We’d already looked everywhere we could think of. She wasn’t home, and she wasn’t at her father’s grave. We’d checked her favorite restaurants while Wes worked on tracking the cab with her phone. When he finally caught up to the driver and found her phone, he’d said where he’d taken her: Townsend park.

The place where she used to go running, and a place we’d never been with her. It fit the bill.

Last night she’d been so peaceful and content in my arms. The thought that she was hurting tore me open inside. If what we thought happened was true, my little Omega felt like the world was crashing down on her.

I couldn’t say I wouldn’t have run too.

We nearly spun out turning into the park entrance. There was so much fucking water we could barely see.

“This place is huge.” Ben’s voice was desolate. “How are we going to find her?”

“Comb every inch,” Kade said. “We don’t have too much time before it gets dark.”

It was still the afternoon, but with this kind of weather it was already dark, and even dying daylight would make it impossible to see.

“Follow her scent as best you can,” I said. “Do we split up?”

Rylan nodded. “I think we should. We’ll cover more ground, and we have our phones. Just be careful.”

“Her scent?” Avery asked. “In this rain?”

“I know,” I snapped. “Just try. It’s all we have.”

The car went silent.

“Sorry.”

Avery put his hand on my shoulder. “I know. Let’s just find her.”

We got out of the car and headed into the park. Immediately, I saw a smudged footprint filling with water. “Look.”

“Okay,” Rylan said. “Start in this general direction and fan out?”

“Sounds good.” Kade was already walking, and his roar penetrated the pouring rain. “ESME!”

I chose a path a few degrees away from his, and started walking, looking for any other signs of her footsteps or traces of her scent.

Come on, sweetheart.

True terror rested in my chest. We needed to find her. We had to. She was ours, and I loved her more than I loved my own breath. When we found her, I prayed to the universe she would let us explain. Tell her it wasn’t what she heard, and there was nothing we wanted more than to be hers. We would give everything up for it.

Everything.

In the distance, I heard Kade’s voice, and I found my own, calling for my Omega.

“ESME!”

Please, let us find you.

Chapter 43

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

________

ESME

Agony.

Blazing, piercing agony was the thing to wake me. My ankle felt hot and swollen, and one move to look at it confirmed it. It looked like someone had shoved an orange under my skin, red and angry though the rest of my skin was turning blue.