Page 49 of Ravenous

No, I had to stop.

I couldn’t think that way. We’d find her.

My chest constricted with love for the girl. The memory of her falling asleep against me, her happy chatter with my mom last night, and the giant hugs she gave me every time she saw me made my eyes mist up.

But there was no reason to cry. She was fine! Fine! We’d find her.

“Remy!” I called out.

I heard Audrey and Marina calling to the right, and Emma and Riley calling out to our left. The sound of hoofbeats rushed past us, as Natalie and Charlie took the trail up the side of the mountain.

“Remy?” My heart was in my throat, my stomach a tight ball. It was getting hard to breathe. The more minutes passed without us finding her, the more freaked out I got.

“One of us should have stayed back,” I realized, stopping for a moment. “You go back,” I told Becky because carrying a two-year-old on a nighttime hike was probably more difficult than she made it look. “In case she’s actually still at the house or returns there.”

“Good thinking,” Becky said, nodding. “Give me your number, and I’ll call if I see anything or she’s really hiding or something.”

“Oh God, I don’t have everyone’s numbers!” My fingers shook as I opened my phone screen to enter her number in my phone.

“I’ll send a group text, so you get everyone’s,” Becky reassured me. “I have it up already. Just tell me your number.”

I gave her the digits followed by a quick tense hug before we parted ways. Once alone, it was even harder to stay positive.

Remy could be hurt. Lost.

What if we didn’t find her before something terrible happened?

What if…oh God! What if her mom had come out to the ranch and kidnapped her?

No, that wouldn’t be it. Lily had said she wanted to run with the wolves. She would’ve mentioned if she’d left with someone.

I kept hiking and calling Remy’s name until I was hoarse.

In the distance, I heard the howl of a wolf.

Hairs rose on my arms. When a chorus of other wolves answered the howl, I got downright scared. What if that was a victory cry from a hunt?

What if the hunt had netted them a four-year-old girl?

My knees buckled in fear. “Remy?” I screamed. “REMY! Where are you?”

22

WES

Rob’s distincthowl was a summons, and we all stopped and made our way to him. The moment I caught the scent of horses, I knew something was wrong. The women must’ve ridden up here because something happened. There was no other reason for them to do so. They knew it was a distraction, and it also made the horses skittish.

I raced to the crest where Rob stood, in human form, with Charlie and Natalie.

“Remy’s out on the mountain,” he said tersely, not waiting for me to shift. “She said she wanted to run with the wolves. The women are trying to find her. You go now, I’ll send the rest after you.”

I wheeled around and raced down the mountain, my paws scrabbling on the rocks with my speed. I stopped when I heard the call of voices. It was the women, calling Remy’s name. I pricked my ears, listening for my daughter’s answer.

There.

I wasn’t sure whether I heard her voice out loud, or if it was just wolf instinct guiding me, but I was certain which direction to go.

I turned and galloped down the mountain. The frantic sound of Joy’s voice calling Remy’s name grew louder. My mate was on the right trail, too.

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