"I would never hurt her," I said through gritted teeth.
"I know your heart is in the right place, son. But you must understand, Erica's experiences have likely made her quick to perceive threats where there are none. You'll have to earn her trust, prove you want to protect her rather than control her. It's the only way she'll even consider bonding with an Alpha again."
Bonding. My heart clenched at the thought, even as hope sprang anew. My father believed Erica and I could be mates, if I handled the situation right. I inhaled a steadying breath and met his gaze.
"Then we'll have to change her mind."
"Be careful, Liam." My father's gaze was steady, full of warning. "Forcing a mate against their will is unethical and will only make things worse in the long run."
"I won't force her," I bit out. "But I will protect her, whether she wants me to or not. She is my mate, and her safety is my responsibility now." I stood and began to pace, too restless to remain still. "We have to find her before they do. Or before her and her pack run again."
"We'll find her," Declan said. "But remember, Erica is not a possession. She is a person, and she deserves your respect. If you want any chance at winning her over, you must approach this with care and compassion." I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. He was right, of course.
My wolf saw Erica as ours to claim, but I had to remember the woman she was, strong, independent, untrusting of Alphas. This was not going to be easy. But for her, I would try.
"I'll be careful," I said. "But if it comes down to her safety or her freedom, her safety will always come first." Declan studied me for a long moment, then dipped his head.
"Very well. We'll begin planning a search party at once. The hunt for your mate begins now."
Chapter 9
Liam
Thelingeringscentofmy mate's citrus scent haunted my shirt as I went to take it off. I wasn’t ready to let go of that scent just yet. I had come up to my room on the top floor to change but I couldn't get the memory of her out of my head, the curves of her body pressed against mine as I held her in my arms. I was worried sick. Erica was in danger, not just from the curse that threatened to destroy my pack, but because of who she was. As a member of the Moon Key pack, Erica had enemies, and if anyone discovered how much she meant to me...I couldn't bear to think about it.
I fished the mobile phone from my pocket and pressed the button to wake up the screen. There had been no more missed calls in a while, which made me think that at least she had got home to her family. That was a slight relief at least. I smiled at the picture of my smiling mate for a moment, although even in the image I could tell her eyes were haunted with memories that no person should have. I sighed and headed down the hall to my sister’s room.
I stood outside the room and knocked.
“Come in,” Kaitlyn called through the door and I opened the door with a smile. My sister was sitting in a beanbag type thing with her laptop on her knees. She looked out of place all in black in her very pink princess themed room. She looked up and smiled.
“Hey,” she said. “You’re back. I want to go to Brews tonight, but dad said no, can you convince him for me?” She sweetened her smile and widened her eyes like she did when she wanted something. It didn’t work as well with so much black eyeliner as it used to. Barking Brews was the only bar on pack territory. Most of the pack chose to stay on territory to drink so it was easier to get home. The pack was pretty much in the middle of the English countryside and it was difficult to get to the city for most. It was especially impossible for our Omega ranks who couldn’t leave the territory, and of course for my sister, who as the Alpha’s daughter was one of the most protected werewolves in the pack, even if she hated it.
“Sorry,” I said. “I kind of agree with dad right now. There is a lot going on. We need the guard.” Kaitlyn screwed her face up before huffing and muttering to herself that she could take care of herself.
“I know you can,” I said. “But it’s dangerous right now, especially now that I found my mate.” Kaitlyn’s eyes lit up, and I smiled. I knew that little bit of information would make her forget her sulking.
“Your mate?” she asked excitedly, “Seriously, are you sure? Is she here? Can I meet her?”
“Yes, seriously,” I said, “I am sure, and no she isn’t here so you can’t meet her yet.”
“Well, where is she?”
“Erm…” I ran my hand through my hair and cringed. “She kind of ran away from me.” Kaitlyn laughed.
“Goddess, I love her already,” she said. “Do you know where she is?” I shook my head but then held out the phone.
“But I am hoping you can help with that.”
“You stole her phone?” Kaitlyn’s eyes widened.
“No of course not,” I said, “She left it when she ran off. I was hoping that you could hack it, or something.”
“You want a location right?” Kaitlyn looked at the phone and then leaned over to a drawer in her desk and pulled out a wire. She plugged it into the phone and then into her laptop. The screen lit up again and my eyes were drawn to the picture once again.
“Which one is she?” my sister asked, and I pointed Erica out to her. “Oh, nice a redhead. Cute as well.” She began tapping on her laptop.
“How long will it take?” I asked and Kaitlyn grinned.
