Chapter 7
Beth
“How do people study in a place like this?” I asked Sara as we exited Our Lady of Mercy Academy. It was lunchtime, and the halls were full of girls rushing to the cafeteria. The school was so noisy and crowded, nothing like the quiet classrooms at home.
Sara laughed. “You don’t get much studying done at school unless you go to the library. I spent a lot of time in the library at my old school.”
I watched three girls run past us down the steps. “Was your school like this?”
“Pretty much, except mine was smaller and we had boys and girls.”
We headed for the parking lot where we’d left the SUV. Our visit to Jessica Ryan’s school had turned up no clues about her disappearance, and nothing we’d learned about the missing girl was out of the ordinary. Jessica was well-liked, a straight-A student, and she sang in the choir. She didn’t have a boyfriend, and she’d rarely missed a day of school.
It was similar to what we’d found out about Tracy Levine at St. Teresa’s Preparatory School this morning. Tracy’s friends said she was fun and loved music. She went to parties, but she never did anything reckless. Her friends said they’d all gone to a rave a few days before Tracy disappeared, but nothing out of the ordinary had happened at the rave.
I climbed into the SUV and looked over at Sara. “I feel like there’s something we’re missing here. Some link between Jessica and Tracy.”
“I know what you mean.” She looked thoughtful as she clicked her seat belt. “For two Catholic school girls to disappear within days of each other, there has to be a connection.”
Starting the vehicle, I glanced at the clock on the dash and bit my lip. I’d been hoping it would take us longer to check out the schools because I had no desire to go back to the house. I knew I was being a coward, but I wasn’t ready to face Chris yet.
Mason and Sara had suggested I stay home today after my emotional night, but I couldn’t do it. I’d gotten up at dawn and snuck out for a two-hour run, hoping the fresh air would clear my head. It hadn’t.
“Hey, you feel like grabbing a coffee?” Sara asked as if she’d read my mind. “I could really go for a mocha.”
“I’d love one.”
There was a coffee shop less than a block from the school, so we headed for that one. We went inside, and I wasn’t surprised to see girls in school uniforms. The place was bustling, so Sara grabbed us a table while I went up to order our coffees.
A tall blonde girl ahead of me in line turned to smile at me. “Hey. Didn’t I see you at my school a little while ago?”
I smiled back and gave her the cover story we’d made up to explain our presence at the school.
“Yes. My sister and I might go there, and I wanted to check out the school.”
“Oh. It’s a good school but kind of boring.” She rolled her eyes. “I wanted to go to public school this year, but Mom and Dad wouldn’t hear of it.”
The line moved, and we both took two steps forward. Then the girl turned back to me. “I’m Alicia, by the way.”
“Beth.”
“Are you a senior?” she asked.
“Yes.”
Her smile brightened. “Me, too. We’ll be in the same class.”
I lifted a shoulder. “I haven’t even started there, and I’ve already made a friend.”
Looking pleased, she went up to the counter to order her drink. I went next, and ended up beside Alicia again as we waited for our coffee. We talked for a few minutes, and I found her to be nice and very chatty.
We got our drinks at the same time, and I wasn’t surprised when she walked with me to the table where Sara waited for me.
“Sara, this is Alicia,” I said as we sat. “Alicia’s a senior at Our Lady of Mercy, and she’s been telling me all about the school.”
“Are you Beth’s sister?” Alicia asked Sara.
“Just a friend who tagged along.”
Alicia was easy to talk to and eager to tell us all about the school and what she and her friends liked to do for fun. I listened to her with half an ear because my mind was occupied with thoughts about last night. It wasn’t until I heard her say the word “rave” that I snapped back to the present.
“Rave?” I asked. “Where?”
“At this cool new club called Luna. It’s an all-ages club, and they have the best music. I went to a rave there with some friends last Friday and had a total blast. They’re having another one Saturday night, and a bunch of us are going. You should come.”
She opened her messenger bag and pulled out what looked like two concert passes. “A guy I know from the club asked me to give out these passes at school. I have two left if you want them.”
“Don’t you want to give the passes to your friends?” Sara asked her.
“We all have passes for Saturday, and they’re only good for one night.”
I sipped my coffee. “We heard about that girl Jessica who went missing. You’re not nervous about going out after that?”
