“Are you sure about this princess?” He asked me nervously and unsure after he broke our kiss. “Despite how badly I would like to take you right here and right now I was planning something more special for our first time, princess.” He added. I was confused. My body was reacting the way I didn’t know and actually was not really sure about what I was doing. I was speechless, not sure what exactly I wanted, not sure what I should say or reply. “I thought so.” He said, pulling me closer into the hug and softly stroking my hair. “I think you are just confused and actually don’t understand your own feelings, am I right?” He asked me to take my chin in his hand and place my face into his so he could see into my eyes. I nodded at him. He placed a peck on my kiss and smiled at me. “I promise you would understand it later and you would get what you want and despite this place being nice and romantic I promise your first time would be way more special than this.” He told me and kissed me one time. He pulled me away so he could stand up and after he lifted me up carrying me bridal style upstairs into my bedroom. “You would stay with me?” I asked him, afraid that he would leave me and go sleep in another room. “For the rest of your life princess.” He said before he scooped himself beside me and pulled me back into the hug. The next thing I remember was the beautiful dream about my mate.
Chapter 38
CALEN’S POV:
It is five days since Rei’s wolf Maat matured and I have to say, it took a toll on Rei. She was tired very quickly and many times with severe headaches. I had another little chit chat and she explained to me that Rei would need a few days to get used to it; especially the smells are way too strong.
“How is our Luna?” Zack asked me the moment he entered my office. Most of the people stopped greeting me and usually, the first thing they spoke was concerns about my Luna. “She is asleep now,” I replied to him and he nodded. “Do you know how many days she would stay like this?” He asked me and I honestly had no idea. “How many she would need,” I replied to him and didn’t care if that takes a month or a year. She had all the time in the world she needed.
“Maybe you should put some guards on her doors Alpha.” Zack started and the tone of his voice changed. He was too serious out of blue. “What is wrong Zack?” I asked him unsurely why he actually came into my office.
“The patrol reported to me that the Ismail scent was found near our borders. He is close by.” He informed me and I slammed the table in front of me with my fist. I swear I should have killed that mother*cker the moment I had him behind the bars. “Where exactly?” I asked him. “In the south, we think he came from the town.” The good choice actually. Our senses are best in our wolf form and for sure we couldn’t send a patrol of wolves into the town where there were humans. Damn it.
‘Rei?’ I tried to poke her in our mind link but there was no response. I thought she might be still sleeping but for some reason, I didn't have the feelings and vibration this whole situation was generating. “Did he cross the borders of our territory?” I asked Zack and he narrowed his lips into a thin line. This was not a good sign at all.
“We actually don’t know. His scent suddenly disappeared in the middle of nowhere. There was no way he could cover it in that area.” Zack spoke slowly and I was listening to every single word trying to figure out what that could mean. “Where did you lose him?” I stood up from my chair already prepared to jump over and run to check Rei myself. This was definitely not good at all.
“North, he ran all the way around the borders till the edge of the mountain. We lost him there.” He informed me and I knew that this way just made a distraction. For f*ck sake, he was the gamma of this pack once and he was a tactical advisor.
“Call warrior right now,” I ordered him and he didn’t wait even one second. “Make them wait in front of the pack house,” I added already in the middle of the way out from my office. I headed straight to the room of Rei just to make sure she was still soundly asleep.
I took stairs by two literally flying over them. I didn’t smell anything strange in the corridor but the door of Rei’s room was slightly open. I slammed the door open and to my shock and surprise the room was empty. Not even the signs of a fight, just empty.
‘Rei!” I shouted into our link but it was silent and no reply came to me. I didn’t even feel her mind. ‘Thoth. Do you feel Maat?’ I asked my wolf and he stood silent for a short time. ‘I couldn’t connect with her.’ He told me and I really started to be nervous and worried. Where would she go and why?
‘Emily, Tamara, is Rei with you?’ I asked them in the pack link but they both replied to me negatively. “She should be sleeping in her room. She left like one hour ago.’ Tamara informed me which means she was down in the kitchen helping or eating and then went back to sleep.
‘Zack, Andrew, Rei is missing.’ I told them and I could feel their distress too. ‘We found the traces of someone behind the pack house but there is no scent.’ They informed me. It could be him but how he could cover his own scent and if he took Rei, how the hell did he carry her so that no one noticed him. ‘Scan the whole area and tell the patrols on board to go on search too.’ I told them while stepping inside the room and searching for any clue that could help me identify where Rei could be.
Even if somehow Ismail could get inside the packhouse, he couldn’t jump with Rei in his arms from the window without anyone out noticing him. I checked the window and it was locked from inside. The front door would be noticed too, the elevator would be heard and there is always someone in the hall or corridors so anyone would notice him carrying Rei out. I was sure I was missing something but I could not figure out. ‘Rei, please, answer me.’ I begged in our link but it was silent.
I should have marked her. No matter how special I wanted to make it for her at least I should have marked her, we would not be in this kind of situation with my mark on her. I could have sensed her from further and I could have talked to her outside the pack link. Focus, I told myself and tried to scan the whole room.
