"Brooke is missing!"

Jasper's heart hammered harder than the rain. Marina wasn't the calmest person at the Cowrie Cabana—his brief visit to the Silver Scallop's kitchen had made that clear—but if there was one thing Brooke had told him about her sister, it was that she had more than enough experience dealing with a ridiculous amount of stress. If she was panicking, something was very wrong.

"We talked about everything she had to do for the ball this morning." Fabric rustled as Brooke's mother made her way through the ballroom, muttering apologies as she accidentally bumped into guests in the darkness. Her silhouette came to a stop beside her daughter. "She'd already taken care of most of it. Where could she have gone?"

"She was helping with the food since the Silver Scallop is still short-staffed," Marina said. "Last I saw her, she'd stepped out by the travel tunnel since a Code Dolphin came up."

"A what?" Jasper had no idea what a Code Dolphin was, but the tone of the resort owner's voice would have made him tuck his tail between his legs if he'd had it out. "We need to find her right now!"

"The wedding ceremony is already behind schedule," Mr. Evergreen said firmly. "You're free to look for your missing selkie if you wish, but we must begin the ceremony while the full moon is out so the Goddess can properly witness their union."

Jasper growled as Gwen bristled beside him. "How can you worry about that when we aren't even sure if Brooke is safe?" he asked.

"It's just raining, pup. Her kind deal with water all the time." Mr. Evergreen snorted. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to find an excuse to back out of our arrangement."

A wave of murmuring broke out among the werewolves inside the ballroom.

"Didn't he try to claim that selkie as his mate? Such a disgrace."

"Can you blame the lad for being worried? Sounds like the Goddess is howling out there."

"I swear if they make us wait until midnight, they'd better bring out more cocktails."

Jasper snarled. He'd be damned if he let a bunch of gossipy old wolves stop him from making sure Brooke was safe.

"Do the travel tunnels have an exit near Brooke's house?" he asked. "If she had to leave, she might have gone there."

"Brooke never spends much time there unless she's asleep, but it couldn't hurt to check." Her mother ran her hand through her hair with a groan. "The travel tunnels have dozens of entrances across the resort. She could have gone anywhere by now."

"Assuming she isn't just bouncing a beach ball or whatever else you selkies do for fun." Mr. Evergreen curled his lip over his teeth. "Enough excuses, Jasper. Are you going to go through with the ceremony or not?"

Jasper caught his father's eye across the room. The older Alpha said nothing, waiting for him to fulfill his duty of his own accord.

Even with his wolf eyes allowing him to see, the room's darkness pressed on Jasper with all the force of the Goddess Herself. His father was counting on him. His whole pack was counting on him.

But Brooke needed him more.

"We should at least wait until Mrs. Wells passes out enough lanterns for everyone to see well enough. Since so many Alphas came across the country to attend, it would be a shame for them not to enjoy the ceremony." Jasper said. "If a few wolves and I help, we should be able to begin fairly soon."

"You do have a point." Mr. Evergreen nodded. "Very well. We will delay the ceremony until the ballroom is adequately lit."

"We will do everything we can to prepare the room quickly, Alpha." Mrs. Wells bowed to him before addressing the selkies. "We'll also need to gather plenty of food, water, and blankets in case the storm makes it unsafe for the guests to return to their rooms tonight. I'll arrange a search party for Brooke and anyone else who is unaccounted for."

Mrs. Wells split her selkies into groups, with the werewolves who were able to partially shift joining them. Jasper worked alongside those preparing makeshift plankton lanterns, distributing the glowing green spheres among the guests.

As Mrs. Wells sent a team of selkies to search the travel tunnels for any sign of Brooke, a heavy weight settled in Jasper's stomach. Brooke was a lot of things: goofy, clumsy, exhaustingly extroverted. But more than anything else, she was dutiful. When she set out to do something, it got done no matter how much fun she insisted on having along the way.

She'd never leave the Blue Moon Ball unless something was horribly wrong. He had to find her, and the familiar glowing plankton swirling inside the transparent plastic gave him an idea of how he might do it. He just needed to check something first.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Wells," he said as he worked his way through the crowd, "could I ask you something?"