Alicia shook her head. “Jessica went off alone to a movie. I only go out with friends. Besides, we were all at Luna last week, and nothing happened. Jessica was there, too.”
My chest fluttered with excitement. Jessica and Tracy had both gone to a rave before they disappeared. No way this was a coincidence. I shot Sara a glance and saw she’d come to the same conclusion.
Alicia looked from Sara to me. “What do you say? I promised the guy who gave them to me that I’d give them all out.”
I didn’t wait for Sara to answer. My gut told me this was the connection we’d been looking for between the two missing girls. “Sounds like fun,” I said. “Count us in.”
“Yay!” She handed us the passes. “The address is on the back.” She stood. “I have to get back to school. See you Saturday night.”
“We’ll see you there.”
She started to leave and stopped. “Oh, and those passes are for girls only, in case one of your boyfriends wants to come.”
I turned my pass over in my hands. “Girls only?”
“Yeah.” Alicia pointed to a pink stripe along the bottom of the pass. “See that there? That means it’s a girl’s pass. The boys’ passes have a blue stripe. They give out an equal number for each rave.”
“Smart,” I murmured.
I looked at Sara as soon as Alicia left. “What are the odds of Jessica and Tracy both going to a rave the week before they disappeared?”
Sara laid her pass on the table. “I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“Me either.”
Sara was quiet for a moment. “About the rave, I can ask Jordan to go to Luna with me if you’re not up to going out after… you know.”
“You can say it.” I smiled to hide the anxiety that had been simmering in my gut since I woke up.
The kindness in her eyes made my throat tighten. I knew how close she was to Chris, and I waited for her to tell me what a great mate he would be. Or to say something about me running out last night. I was not expecting her next words.
“When I found out about my bond with Nikolas, I wouldn’t even talk to him about it for a week. Then I got drunk, threw up in front of him, and told him I was breaking the bond.”
I gaped at her. “You did not.”
“Yep.” She nodded, amusement flashing in her eyes. “Trust me, your reaction last night was nothing compared to some of the stuff I’ve done. Oh, and stealing his bike was a nice touch. Jordan and I agreed you get points for style.”
“You really tried to break the bond?”
Seeing Sara and Nikolas together every day, it was impossible to imagine them not being crazy in love with each other. I knew they’d been bonded a while before they mated and that it had been stormy at times, but she’d never mentioned trying to break it off.
“I told him I was going to break it because I thought he didn’t want it.” She laughed when my eyes widened. “I know, I know. I was totally clueless. Nikolas was happy to set me straight.”
“I had no idea.”
“I told you we had a rocky start. I didn’t trust a lot of people back then, and I tried to push him away so many times.” She grinned over her cup. “Lucky for me, he’s a very determined man.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t break the bond with Chris?”
For a brief moment, I allowed myself to imagine being mated to Chris. My stomach did flips at the thought of having that kind of intimacy with him.
Sara set down her cup. “No. I’m saying you should break it only if you know in your heart that he’s not the one you want to spend your life with. If you have a single doubt, don’t rush into something you might regret. I loved Nikolas, but I almost let my fear and mistrust come between us. I can see you still care about Chris even after he hurt you. I’m not telling you to run into his arms, but don’t let the past dictate your future.”
I swallowed painfully, not sure what to say.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“I know.” I gave her a small smile. “And I appreciate you caring enough to tell me about you and Nikolas.”
She reached across the table to lay a hand on mine. “I do care about you, and no matter what happens between you and Chris, it won’t change our friendship.”
“Thanks.” I looked down, blinking away tears. “I’m sorry. I don’t usually cry this much.”
Sara chuckled. “Been there. The bond makes you more emotional. It’ll pass after you…”
Her words trailed off, and I looked up to see her pressing her lips together. She didn’t need to finish the sentence because I knew what she’d been about to say. Once you completed the bond, things settled down. But what if you broke the bond? Did your heart recover from that?
We finished our coffee, and I reluctantly drove us back to the house. The faint flutter from my Mori told me Chris was there before I rounded the garage and saw him sitting on the front step of the guesthouse. There was no mistaking the relief that passed over his face as he watched me park the SUV and shut off the engine. Was he afraid I’d run before he could break the bond?
