“I have to find her.” I paced my living room, shoving my fingers through my hair with growing agitation.
“Cole, calm down.” Damian eyed me warily.
“Don’t fucking tell me to calm down!” I roared. My wolf was dangerously close to the surface. It wanted to burst free and go on a killing rampage until Sydney was found. I’d never felt anything like it. This level of fury and terror rolled into one. I’d never had something as precious as a mate taken away from me before.
The thing is, I wasn’t aware of how important Sydney had become to me until she was gone. Guilt pricked me in the chest for pretty much ignoring her the last couple of weeks. I’d taken the cowardly way out, putting distance between us because I felt myself getting too emotionally attached to her.
“You have to deal with this as you would with anything else,” Damian said. “With a cool head. If you lose it now, we won’t get anywhere with the search.”
Taking a deep breath, I looked at my Beta and nodded. “You’re right.”
Dominic, Stephan, and Alex were in the room. I noticed they kept their distance. They’d never seen me this close to losing my shit before. I imagined it was uncomfortable for them. It was unfair of me to lash out when all they’d ever done was show me loyalty. None of them hesitated to help me keep Sydney safe, even though the elders and the rest of the pack would frown upon my actions.
“I’m sorry, guys,” I said. I didn’t apologize often, but they deserved one. “I’m just worried.” It was hard to forget the picture of the blood I’d seen in the alley between the apartment buildings a block from my place. I’d come home to check on Sydney instead of sending Alex back, and she was gone.