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“Not quite… I hope we find him soon,” I breathe out, shivering as the night cools the sweat caked to my skin.
“We’re getting close to Lustre Lake,” he tells me. Jeremy shares the story of the magical lake to keep my mind off my fear and panic at the idea of Theo being lost in the dark. He weaves a story about the lake helping people find true love. “According to the lore, if you’re up here on the night of a new moon with your true love, the goddess will bless you.”
“That sounds like a bunch of bullshit,” I mutter, squinting through the encroaching dark. No. No. No. Please stay light for a little longer.
“It does, and if I hadn’t lived here all my life and seen the magic at work, I wouldn’t believe it either,” he says with a shrug. The lore is cute but weird.
Before I have a chance to reply, the dogs let up another howl. Jeremy’s face breaks into a grin.
“That’s Blue’s ‘we found him’ sound,” he exclaims, picking up the pace to a full-out run. The trees part in front of us, leading us to a small opening and a bit of a drop before the area fans out. A rocky, sandy beach surrounds a luminous lake. The water is as calm as glass, reflecting the glow of the moon. The sound of a rushing waterfall reaches my ears before I spot it. My eyes scan the area, searching in the white light of the moon until I see them. The dogs are jumping back and forth beside a small form that looks more like a rock than a person from this distance.
My stomach swoops. Hope and fear war within me as sobs break free. Is it him? Is he hurt? Why isn’t he standing up?
Is he alone?
Not waiting for Tucker or Jeremy, I take off running as fast as my legs will take me toward the lump.
Please be him. Please be okay.
Chapter Sixteen
“Theoooooo,” Arden screams and the boy’s head snaps up, raising his arm to wave. The motion allows the knot in my stomach to release. If he’s waving then he can’t be too injured, thank goodness. Tucker comes up beside me, his eyes scanning the trees with his hand on his holster as we move forward.
She takes off running, her perfect ass bouncing with every step, making me long to grab it.
“Keep your eyes peeled,” Tucker says tersely, following her. The hair at the back of my neck stands up, and all of my nerve endings snap to attention. He lifts the phone to his ear, calling off the search and touching base with our main camp. Pumping my legs, I take off, catching up to Arden easily before she reaches Theo.
The second he’s within reach, she gathers the boy into her arms, kissing his face and head so many times that I lose count.
“Are you okay, baby? Are you hurt anywhere?” she asks, but her hands are already roaming. Lifting his shirt, she checks for scratches or bruises.
“I’m fine, Mom,” he complains; like she’s the one being ridiculous here. Like he wasn’t just lost in the woods for hours. “Nothing hurts. I was just playing hide and seek and then I couldn’t see the house anymore.”
“Why did you keep going?” Arden asks, still not quite believing him.
“Did anyone bring you out here, Theo?” Tucker’s sharp voice cuts in, urgency in his tone. Shit, in my relief at finding him unharmed, I forgot to keep my eyes peeled like Tucker asked me to. I have to find out more about this ex if he’s a potential threat.
“No Officer Tucker,” he answers, his eyes going wide. “I followed Carrots.”
He points to a lump on his lap. There’s something curled up on there, unmoving. It’s pretty small, and with the night sky, the features are difficult to make out.
“What do you mean?” Arden asks him, shifting on her knees to look at what’s in his lap.
“Well, I got lost, and I wasn’t sure what to do. But then this bunny hopped out from under a log and wanted me to follow her. So I did. I think she’s hurt. And also, she isn’t a forest hare,” he explains. “Her ears are floppy. We need to help her.”
“But you didn’t see any people?” Tucker asks again.
“Nope,” Theo says, making a sound of annoyance as Arden lifts a fluffy bunny from between his legs. The animal twitches in her hands, kicking out hard, so she puts it down. Blue darts over to sniff it and my body freezes for an instant. Locked tight with concern, but fortunately, he just gives it a sniff as it hops right back to Theo.
“Come here, boy,” I call for him, and he comes right over along with Mayhem. They sit in front of me, tails wagging, happy at the success of the search. Reaching into my pack, I pull out treats for both of them. Their tongues flop from their mouths, so I give each a treat and a pat before grabbing a ball to play fetch as a reward for their hard work.
Rearing my hand back, I release the ball and watch as they streak across the sandy bank, running merrily before Blue snaps it up and brings it back, dropping it at my feet. I toss it a few more times, satisfied that they know what a good job they did, before going back to Arden and Theo.
My hand searches in the pack for a few moments before I come up with a granola bar. The wrapper crinkles when I rip it open before passing it to Theo. “Hungry?”
“So hungry,” he agrees, mumbling around a mouthful before rushing forward and wrapping his arms around my waist. “I wasn’t scared because I knew you and Blue would find me.”
His declaration causes my throat to constrict as possession fills me. Arden walks toward us, snuggling the bunny against her, and I reach out with my arm. I pull her into the embrace, clasping both of them tightly against me. Family. “I’ll always find you.”