I sat there with my hands on the steering wheel, until Sara’s voice jolted me from my thoughts.
“Talk to him,” she said softly. “You’ll have to do it sooner or later, and sooner is better in this case.”
I nodded and took a deep breath before I opened the door and got out.
Chris
I stood when Beth exited the SUV, and my body tensed, half expecting her to run away again. I understood her hesitation to talk to me with the way things had been between us before last night. But we had bonded, and there were things that needed to be said, like the fact that I had no intention of walking away from her this time.
When I’d come to the guesthouse earlier and discovered she was gone, I’d been afraid she’d left for good. Nikolas told me she and Sara had gone to check out the schools, and I’d been relieved but also disappointed because I’d wanted to see her and to know she was nearby. As the hours had passed, I’d used the time to think about what I would say to her when we talked and how I would convince her to give us a chance.
I watched Beth walk toward me, and my chest tightened as it hit me again that I was bonded to this beautiful woman.
“Hi,” I said when she reached the step. I smiled, hoping to dispel the apprehension in her eyes.
Her fingers twisted in the bottom of her top, and she looked ready to flee.
“Hi.”
“Can we talk?” I asked.
For a moment, I thought she was going to say no. When she nodded, some of the tension left me. I opened the door for her, and she walked past me into the house. There was no mistaking the stiff set of her shoulders or the way she leaned slightly away as she passed me. I smiled at her back as I followed her inside. I had my work cut out for me.
Beth went into the small open kitchen and took a bottle of water from the fridge. She offered me one, and I accepted it. I expected her to go to the living room, but she stayed where she was, keeping the breakfast bar between us.
She took a drink of water and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, looking around uneasily before finally settling her gaze on me. Her voice sounded small and uncertain when she spoke.
“How do we do this?”
I hadn’t expected her to jump right in, but I was happy she was willing to talk.
“I think we should talk about the past first.”
She frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“It has everything to do with this. I hurt you, and I deserve the anger you’re feeling toward me. We can’t move on until we get it all out there and you can forgive me.”
“Why does it matter if I forgive you?” Her lower lip quivered, and she trapped it between her teeth.
I set my water bottle down on the counter and braced my hands on the edge of the granite.
“It matters because your happiness is all I care about. I know you’re not happy with any of this or me, and I’ll do whatever it takes to change that.”
Her brows drew together. “I don’t understand. You need me to be happy before we break the bond?”
My Mori growled, and my voice deepened.
“We’re not breaking the bond.”
Water sprayed everywhere, drops of it hitting my face. Beth gasped and stared at the crumpled plastic bottle in her hand as if she had no idea how it had gotten there.
I grabbed the paper towels, handing several to Beth, who still stood there frozen. She began drying her face and hands as if she was on autopilot, while I wiped down the counter and floor.
I took the crushed bottle and sodden towels from her, and she looked at me in confusion and disbelief until she finally found her voice.
“What do you mean we’re not breaking the bond?”
“I mean exactly that. I don’t want to end it, and I don’t think you do either.”
“Yes, I do,” she blurted.
The lack of conviction in her words told me she was lying, probably to herself as well. I felt lighter at the knowledge, and it was all I could do not to smile. Something told me that would only damage my cause.
“No, you don’t,” I said softly.
“Don’t tell me what I want.”
Her chest heaved, and color rose in her cheeks. My body stirred in response. I wanted nothing more than to pull her to me and kiss those lips I’d spent too many hours thinking about.
“Okay. Then I’ll tell you what I want.”
I walked toward her, and she backed up until she was in a corner with no escape. Her gray eyes were wide as I reached up to graze her jaw with my fingers. The contact with her skin sent heat surging through me, and I almost groaned when her lips parted slightly as if in invitation.
Instead of claiming her mouth, I leaned in until my lips brushed against her ear. I smiled at the shiver that went through her.
“What I want is you, Beth.”
“No. It’s the bond,” she said breathlessly. “It makes you feel things you normally wouldn’t. You think you want me, but you don’t.”
All I had to do was press my body against hers, and she’d know exactly how much I wanted her. But she’d only claim it was a physical reaction to the bond, and I needed to prove to her that what I felt for her went far beyond desire.
