The Tracker's Mate: Sunderverse (Mate Tracker Book 1) by Ingrid Seymour (book recommendations website TXT) 📕

fell in a mass of curls all around her, though at the moment, a blue bow held it back in place. She had piercing brown eyes and plenty of laugh lines around them. Today, she’d gone to town on the blue eyeshadow and red lipstick, looking in desperate need of Rosalina’s advice.

“To be honest, I don’t know what happened,” I said.

Willow dusted her hands and faced me. Her apron draped over a flower-print dress that made me think of tropical jungles. “That tends to happen when one drinks too much, young girl.” She shook a finger at me. “You have to know your limits.”

I opened my mouth to protest, then decided that drunkenness was the perfect excuse for this debacle. “I... shall endeavor to learn what they are.”

“You do that.” She shuffled around the shop, replenishing napkins, stirrers, and sugar packets with practiced efficiency while I dialed Rosalina’s number.

“Hello?” she answered and I could practically hear her frown at the strange number on her caller ID.

“Rosalina, it’s me.”

“Toni! Where the hell are you? I’ve been worried to death. I called you like a thousand times and sent you a million text messages.”

“Wow, I’ll have a time sifting through those.”

“Don’t mess with me, Antonietta Luna Sunder. I had to call your mother, and I don’t know what the deal is, but she’s frantic. You need to call her back. Right now.”

Crap! Sometimes, it sucked when people cared about you. Why did Rosalina have to call Mom? She would drill me about this. She knew Rosalina didn’t freak out easily. Plus, I’d been ignoring Mom’s calls for a couple of days.

“Okay, I’ll call her, but... do you think you could pick me up and... bring me some clothes?”

A pause. “Where are you?”

“Willow’s coffee shop.”

“And why do you need clothes?”

“Umm, it’s complicated. I can explain later.”

“Did something happen with Jake? Did he hurt you? Because if he did, I swear—Oh, God! Tell me you didn’t sleep with him.”

“No, nothing like that, but hey, do you remember his telephone number?”

“I don’t. You took the card.”

And it was in my purse. With my phone. “Never mind. Just come get me.”

I heaved a sigh as I disconnected the call. I considered calling Mom, but I didn’t want to deal with her at this moment. Who I really wanted to talk to was Jake. I desperately needed to find out what happened.

I turned to Willow. “Thanks for letting me borrow your phone.”

“Any time.” She barely glanced at me as she slipped the cell into the front pocket of her apron, then moved around from table to table, using disinfectant wipes on their already-clean surfaces.

I opened my mouth to ask for a cup of coffee and a muffin when a loud engine rumbled outside, and Jake pulled up in front of his office.

With a yelp, I dashed out the door and ran across the street. A gust of wind blew up my backside, lifting the apron. I smacked it down, and shuffling awkwardly, made it to the other side.

“Jake!”

Startled, he turned to face me. He looked terrible. His hair was in disarray and a bruise with a gash in the middle spread over his jaw. Huge circles ran under his eyes, which drooped with exhaustion.

“Toni.” He scanned me up and down. “What in the world are you wearing? Where are your shoes?” He stared at my toes, and I wiggled them uncomfortably.

“Uh, wild party, but never mind that. Stephen, did you find him?”

A slow smile spread across his face. “I did. He’s in the hospital. I just came from there. He’s gonna be all right.”

“Oh, thank God!”

“It was a hell of a fight. There were vampires and shifters working together. But Ulfen’s pack showed up, and I had some unlikely help.” He frowned, his eyes getting distant for a moment. He snapped out of it and went on. “When the police showed up, everyone ran, though. No one was arrested.”

“That sucks!” Ulfen had gotten my message, then. Good.

He nodded, and despite his exhaustion, I could tell a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He had accomplished what he’d set out to do. He’d found his friend. Alive.

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” he said.

I batted the comment away and considered telling him I’d followed him to the repair shop after his grandfather had told me where to find him, but something about that entire situation wasn’t sitting right with me—not to mention the fact that I didn’t remember half the night. So instead, I chose recrimination.

“That wasn’t cool, you leaving me at your grandfather’s,” I said.

He cocked his head to one side. “I thought you wanted nothing to do with this... PI business.”

“That’s not fair, and you know it. By then, I was... vested.”

He made a sound in the back of his throat as if considering, then his eyes found the gaps the aprons left at my sides. Heat traveled up my neck, lighting up my cheeks.

“I think I like this outfit,” he said. “It’s sort of barista chic. You might start a fashion trend.”

I refused to be embarrassed by him, so I put my hands around my waist and jutted my hip out. “That, I might.”

“You should try different colors. Red looks the best on you.”

“I’ll make sure to have male versions, too.”

“Ooh, kinky.” He pursed his lips as if he liked the idea.

My imagination ran with it, and I had to glance away before he could figure out I was picturing him in a loincloth.

“Toni.” He took a step closer and grabbed my hand.

My gaze snapped back to his.

“I want to thank you. Like I said, without your help... Stephen’s life would still be in danger or worse.” His words were low and deep and did something strange to my chest. I let out a hot breath, not knowing what to say. In the beginning, I hadn’t wanted to help. I had been selfish. I didn’t deserve any credit.

As if reading my mind, he said, “I had no right to drag you into