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.

clearing again I slowed down.

you doing?”

to where I was when

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

looked back at the direction of our convoy

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

he

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

still time until nightfall,” he said

I looked too. There was time, but not that much.

I nodded. “Keep this quiet. Just in case it leads nowhere.”

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

“Keep things tight here,” I told him.

“No one moves alone. That’s

in the direction I had to go.

a

know, but I think I need to do this on my own.”

don’t make sense.”

in frustration.

looked like he was about to argue.

said go,” I

to defy me on this.

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

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

the highest pace I could maintain in the wood. I covered a lot

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

was far in the woods and the mountain, it was hard to believe someone would travel here. A little further, there were some

The word of Sam resonated in my

is a trap?

civilization, from my men, from any resources or

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

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

not visible anymore, the orange glow slowly turning to midnight

was running out of

my wolf eyes, my vision was getting limited in the thick forest.

I knew

I suddenly

I would have sounded like an elephant to anyone with heightened senses. I slowed my trek to a walk, silent, undetectable. The wind was coming from behind me, no one

closer to the river, the forest cleared, the wind pick up speed, and I smelled her just before I

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 your tongue, of a stormy night of April, of a warm blanket in front of a fire in the dead

barely visible at the edge of