32

I watched in disbelief as Jamal and Keno tied up poor Pasqua. I would have liked to say something or protest, but even to me it seemed like the right thing to do.

Better that way than jumping out of the moving car as soon as he woke up because that could end really badly. So basically the tying up was just for his own protection...

"So, I'll give you a week, Keno," Jamal said, effortlessly tossing Pasqua over his shoulder to look at his alpha in anticipation.

"We'll be back in a week," Keno nodded to him and the beta disappeared without even looking at me again, out of my old house and only the alpha and I stayed behind...

"So where do we start?"

Good question...

I looked around thoughtfully and shrugged my shoulders unknowingly.

"I don't know," I said softly, the desperation in my voice hard to ignore.

When Keno and my gaze crossed again briefly, he looked at my legs and I decided that I would best change my clothes first. Because I didn't want him to attack me again, nor that he would suffer another heart attack because of my free movement. I was able to save myself that in my already shitty situation.

"I'll be right back."

I padded down the hall to my old room, ripped open my messy closet, and traded the cut hot pants for a pair of dark jeans and the cropped top for a yellow hoodie that felt so fluffy against my skin I squinted my eyes closed and took a deep breath.

When I was finally changed and ready to finally get started, my eyes suddenly fell one last time to my desk and the letter I had left Gloria a week ago.

But it wasn't my parting words written with a black pen that made my eyes widen and I gasped...

...but their...

Totally dazed, I took the piece of paper in my trembling hands and looked closely at the word "vampires" on it, written in blood and glistening a dark red.

"Keno!" I yelled excitedly for my companions in a trembling voice, and at the same time, eyes on the slip, ran out into the hallway, where I smashed his hard chest completely absent-mindedly and fell backwards onto my ass.

"Are you okay?" Keno asked worriedly, giving me his hand, which I quickly took with a horrified expression, allowing him to help me back to my feet.

"She didn't run away!", I explained to him afterwards, shaking and standing close to his side to then hold the note in front of both of us.

My glance caught his eye and he, too, finally seemed to understand the seriousness of this whole situation, while my imaginings of how Gloria was doing brought tears to my eyes.

"Come here, little one."

Keno grabbed my arm against his strong chest and gently stroked my back several times while I dropped the note on the floor and clutched his shoulder tightly. "Take it easy, Aria! We'll find her."

The tone of his voice was soft, but he must have forgotten that we were now connected through his mark. The moon goddess had formed us into one part with two souls and I felt very well that he too was desperate and at a loss. But I found it all the nicer that he at least tried to take away my worries and kept completely calm.

We stood there entwined for a while. Waiting for my tears to dry slowly and while I listened to his rhythmic heartbeat, he continued to gently stroke my back, so that at some point I completely surrendered to his security and closeness and really calmed down.

I hesitantly broke away from him and then looked up at him, after which he gave me an encouraging smile, which I returned gently, although I was anything but smiling

"Are you okay?" he wanted to know softly, tenderly stroking my still slightly damp cheek with his thumb. Captured by that touch, I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it works again."

He took my hand and slowly led me back into the living room and pulled out the green chair for me, which I sat down in and watched him crouch in front of me and grab my hands.

"So, we'll go through everything together now," he explained calmly, and after I nodded again, he nodded too. "Judging by the smell, it's been gone for at least three days," he mused with me, looking thoughtfully around the living room. "And judging by the message, it must have been a filthy vampire who took her," he added, and I immediately assumed the worst and had a really hard time not just screaming my feelings out.

"She must be dead," I breathed almost silently, but Keno immediately squeezed my hands tightly and shook his head, looking deep into my eyes afterwards.

"You mustn't think like that! If the vampire really wanted to kill her, he would have done it here already. The kidnapping must have other reasons!"

Just the thought of Gloria being a vampire's prisoner made me drop my head exhausted on Keno's shoulder and close my eyes to just try to put it all away for a while while Keno grabbed my shoulders and something pushed away to eye me with a smile.

"You are not the woman who mopes, but the woman who dances through my bedroom surrounded by rain and storm herself. So get up now and let's go on a quest."

His words sounded honest and when he lifted my chin a little with a stupid grin, I really had to agree with him with a smile on my lips.

Even if I seemed a bit crazy at times and was the clumsy person most of the time, I was also strong enough to stand my ground against him...

and if I could hold my own against a strong alpha then it sure would be a no brainer to free Gloria!

"Off to the woods!" I demanded, overpowered by my own spur, getting up from the chair so hastily that Keno lost his balance from a crouch and yanked me down onto the carpet, where I landed squarely on his muscular body chest and had to recover from the shock first.

"That can be something," he suddenly laughed beneath me and after I briefly enjoyed the trembling of his chest and the sound of his wonderful smile, I giggled lying on his upper body and could hardly breathe.

"It's going to be the purest catastrophe for sure," I managed to say between my squeaks and only fell silent when he put his hands gently on my cheeks and proudly looked at me from below...

"I love that beautiful shine in your eyes when you're so radiant," he whispered and then kissed my lips tenderly, which, despite its gentleness, triggered so much more in me than just a yelp from my wolf...

Those were real feelings... but I still didn't want to admit it to myself... and after he slowly and hesitantly removed his lips from mine, I looked deep into his eyes for a while and forced myself to tear myself away from this romantic moment, to pick me up quickly.

"Thank you," I just smiled awkwardly at his previous compliment, reaching out my hand to help him up easily.

"Can we then?" I added still reeling and was overwhelmed by my own feelings at the moment. Especially because he just wouldn't stop watching me so fascinated...

"Keno!" I said, rolling my eyes, and when he raised a brow seductively, only to bite his lip in the process, I just grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the house after me.

Those were going to be exhausting nights in the woods for sure!