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.

reached the clearing again I slowed

“What are you

where I was when I found her.

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 this side leads nowhere.” I pointed at where we went. “Which means this is my only chance.” I pointed in the

at the direction of our convoy then back at me,

the world, but if I don’t give this a chance—.” I didn’t dare finish the sentence.

“I know,” he said.

just need to know if

still time until nightfall,” he said looking at the sky.

There was time,

quiet. Just in

own?” It just

here,” I

alone. That’s your own rule.”

direction

if it’s a

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

make

know,” I said in frustration. “Go,” I

he was

said go,” I insisted.

he wanted to defy

and waved it at him behind me. “We keep in touch.” And I disappeared through the brush.

the smell got a little stronger and my heart did a backflip. This was the direction

wood. I covered

was probably walking, which explained why I was catching on, the

was far in the woods and the mountain, 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 head.

is a

civilization,

didn’t seem to connect with my mind. I kept

A 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 the woods, otherwise? Then was she doing the same thing here? Would I

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

out of

Even with my wolf eyes, my vision was

I was close, I

suddenly stopped.

silently, but at this pace, I would have sounded like an elephant to anyone with heightened senses. I slowed my trek to

river, the forest cleared, the wind pick up

There was this light exotic flower smell again, but it was richer now, softer, it reminded me of playing in the dead colourful maple leaf on the autumn ground as a child, of the feeling of strawberry juices running on

A dark outline, barely visible at the edge of my vision,