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.

the clearing again I slowed

“What are you doing?”

I was back to where I was when I found her.

to the opposite side. “This is her track. I don’t know what

our convoy

world, but if

he said.

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

nightfall,” he said looking at the sky.

time, but not

this quiet. Just in case it leads nowhere.”

nodded. “Wait…” he said. “You’re going on your own?” It just dawned

tight here,” I told

moves alone. That’s your own

direction I had to go.

“What if it’s a trap?” he

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

make sense.”

I said in frustration. “Go,” I told

like he was about to argue.

said go,” I

like he wanted to defy me on this.

waved it 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

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

in her smell 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

of Sam resonated

this is a trap?

trying to get me away from civilization, from my men, from

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

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

not visible anymore, the orange glow slowly turning to midnight

running out of

was getting limited in

I knew it.

I suddenly

her scent, she didn’t expect to meet 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 to a walk, silent, undetectable. The wind was coming from behind me, no one would get my

to the river, the forest cleared, the wind pick up

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 of winter, of the silkiness

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