For a moment I don’t understand what I am looking at, and then Jared approaches me with a serious expression and says,
"Storm thinks he found the place where my True Mate is staying."
Wow, that is news. My eyes shift to Storm’s face, and his expression is serious as well, maybe even a little worried. What could this be about?
I step up to the table and glance at the tablet, and then I notice that it is showing a map, some kind of forested area.
Jared exchanges a look with Storm.
"I want to ask you, Alex, if you could stay with Tommy for a few days. I don’t want to take him with me into an uncertain situation."
I draw a breath and study Storm carefully.
"Wait. How on earth did you manage to find him?"
Storm looks slightly embarrassed. "The problem is that I didn’t, not exactly."
I frown. "I don’t understand."
"I can’t identify the man specifically, I only know where he is physically located, I mean I am convinced that is where he is."
"A point on the map, some village?"
"A point on the map, but it isn’t a village."
"Wow, that sounds imprecise."
Jared steps in, speaking in a rather grim tone.
"That region has a lot of what they call forest plots, people own summer houses there built about half a mile apart from each other, separated by woods."
"Did Storm point you to a specific one of those houses?"
"No, only the general region, that is all."
"That doesn’t sound safe, you are an attractive omega, you know how it gets in the countryside, those redneck alphas…"
"I have a gun, Alex."
I turn to Storm.
"You should go with him for safety," I say, pushing my chin forward and folding my arms across my chest, "because all of this sounds unbelievably reckless to me."
"I can’t, it’s the beginning of December and Damien has his exam session, I can’t leave him, we are True Mates and even a few days apart could be bad for his mental state."
I swallow. Right, that is normal, True Mates have what is called the Pull, something that draws them together, something that never really worked for Bay and me for some reason. I know that because of it Damien and Storm can’t be apart for long without risking their health and their lives.
Sometimes I wonder why Bay and I don’t have that, but no answer ever comes to me. Could my severe allergy have disrupted even that?
"Listen, Alex, I will manage. I will go there, knock on the doors of those five houses in the indicated area, and if it isn’t any of them I will just come back."
"You are out of your mind, you know that? Jared, this isn’t a simple trip, it’s winter and that region Storm pointed to is in North Carolina, and this time of year there might even be snow, are you sure this is a good idea?"
Jared stays silent for a moment, then lowers his gaze and clasps his hands, curling and uncurling his fingers, and then lifts his celadon-green eyes at me, which are of a shade between green and silver.
"You know… I have nothing. This is my chance at everything. I have to believe, just like you, Alex, just like you believe that one day you and Bay will be together. Because you do, right?"
I fall silent. I guess Jared sensed it without me even saying it out loud.
