A Blood-Like Rain

— Kaden —

I began to panic.

We were heading to battle, but I smelled my mate. I smelled my mate!

I tried to track the direction the smell came from but it was so faint I could hardly notice it. I moved in circles half in a daze. I found a line, a line she must have been traveling, but I couldn’t tell which way she came from and which way she was going. And I tried to sniff both ways to see which seemed the strongest, the freshest.

Sam noticed my change in behaviour and got closer. When I noticed him, I raised my hand to make him stop. I was afraid his sheer presence would make me lose her scent.

It wasn’t completely irrational either as my own scent on her tracks was enough to nearly destroy what little clue I had.

I went in further.

I followed one side of the track all the way to a small stream, then I lost her. I checked all over, on the other side, everywhere. The track ended here. My best guess was she walked in the stream for a while, the water masking her scent.

I didn’t realize I had bolted in that direction, until I heard Sam running to catch up.

We were far now. The noise of my men, faint in the distance.

“What is it?” asked Sam worried.

“I found her,” I said in desperation. “I lost her.”

“Who?” he asked confused.

“My bloody mate.”

“Fuck! Now?”

“Yeah.”

“This is not a good time for this.”

“I know,” I growled in frustration.

I walked for a while, following the stream. I still couldn’t pick up her scent, so I stop.

“What now?” asked Sam.

“I go the other way,” I said.

I went back on my track. It was easier to go by the scent I just left than try and pick hers again. I went at a dead run, Sam could barely keep up.

When I reached the clearing again I slowed

“What are you

to where I was when I found

imaginary line in the air with my finger, going from where we just came from to the opposite side. “This is her track. I don’t know what direction she went from but I know

our convoy then back at

the world, but if I

know,” he

on quickly,” I said. “I just need to know if this leads somewhere.”

nightfall,” he said looking at the sky.

There was time, but not that

nodded. “Keep this quiet. Just in case it leads

said. “You’re going on your own?” It just dawned on him as I turned to

here,” I told him.

That’s your

looked in the direction I had

if it’s a trap?” he

hesitated. I shook my head. “I don’t know, but I think I need to do this on my

“You don’t make sense.”

“I know,” I said in frustration. “Go,”

looked like he was about to argue.

“I said go,” I insisted.

wanted to defy me on

I turned and followed the scent. I took my phone out and waved it at him behind me. “We keep in touch.” And I disappeared

followed the track. After a while, the smell got a little stronger and my heart

I kept running at the highest pace I could maintain in the wood. I covered a lot of

she was probably walking, which explained why I was catching on, the track being a

it was hard to believe someone would travel here. A little further, there were some paths that would be far easier to travel. Was

The word of Sam resonated in my

if this is

trying to get me away from civilization, from

I should slow down, think about this, but my feet didn’t seem to connect with my mind. I kept

river? Had she walked deliberately into the water to erase her tracks? The stream had been small, easy to cross, so why risk getting her feet wet far in

was not visible anymore, the orange glow slowly turning to midnight blue.

running out of time.

with my wolf eyes, my vision was getting limited

I knew

suddenly stopped.

someone so far in the forest. I had run relatively silently, but at this pace, I would have sounded like an elephant to anyone with heightened senses. I slowed my trek

wind pick up speed, and I

the feeling of strawberry juices running on your tongue, of a stormy night of April, of a warm blanket in

barely visible at the edge of my vision, but I knew it was