I went to the bed and could sense the sheet was still warm from her presence there. She was sleeping in there not so long ago. The bathroom door was open and no one was there. Nothing from her clothes was missing, not even the shoes, wherever she was she was wearing her sleeping clothes and home shoes.
‘Alpha, we found more traces, deeper.’ Andrew informed me. ‘Where?’ I asked. ‘North-east, the direction of Rei’s cabin.’ He told me and I left the room and was heading right to him. It took me a few minutes to get to his position and I could see the traces he was talking about. It was the footprint, by the size I would say male but they were deep. It was either a very heavy man or he was carrying something or … I didn’t want to finish that thought. The anger started to blur my vision. How I could make this happen.
‘REI.’ I called again in the link but only the silence replied to me. There was no one and nothing. “Where is Rowan?” I asked Andrew and he motioned to the guy who was just coming to us. “I am here, Alpha.” He reported to me. “I already called him the same moment I told you about it,” Andrew told me.
Rowan was the best tracker my pack had. He could track dead men if I would ask him and find me even those who were impossible to find. “Rowan, what you could see?” I asked him and he was scanning the area, reading the traces, and smelling the air. His senses were far more adjusted than ours and his human nose was the same good as our wolf’s muzzles. “This was definitely male, short, maybe like one-eighty based on the size of the feet. He was carrying something on his left shoulder; the left foot is deeper than the right. He used something to cover his scent. I couldn’t get through it. It is some kind of mixture.” Rowan continued but the last I heard was the words about the mixture then it hit me like a train. Of course, he could cover his own scent. Rei’s cabin was still full of her potions and medicine and as I remember myself, she not only used her wolf’s ability to hide for the town she was using some kind of liquid to cover herself that was later washed with water. How could I forget something lik
e that?
‘Thoth, is that the same mixture that Rei was using the first time we met her?’ I asked him and he was analyzing the scents he was sensing around us. ‘Not the same but it has the same base. It was definitely made from the one Rei was using but I guess he mixed more together to make sure.’ He replied to me and I did make sense. He could not possibly know which to use because Rei never labeled them. She recognized them by the smell and color but he could not know which one was which. But all of them have the scent as the herbs in the forest, the woods, and the animals. It would be a little strange during winter but not as abnormal as his normal scent. I hit the tree beside me to relieve the anger I had for myself. Now I was sure he took Rei with him and I had no idea where. We were lucky the snow was falling yesterday before night and so far, we had clear weather but we didn’t have much time if we wanted to find him. From the last two months I learned about the winter here one thing, the snow comes anytime and completely out of blue. Once the storm would come or snow starts to fall there would be no chance to find him.
“Andrew, you go to Rei’s cabin and search her basement for the missing potions. If I am right there should be empty bottles and some of them would be missing. Rowan, please search the traces and tell me where he was going. It is probably Ismail carrying our Luna and he used her own potions to cover their scents. They are pretty strong and purely natural but since it is winter if you know what you are looking for might be easier to find. Usually, it is like herbs, animal, or other scents you could find in the forest but a little fermented and enhanced because they are made artificially, try to focus on that, and find me that bastard.” My voice was shaking from the anger but also from fear. I was worried for my princess and I was sure that this time once I would get that mother*cker into my hands he would not leave on his own two legs. I am gonna tear him apart and if he hurt Rei, I would make him suffer ten times more.
“Yes Alpha.” They both replied to me unison. ‘Zack, Ismail was probably in the pack house and took Rei. I couldn’t connect to her and my wolf couldn’t sense Maat as well. They couldn’t be that far since Rei was in her bed not so long ago. Search properly in her room and try to find out what he used. I am afraid he used some drugs and in the worst scenario, he injected her with silver or wolfsbane. Search the room for injections.’ I mind-link with Zack who was right now on the other side of the pack than I was and I was not planning to go back there. I would continue with Rowan to search the traces trying to find that mother*cker. The only plus in this whole goddamn situation was that Ismail was probably working alone. That’s why Tamara didn’t see anybody else helping him. He probably decided to take Rei away by himself.
‘Roger Alpha.’ Zack replied to me. ‘And Zack.’ I spoke to him one more time. ‘I want every single warrior to go out and search for the whole perimeter. By the traces when he was carrying my Luna, he headed back to the cabin so sent the groups of two to scan the whole area and also someone up on the cliff to watch from the mountain. Rei is small and light but he would be slower carrying her so let them search for the traces.’ I asked him. He could hear my voice shaking and I guess he understood the position I was in right now. I knew that if something would happen to Tamara, he would be the same. ‘Understood.’ He replied to me in one word before he was carrying the orders, I gave him. Just wait for me Rei, would find you no matter where you are and no matter which mother*cker decided to take you.
Chapter 39
REI’S POV:
Last few days I got tired too quickly. The smells around were so strong that soon after I left my room, I started to have a headache. I already removed the perfumes and anything smelly out of my room. Even the shampoo or shower get was too strong for me now. ‘Maat, this is bad I couldn’t stay like this.’ I complained and whined for maybe like one-millionth times but she always replied the same. ‘It would go I promise. It is just your sense are not used to this for now.’ And the only thing I could do was sigh. I went to the kitchen to get something to eat since I was starving. I slept for the whole night and woke up like two hours ago and I was already getting tired again. I really didn’t like this situation.
