Chapter Ten
Sean kept to his room that evening, passing on joining anyone at the dinner table, or creating more havoc or pain for Eden.
He’d have liked to say that he slept well, but his night was sleepless. How long should he wait? How long did Camden consider a while to be?
It was nearly dawn and his bear was as restless as he was. For different reasons. His bear had no interest in leaving Bear Canyon Valley. And he had no interest in leaving Eden behind.
And I do?
Sean rolled over in his bed, his sheets a tangled mess, entrapping his legs.
He moved around, trying to set himself free and straighten the sheets without having to actually get out of bed, but finally he gave up. There was no point to it.
He meandered downstairs with the intent of starting a pot of coffee when the aroma of fresh-brewed reached his nostrils.
Someone beat him to it.
He stepped in and found Camden sitting at the table, shredding a napkin and Tyler pacing.
“What’s going on?” Sean grabbed himself a cup and filled it.
Camden sniffled. “Eden wasn’t—she didn’t—”
Tyler put a hand on Camden’s shoulder. “Eden wasn’t at dinner and she didn’t sleep in her room last night. Unless—” He narrowed his eyes. “Did she stay with you last night?” His voice almost sounded hopeful.
The house isn’t burnt down, is it? Sean would have laughed, but the threads of worry were already making their way through his system. “She didn’t. I haven’t seen her since… well, not since before I talked to Camden about leaving yesterday.”
Camden flew out of her seat. “I knew it. She’s missing.” The napkin she was holding became encased in ice and fell to the floor, smashing to pieces.
Her elemental.
Is this what he and Tyler had to look forward to with Tessa and Trista for the rest of their lives? Emotions going out of control resulting in nature’s displays?
“Where would she have gone,” Tyler asked Camden. Seemed she’d be the one most likely to know, what with their being twins and all.
Camden shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s not—we’re not as close as we could be. Because of Piria, I’m sure.”
“So, call her cell.” Tyler thought that would have been the simplest answer.
Tyler pointed to the counter across from the coffee machine. “She doesn’t have it with her.”
Now that was odd.
A small sob escaped Camden. “I’m calling 9-1-1. The town has a sheriff, right?”
Sean nodded. “But he’s of the human persuasion.”
“What?” Camden whirled around to face him. “In a valley full of shifters?”
Tyler and Sean both shrugged. “Not our idea,” Tyler added.
“Let me call Griz,” Sean said.
“Griz!” Camden’s expression was one of sheer confusion. “I know, I get that he’s a big deal here in the valley, but what can he do?”
“You’d be surprised,” Tyler told her, bringing her in for a hug, tucking her head under his chin. He looked at Sean pointedly. “I don’t think it’s too early to call him.”
“I’m sure it’s not.” Sean put his coffee down. “I’m on it.”
He didn’t want to show how much it concerned him that a woman who had a deathly fear of bears—be they shifters or otherwise—would not be in a good predicament if she were in the forest overnight among bears.
Something had to be wrong, else she’d have come back. Or shifted into her panther and ran back.
Don’t think that way, he cautioned himself.
In his mind, his bear roared.
* * *
Sean looked out the window toward the driveway. He’d have headed out solo if Tyler hadn’t been there to stop him.
Griz had asked them to wait, but that’s the last thing Sean wanted.
“Give him fifteen minutes, tops,” Tyler had asked.
And so reluctantly, Sean had done that.
It had been twelve minutes since Tyler made the request. Sean was already tugging a jacket on when Griz’s massive pickup pulled into the driveway. And he wasn’t alone. Two of his nephews had joined Griz in the cab of the truck.
Sean had met them once. Cross and Judge de la Cruz, former Compliance Enforcers of the Shifters Supreme Council.
Awful big guns to bring in for one missing girl.
Griz’s stride toward the front door was purposeful. Cross and Judge followed behind him. All three were large men, tall, broad-shouldered, and definitely the ones you’d want on your side in a fight.
But why would he need them to track and find Eden?
Sean opened the door before they had a chance to knock.
Camden flew past Sean and into Griz’s arms. “Please find her.”
Griz hugged her then held her at arm’s length, his large hands on her shoulders, his expression assured and concerned. “We will. And we’ll bring her home safely. Trust me.”
A partial sob escaped Camden and she swiped at red-rimmed eyes.
“Say you trust me.” Griz locked gazes with her.
“I—I trust you, Griz.”
In seconds, Sean, Cross, and Judge were on the front porch, leaving Tyler and Camden inside. No matter how many times Camden had insisted she was fine and that she wanted Tyler to join them in the search, Griz and Tyler had refused.
Alone and on the porch, with distance between them and Camden’s ears, Sean turned to face Griz and the de la Cruz brothers. “Is it me, or is there something else going on here?”
Griz crossed his arms over his chest, the scar that halved his face from brow to jawline was pale. He then looked at Cross, indicated Sean with a nod. “Tell him.”
“I picked up some activity.”
Sean frowned. “Translation, please.”
Judge let out a heavy breath. “Cross has equipment placed around the area, in case we should ever encounter unwanted visitors…”
Sean nodded, comprehension was starting to settle in, but it wasn’t full understanding. “So, we have unwanteds, somewhere around? And why would these be a concern to us? It’s not like Eden is a helpless little girl. She’s a panther elemental hybrid. She’s probably just lost.” So what, maybe he was trying to convince himself that nothing could be wrong, that she was simply wondering around. And maybe he was lying to himself.
Griz’s expression was grim. “Yeah, by all indications these don’t seem to be accidental trespassers.”
“Then who?”
Griz clenched his jawline, muscles working. “It seems that the witches that killed Trista and Tessa’s parents, who’d like to do the same, have entered the valley.”
“What?” Rage began a slow build in his blood, then rose to a boil. He glared at Griz, Judge, then Cross. “When the hell did you three realize this and why is this the first I’m hearing of it?”
Cross cleared his throat. “I figured it out yesterday after dinner. Reached out to Griz. He said first thing tomorrow we’d get with you all.” He grimaced. “Didn’t figure on this.”
Sean contained his anger. He didn’t know much about the matter of the witches that wanted his little half-sisters dead, nor did he know much about their family in Europe, on their mother’s side, elementals that wanted to have the girls. He blew out a breath of exasperation. “I’m ready to go. I don’t understand why I had to wait for you guys to show up.”
“Well, are you equipped to deal with hostile witches? If you encounter any, that is.”
“What’s to deal with? I’ll shift into my bear, rip their heads off.”
Griz shook his head. “Sure, if they don’t turn you and your bear into stone before you shift. Or if they don’t turn you into a stuffed teddy bear.”
“I’m pretty fast.”
More headshaking from Griz. “Let’s take your SUV. It’ll hold more.”
Sean studied him. “More what?”
“I’ve got a couple of friends on the way.”
“On the way from where?”
Griz glanced toward the dawn’s light, rising above the Bear Canyon Mountain Range. “We’re meeting Mae down the road a bit. They’re with her.”