*****Edited by krisgee*****

 2011 © All Rights Reserved

Chapter 16 (Steven) 

            I stood there by the dressing room anxiously waiting for my blue eyed beauty to come out.  She has to talk to me this time this time, she just has to I said to myself as I laid my head back against the wall.  I have to make her listen to me or else I am going to go out of my freaking mind.

            I heard the door open and I jumped to attention.  Tabby passed by me first and then Liza, and finally her.  My breath hitched at the beauty she possessed.  She’s like an ethereal angel.  I reached out and gently grabbed her arm.

            “Princess,” I said tentatively.  “Can I please talk to you?”  I begged with her all that I had in me.  I knew that I looked pathetic and was seriously handing over my man card, but I didn’t care.  I would do anything at this point for my blue eyed beauty to look at me with a fraction of the love we shared just days ago.

            The pull was still there, I felt the electricity humming when our skin made contact.

            “Two minutes,” I heard the director call out to their group.  I pleaded desperately with my eyes.

            “After the show,” she replied.  “You can take me to Starbucks and we can talk”.

            I couldn’t stop the smile from curling on my lips.  I leaned in a pressed a kiss tenderly against her forehead, lingering for a moment to savor the rousing sensations.

            Regrettably, I finally stepped back saying, “You got it Princess,” and released her to follow Tabby and Liza to the stage.  “Good luck,” I called out to her, cheesing just like the Cheetos cheetah always on them damn commercials.  I was elated; my princess was finally going to talk to me. 

            I heard the directors announce their act and took off at a dead sprint for the auditorium.  I didn’t want to miss one second of this performance as pictures of the little booty dance she had so heartily demonstrated crept into my mind.   I hastily walked down the aisle as the lights went out and the spot light poured on the stage.  I scooted in next to Bobby on the front row and there she was; my blue eyed beauty.  Front and center.  How symbolic of what she means to me.  She will always be front and center stage in my life.

            The music started and all I could say was “Damn.”  She was the only one that I saw on that stage and she looked awesome.  I was so proud of her at that moment.  She danced and sang like it was nobody else’s business.  It was current, hip and very tasteful.  The performance ended and I jumped to my feet clapping and whistling wildly.  That was my Princess. 

            I felt a nudge on my shoulder and looked over at Bobby.  He was standing beside me clapping and hollering just as loud as I was.

            “That was the bomb,” he said to me with a wide smile on his face.  I nodded my agreement while I watched my beautiful mate take her well deserved bow.  They left the stage and things quieted down somewhat.  Bobby glanced back at me and stared at me weirdly making me feel a bit uncomfortable.

            “What?” I snapped at him.

            “So, is she going to talk to you?” he asked with his brows raised.  I couldn’t hold my smile back and nodded my head.

            “Yeah, we’re going to Starbucks when this is all over,” I answered in kind.

            “Thank the Moon Goddess,” he exclaimed.

            “Huh?” I asked inquisitively.  Bobby rolled his shoulders back and faced me head on. 

            “I swear to god, if I had to face another evening of watching you sulk around the house or rant in that room of yours again…by the way, is there even anything left in there not broken?” he asked.

            I shook my head at him.  “Whatever man,” I mumbled.

            “When you find your mate, you will understand,” I replied.

            Bobby looked back at the stage like he was in deep thought for a moment before turning his gaze back to me.  I watched him shove his hands in his pockets and shuffle his weight from side to side.

            “Well,” he started to say.  “What if I think I may have already found her?” he drawled out slowly.

            I stilled.  “What do you mean by you think that you may have already found her?” I said cautiously.

            He nodded his head towards the stage. “The brunette, what’s her name?” he asked.

            “Oh, shit!” I exclaimed.  “You think your mate is Tabby,” I stated while trying to hold back my laughter.  Bobby began to get a little defensive.  He drew his mouth in a straight line.

            “Maybe, what if she is?”

            “Does the femme wolf have any idea about this little revelation of yours?” I managed to get out still desperately trying to withhold my laugher.

