“Where is she?” I repeat.
She closes her eyes and hangs her head. “On a plane to Virginia. She wanted to go home.”
I should’ve known Kara would run the second she knew we were mates. Hell, I haven’t even processed it. But, deep down, I think I’ve subconsciously known for a while.
Turning on my heel, I bolt back inside. “I’m going after her.”
When I get to my room, I grab my duffel bag and cram a bunch of clothes inside. Evangeline is still out by her car, and I can sense her torment. Once I have everything I need, I
lock up my house and toss my bag into the trunk of my car.
“She thought I could help her take the bracelet off,” Evangeline calls out.
I slam the trunk lid of my car and face her. “And obviously, you couldn’t.”
Evangeline shakes her head. “It’s too powerful. I’m sorry for putting you under a sleeping spell, but Kara’s my friend, and she asked for help. It wasn’t until I found out you two were mates that I told her to stay. It’s not safe for someone like her to be alone. Especially with what she has planned.”
Dread settles into the pit of my stomach. “What the hell you do mean?”
Evangeline’s despair hangs like a heavy weight around her. I can see it in her eyes that she cares for Kara. “I’m a witch who uses light magic, Chase. Sometimes I think that’s why my path crossed with Kara’s a long time ago. She needed someone like me in her life. Have I always been able to help her? No, but I keep trying. And now, she wants to find someone from our past.”
“Who?” I growl.
Evangeline’s eyes sadden. “His name’s Xavier King. We were together for several years before he turned to dark magic. I thought he could resist it, but he didn’t. If Kara seeks his help, she’ll have to pay a steep price. I’m afraid she’s going to give up everything for nothing.” She steps closer. “Kara’s always been a good friend to me. I want to see her happy. Yes, she’s made mistakes, and many would say she deserves what’s coming to her, but if she gets involved with Xavier, she’ll be in over her head.”
What’s distressing is that she has a head start. If I try to call her, she’ll only ignore me. After grabbing my phone out of my pocket, I scroll through until I find my private pilot’s number. He’s a human and has been on my payroll for several years now. “I’ll just have to stop her,” I say.
Evangeline nods. “You’re the only one who can.”
“No,” I utter, nodding toward my car. “You’re going to help her, too. I need you to come with me.”
Evangeline opens her trunk and pulls out her suitcase. “Kara bought me a plane ticket already. I just need to get back to the airport.”
Shaking my head, I take her luggage and put it in the trunk with mine. “We can get there faster with my jet.”
Her eyes widen. “You have your own plane?”
“Yep.” I motion for her to get into my car. “And it moves a whole hell of a lot faster than most others. The more time we waste in California, the longer Kara has to get into trouble.”
Wasting no time, Evangeline gets in the car, and I press send on James’s number.
“Good morning,” he answers.
“I wish I could say the same,” I reply. “We need to fly out to Virginia as soon as possible.”
“On it. I’ll get everything ready. See you at the airport.”
We hang up, and I hop in the car, squealing the tires as we make it out onto the main road. It takes about twenty minutes to get to the private airfield, but I’m going to try and make it in ten.
“Who’s James?” Evangeline asks. “Is he part of your pack?”
“No. He’s human. A pilot, actually.”
Her head jerks my way, but I keep my eyes on the road. “Does he know what you are?”
“I’m sure he has his suspicions, but I haven’t said anything. His wife died a couple of years ago from cancer. I think he enjoys traveling around and staying busy. It occupies his mind.
Unfortunately, nothing is keeping my mind off of Kara right now. I reach over and touch the phone icon on my dash. A list of numbers pops up, and Cameron’s is the first one I see. While I’m gone, I need him to watch the pack.
I press his number, and the line rings a few times before Cam’s groggy voice echoes over my car speakers. “Damn, it’s early,” he grumbles.
“I need you to watch over the pack. There’s something I have to do out of town.”
Cameron yawns. “Oh yeah? What’s up?”
“Kara’s gone.” The line goes silent. “She left in the middle of the night for Virginia.”
Cameron snorts. “Let her go. She’s not stupid enough to mess with the Royal pack. You’ve watched her for a month and a half now. I’d say you did your duty.”
I hook a glance over at Evangeline, but she keeps her focus out the window. “I can’t let her go, Cam,” I say, running a hand through my hair.
“Why not?”
“Because she’s my mate.”
Cameron sucks in a breath. “Holy fuck.”
Exactly.
22
KARA
I thought arriving in Virginia would make things better, but I feel even more lost. When Evangeline dropped me off at the airport in California, I called Brooke to let her know I was coming home, and she filled me in on all the good news. It kills me that I haven’t been around to enjoy it. Channon Vineyards is doing better than it ever has before. The new merlot we released on New Year’s Day is our top seller, almost outranking the Timberwolf Winery. It’s been my goal to beat Chase these past few years but knowing I’m almost there doesn’t give me any pleasure. I feel empty.
As soon as I get my luggage out of baggage claim, I head outside, and a blast of cold air chills me to the core. When we flew in, I saw the snow on the ground from above, but I didn’t think it would be so cold. Teeth chattering, I text Brooke to let her know I’m out front. A few minutes later, she pulls up in her pearl white Toyota Highlander.
The passenger’s side window rolls down, and she waves excitedly. “It’s so good to have you home. We have a lot of celebrating to do.”
“Yes, we do,” I reply, my voice quivering from the cold. I’m exhausted to the point I can barely think straight.
Brooke frowns and opens the back hatch of her car. “Poor thing, you’re freezing. Put your stuff in the back, and let’s go. I got the car all toasty warm.”
Warmth sounds amazing about now. My fingers are so frozen I can barely lift my suitcase into the back of her vehicle. Once it’s loaded, I quickly get inside and wrap my arms around myself as the heat blasts in my face. It takes a few minutes to thaw.
“Holy shit, it’s cold here,” I utter now that my teeth aren’t chattering anymore.
Brooke narrows her gaze at my choice of clothes. She’s dressed in a thick, burgundy sweater and jeans while I chose leggings and a thin, long-sleeved, pale yellow sweater so it’d be easy to run. “Um … that’s because you’re not in California anymore, where it’s seventy degrees. Where’s your coat?”