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

you

back to where I was when I found her.

the opposite side. “This is her track. I don’t know what direction she went from but I know this side leads

back at the direction of our convoy then back at

know,” I said. “It’s the worst timing in the world, but if I don’t give this a chance—.” I didn’t dare finish the sentence.

he said.

I said. “I just

still time until nightfall,” he said

was time,

nodded. “Keep this quiet. Just in case it

going on your own?” It

here,” I told him.

moves alone. That’s your

I looked in the direction

a trap?” he

hesitated. I shook my head. “I don’t know, but I think

“You don’t make sense.”

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

He looked like he was about to argue.

go,” I insisted.

He looked like he wanted to

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

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

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

increase in her smell and my pace, she was probably walking, which explained why I was catching on, the track being a few hours old

in the woods and the mountain, it was hard to believe someone would travel here. A

Sam resonated in my head.

if this is a trap?

me away from civilization, from

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

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 lose her smell again? The tracks were probably minutes old at best now. Would I lose her now that

visible anymore, the orange

was running out

Even with my wolf eyes, my vision was getting limited in

I was close, I

suddenly stopped.

like an elephant to anyone with heightened senses. I slowed my trek to

As I got closer to the river, the forest cleared, the wind pick up speed, and I smelled her just before I could see her.

child, of the feeling of strawberry juices running on

A dark outline, barely visible at the edge of my