13. Erain
CHAPTER 13
Erain
C lutching the porcelain, I bend forward and vomit again into the sink, even though there’s nothing in my stomach and hasn’t been for days.
My throat is raw and burning, and my head aches.
I’ve never felt this sick in my entire life.
My Alpha wolf is rebelling against what I did to my Omega.
Splashing water on my face, I stare at myself in the gas station bathroom.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen what’s looking back at me.
Haggard, drawn face with dark circles under my eyes.
Lank and greasy blonde hair hanging around my face.
Still in the same clothes I was wearing two days ago.
My wedding clothes.
Cressida has been texting me non-stop, but I can’t manage to make myself respond.
She’s telling me things like that I’m so strong and thoughtful to go through with this marriage, to do my best for my Omega.
But I know it’s a lie.
I’m not a good man at all. I was a selfish bastard. What was between Cressida and I should have stopped the minute I committed to our Omega.
What did Piper see? What did she hear?
If she saw what happened, did she hear what I said to Cressida?
The questions haunt me and I don’t have any answers.
Rook has sent scouts all through the country, even to the farthest edges. And we have been back and forth ourselves, crisscrossing the land over and over. We’re a small but prosperous country and I feel like we’ve seen every inch of it over the past two days.
We know at least that she hasn’t crossed the border.
She’s somewhere. Near? Far? I just don’t know and it’s maddening.
Since I’m the most sensitive tracker, I’m directing our search.
But I can’t find her
I can catch fragments of Piper’s scent, confusingly cut through with other scents that block my Alpha tracking abilities.
We’ve gone through the Capitol, and every city surrounding it, up and down each street, calling for her and scenting systematically through the Betas and Omegas, feeling the emptiness crush my spine.
She couldn’t have gotten out of the country, could she? Maybe she’s in one of the wild forests on the outskirts beyond the cities.
My blood runs cold.
What if she’s hurt or in danger?
I didn’t know scenting your Fated Mate was going to feel like this.
An all-consuming bodily ache at being apart.
If I’d known, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten so involved with Cressida. Or promised her things I can’t give her now that I’m mated.
I’m furious Piper has this much control over me, the ability to drive me to hunt until I find her.
I’m angry at how much I want her now. I’m disgusted at myself for how weakly I’ve fallen.
I try in vain to comb a hand through my hair, my fingers shaking as I do. So I give up and leave the bathroom and run right into my Pack.
“You look like shit,” Teddy says.
“Back at you,” I retort, even though it’s a weak-ass rebuttal.
“We’ve got one more mid-sized town to go,” Rook says, cutting through our bickering. “We’ve driven past it but not through it. So we are going down every damn street this time. We are going to scent every inch of this country until we find her.”
I’m so sick I have to stop at a rest area and dry-heave on the grass and that’s when I scent her again.
“She’s been here!” I squawk, my voice raspy and raw, and I immediately drop to my belly on the ground to inhale the scent.
Oh my god, it’s delicious, it’s divine. She’s not cut it through with cat shit, it’s just pure unadulterated Omega, and my mouth is open so wide I’m panting like a dog, licking each blade of grass because I swear I can taste that unique combination of tart and sweet on my tongue.
Then I’m yelling at Rook and Teddy and stumbling back to the car.
“Faster,” I hiss. “She’s close. I can feel it.”
My blood urges me on, and I can feel my canines lengthening, wanting to sink them into Piper’s aggravating scrumptious creamy neck and bite down hard.
“Where is she?” Where is she?” Teddy growls, and I can hear the distinct crack of Rook’s door handle as Teddy’s powerful hands grip it.
My mind is racing.
“Piper is smart,” I said slowly, reluctant admiration gliding through my blood. “She obviously doesn’t want to be found. I think she’s here masking her scent in some way, and that’s why we’ve had such a hard time finding her.”