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

you

was back to where I was when I found

drawing an imaginary line in the air 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

direction of our

know,” I said. “It’s the worst timing in the world, but if

know,” he said.

just need to know if this leads somewhere.”

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

time,

this quiet. Just

your own?” It just dawned on him as I turned to

here,” I told him.

That’s your own

the direction I had to go.

it’s a trap?” he asked.

but I think

don’t make sense.”

said in frustration. “Go,” I told

like he was about to

said go,” I

like he wanted to defy me on

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

got a little stronger and my heart did

the wood. I covered a lot of ground and I

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

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

resonated in my head.

is

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

think about this, but my feet didn’t seem

was now the growing sound of water. Another stream? 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 lose her smell again? The tracks were probably minutes old at best now. Would I lose her now that I’m so close?

The sun was not visible anymore, the orange glow slowly turning to midnight blue.

running out of time.

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

I knew it.

suddenly

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

the forest cleared, the wind pick up speed, and I smelled

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 of winter, of the silkiness

dark outline, barely visible at the edge of my vision, but I knew