Me:You’re not gonna believe what just happened. Vampire-related. Hot. Confusing. Possibly humiliating.
Waited.
Nothing.
I frowned, scrolling up. The message I’d sent this morning still hadn’t been read. Weird. She was glued to her phone—usually texting me about some chaotic ER patient or a hot paramedic.
I checked Instagram. No new stories. No new posts. The last one was the two of us with fresh manicures—me with wine, her with soda—posted right before she found the Ouija board.
A small twist of dread started in my stomach.
I tried calling her. Voicemail.
I tried again. And again.
Okay. Okay. Maybe her phone died. Maybe she was working a double. Maybe she dropped it in a bucket of medical sanitizer again.
Except… Lena was never offline.
I opened Facebook. Nothing. Twitter—sorry, X—nothing.
Now the dread had its claws in.
I dialed the hospital. Tried to sound normal. “Hi, I’m calling to check if Nurse Lena Craft is working today?”
The receptionist was polite but clipped. “She didn’t report for her shift. Do you have a callback number for her?”
My stomach dropped. I barely managed to say thank you before hanging up.
I stared at my phone, heart hammering.
Then Cristian was just there. He filled the doorway, quiet but sharp-eyed, like he’d followed the pulse of my panic straight to me.
“What’s happened?” he asked, voice low. He extended a hand, palm up, offering contact.
After a second’s hesitation, I took it. Warmth spread instantly, steadying the shaking in my chest.
He stepped closer but didn’t crowd me. “Why has your energy changed?”
I looked up at him, throat tight. “Lena’s missing.”
His easy arrogance fell away, and his entire body went still, like a soldier hearing the first sound of a storm. “Are you certain?”
I nodded. “She didn’t go to work. She’s not answering calls or texts. She hasn’t posted anything since she left here the other night. That’s not her.”
“When was the last time you spoke with her? Was it when she left your girls’ night?” he asked quietly.
I swallowed hard. “Yes. She was called into work right after midnight, remember? That was the last time.”
He was silent for a beat. Then, very softly, “We need to find her.”
The bond between us tightened in agreement.
For once, I didn’t argue.
Chapter 15
Cristian