            Again, Bobby looked at the ground and quietly murmured, “Not that I know of and I want to keep it that way for a little while.”

            That was it.  I couldn’t hold it back any longer.  The laugher escaped and I had to hold my stomach from the cramps the hysterical laughter had caused.  Bobby looked pissed while watching me try to collect myself.

            “Why would it be such a problem if she was my mate?” he demanded.  I pinched the bridge of my nose before looking back at my little brother.

            “Good luck is all I got to say to you man, because with that particular femme wolf you are definitely going to need it.”

            I patted him on the shoulder for reassurance and turned to leave and meet my mate.  I was so looking forward to her angelic voice and silky touches, my wolf was bursting at the edge of my skin.

            “Hey,” Bobby called out to me when I was only a few steps away.  “Is there something wrong with her?” he asked with his brows furrowed in confusion.  I stilled my walking and looked back at my baby brother.

            “Let’s just say that she’s a bit eccentric,” I posed.

            I heard his “Humph,” and chuckled lightly.  I then returned to head for my original destination, my beautiful blue eyed beauty. 

            I stopped by the dressing room first and lingered in the hall for several minutes.  Liza stepped out and jumped when she seen me standing there.

            “I- I didn’t see you standing there Steven,” she said while holding her hand to her chest.  I must have scared the daylights out of her I mused.

            Smiling I asked her, “Is Amy in there?”  Liza shook her head and I instantly frowned. 

            “She left about five minutes ago to head for the parking lot.  She said that she was going to meet you.”

            “Okay,” I said more to myself than to her.  “I guess I’ll go,” and pointed in the direction of the parking lot.

            Her light laughter filled the hallway and I smiled back at her. “You do that, lover boy.  I’ll catch you at school or something.  Take care of my girl,” she said.

            “Absolutely,” I replied and turned on my heels to head for the parking lot.

            I pushed the door open and stepped out into the night air.  I instantly picked up her scent and inhaled it deeply, loving the heavenly smell that identified my sweet mate.  I took several moments to scan the parking lot and realized that she was no where to be found.  This is odd, I thought to myself, maybe she went back inside to find me.  I glanced back one more time over the parking lot before turning to go back inside. 

            I first went to the auditorium which was now almost completely empty, no Amy.  I headed back to the dressing room and stuck my head in the door, no Amy.  Starting to feel slightly panicked, I headed towards the restroom.  Once I reached the women’s entrance I pounded on the door and didn’t even wait for a response to open the door.

            Sticking my head in I called out, “Amy?  Amy, are you in here?”

            Silence.  I was met with a cold silence.  Fear started to slowly creep into my bones.  Where the hell could she have gotten off to so fast?

            I pulled out my phone and quickly scrolled through my menu until I found Tabby’s number.  I hit send and while waiting for her to answer thanked the Moon Goddess that Amy had programmed Liza and Tabby’s numbers in my phone.

            “Hello?” I heard a spirited voice answer.

            “Tabby,” I choked out trying to rein in some of my fear.  There just had to be a reasonable explanation for her mysterious disappearance.

            “Stevie?” she said in a questioning tone.

            “Yeah, it’s me,” I answered.  “Have you seen Amy?” I asked the question weighing so heavily on my mind.

            “No,” she responded slowly.  “I thought she was with you,” Tabby said accusingly.

            “Damnit,” I cursed.  “Liza said she went to the parking lot and when I showed up she was gone.  I know that she was there because I quickly picked up her scent, but now I can’t find her anywhere.”  I was slowly starting to lose my cool.  I could feel my hands starting to tremble while I held the phone tightly against my ear.

            “Stay there,” Tabby said.  “Let me call Zach and see if she hitched a ride with him.  I will call you right back.  Don’t move!” she said again.

            “Fine, fine,” I said and clipped the phone shut.  I closed my eyes and tapped my foot impatiently.  Holding my phone, I was growing warier by the second.  I started to pace the hall feeling like a caged animal.  My mate was out there somewhere. 

            “Please let her be with Zach,” I muttered to myself.  The shrill ringing of my phone brought me back to reality.

