83

Ian’s POV

The late afternoon cast shadows along the road as Jacob and I pulled up to Jenny and Sophia’s house. There was a tension in the air, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was causing it. Jacob had been unusually quiet on the drive over, and I could sense something on his mind, something he wasn’t ready to talk about. As for me, my thoughts were revolving all around Sophia. She had been on edge lately, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.

We stepped out of the car, and Jacob hesitated for a moment before following me up the steps to the front door. I knocked twice, but before I could knock again, the door swung open to reveal Jenny, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Jacob.

“Hey,” she greeted us, her smile widening as she stepped aside to let us in. “I wasn’t expecting you both so soon.”

I nodded in acknowledgment, but before I could respond, Jacob stepped forward and, to my surprise, pulled Jenny into a kiss. It was no quick peck or hesitant gesture—this was open, affectionate, and full of emotion. The kind of kiss that says more than words ever could.

I watched as Jenny’s eyes fluttered shut, her hands coming up to rest against Jacob’s chest. When they finally broke apart, she was blushing furiously, but the smile on her face was unmistakable.

“Well, that’s new,” I commented, a smirk playing on my lips.

Jacob turned to me, his expression unapologetic. “It’s not exactly a secret anymore,” he said, his tone firm. “We’ve decided there’s no point in hiding it.”

Jenny bit her lip, looking between the two of us with an uncertain glance. “I was going to tell you, Ian, but… well, I guess you figured it out.”

I nodded, not at all surprised. I had seen the way they looked at each other, the was they pretended to hate each other even while they were fucking. It was only a matter of time before it became something more. “I’m glad you’re not hiding it,” I said sincerely. “You both deserve to be happy.”

Jenny smiled softly, reaching for Jacob’s hand. “Thanks, Ian.”

I gave her a reassuring nod, but my mind was already drifting back to Sophia. “Speaking of which, where’s Sophia? I haven’t heard from her today.”

Jenny frowned, glancing at her phone. “She texted me earlier saying she was going to your place, actually. I thought you two were meeting up.”

My heart skipped a beat, a sense of unease settling in my chest. “She’s not at my place,” I said slowly, the words heavy with dread. “I’ve been with Jacob all day.”

The color drained from Jenny’s face as she processed what I had just said. “What do you mean? She texted me, Ian. It was her number. She said she was going to see you.”

Jacob’s grip on Jenny’s hand tightened, and I could see the alarm spreading across his face. “Let me see the text,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended.

Jenny fumbled with her phone, pulling up the message and handing it to me. I scanned the text, my eyes narrowing as I read it. It was short, simple—something Sophia would say—but there was something off about it. Something that didn’t sit right with me.

“Are you sure this was from her?” I asked, my gaze flicking up to meet Jenny’s.

“I thought it was,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “I mean, it was her phone. Why wouldn’t it be?”

A cold knot of fear tightened in my gut as I handed the phone back to her. “Because she’s not at my place,” I repeated. “And she wouldn’t have gone anywhere without telling me.”

Jenny’s eyes widened in realization, her hands beginning to shake. “Then who sent the text?”

That was the question, wasn’t it? My mind raced through the possibilities, but none of them were good. Someone had used Sophia’s phone to send that message, someone who knew how to mimic her tone, her way of speaking. And if they had her phone, then they had her.

“We need to find her,” Jacob said urgently, his voice cutting through the tension. “She could be in serious trouble.”

I nodded, already moving toward the door. “Jenny, call her phone. Maybe we can trace it.”

Jenny’s hands were shaking as she dialed Sophia’s number, putting the phone to her ear. We all waited in tense silence, the seconds stretching into eternity. But after a few rings, Jenny’s phone buzzed in her hand, indicating that the call had gone to voicemail.

“No answer,” she whispered, panic creeping into her voice.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. Panicking wouldn’t help Sophia. We needed to think clearly, act quickly. “She’s not far,” I said, trying to reassure both of them. “If they’ve taken her, they can’t have gone too far.”

“But who would take her?” Jenny asked, her voice rising in fear like she didn’t already know the kind of world we lived in. “Why would anyone want to hurt her?”

“There are plenty of people who would,” Jacob said grimly. “Sophia’s not just any vampire—she’s connected to us. That makes her a target.”

He was right. Sophia’s connection to me, to the vampire realm, put her in danger. There were those who would do anything to use her against me, to get to me through her. The thought of her being in the hands of one of our enemies made my blood run cold.

“We need to start searching,” I said, my voice hard with fear and anger. “We’ll split up—cover as much ground as we can. Jacob, you take the woods around the house. Jenny, stay here and keep trying to reach her.”

“No way,” Jenny said, shaking her head vehemently. “I’m not staying behind. I need to help find her.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the look in her eyes stopped me. Jenny wasn’t going to back down from this, and I knew better than to try to stop her. She and Sophia were like sisters, and there was no way she would sit back and wait while Sophia was in danger.

“Alright,” I relented. “But stay close to Jacob. We don’t know who’s behind this, and I don’t want you getting hurt.”

Jenny nodded, her expression resolute. “We’ll find her, Ian. We have to.”

I could see the determination in her eyes, and it mirrored the resolve I felt burning in my own chest. We had to find Sophia. There was no other option.

As we left the house, the gravity of the situation settled heavily on my shoulders. My mind raced through all the possibilities, trying to piece together what could have happened. Sophia wouldn’t have just vanished—someone had taken her. But who? And why? The questions are me up as we spread out to search the area.

I could hear Jacob and Jenny calling out for Sophia, their voices echoing through the trees as we moved deeper into the woods. I focused on the task at hand, pushing all my fear and worry aside. I had to be strong, had to stay focused if we were going to find her. But with each passing minute, the dread in my chest grew heavier, the fear that we might be too late was eating me up.

The sun had fully set now, and the darkness enveloped us, making it harder to see, harder to track any signs of where Sophia might have gone. I strained my senses, listening for anything that might lead us to her—footsteps, rustling leaves, the sound of her voice—but all I heard was the distant calls of Jenny and Jacob, growing more frantic with each passing minute.

Panic was rising up inside me but I shoved it down, refusing to let it consume me. Sophia needed me, and I couldn’t afford to lose my head now. I pushed forward, my mind racing through all the possibilities, trying to figure out who could have done this.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket, and I snatched it up, hoping against hope that it was Sophia. But when I looked at the screen, my heart sank. It was a message from an unknown number, and the text was short, chilling:

“We have her. If you want her back, come alone.”

A cold fury washed over me, and I had to force myself to stay calm. Someone had taken Sophia, and they were trying to lure me into a trap. But I didn’t care. I would do whatever it took to get her back, to bring her home safe.

“Jacob! Jenny!” I called out, my voice sharp and commanding.

They both appeared out of the darkness, concern etched on their faces. “What is it?” Jacob asked, his eyes scanning my expression.

“They have her,” I said, holding up my phone so they could see the message. “They want me to come alone.”

“No,” Jenny said immediately, her voice trembling with fear. “You can’t go alone, Ian. It’s too dangerous.”

“They’re trying to draw you out,” Jacob added, his voice low and serious. “You know that.”

“I know,” I said, my voice cold and hard. “But I don’t have a choice. They have Sophia, and I won’t let them hurt her.”

“We’re coming with you,” Jenny insisted, her eyes blazing with determination. “You’re not doing this alone.”

I looked between them, seeing that they had already made up their mind and there was no way to convince them. “Alright,” I replied without wasting much time. “We need to come up with a plan.”