“We were on our way to discuss Simone with you,” she told him, “when Mera collapsed and started screaming. I’m not sure what happened, but I think it’s best that we head inside so the alpha-mate can rest.”

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “I told you already, I was fighting against the spell in my head that appears to be holding my memories captive. Someone wants me to remain in the dark, and that someone is going to be greatly disappointed.”

The many shifters around us shuffled their feet and cleared their throats, since, apparently, a tiny, innocent discussion about a magic spell made them uncomfortable.

Whatever. I knew my truth, and even if they didn’t want to deal with it, it didn’t change a fucking thing.

I’d been spelled by a powerful being. A powerful being who’d underestimated how far I’d go to destroy this stasis holding my memories. And thanks to Simone’s parents, I now knew that more than just my current memories had been messed with. Memories of my past and my father had also been tampered with, or at least tainted with happiness that probably hadn’t existed.

More pieces to my puzzle, and very soon, I’d have enough to know whom I needed to kill.

Torin moved closer to me, and the only reason I didn’t step away was because I’d never back up from him again. His heady, musky scent washed over me, stronger thanks to the energy of his wolf riding across his skin, and for the first time, literally nothing inside of me responded. I could barely even feel the bond now.

Was he even my true mate?

The more time I spent with him, the stronger my distaste for him grew.

“How does a true mate bond break?” I asked suddenly.

He jerked back, looking hurt. “A statement of rejection,” he bit out, his heavy gaze slamming into me. “From one or both parties. I’ve also heard that if you don’t nourish a bond, it can fade to nothing.”

At first, his quick and honest response to a touchy subject confused me until I realized he was telling me so I’d know that the distance between us was my fault. I was the one separating and forcing us apart, and in doing so, the bond was fading.

The first true smile I’d had since waking in his bed spread across my face, and as his scrunched expression faded into confusion, I lifted my knee and slammed it right into his junk. A choked gasp escaped him as he dropped to his knees, shock emanating from him.

I smiled again, feeling this surge of power like I never had before. The mate bond that was holding me back would soon be gone, and that was truly empowering.

“Mera.” Torin gasped, dragging himself back to his feet as shifter healing fixed up a couple of busted testicles. “What is wrong with you?”

“You were in my personal space,” I said sweetly. “Best not to do that again.”

Patting him on the chest, I spun on one foot and strolled past a ton of shocked shifters, making my way into the pack house.

10

The pack house was quiet and cool as I walked through the front hall, past the formal dining and living rooms, and back into the row of offices used for business meetings. Since I was the first one in there, I chose the best chair at the head of the table. It was Torin’s seat, but he could fight me for it if he wanted.

The alpha strolled in a few minutes later, looking unruffled. He didn’t say a word about me randomly kneeing him in the balls or about me sitting in his chair. He just chose the seat next to me, and we sat in an awkward silence until the other members arrived.

Mika and Gerad were first, followed by two senior pack members, Jos and Hench. Burly, middle-aged shifters, they were respected due to their many years helping to run Torma.

They had been Victor’s right-hand men, outside of his beta, and Torin had continued the same tradition.

“What is this about?” Jos asked as he leaned toward us, the lights above reflecting off the dirty blond of his hair, which was shaved close to his head.

“I’d like to know that as well,” Hench said shortly. He didn’t lean forward or otherwise engage; the icy blue of his eyes was the same blue of his wolf, which looked like a snow-white husky when he shifted. His hair was just as white, falling to his shoulders, and I always considered him the most beautiful wolf in our pack. His human side was a right old fuckhead, though.

“Simone is missing,” I said bluntly. “At some point just after the stasis was lifted, Simone left her house and hasn’t been seen since.”

Torin, Jos, and Hench, in near unison, nailed the Lewisons with a glare. “You lodged her as being on vacation,” Jos said, pulling out his phone. “I know because I’ve been asking you for weekly updates, and you’ve been logging her itinerary.”

He spun the device around to show what looked like a GPS map with flashing red dots. I figured that these were supposed to mark out Simone’s planned route.

This was the point when Mika paled, her gorgeous brown skin drawn as she sank lower, seemingly defeated. The silence in the room extended, no one willing to be the first to break it.

“We were protecting our daughter. Our family,” Gerad finally said, wrapping his arm around his mate. “I figured I could track her down and get her back here before she was punished for leaving the pack without permission. Simone has never done anything like this before, and with no real money or resources, how far could she have gone?”

A sound of annoyance escaped me, drawing attention away from the Lewisons. “What if she didn’t run away? What if she was taken, and all of this time you wasted in hiding the truth is what screws up our chances of tracking her down? In the end, you wanted to save your family name, and in doing so, you might have lost your damn daughter.”

I was mad. Not just mad but scared, and heartbroken, and lost. Mostly scared, if I was being honest. If anything happened to my best friend, especially if she was in this situation because of me, I would never recover.

Torin cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair agitatedly as he got to his feet. This new development had really thrown him, and I wondered if he was questioning his control over the pack. “Mika and Gerad are to be held in the basement until we have every piece of information about Simone’s whereabouts,” he said gruffly. “And we will begin an immediate full-scale search to track down our missing pack member. If she ran of her own accord, she will henceforth be banished from this pack, but if she was taken, the full force of Torma will come down on those who have touched one of our own.” He lowered his head to meet my gaze. “We will find her, Mera.”