My Snow Princess

Colton

It was hard watching one of my best friends slowly lose his mind. He had been without his mate for a couple of weeks now and even though he knew where she was and that she was unharmed, he was unable to keep his worry at bay. We reassured him over and over that they wanted her alive and healthy, but he was still worried that they might torture or kill her at any moment.

It had been hard watching Killian find his mate. We had waited so long for our mates that it was hard not to be jealous when I saw him with his. Josie had such an open and loving nature and accepted him completely right from the beginning. It had been a perfect fairy tale right until the moment she was kidnapped and sequestered in her parents' pack, just out of our reach.

I walk up to Killian, who was standing at a desk leaning over a map of the area. I pat his shoulder to pull him back into the real world and say, "You need to eat."

"I'll eat when we find her," he says, his eyes still focused on the map.

I use more force to pull him away from the map and say, "No, you'll eat now. Neglecting your health won't make you find her any faster. In fact, it will just dull your senses. By some miracle, your smart mate found a way to contact us. It may be slow but it's working. You now know she's safe and being kept in relatively good conditions. Come eat."

He sighs and falls back into the chair. He runs a hand through his hair and says, "I can't lose her Colt. In a matter of months, she completely changed my life for the better. There is no way I can go back to my life before, knowing what it was like with her in it."

I sit on the edge of the desk and say, "Hey man, stop thinking like that. We're going to get her back. Let's face it, even if we somehow don't succeed with all the resources we have at our disposal, Josie will find a way out. She's tenacious like that. She wants you, not Stone."

Killian is looking down at the floor but he can't hide the small smile that graces his lips. He shakes his head with a look of wonder and says, "I know right. I can't believe she's mine. She a genius."

"You're not exactly an i***t, man," I say, laughing.

"Beside her, I am," he says, looking up at me with pride for his girl.

I shrug and say, "Good thing she's not the best fighter, or she wouldn't need you at all."

I realized my mistake the moment I said it.

Killian leans on his knees with his head in his hands. He groans and says, "If we don't save her before she's sent to Stone, I don't know what I'll do. She'll be completely defenseless in front of him. The thought of Josie having to endure his hands on her makes me see red."

"We have a plan coming together. We'll get her before she's sent North," I remind him.

He looks up at me and the look on his face is sobering. "I need to warn you now that I don't know how I will handle it if she goes North. I think we need to have a sedative on hand in case the plan doesn't work," he says.

"Is it really that bad?" I ask. Needing to know, as the Beta, how seriously to take this. He's the best warrior we have. If he says he may need a sedative, then I will definitely have one on hand and a plan for how to get it administered.

He just nods with a defeated look.

"F-ck. Okay, I'll make the necessary arrangements. For now, please try to take care of yourself. For Josie. If she's sent North, we'll have a better chance of saving her if you're on the team. Try to remember that if you feel your mind slipping," I advise.

"I will. Thanks," he says with relief.

"You know, I was a bit jealous watching you together. Obviously, I'm glad you found her, but you know how it's been for us, not having our mates. I only ever thought of the good, the love and connection. Now that I'm seeing you like this, I'm confronted with all the hard stuff. I've watched my father struggle without his mate for so long, but I guess I'm so used to it that I'm desensitized. Watching you go through it makes me feel a little more generous towards my father for being an absent parent," I muse.

"I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I was always mad at your father on your behalf. I didn't understand why he couldn't be there for you, but now I understand how hard it can be to overcome the loss. I still think he failed you, but I also think the adults around us failed him and you by not helping him more," Killian says.

I love that I have Killian as a best friend. We're in a very unique position and can't trust too many people or be vulnerable around them, which is just one more reason why we want our mates. He's always been great to talk to. Cyrus is good too, but he's a bit of an island, it's hard to really break through to him.

"Thanks," I say. "I'm going to go grab us some sandwiches, then we can look over the maps again. I assume you're trying to figure out a meeting spot and the path she should take?" I say.

He nods and says, "I'd appreciate it. I don't think I'll be able to sleep until we have a solid plan."

I leave him in the chair to go hunt down some food in the kitchen. At least I got him to agree to eat. For the first time, I'm glad I haven't found my mate yet. Until the Northern pack is dealt with, I hope she stays safely hidden away in her pack.