The Mates of Monsters
Chapter 76

The very moment my eyes open, I remain completely still. My fingers twitch, my throat swallows, and I soon realize that nothing happened last night. For some reason, it feels too good to be true.

In just over four hours, I'll be giving my speech, and no one has tried to sabotage me. No one broke into my room and knocked me over the head and dropped me in the middle of the woods. No one drugged me and tied me up in the basement of the hotel. And thank the goddess above that I'm not dead.

"Maybe Baby?" I call softly then glance under the sheets in search of blood, but there's none of that either.

My unease sits on my shoulder as I work through my morning routine, kicking its feet into my chest and grabbing at my hair. I stand in front of the mirror and brush my teeth, but my eyes drift to the empty space beside me-David's space. He's so handsome when he brushes his teeth. The weeping bond weighing inside of me casts images of his pretty smile. He loves me, and remembering that can get me over the highest mountain, through the hottest desert, and across the coldest sea. My love has made me stronger than ever, and all I want is to make him proud.

Jeremy doesn't knock on my door, so once I'm dressed and polished, I leave into the hall and knock on his.

My eyes subtly trail a passing Alpha. By He nods and says, "Good morning," rather than grabbing me and covering my mouth with a cloth as my paranoid thoughts assume.

"Good morning," I chime back.

I knock on Jeremy's door again, yet he fails to open up. Maybe he's running behind schedule, obviously thrown off by being here, and I contemplate once more about this supposed argument he had with Alpha Dreier. My paranoia peaks then, and I turn to the door across the hall-Lyde's room. I knock and knock until she opens up. She's dressed, but her hair sits on top of her head in a floppy bun of loose pieces. "Yes, Brigette?" She asks, massaging her scalp. "Jeremy won't open the door."

She looks behind me to his closed door. "Maybe he's in the shower."

"He would be ready by now. He would have been up two hours ago, but he never came to check on me."

"Then maybe he's gone downstairs for coffee."

I wring my hands together and conclude, "I have to get in the room. I have to make sure he's okay."

Before Lyde can convince me of how unreasonable I'm being, I head off down the hallway in search of a housekeeper. She sticks to her duties and follows after me. There's a cart of towels and cleaning supplies parked against the wall toward the end of the hall. The housekeeper will have a key to open his room.

The door behind the cart is propped open, so I peer inside and call, "Hello? Excuse me?"

A honey-haired girl around my age pops her head out of the bathroom. "Oh," she hurries out, "how may I help you? Is there something you need?"

"Yes. I have to get into a room. My advisor is not opening his door and I'm worried about him."

"He is in the room?" She asks in a thick German accent.

"I don't know,

w, but this is very unlike him. I just want to make sure nothing's happened to him." The girt looks to Lyde, so I say, "Please, I'm a

luna. I'm Luna Amin. I have to give a speech today and I need myo

advisor."

The girl thinks for a moment, probably contemplating the consequences of letting me in a room that isn't mine. I could be lying. She knows the tricks. But thankfully she says, "Okay."

The housekeeper uses her universal

key to unlock Jeremy's room. The second the little light flashes green, say, "Thank you so much," and enter. Lyde holds the door as I venture inside, but there isn't much to

investigate.

The room is empty. There's no luggage or personal belongings. The bed appears as if it's been slept in, but that is the only telltale sign that a guest has been in here. "He's gone," I murmur. "Lyde, he's gone!"

"What do you mean he's..." Her voice

withers when she has a look for

herself. Her eyes dart around then she immediately exits to make sure Bonny is safe in her room. My mind works into overdrive, and II know exactly who I need to confront.

Lyde and Bonny accompany me as I storm to the elevators and ride one to the lobby. "Should I call the Alpha?" Lyde asks.

"No. He's sleeping; it's the middle of the night. I can represent us."

Bonny questions, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going find Alpha Dreier. Obviously, he's done something. Jeremy wouldn't just leave, especially not without telling me." "You think the Alpha has taken him?"

"Possibly. I don't know what Jeremy did a year ago," I theorize, "but maybe it was bad enough to warrant his capture."

Lyde says, "Then why on earth would the man come to Germany? Why would he cross onto their territory?"

"None of this makes any sense. Jeremy left no notes, no voicemails or texts-what am I supposed to believe? He told me to come here. Did he turn himself in?" As we walk to the front desk, Lyde says, "He would tell you if he was going to do that."

"I know he would," I admit then gain the attention of one of the two young women working at the counter. "Good morning," I tell her. "I need to speak with your Alpha."