's in trouble, he’ll want to help, too," Diego says, his steely voice never wavering.

"Thank you, Diego." I say, meaning every word. "I'll head down the lower road. It was snowing pretty hard last night, and of the two tracks, I think the lower one might have seemed the safer bet. She doesn't know any of these roads very well, though."

"We'll meet on the road. Don't worry, Zack. She's probably just lost, okay?"

I hang up, unable to find the words to express that I know something has happened. My wolf knows it, too. I’d never really understood the mating bond fully. I'd heard of it and listened to the stories, but I couldn't have understood the depth of the connection until now.

I think that's the hardest part of all this. If Tanya feels the same connection, I don't understand how she could have run away this morning. I don't think I could have physically left her. The bond burns with her absence, even now.

Deep down, I know there’s more going on. But right now, the only thing that matters is finding her.

I dress quickly, pulling on my mountain gear and grabbing a bag full of supplies. The conditions outside have improved but are still harsh. I know I'd be quicker in wolf form, but I need to be able to coordinate with the rescue.

I text Saffy, briefly explaining the situation and asking her to head back to our house and wait there in case Tanya shows up. I tell her I'm switching to the satellite phone I keep up here for emergencies. I forward those details to Diego, too.

I take the charged phone from its cradle and head out, starting the descent back down the mountain. I pause at the junction, where I see tracks heading upward. The snow has covered most of them, but they're still there. I waver for a moment, second-guessing myself, but continue to follow the road into the valley.

The snow makes progress slower than I'd like, and I've been trekking for about an hour when I finally hear something in the distance. I speed up, praying it's Tanya. I hear an alert from the satellite phone and see a message from Saffy saying she's back home and Tanya's truck is still there. Pushing on, I round the steep bend and see two vehicles in the distance. I instantly recognize one as Diego's. They've parked across the road, effectively blocking it. I know they've found something and break into a run, practically sliding down the hill toward them.

"What is it?" I demand, rushing to the scene.

Diego steps out into the road to stop me. "We're not sure yet—we literally just pulled up. It looks like a vehicle skidded here, but we're not sure about anything right now."

I look beyond him to where, despite the fresh snowfall, deep tracks remain on the road. A couple of trees to the side look as though they've been hit by something heavy enough to smash clean through the ancient timber. "Oh my god," I say.

I try to push past Diego, but he holds me steady. "Mason's already on his way down. No need for us to shift just yet. Let’s wait for him to see if it's anything."

I know he's right. It would take a human too long to set up ropes and scale the perilous drop. A wolf can do it faster and safer, but there's no point in us shifting if it's not her.

Painfully long minutes pass, and I try to ignore the looks of the other men gathered. I nod once at Mateo, who looks equally tense as we wait to find out if this is indeed a crash site. I'm grateful these men have come out to help in the search, but I still feel their eyes on me. I've been avoiding town for weeks now for this very reason. In the eyes of both packs, question marks have hung over my character, and now, all eyes are trained on me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mateo walking toward Diego and me. He's almost in front of us and about to speak when we all hear Mason scrambling back up the ridge. He shifts as he reaches the road, and someone throws him a blanket, followed by his clothes. He's panting and struggling to talk as he dresses quickly.

"It's her,” he says. “The whole truck is smashed to bits."

My blood runs cold. "Tanya?" My voice comes out shakier than I've ever heard it before, and I brace myself for his reply.

Mason shakes his head. "No sign of her. Her scent is strong in what's left of the truck’s cabin, but it’s faded quickly because of the snow. Tracks indicate she moved down the hill toward the river."

"So she's able to move," Diego says reassuringly.

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