Chapter Fifty-Seven

Waverly.

Waverly watched Sarah pace the front porch while she sat beside Beau on the front steps. Her thumbnail was wedged between her teeth while she walked back and forth with nerves.

She didn’t blame her since it’d been over forty minutes since Roderick left the cabin and he hadn’t returned.

Waverly leaned against the stair railing and glanced over at Beau.

He seemed to be on high alert. His fingers tightened against his thighs as he scanned the area. But behind that intense look, she remembered the boy from her youth. He’d lost his sister, and it hurt her heart. Millie had been such a sweet shadow over the years, always looking up to Beau and following them around like a lost puppy.

“What are you looking at?” he asked, giving her a glance out of the corner of his eye.

She smiled. “I was just thinking about Millie.”

He leaned back against the top step and looked at Sarah leaning over the railing. “Drake told you about Millie?”

She nodded. "He did."

"Traitor," he mumbled.

"Why didn’t you?”

He shrugged. “I don’t like to talk about it. There is a lot of hatred in here,” he said hitting his chest. “It’s what started this group. Finding Millie like that had torn my heart into pieces. She didn’t deserve that at all.”

Waverly reached over and pulled him into a hug. “I’m sorry, Beau. But you have to let that guilt go. I can tell that you’re hurting, and you feel guilty. It’s not your fault.”

He sank into her hug and rested his head on her shoulder. “My parents won’t say it, but I think they blame me for all of it.”

“They are just hurt,” she whispered. “They would never hate you. You’re too good.”

He chuckled and pulled back from their hug. “I wish it was that easy to let go,” he whispered. “But either way, I want to take the royals down for the lack of respect for human life. It’s outlandish. Most of them were recently turned and had a long human life before it. Can they not think back to when they were humans? Think about their human families. It’s ridiculous. The power is so great they've forgotten about everyone else."

“I agree,” Waverly said, looking back at Sarah’s worried face. “I’m sure he’s fine. Maybe he just went on a run.”

Sarah shot daggers at her. “What if it was Drake, huh? Would you want to hear that he’s probably fine? He’s gone. He isn’t stupid enough to go running through the woods alone while we’re under a threat. Something’s happened to him.”

Waverly watched as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes and she began to cry. Standing up, she walked over and brought her in for a hug.

“Don’t cry,” Waverly said. She truly believed that if they couldn’t find him his father was behind it.

His father wouldn’t kill him, would he? He was mad at Drake for this, not Roderick.

Beau stood up behind them when several vampires ran into the yard. Waverly searched for Drake or Roderick, sighing in relief when Drake walked up behind them.

The look on his face told her everything she needed to know. They hadn’t found Roderick.

“Any luck?” Beau asked, breaking the ice.

Drake shook his head, his gaze moving toward Sarah.

Waverly didn’t have to look to know tears rolled down her cheeks. No matter if they were on bad terms or not that was her mate.

Drake stopped in front of Waverly. “His scent disappeared at the road. We think he was taken by my father.”

The cabin door opened and Barbie walked outside. Drake made eye contact with her for several seconds before she sighed. “He’s gone?”

“His scent disappeared at the road,” Drake said.

Barbie tucked her blonde hair behind her ears and closed her eyes. Waverly could only imagine the feeling of outrage she had for losing her son. Knowing her husband was behind it made things worse.

When she opened her eyes, she looked at Beau in the yard. “What’s our plan? I know this isn’t your rodeo, and I admire you for helping us. What do we need to do to get my boy back?”

Beau slid his tongue along his teeth. “I have trackers here that could follow the scent better than your average vampire. I'll send them on a hunt this afternoon. In the meantime, I say we gather whoever we can to help us.”

Silence enveloped all of them. Waverly cleared her throat. “Isn’t it a big deal to find vampires that will rally against the royals?”

Beau shifted his weight and folded his arms over his chest. Waverly didn’t like the look on his face. She remembered enough to know that he was thinking something not everyone would like. “I’m not sure about that look,” she whispered.

“I’m not talking about vampire help, per se.”

Drake gave him a crazy look. “What does that mean?”

Beau slid his palm over his face and braced both fists on his hips. “What’s one thing vampires are afraid of?”

Waverly wracked her brain for something, anything, and came up with nothing. “I don’t know,” she blurted out. “Tell me. What are vampires afraid of?”

Beau chuckled. “Well, not afraid of, per se, but … at odds with—”

“Just say it,” Sarah blurted out.

Beau shot her a glance. “Werewolves.”

Waverly stared at him for several seconds, attempting to see if he was joking or not before Drake chuckled. “Do you know any werewolves willing to come fight royals with us, Beau? Because I don’t.”

Beau glanced around the circle of vampires. “As a matter of fact, I do. When I was in college, I ran into a pack on campus. Two royals were terrorizing them. I helped save their young pup. I’m sure I could persuade them to help.”

Waverly shifted, feeling nervous that they would invite more supernaturals into this camp.

Sarah stepped down next to Waverly on the front steps. “Do they hate humans, too? Will they try to kill us for the hell of it?”

“Wolves have no beef with humans as long as they don’t attempt to kill them,” Drake said. “And no, they don’t suck blood, so your life is safe.”

Sarah lifted her arms and let them slap against her legs. “Well, by all means, invite your little friends so we can find Roderick.”

Beau pulled out his cell phone and dismissed himself from the circle.

Barbie didn’t look pleased about the announcement but what could she say? The attempt at saving Roderick was better than waiting on her husband’s next move.

Drake stepped up and pulled her into a tight hug. “Dad won’t hurt, Roderick, Mom. It’s me he wants.”

She slid his palm against his back. “I love you, Son. I’m so sorry about all of this.”

There wasn’t much more to say about it, but Waverly turned to face Sarah, giving them privacy.

“Are you okay?” Waverly asked, placing her palm on Sarah’s shoulder.

“Yes,” she whispered. “I’m scared for Roderick. I know he didn’t want me as a mate, but I’m worried about him.”

Waverly smiled. “He does want you as a mate, he’s just stubborn, like you.”

The corner of her mouth turned upward into a smile. “I wish I would have never accepted his invitation to that stupid dinner. We wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t.”

Waverly ignored her negativity, because what could they do about it? Nothing but hope these werewolves agreed to help kill the royals, and not turn on them at the last minute.

“Never mind that. Aren’t you super curious to see the wolves?” Waverly whispered.

She lifted an eyebrow at her. “Why would I be curious about that? I’m already scared to death to be here. I don't need to add to my stress."

“Because,” Waverly whispered. “Haven’t you ever read a werewolf romance book? They’re super sexy, supposedly.”

Sarah glanced over Waverly's shoulder. “I don’t think Drake thinks that is funny.”

Waverly looked over at Drake’s unimpressed face and bursted out laughing. It felt good to lighten the mood despite the umbrella of gloom to come.

By the smirk on Barbie’s face, Waverly figured she wasn’t too far off.