His Apprehensive Mate - Brea Alepou Page 0,51

could feel it. Panic and fear raced through him, but it wasn’t his own. It was his mate’s.

Morgan.

Kenny rushed to Ava’s room—it was where Morgan said he was going. When he got there, he found no one. The smell of fear and sadness was faint but still lingered in the room.

“Morgan?” Kenny called out.

He took the stairs to their bedroom two at a time, but he knew Morgan wouldn’t be there. He couldn’t feel his mate like before. Kenny’s hand trembled as he turned the knob and entered the bedroom.

His snow leopard mewled and threatened to break free in order to find their mate and child. Kenny reined him in. They needed to think logically first. He tried feeling Morgan through the bond again but it was vague it wasn’t enough. Kenny felt chaotic and out of place.

Where in the world could Morgan and Ava have gone?

Kenny ran down the stairs.

“What’s wrong?” Dezi asked.

Kenny couldn’t get the words out. He went out the front door and found the driveway full of cars, not one out of place. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Morgan’s number.

It was fucking déjà vu all over again.

The phone rang and rang, but no one picked up. Kenny squeezed his eyes shut and tried again. Logan came out carrying Morgan’s ringing phone.

“Damn it,” Kenny growled.

All he was getting was fear and distress from Morgan, but he didn’t know where he was.

“Speak to me, Kenny,” Dezi said. He used his alpha power; it blanketed over Kenny, helping him calm the panic just enough for him to talk.

“They’re gone,” Kenny said.

Dezi went stiff. “Everyone search for Ava and Morgan now.” His alpha power pushed his will against them.

Rhy, Clyde, Cole, and Logan started looking instantly, running down the road.

“We will find them Kenny, I swear,” Dezi said.

Kenny’s chest felt too tight. “I promised him I’d protect him and Ava. How is this protecting them?”

Dezi squeezed Kenny’s shoulder.

“We have to find them first.”

Kenny nodded, unable to understand why or how he’d failed his family.

“What can we do to help?” Hodge asked.

“We’re looking for them now. Until we know anything for sure—”

“We found something,” Cole shouted from down the street.

Kenny ran with Dezi and Hodge hot on his heels. Kenny took in a big whiff—he’d know that smell anywhere. It was Morgan. There were dark red spots on the ground, which shifted into footprints. It looked like Morgan had continued to move even after his foot was cut. They followed the trail of blood, Kenny’s heart in his throat. There was only one set of bloody footprints.

Where the hell was Ava?

They made it to the road that led back to town and found burned rubber tracks on the ground and more blood splattered on the side. It was too much to come from Morgan’s foot. Kenny saw red. His shift was happening against his will as his snow leopard fought to get free. His bones started to break, and he fell to the ground as he tried to rein in control.

“Kenny,” Dezi whispered. Or at least it sounded like a whisper to Kenny. Everything felt so far away.

More bones broke and Kenny was having a hard time not shifting. He could barely hear people talking around him. His mate and child were gone; they’d been taken, and he hadn’t protected them. His snow leopard was fed up and pushed past the last of Kenny’s resistance. Anger burned through his veins as his snow leopard tore through him. His vision shifted, and he hissed in anger. His tail slapped the ground as he paced around the splatter of blood from his mate.

“Kenny.”

Dezi called out to him, but it was useless. Kenny was too far gone. His snow leopard was fully in charge; it was as if Kenny watched from the sidelines as he hissed at his alpha. He lashed out and attacked, but before he could connect with Dezi, Kenny was tackled to the ground. Orange and black fur blinded him, and the scent of Rhy hit him instantly. Kenny tried to reason with his animal side; they weren’t the enemy. But it was useless. Their mate was in danger, and that was all that mattered.

He attacked. Rhy was huge, but Kenny knew how to fight in his snow leopard form all too well. He dodged Rhy’s paw and attacked from the side, tackling Rhy down to the ground. He went for Rhy’s shoulder, sinking his teeth into flesh.

“Enough. Both of you shift now,” Dezi said, forcing