~~

Emmalee

~~

"Ok, stop. You're being an even bigger weirdo than usual." Lacy, a fellow pack mate, friend, and now classmate seemed frustrated as we sat at the little cafe near the University Center. I had been picking at my food and not actually eating any of it, which was so unlike me.

"What?" I asked her as she stared daggers at me.

"What? Oh she wants to know what." She laughed as she got a sarcastic smile on her face. "Let's give her What? for five hundred Alex." She braced her hands on the edge of the table and put her eyes on the same level as mine. " 'What' has got you acting like someone went and killed your puppy, pony, or some other small fluffy animal you wanted?" I couldn't help myself, I smiled at her as she made her joke.

"You're silly, you know that Lacy?" I laughed at her.

"Yes, I know, I'm silly, funny, hilarious, and anything else that means funny and is another reason why you get to delay answering my question."

"It's nothing Lacy, nothing serious anyway." I told her as her face fell.

I hated not telling her the truth. But how was I supposed to tell her when I barely understood exactly what had happened? I knew what had happened, don't get me wrong, I knew that my mate had abandoned me for some reason, but I didn't know why. I couldn't explain anything to Lacy yet if I didn't know, could I?"

"Emmalee, I know we're not best friends, but we are friends aren't we? Can't you please tell me what's going on with you? You're hurting, I can see that plain as day. Anyone can see that. So can't you tell me what's going on."

"Lacy." I felt like the emotions were welling again. "You are one of my best friends. We grew up together, and we go to school together. I hope you know you're one of my closest friends, Lacy. And you know I love you." I squeezed her and.

"I love you too, Emmalee. You're my friend, my Alpha's daughter, my pack mate, my classmate, you're my best friend." Lacy hung her head, like she was embarrassed. "I want to help you."

"I know you do, Lacy, but it's not that kind of problem." I smiled through the awkward feeling I was getting. "It has to do with my mate."

"I didn't know you had found your mate." She was getting excited like my dad had done.

"I scented him, but I haven't found him yet." I laughed at the confused look that caused to appear on her sweet little face. Lacy's rusty red curls seemed to bounce as she swiveled her head side to side in confusion. Her deep, forest green eyes popped open as she stared at me. She really was a cute girl with a unique look.

"How can you scent your mate but not find him? Didn't you follow his trail?"

"Oh I did. I followed his trail for hours and hours. I searched our whole pack, but he wasn't there. Either he fled our pack to get away from me, or he's not from our pack." I could feel the dam breaking, the emotions were surging again. Why did I get like this every time I talked about my mate?

"How long ago did you scent him?" She asked me, like this mattered for some reason.

"Somewhere around a month ago maybe. It was when I was helping to plan the family birthday party."

"Is that why you were so emotional over the holiday." She seemed saddened now. I hadn't told her what was going on before now and so she was upset that she hadn't been there to help me.

"Yeah, that's why." I sighed heavily.

"How do you know you checked everyone?" She was curious now.

"My dad had that Christmas party."

"Oh my Goddess." She interrupted me before I could add more. "Is that why everyone was forced to go to the party? It was a mate hunt for you. That's so funny Emmalee, you were fishing for your mate at the party." She was laughing but she didn't really seem to be making fun of me, just the party so I ignored it for now. I could have been wrong but I was a wreck anyway.

"Yeah, but I didn't cast my net wide enough obviously." I went along with the joke for her.

"Could it have been the stranger that used to be here?"

These words sent a shock through me. I felt my brain rattle from the force of the wave of awe that just hit me.

"What stranger?" I asked her. "I didn't know about any strangers in the pack."

"There was a man, a nomad I think, that was here for almost a month. He left last month though. He just up and left and no one ever saw him again."

"When? When exactly did he leave?" I felt the intensity start to blaze inside me, this could be him. Maybe he left because he didn't think my father would approve of me mating with a nomad. I would find him, even if I had to search the whole world. "Did he leave about when I went to help with the party?" I could feel the heat and intensity burning in my eyes.

"I think so." She put a hand on her chin to think, she looked childish and cartoonish, and just really not helpful right now.

"What was his name?" The fire was lit now and I would grill her until she was done.

"I don't know, I think it was Chris or Chad. I know it started with a C, that is all I know."

"It has to be him, Lacy. It has to be. What else could explain it? My dad said I had met every man in the pack but I didn't find him. And he hesitated when I talked to him, when he was saying no one had left the pack. But he lied, someone did leave. My mate left. And I think he left because he was scared Dad wouldn't approve."

"Do you really think that's the reason?" Lacy seemed apprehensive as she asked me this question.

"I think so." I smiled hopefully. "I hope so." I added less confidently.

~~

Carter

~~

I felt like I was in a daze. It had been happening to me a lot lately. I remembered being at home, eating dinner with my mom and dad. I remembered going up stairs to watch a movie in my room to try and get my mind off of things. Then, things got foggy.

And that's all I remembered before I got here. I had been walking along the side of the road into town. I had already made it past the trees and was at the curve, the bend in the road that would slowly take me into the city and beyond.

I came out of the fog and realized what was going on only when my phone rang. It was pitch black outside and having no memory of getting here was disconcerting the only thing I knew that was on my mind was my mate at the Black Canyons. But I ignored that and answered the phone instead.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell are you right now?" It was Noah, he sounded frantic and angry.

"I went for a walk." I told him as I looked down at myself. I must have had my phone in my pocket when I left, because I didn't even have my shoes on. What was wrong with me.

"Get to the estate now." Noah growled into my ear.

"Fuck you." I snapped at him.

"Trinity is gone!" He yelled the words at me so loud that I had to take the receiver away from my ear so my hearing wasn't affected.

"What?" I felt my heart stop and my stomach sink. "No, this is why she stayed here, to stop this all from happening."

"She's gone now and we're on our way back. We will be there as soon as possible. Go meet up with Vincent and the others."

"I'm going to kick Vincent's ass, he's her guard and he didn't protect her." I growled, panting heavily as I ran.

"We don't know what happened yet. Just get to the house and help out however you can."

"I'm already on my way."

I ran as quick as I could, but I did make a stop at home for a pair of shoes first. They would come in handy.

I didn't know what had been going on with me, but I would need to focus and push past that. I had a feeling my wolf had taken control and was trying to guide me back to my mate, back to the place he knew our heart was waiting for us. He would have to wait though. I could never live with myself if I ignored my family like this. I needed to fix this and fast so that I could try to find my happiness.