I leaned back so I could look into her eyes. “You don’t sound convinced. You feel it, too, and you’re lying if you say you don’t.”
Her throat worked as she swallowed. “The bond –”
“The bond doesn’t make you love someone.”
She moved her head back and forth. “I don’t love you. I might have once but not anymore.”
“Liar.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but I placed a finger against her lips. Her breath tickled my skin, sending a fresh wave of heat through me. If I didn’t leave soon, I was going to lose all control and kiss her.
“I won’t push you, but I’m not backing off either. I’m going to prove to you that we belong together.”
I heard the catch of her breath as I closed the distance between us. But all I did was press a brief kiss to the corner of her mouth. Then I turned and walked away from her and out of the house.
Beth
“Want to dance?”
“Huh?”
I blinked at the blond boy standing in front of me, wearing a hopeful smile. I’d been so distracted by my thoughts I hadn’t seen him approach. Some warrior I was if a human could sneak up on me in plain sight.
“Uh, sure.”
I gave him a smile and followed him out onto the dance floor. Around us, at least a hundred people moved beneath the flashing lights to the music coming from the DJ on a platform in the corner of the club.
My body swayed with the music, but my mind was soon far away again, replaying Chris’s words from yesterday. I couldn’t block them out, just as I couldn’t forget the warmth of his touch that made my stomach do flips every time I thought about it.
We belong together.
What I want is you.
I put a hand to my mouth and touched the place where his lips had been right before he’d walked out. If his plan had been to unsettle me, then mission accomplished. My emotions had been in a tailspin ever since.
He couldn’t be serious about not breaking the bond. Four years had gone by without a word from him. Four years. And now because our Mori liked each other, he suddenly wanted me?
I swallowed, remembering how my body had reacted to him, how I’d stood there breathlessly, waiting for him to kiss me. Wanting him to kiss me. I couldn’t even try to blame the bond for my desire for him. It might have heightened my emotions, but my physical attraction to him had always been there. Apparently, neither heartbreak nor time could change that.
“You might want to tone it down a notch.”
I turned my head to find Jordan dancing beside me. When she’d heard about the rave, she’d volunteered to come with me, and Sara had been only too happy to relinquish her pass.
“Tone what down?”
She arched an eyebrow. “That sexy vibe. If you don’t want every male in here lusting after you, stop thinking about him.”
“I’m not…”
My gaze went to my dance partner, who was watching me with undisguised interest. When our eyes met, he smiled and closed the gap between us.
“What school do you girls go to?” he said over the music. “I haven’t seen you here before.”
“Not from around here,” Jordan said before she began to dance provocatively against my back. The boy’s eyes bugged, and I had to fight not to laugh. Jordan was incorrigible.
Discretely, I elbowed her to tell her to behave. She let out a throaty laugh and danced beside me until the song ended. Then she waved at the boy and herded me off the dance floor, where we ran into Alicia and another girl.
“Beth, you made it!” Alicia squealed. “Is Sara here, too?”
“Sara couldn’t come. My friend Jordan used her pass.”
I introduced Jordan, and Alicia introduced us to her friend Mei, who smiled shyly at us. Mei was petite and pretty, and she reminded me of a doll Chris had once brought me from China. And I was thinking about him again.
Alicia beamed. “Isn’t this amazing? I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many hot boys together in one place.”
I glanced around the room and realized she was right. Most of the people in this room – male and female – were attractive. And except for one or two, everyone looked to be in their late teens. Who opened a club and invited only people too young to drink alcohol?
Jordan nodded. “How often do you girls come here?”
“It’s my third time,” Alicia said. “I had to work to convince Mei to come tonight.”
I looked at Mei. “Not into raves?”
“Not really, but Alicia promised we’d only stay an hour.”
Alicia gave us a pained look, as if her friend had asked for a kidney instead of cutting their night short. She looped her arm through Mei’s. “We’re going to get something to drink. Want to come with us?”
“I’m good,” Jordan and I said together and laughed.
I leaned against the wall and watched the two girls disappear into the crowd. Jordan and I had been here for an hour already, and I hadn’t seen anything out of place. It looked like a bunch of high school and college kids letting loose. But nothing too wild.
