Page 93 of Sinful Mates

The phone rings for a couple minutes and I tap my foot impatiently. Sighing when I hear her chirpy voice.

“Little unexpected, Theo, what are you calling me for? I know it isn’t for a friendly chat.” She doesn’t even hide her shock. Besides going to the council, I never speak to her. Yet I know I can trust her.

“You know me too well. I’m actually calling about Imogen’s blood results.”

“Oh, your mother picked those up yesterday for you, I can check her file, though.”

“Yes, please, Tarina.” I hear her typing away on her computer, before she makes a weird noise and rapidly typing again.

“Her file has been deleted, completely wiped,” she murmurs. “Give me a sec, Theo. I’ll check the other computer.” I wait, but the same result.

“It’s gone, Theo. I think someone has tampered with her files and wiped them clean. Her name doesn’t even appear in the database at all.” My heart hammers when Tobias comes in the room. I hang up the phone, not even saying goodbye.

“What?” Tobias asks, alarmed.

“She said Mom took her physical file, yet when they checked her digital file, it was gone.”

“What would your mother want with it?” Tobias asks, his voice not hiding his anger.

“Call her now,” he hisses at me. His eyes change to that of his wolf. I dial her number, and it goes straight to voicemail. Fear shoots through the bond and it isn’t either of us. We have nothing to fear yet, but the feeling vanishes as quick as it appeared.

“I know you felt that,” I state staring at Tobias. He nods.

“Yes, but maybe, she startled herself. She feels calm again. Or maybe your mother is with her,” Tobias says, making me relax slightly. The morning passes by quickly, I tried to call my mother a few times, I always getting voicemail. I know if she is with Imogen, she will have no service. So, I let it pass and know I’ll be able to ask Imogen for her results once we get home. I know my mother would have told her, but nothing comes from the bond and after an hour of feeling nothing coming from Imogen, worry sets in. I pull on my teether to our bond, pulling on the link that joins us, but when I felt nothing, I go into Tobias’s office.

“What, Theo?” I can tell from his tone it still pisses him off that my mother took her files. I’m nervous to ask him. Sensing my nervousness, he peers up, his eyes softening slightly.

“I’m sorry, I’m just stressed,” he says, running his hands through his hair. I watch him; God, I love this man no matter how infuriating he can be.

“I can help with the stress,” I say, my eyes darkening as my dick twitches in my pants.

“Tempting, but first, what’s wrong?” I completely forgot the reason I originally came in, suddenly feeling guilty for distracting myself.

“Can you feel her through the link?” His eyes glaze over, searching for her. The pull we always fight so hard against.

He stands abruptly, knocking over his chair, his beast enraged, flinging the table into the wall. I step back. I know he wouldn’t hurt me, but I know his beast doesn’t enjoy coming up empty. The fact he has come forward at all is proof enough of what Tobias finds. His entire being shakes with anger, yet also panic.

The ringing of the phone that lay on the floor pulls him to his senses, distracting that primal side of him long enough for him to regain control of his emotions. He stalks over, trying to pick up the phone, his claws impeding it, as they slash through the carpet. I quickly go over, picking it up. “Hello?” My father’s worried voice comes through the phone.

“Have you spoken to your mother today?” That’s how I know something is definitely wrong. Something that includes not only my mother, but our mate. This is no coincidence.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Three months, three long months without her, without touching her milky skin, without smelling her intoxicating scent, three months of nothing but anger and darkness. Three months of sleeping in shitty motels while we travel around searching for her, only to come up empty. No word from her, not even to tell us she is okay. Nothing but deafening silence through the bond. So silent it’s chilling trying to pull anything from it.

Is this some sick punishment from her? Can she not feel us, either? Feel our desperation and longing for her? My father has gone in the opposite direction of us, searching for his mate just like us. The despair I know he feels must be nearly killing him. We aren’t as hopeless yet, still having Theo by my side is enough to keep my beast and darkest thoughts at bay. This won’t last forever though, not without her. The nightmares haunting my sleep make me more on edge, because I have this feeling they aren’t mine. Yet Theo doesn’t sleep, and we feel nothing through the bond to know if they are Imogen’s or just my tormented mind making me suffer more. When I sleep, Theo still prowls the night searching for her. We don’t even know if we are going in the right direction, not that there are many directions left to run in.

Until we have her back, I will never stop searching. The only thing we have figured out is that she is carrying our child—well mine, but the biology doesn’t matter. This child belongs to all of us, just like she belongs to both Theo and me. I understand why she ran. I never would have allowed her to go through with it. There is only one way this ends for her. I wouldn’t have cared if she hated me for it, at least she would have hated me and still been alive.

Now nothing but fear plagues me. Were-babies don’t need as long as human babies to be created and born. So, it’s only a matter of time before this child will rip its way through her, killing her in the process. I just hope my mother had some back-up plan before she took off with our mate. My mother has never kept it hidden, how she wishes for a proper family, one with children. I know how she longs for grandchildren, yet with me and Theo it will never be a possibility. We thought she accepted that, then this happens and now we have to race against time to find her. My father is racing to save his mate as well. He knows if something happens to Imogen I won’t hesitate, even if it kills Theo, I will kill her for letting Imogen die. Mother knows that, and that’s why she must have gone with her. I just pray she is not too late in changing her. I know I’m bringing my mate home, either dead or alive. I will find her and then I will kill those who helped her with her suicide.

We have just pulled up at yet another crappy motel in the middle of nowhere. I look at the run down building and its neon sign. Theo is out of the car already walking to the small office and checking in. I open my door, letting the cool crisp air run over my heated skin. Raking my hands through my hair it’s damp with sweat from yet another nightmare while I slept and Theo drove.

Theo comes back out, holding a key on a chain. I peer up at him as he tosses it to me. We decide this time to bring the car. It’s becoming too difficult for me to keep running, my beast is becoming stronger while I grow weaker. I don’t even put up a fight anymore trying to control emotions; I let that primal side take over at the slightest emotion. I know it will be something I’ll have to reign in when we get her back. I have spent nearly the entire three months in my wolf form. Theo said enough when I nearly killed some locals in the town a few days ago.

Like he could talk; I noticed the moment he stepped out of the office with the key in his hand that he had blood on the collar of his shirt. Even though he tried to hide it from me, I know hunger is slowly taking him over.

“I hope you didn’t kill this one,” I mutter before standing and following Theo inside the shitty motel room. I flick on the light and instantly regret it. The outdated furniture and its floral bed sheets are crawling with bugs—more specifically flies.