"Of course you can, Alpha." Brooke's mother bowed to him. "Apologies for this mess putting such a damper on your special day. I haven't seen a storm this bad since I was a pup."

"It's not your fault the Goddess sent so much rain our way." Jasper winced as thunder boomed, shaking the chandeliers. "Is the plankton in the travel tunnels the same as the kind around the island Brooke goes to when she feels the Call of the Sea?"

Her mother's demeanor changed in an instant. Her eyes narrowed, her back straightened, and her voice sharpened. "How do you know about that island?"

Jasper took a step back. Today was enough of a mess without pissing off the most important selkie in the room.

"Brooke took me there a couple weeks ago when I needed to talk to her in private," he said. "I don't know much about how the Call of the Sea works, but I do know that island is very important to her since it used to be her grandmother's."

"Anyone in Periwinkle Port could have told you that." She looked him up and down, her lips pressed into a firm line. "Tell me what fruit trees grow there."

"Papayas." Jasper's mouth watered at the memory of the fruit Brooke had brought him after they'd arrived on the island. "Brooke wished she had some lime to go with them, but they were delicious."

Her mother's eyes widened. "She really did take you there," she whispered. She steeled her expression into something that would have impressed even the most authoritative Alpha. "The sea will be especially harsh in this weather. Even a selkie would have trouble navigating the waves."

"All the more reason for me to bring Brooke home." Jasper's heart quivered at the thought of her fighting against the ocean alone. "No one should be out in that storm by themself."

"Least of all you." Mrs. Wells sighed. "I admire your courage, Jasper, but a werewolf like you isn't built to brave the ocean. My family are the only ones who know where that island is, and as much as I wish I could go, I need to take care of everyone here."

"My family and I have some of the keenest noses out of all my kind. If anyone can catch Brooke's scent in this storm, it's me." Or anyone from Kudzu Pack, but Gwen was the only one of them Jasper trusted enough for such a task, and he couldn't risk putting her in danger. "Isn't there anyone else who could take me there?"

Mrs. Wells pressed her lips together. "There is one person who might be able to help," she said slowly. "If you can convince him, I'll cover for you until you come back." Her expression faltered, revealing the fear hiding behind her calm façade. "Please bring my daughter home safe, Alpha."

###

After sneaking out of the dark ballroom, Jasper ran into the storm. Rain lashed his suit, and wind shrieked as it tore at his hair. There'd be no hiding where he'd gone once he returned, but that didn't matter. All he cared about was getting Brooke home.

After the roaring thunder and howling wind, the Silver Scallop's silence was deafening. Not a single guest remained in the empty dining room, and Jasper's labored breathing echoed in his ears.

The kitchen was another story. Even with nothing but makeshift lanterns lighting the room, the chefs scrambled to pack fruits and charcuterie into capsules that could be transported through the travel tunnels.

"We're a little busy, Alpha," Mr. Wells called over the chaos, his knife slicing through salami. "I'd appreciate it if you would wipe your feet next time you run through my restaurant."

Jasper grimaced at the trail of muddy footprints he'd left on the linoleum. "Sorry, there's no time to waste. Brooke is missing!"

"What?" Mr. Wells unleashed a torrent of swears. "Kai! Wade! Man the kitchen while I'm gone."

"Yes, chef!"

Mr. Wells grabbed Jasper's wrist and stormed into the dining room. "Alright, boy, what happened?"

Jasper told him everything from his arrival at the ball to Marina announcing Brooke's disappearance right after the power went out. "Nobody knows where she went, but I think she might have gone to her grandmother's island. After everything that's happened, it wouldn't surprise me if she followed the Call of the Sea."

"That is where she usually goes when she's so upset even ice cream can't cheer her up." Her father glanced upward as thunder boomed overhead. "Great bouncing blowfish, it sounds horrible out there! This'll be a heck of a risk over a guess. Even I'll have issues navigating in this."

"With my enhanced eyesight and sense of smell, we should be able to locate the plankton around the island." Jasper bowed his head, blinking back tears. "Please take me with you. I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to Brooke."

"Never thought I'd see the day an Alpha would be willing to risk himself for my daughter." Mr. Wells clapped him on the shoulder. "Follow me. I know where we can get a boat."