Tamara was as usual in the kitchen helping the omegas to cook and prepare the food for several dozens of people. Not everyone was eating here in the pack house since they had their own houses and some of those who still lived here were going to their friends for food but plenty of them still had no other choice than to eat here with us.
“Good morning,” I said the moment I entered the room. “Ah, good morning. How do you feel today? Is that better?” Tamara asked me and she already remembered from three days ago when I almost jumped from here to the roof when she spoke by her normal voice intensity. Since then she was speaking quieter almost whispering. This I was also hoping would settle and at least my hearing could be somehow suppressed.
“Still the same to be honest, I am not sure if Maat is lying to me or I am just too bad at accepting my new senses but I am tired again and on top of that with the headache,” I told to her and she placed small place with the cut fruits, another one with the salad, little bowl of chicken soup and some fried rice with chicken pieces. Not sure if she wanted me to eat it all but it was definitely too much food for one person. “Are you trying to make me fat?” I joked with her and she gave me a smile. “You are too pale, even more than usual and I could see that you already lost some of your weight. You might be in a difficult position now because of your wolf but that doesn’t mean you would stop caring for your health.” It sounded almost like she was scolding me and I was happy for the care she was giving me. I actually enjoyed the attention I was getting from my friends and especially from Calen. He was literally carrying me on his hands to the bed and to the bathroom and so on every time I was up and he was free.
“Thank you,” I told her with unhidden gratitude and happiness. She replied to me with a slight hug before she left back to the cooking area and let me sit and eat. Once I was done, I cleaned after myself, well, brought the plates to the dishwashers, and went back to sleep.
I didn’t sleep for a long time before I heard some noise from around me. It was not dark but my eyes were hurting me and I had a problem opening them. “Calen?” I called for him but the noise stopped. “Try again you monster.” The voice and it brought shivering into my spine and I had goosebumps all over my body. “Ismail,” I called his name and tried to push myself on my hands so I could face him. I felt so tired and weak but I had to do something. He grabbed my hand and in less than a second severe pain and burning sensation erupted in the area where he was holding my hand. “WHAT IS THAT?” I shouted at him and screamed but my already weakened body and overwhelmed senses could not process the pain and the information that my mind was getting from the situation and soon after my eyes were closing up not only from the pain but also from the burning that was now everywhere in my body. My mind went slowly black.
~*****~
My mouth was dry and my eyes heavy when my mind finally started to clear up a little bit and I could again sense myself and my surroundings. I was definitely out of the pack house and away from my room. It was cold and dark and I could see nothing but at least I could open my eyes thanks to this darkness.
“Ismail.” I tried to call him since he was the last person I remember before I blacked out. I didn’t see him properly before but I could smell him and hear him and I was one hundred percent sure it was him. ‘Maat?’ I called her as well but there was only silence around me and inside too.
I tried to focus on the sounds around and the smells but there was not much to focus on. I heard water dripping nearby and smelling the lichens and mold. The ground under me was cold and wet but hard on touch. I assumed I was in some kind of underground caves or something like that and because the cold was not freezing it had to be deep.
I tried to stand up on my feet but for the first few tries my legs gave up and I always ended up flat on the ground. I gave up and searched around me by crawling for the wall or something that I
could use as a support. 'Calen.’ I tried to call him in our link but same as with Maat only the silence replied to me back. I could not sense him the same as I could not sense my wolf. What was happening to me? I could still feel slight pain and the burning sensation on my hand where Ismail touched me before. He had to inject me with something that was blocking my wolf.
I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream. I was left alone, in the dark with the crazy person somewhere alone. I was crawling around but I could not find anything and I slowly started to panic. The dark was impenetrable with my eyes no matter how many times I tried to close and open my eyes. There was not even a single drop of the light and I started to feel like I would choke. I could not breathe. Not now, please, not now. I tried to beg my own mind not to put me into a panic attack in this situation. I had to focus; I had to find the way out.
I stopped and went back to my sitting position so I could try to calm down. I took a deep breath but the air was heavy and old. The air here was not changing so I assumed I was in some kind of pit in the cave and every pit has to have walls. I took another deep breath despite the bad smell of the air and I started to crawl again focusing on the direction to make sure I am still going straight forward. In the end, I end up beside the wall. Good, I praised myself and tried to stand up. The wall was slippery and wet and really disgusting but I didn’t care. I searched my pockets for anything I could have inside but found nothing. I searched again around me on the ground and was lucky to find a rock down beside the wall. I started to create the mark on the wall until the mold that was growing there was completely gone and I could feel the pure, not slippery rock. Once I finished, I placed the rock in my hand into my pocket and placed my hand on the mark I created on the wall. I kept the hands the same high and started to walk slowly around following the wall. It was a little curved and despite the mold and lichen, the rock wall was still sharp in some places but otherwise, it was nicely shaped which was strange. This was definitely not a natural area.
New Beginning : A Beautiful Ethereal Creature (Spirit Wolf Book #1) Page 26