Small Town Love

Chapter 11

Sit with the pain until it passes and you will be calmer for the next one.

Naval Ravikant

Something was wrong.

He could feel it in his blood, he could feel it in his bones.

Something was deeply wrong.

He didn't say anything, trying to get his mind off it, even when everything in his body screamed at him that something wasn't right.

He tried to concentrate on football, tried to ignore how furious Coach Bell had been when Kyle hadn't bothered to show up for training. Coach Bell had instead tortured them with ball passes and running until all of them had nearly passed out.

Afterwards, his muscles were burning and he caught up with Ollie and his sister in the parking lot. Ollie was pulling a giggling Grace to his car, and Daphne was nowhere to be seen.

"Ollie, you need to wait for Daphne!" Luke called after him. Ollie was not going to forget her only because he was too busy mooning after Luke's sister. Not on his watch.

"Oh, she wrote me a message that Art Club was cancelled," Ollie called back.

Cancelled? She was off earlier?

"Did she hitch a ride with Kiana?" He asked worriedly, only getting a roll of Ollie's eyes back.

"No, she walked!" Ollie called back, herding his sister in the car, both of them still giggling.

Daphne walked.

His mate had already been in a sorry state at Lunch, hadn't fought against him touching her soft hair but had leaned into the touch. He had felt how warm she was, far warmer than what was normal for her.

She hadn't been fine...and for her to walk the few miles home...that wouldn't be...

"Fuck," he cursed, getting in the car.

Had she even been able to get home? Had she been safe?

He was half expecting to find her huddled at the side of the road while he drove home but she wasn't.

Maybe she had managed to get home safe. Maybe he was just overreacting....

Luke hoped he was wrong with every fibre of his being.

He arrived home at the Hyde's house before Ollie and Grace and jumped out of the car, taking a deep breath. There was no trace of Daphne in the air, no trace of pineapple upside-down cake, no cinnamon, no sweetness...nothing.

He ground his teeth together, a small part of his brain offering ideas why maybe her smell wasn't there, while a bigger part and his wolf were in high alert as he rang the doorbell.

Caroline opened the door just moments later, surprised to see him alone and not Ollie and Grace at his side.

"Luke! Isn't Grace with you?" Caroline asked him but Luke just shook his head mutely.

"Has Daphne come home?" He asked. Please say yes Caroline, he begged silently. Tell me that she's just taking a nap, that she came home drenched but is fine.

But Caroline shook her head, surprise evident on her face.

"No, she has just as long as you, Luke..." Caroline trailed off but he cut in before she could say something else.

"Art club was cancelled. She wrote Ollie that she would walk home but..."

Before he could say another word, Caroline was already calling her. He listened to the phone ring once, twice, thrice...until finally, the mailbox answered.