The house already felt different without Gabi in it. I shook it off. I had seen the look in her eyes. She’d be back tonight.

I walked into the office. I had to call Charlene and let her know I was working from home for the rest of the day. I hadn’t checked my phone since lunch. There were probably ten missed calls.

I dialed the main building’s number.

“Boss, is that you?”

“Yes. I’m in the home office.”

“Did you see Sheriff Parks? He was in here questioning everyone. I didn’t have any choice but to let him through. Did he find you?”

“It’s ok, Charlene.” I didn’t need the sheriff to be any more suspicious than he already was. She had done the right thing. “He found me. Everything is fine.”

She exhaled. “That’s good. We don’t need anything to go wrong before the hay day. I’ve sold more tickets this year than I ever have before.”

“Good. Good.”

“I never saw that festival organizer again. She took the apple cart.”

Shit. I had forgotten about that.

“It’s parked at the base of the pinnacle.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing. Gabi needed my truck. I volunteered it for the festival. The McScott contribution. Send Cutler to pick up the cart, and forward my calls here for the rest of the day.” I didn’t want any more questions. Charlene had worked the front desk at the farm for more years than I could remember, but she also liked to tally up gossip. That didn’t help any of us right now.

“You sound like you’re in a worse mood than usual.”

I groaned. “I’m not in a bad mood. There’s a lot of work to do to get ready for this damn thing.”

“All right, boss.”

“Thanks, Char. Call me if you have any problems.”

I hung up and sat behind my desk. I needed to bring Holden in.

Every alpha needed someone they could trust. Someone who could take over. For me, that second in command was my brother.

I knew he was somewhere on the farm. I hoped his phone was on. He had a bad habit of turning it off when he didn’t want to be bothered.

It rang a few times before he finally answered.

“What’s up, brother?”

“I don’t think we can talk on the phone. Can you meet me at the house?”

Holden growled. “I’m in the middle of something.”

“You’re always in the middle of something. Get up here. It’s important.”

“If it’s about the festival,” he started to argue.

I snarled. “It’s not about the damn festival, Holden. I need your help.”

“I’ll be right there.”

I hung up. I knew my brother wasn’t serious about much, but if I needed him, he was there for me.

It didn’t take long for him to arrive at the cabin. I heard his heavy footsteps in the hall and looked up to see him in the doorway. His boots were muddy and his shirt was covered in dirt. There were grease marks trailing along his forearm.

“What in the hell were you doing?” I asked.

“Trying to get the tractor ready for the hayride. I told you I was busy, but you had that alpha sound. So I left the tractor open, guts and all, and ran over here.”

“Why isn’t Hank working on the tractor instead of you?”

“Because Hank is stringing lights in the barn for the Harvest Ball,” he explained. “Everyone is doing ten jobs right now.”

I huffed. “I know. I know. It’s always like this in the fall.”

Holden nodded. “So, what’s the emergency?”

“Look in my guestroom.”

“Huh?”

I pointed. “The guestroom. But be quiet,” I warned.

I waited for him to take the short stroll a few doors down. He returned. His eyebrows high on his forehead.

“What the fuck is that?”

“A little girl. What do you think it is?”

He shook his head and slouched into the leather chair across from my desk. “What in the hell are you doing with a kid?”

“I found her this morning in the orchard. Right by the pinnacle.” I paused. “She’s a cub, man. She’s from one of the clans on the other side of Twilight Hollow. Axel McMasters reported her missing.”

“Then what are you doing with her? Give her back.”

I shook my head. “It’s not that simple.”

“Why not?”

“She’s a gypsy cub.” My eyes settled on his while the recognition set in.

“Shit,” he whispered. I didn’t need to explain to my brother the implications of sending the cub back to her family. Her life would be ruined.

I pressed forward on the desk and rose to my feet. “It gets more complicated.”

“Already seems like we have a huge problem.”

I paced around the room. It seemed easier to think this way. “I met a woman this morning. Actually, she’s in from Atlanta. The festival coordinator.”

“And? What does she have to do with the cub?”

“Nothing. Except she knows about her. She was there right after I found her. And, it turns out...” I took a heavy breath. I was about to drop a bomb on him. “She’s my mate, Holden. I met my mate this morning.”

“Damn. That’s not what I thought you were going to say.”

I grinned. “You’re not the only one who is surprised.”

“Well, where is she? What happened? And can we at least have a drink if we’re talking fated mates and cubs?” He looked around the office and spotted the bar in the corner.

I walked over and poured us two straight bourbons, filling the glasses to the top. We needed them full. And we were probably going to need more than one by the time we finished this conversation.