Chapter 33

DOE

“Ace is here?” My heart pounded in my ears as I processed those words, desperate for them to be true. “In Zaweth?”

Grayson nodded. “He called me a few hours ago. Someone saw you disappear into thin air in northern Colorado and reported you missing to the police.” He threw a pointed look at Belle.

“He asked me if Belle was somehow involved.”

“What? Why would he think I was involved?” Belle asked as if she were offended that anyone could possibly think she could be capable of doing exactly what she did.

Grayson leveled her with a wry look. “Ace put two and two together and concluded that magic must have been used and, therefore, that my Belle had something to do with all of this.

“Allegedly, she’s the only person alive who can make somebody disappear like that.

“Plus, she and Liam matched the description of the two people on the dock with Dorothy.”

Belle shrank into the couch. “Oh. Right.”

Grayson growled quietly. “I assured Ace that there was no way my mate would have apparated halfway across the world and brought back a missing, vulnerable omega without telling me about it.”

Grayson casually picked up a lock of Belle’s hair, twirling it between his fingers while he gazed down at her. “But I’m starting to think I was wrong about that.”

Chewing on her bottom lip, Belle averted her gaze, choosing to remain silent.

“But Ace decided to come anyway?” I asked. I was practically bouncing with the anticipation of seeing my mate again.

“Yes,” Grayson confirmed. “Ace decided to come anyway. Call it a sixth sense or something to do with the mate bond, but he was pretty sure you were here. So, he hopped on a plane.

“I was just notified that he has landed in Minnesota. If I had to guess, his wolf will burst through the front doors of the palace any minute now.”

As soon as Grayson spoke those words, a growl shook the room.

I jumped out of my chair. “Is that him? Is that Ace?”

“You tell us,” Kyle said, grinning. “He’s your mate.”

It was Ace. I wasn’t sure how I knew it; I just did.

My feet seemed to move toward the door of their own accord. I burst into the hallway and ran. I ran as fast as my frail and exhausted body would let me.

I wasn’t even sure where I was going. I didn’t know the palace well enough to navigate its winding halls.

But I could feel my mate. He was here.

And so, I sprinted in the direction where I felt he was—where the other half of my heart was.

A howl rang in my ears. The sound was so desperate, filled with so much pain and sorrow, that I gasped and stumbled, nearly sending me crashing down the stairs.

That was a howl of a wolf who was broken. Grieving. It sent ice through my chest and made my heart lurch painfully.

He couldn’t smell me. And the silver on my wrists prevented him from feeling that I was near.

~He thinks he’s come all this way for nothing.~

~No!~

“Ace!” I screamed. I ran faster. “Ace, I’m here! I’m here!”

The horrible, heart-wrenching howl ceased. There was silence. I paused my frantic strides, bracing myself against the column next to me.

~Did he hear me? This palace is enormous and I have no idea where he is.~

“Ace!” I screamed again. My voice echoed eerily against the stone walls around me. “Ace!”

Massive, hammering footsteps started to pound in my direction.

He heard me.

~He heard me.~

I picked up the pace until I was sprinting again. He was close. So close. I rounded the corner into a long, narrow hall…

And then he was there. At the other end of the hall, looking at me through pitch-black eyes.

He was in wolf form. I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. He was panting, snarling, practically foaming at the mouth—and so much bigger than I remembered.

He leered at me, his gaze hungry and predatory—hunting me.

And I wasn’t afraid.

I stepped forward, my heart lodged in my throat. “Ace…”

He leaped into action. He was halfway to me when his body started to morph—bones breaking and shrinking to accommodate his new human form.

It was just as unsettling as the last time I’d witnessed him shift, but I didn’t let that stop me from racing toward him.

Our bodies collided with powerful force, both of us grunting. His scent hit me, and those warm, heavenly mating sparks spread throughout my body.

The relief was instant—as was the overwhelming joy. All the horrible emotions I had been drowning in over the past few months finally ceased, and I could finally breathe again.

I exploded in tears, clutching onto Ace as if he were my lifeline—because he kind of was. He was my everything, and ~god~, I had missed him so much.

Ace pulled back, moving his hands all over me, searching for signs of injury. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

I shook my head and wiped away my tears. “I’m okay.” I laughed. “I’m okay, Ace. Are you?”

I studied his face, noticing how tired he looked—and all the weight he had lost. Honestly, he resembled a walking corpse. “What…? Are you—?”

Ace’s hands framed my head. “Where’s your scent? Why don’t you smell like anything?”

“Oh, I—”

“That’s my fault!” Belle cut me off from somewhere behind us. She and Grayson must have followed me. “I used my powers to remove her scent so no one would be able to tell who she was—”

Ace’s snarl scared even me. “Give Doe her scent back. Give my mate her scent back right fucking now!”

“Ace—” I said, trying to intervene.

Grayson stepped in front of Belle, shielding her from the angry alpha. “Careful, Ace. Remember who you’re talking to.”

“It’s okay.” Belle popped her head out from behind her mate and raised her hands in surrender. “It’s done. Her scent should be back now.”

Ace inhaled deeply, taking in a large whiff, then groaned and buried his nose in my neck. This inadvertently caused him to brush up against my mating gland—and I swear, my body almost caught on fire.

It was at that moment that I realized I hadn’t taken a suppressant that morning like I usually did.

And Ace was completely nude.

Yeah, not exactly a recipe for success.

My pulse quickened as a sudden rush of lust mixed with my embarrassment.

I glanced up at Belle and Grayson, who were standing at a distance, trying to make it seem like they weren’t watching us.

Well, Belle was at least. Grayson, on the other hand, was hugging Belle close to him while he scowled at Ace, obviously still upset with him for yelling at his mate.

“Ace,” I whispered in his ear, “you’re naked.”

All I got in response from Ace was a grunt. He continued to run his nose over my gland, seemingly unbothered by his state of undress—or the fact that his fully erect cock was digging into my ass.

I felt my skin warm and my nipples tighten. Heat pooled between my legs. My scent must have spiked, too, because Ace’s chest started to rumble with a low purr.

He sucked my gland into his mouth, nibbling at it lightly.

~Jesus.~ And I thought things were charged between Ace and me ~before~.

Grayson cleared his throat. “I think we should give you two some privacy. I’ll make sure no one bothers you. This wing of the palace has already been cleared.” He ushered Belle toward the door.

My cheeks might as well have been tomatoes. I tried not to think about the fact that Grayson could smell my arousal, hence why he was avoiding eye contact.

At least he was the only werewolf around to witness my embarrassment.

“Wait.” Belle dug her heels in so Grayson couldn’t pull her any further and turned back to me. “Dorothy, are you okay?”

I smiled at her. She was sweet for asking, but her concern was no longer necessary.

“More than okay.”

“We can stay if you want,” she pressed.

I shook my head. “I’m happy. Really, really happy.”

Belle’s eyes shone with relief. She returned my smile and let her mate pull her toward the door. “Just holler if you need us. We’ll stay nearby!”

And then Ace and I were alone.

I slumped against him, taking a moment simply to bask in the pleasure of my mate against me. It was incredible how safe I felt now that he was holding me.

It wasn’t like I had felt unsafe or scared when he wasn’t with me. But there was something about having his arms around me that made me feel like nothing and no one could harm me.

“I missed you so much, Doe.” Ace’s deep voice was as rough as sandpaper. “So fucking much.”

More tears pooled in my eyes. I hugged him tighter. “I missed you too.”