            I opened my phone without looking at the caller ID and held it up to my ear.  “Please tell me some good news,” I answered assuming it was Tabby.  A familiar voice came on the line that made every drop of my blood run cold as ice.

            “Well that depends, little cub,” the voice on the other line said.  “That depends on what you would consider good news.”  I squeezed the phone so tight I could feel the metal in the small device start to give.

            “Where. Is. My. Mate?” I bit out on a dangerous growl.

            “Whoa there cub, you need to check yourself and acknowledge your rightful place.”

            I was losing it.  I was losing my hold on reality fast.  I knew they had her and if one little strand of her hair was out of place I would make the Texas Chainsaw Massacre look like Disneyland after I got through dismantling the scoundrels.  That was my mate they had and all bets were off when it came to her safety.  Death was the only option.

            I repeated, “Where the hell is my mate?” in a much stronger voice.

            A laugh sounded on the other end of the line.  “Not so fast pup.  Your Alpha has a new proposition for your family.”

            “Fuck you,” I responded in kind.

            “Sad to tell you son, I am not your type.  Now, back to what I was saying.”

            “Go to hell,” I screamed into the phone.

            “Son, you need to check yourself.  I believe you are in no position to be handing out orders.  I have something very dear to you I believe, very beautiful too.”

            “You touch her and you’re dead,” I sneered.  That was a plain and simple fact.  Again his laughter came through the phone.

            “She is quite lovely, but a little too young for my needs.  However, if you want her to keep her alive and breathing to see her eighteenth birthday then I suggest you listen to me and you listen good, pup.  You have one week to convince your mother to return to the pack and mate with the Alpha.”

            “He’ll kill her!” I cried out into the phone.

            “On the contrary, pup.  He is quite fond of your mother.  All grievances against your father will be forgiven if she comes willingly and your family will be cleared of all charges.  You and your mate can live out a happy ever after, so to speak.”  I stood there reeling with anger.  My mother would never go back to that pack.  Silence came from both ends on the line.

            “Good faith gesture,” he finally said.

            “Huh?” I answered.

            “She’s tied up at the tree in the park on Grover Lane.  You go get your mate pup, and talk to your mother about our offer.  We will return in a week and if she does not come willingly, your mate dies.  Simple as that pup.  Simple. As. That.”  And then I was met with a dial tone.

            “Fuck,” I muttered to myself.  I turned and ran for my bike.  What the hell am I going to do?  My mother or my mate?  How can I be expected to make a choice like that?  I jumped on my bike and kick started it with a grunt. 

            My phone rang again and I growled in frustration.  I looked at the caller ID and it was Amy’s home so I knew it had to be Zach.

            “Hello?” I answered gruffly.

            “Where the fuck is my sister?” was the reply on the other line.

            “Got to go man, I’m on my way to get her,” I said getting ready to hang up.

            “Whoa,” I heard a deep rumble on the other line.  “What happened?” he pushed.  I was getting impatient.  I wanted to have my blue eyed beauty in my arms. 

            “Twenty minutes,” I said curtly.  “Give me twenty minutes and we will be at your house with all the explanations.”

            I didn’t wait for his reply.  I just hung up the phone and peeled out of the parking lot.  I roamed through the streets trying to mentally reach out to her but kept hitting some type of wall.  I growled in frustration.  Finally, the park was in my sight and I jumped off my bike before I even cut the damn thing off.  I wandered in the park aimlessly looking for her until finally I spotted her; there she was tied up just as I was told.

            “Oh god,” I said to myself as I ran up to her and worked furiously at the bindings holding her to the tree.

            She was unconscious and her head was leaning over to the side.  She looked so frail and vulnerable.  I worked the last of the bindings and pulled her into my arms.  Inhaling her scent and holding her tightly to my chest reassuring myself that she was alive.  Then I felt a strange wetness leak from my eyes.

            “I’m so sorry Princess,” I whispered into her hair while rocking helplessly back and forth.  “I am so fucking sorry,” I repeated as the tears began to run freely down my cheeks.