“You didn’t have to come tonight,” Jordan said. “I could have handled this on my own. Or I could have dragged Sara with me.”
I gave her a sideways look. “Why wouldn’t I want to be here?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you bonded to someone less than two days ago.” She frowned. “I’d still be freaking out.”
“Nothing freaks you out.”
“That’s true,” she said with a smirk. “Still, this is Chris we’re talking about. The love of your life.”
I huffed loudly. “He is not the love of my life. I don’t even like him that much anymore.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow, you said that with a straight face. Have you considered acting?”
“Shut up. I’m serious.”
“No, you’re angry with him, and you’re hurt about what he did. Totally understandable. But be honest. Would you be hurt after all this time if you didn’t still care for him?”
“Yes… I don’t know.” I sighed. “I admit I do feel something for him, but it’s not enough. I can’t trust him. He’ll only hurt me again.”
Her face softened. “Have you told him that?”
“No, because it doesn’t matter. I’m going to break the bond soon. He and I both know it’s for the best.”
She moved to stand in front of me so I couldn’t avoid her gaze. “He’s not behaving like a male who doesn’t want to be bonded. In fact, I’d say it’s just the opposite. He argued against you coming tonight, and then he insisted on being our backup. If he could have used one of those passes, he’d be standing here with you now instead of waiting outside.”
“It’s the bond. It makes males overprotective.”
“It hasn’t even been two days.” Her brows drew together thoughtfully. “From what I hear, Nikolas was super protective of Sara early in their bonding, too. He was a total bear by the time they completed the bond.”
I shrugged. “Nikolas is an intense guy.”
She pursed her lips and studied me.
“What?” I demanded nervously.
Leaning closer, she lowered her voice. “You know what they say about bonded males going a little haywire if the female is a virgin.”
My mouth went dry. “Um, yes.”
“Nikolas was downright scary at times.”
“Can we please talk about something else now?” I pleaded. “What do you think of the club?”
She gave me a knowing look and turned to face the room. “It looks normal. Boring, really.”
My gaze swept the room again, taking in the smiling, dancing teenagers. Everyone looked happy, and I could almost feel the positive energy filling the air. If there was something wrong with this place, I couldn’t see it. Our people had checked into the club, and the owner was a local businessman with several restaurants in the area. Nothing unusual there.
“Let’s split up again,” I said. “I don’t think we’re going to find anything, but it’s better to be sure.”
She nodded. “I’ll hang out by the bar.”
“I’ll cover this side of the room. We’ll meet up again in an hour.”
As soon as Jordan left me, a boy approached and asked me to dance. Figuring I’d look less conspicuous if I was interacting with others, I said yes. I spent the next twenty minutes dancing with several guys and pretending not to notice their attempts to flirt with me.
Finally, I excused myself and headed toward a seating area where a few people sat and talked. The place was decorated with white leather couches and small lamps that cast an intimate glow. It seemed more fitting for an adult nightclub than for a teenage hangout.
“You look like you’d rather be somewhere else,” said a male voice beside me.
I turned my head to find a tall man with short blond hair and blue eyes behind dark-framed glasses. His mouth was curved into a wry smile. I would have guessed him to be around twenty-one.
“Why do you say that?” I asked him.
His smile widened, revealing a dimple in his left cheek. I immediately thought of Chris and then cursed him for invading my head again.
“Maybe it’s just wishful thinking so I don’t feel like the only one. This isn’t my usual scene.”
“What’s your usual scene?”
“I prefer a party with friends over a large crowd.”
I smiled. “Then why did you come?”
“I lost a bet, so my friend dragged me to this thing.”
He made a face and pointed to a dark-haired man on the dance floor who looked to be his age. His friend was slow dancing with a girl who couldn’t have been older than sixteen and who appeared to be totally enamored with him.
“I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on Wes,” my companion said. “He got me out of my dorm room for a few hours.”
“You go to UCLA?” I asked him.
“Yes. You?”
“I just moved here from Oregon, and I’m still trying to decide what I want to do with my life.”
“Aren’t we all?” He held out a hand. “Adam.”
“Beth.”
I gave him my hand, and he surprised me by lifting it to his lips and kissing the back of it.
“I’m delighted to meet you, Beth. I’ll have to thank Wes for making me come with him.”
