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

are you

I was

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

looked back at the direction of our convoy then

“I 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

“I know,” he said.

can catch on quickly,” I said. “I just need to know if

“There is still time until nightfall,” he said looking at

was time, but

Just in

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

tight here,” I

moves alone. That’s your

the direction I had

it’s a

know, but I think I

make sense.”

frustration. “Go,” I told him.

He looked like he was about to argue.

said go,”

wanted to

waved it at him

I followed the track. After a while, the smell got a little stronger and my heart did a backflip. This was

at the highest pace I could maintain in the wood. I covered a lot of ground and I was probably kilometers from my men

and my pace, she was probably walking, which explained

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 she lost, or

of Sam resonated in my head.

What if this is a trap?

trying to get me away from civilization, from my men, from any resources or backup.

but my feet didn’t seem to connect with my mind.

getting her feet wet far in the woods, otherwise? Then was she doing the same thing here? Would I lose her smell again? The

the orange glow slowly turning

I was running out

vision was

close, I knew

suddenly stopped.

in the forest. I had run relatively silently, but at this pace, I would have sounded like an elephant

the forest cleared, the wind pick up speed, and I smelled her just before I could see her.

maple leaf on the autumn ground as a child, of the feeling of strawberry juices running on your tongue, of a stormy night of April, of a warm blanket in front of a fire in the dead of winter, of the silkiness of a

the edge of my vision, but I knew it was