I smiled as I eased my hand from his. The college boy had moves.
“What are you studying at UCLA?”
“Finance. I promise not to bore you with the details. I’d much rather hear about what you do.”
Adam wasn’t overly flirtatious, but he didn’t hide his interest in me either. He seemed like a nice guy, so I made sure I didn’t send him any mixed signals as I gave him a story about me staying at my friend’s place while I decided what I wanted to do.
“Leave it to you to find the prettiest girl in the room,” said a silky voice.
Adam and I turned our heads toward his friend Wes, who had left his dance partner to join us. Wes was taller than Adam by at least two inches, with olive skin, dark eyes, and a smile that could melt the heart of every girl in this place. Well, almost every girl. I was most decidedly off men at the moment.
“Beth, this is Wes,” Adam said.
“Pleasure to meet you, Beth.”
Wes shook my hand, and I couldn’t help but notice the Cartier watch that peeked from beneath the cuff of his Armani shirt. Adam dressed like a hip college student, but his friend had money and liked to show it off.
“Do you go to UCLA with Adam?” I asked him.
“No. I live in New York. I’m just visiting for a few weeks and trying to make the rounds with all my friends here.” He glanced at his watch. “Speaking of, we’re supposed to be meeting up with some people in thirty minutes.” He looked at Adam. “I’ll get the car and meet you out front in five minutes.”
“Okay,” Adam replied, looking like he’d rather stay here.
Wes said goodbye to me and left. I watched him go and turned back to Adam, who gave me a hopeful smile.
“Would you have dinner with me tomorrow?”
“I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Coffee then?” he pressed.
“I would, but I’m kind of involved with someone.”
I almost laughed at my choice of words. Involved. That was putting it mildly.
Adam’s face fell. “He is a very lucky man.”
“Thank you,” I said, hating the way my heart constricted.
Alicia ran up to us. “Beth, have you seen Mei?”
“Not since I saw her with you. How long have you been looking for her?”
“Ten minutes.” Alicia craned her neck, searching the crowd. “She went to the restroom and never came back. I checked, and she’s not in there.”
“It’s a bit warm in here. Maybe she went outside,” Adam suggested.
Alicia shook her head. “No. Mei wouldn’t do that, not without me.”
Warning bells started to go off in my head, but I didn’t want to scare Alicia. Not yet.
“Come on. I’ll help you look for her. Jordan’s over by the bar. Maybe she’s seen her.”
I said a hurried goodbye to Adam, then Alicia and I went in search of Jordan. She hadn’t seen Mei either, and the look she shot me said she and I were thinking the same thing. We had another missing girl, and this one had disappeared right beneath our noses.
There was no sign of Mei in the club, and the man at the door said he didn’t remember a Chinese girl leaving. Jordan and I went outside to be sure. Across the street from the front entrance of the club, Chris stood, leaning against his bike, and he straightened when he saw us. I didn’t want to talk to him, but a girl was missing and time was of the essence.
“What’s wrong?” he asked when we ran over to him.
“A girl’s gone missing from the club,” I said in a rush. “Have you seen a Chinese girl come out in the last twenty minutes?”
“No.” He pulled out his phone and made a call. “Brock, anyone leave by the back door in the last half hour?”
He shook his head at us as he continued talking to Brock. “Not sure yet. No, stay there for now.”
“If she didn’t come out through either door, she has to be in there somewhere,” Jordan said. “Beth and I will go in and find her.”
Chris held up a hand, and I thought he was going to argue against me going back to the club. He surprised me when he said, “Are you girls armed?”
“Did you really just ask me that?” Jordan scoffed and showed us the blade tucked into her long boot.
“Beth?” he asked.
“I have a knife.”
“Okay. Be careful in there, and stick together. Call me if you get into trouble.”
Jordan and I went inside the club and worked our way from one end of the building to the other. Near the back door were an office and a locked door that read “Staff Only.” I made short work of the lock and discovered a flight of stairs to the basement. We listened, but no sounds came from below.
Jordan waved at the stairs. “After you.”
I looked at Jordan. “You want to go first?”
She grinned wickedly and pulled out her knife. “This is what I live for.”
And then she jumped into the hole.