I released myself from his arms and nodded my head in understanding, taking his hand and slowly leading him to the edge of the woods just beyond my yard. I knew that the moment we'd both stepped over that barrier, there was no coming back. I'd shift, and Asher would follow along with me as I tracked Maddox's scent.
From there, we would seek their scent and follow the trail to Maddox. The only problem with my plan was that once we'd found Maddox, I wasn't sure how we'd go about rescuing him, but I couldn't think about that now. Anything that might hinder my plan would have to be pushed to the back of my mind. I had to stay positive and trust I'd know what I'd do in the moment my animal instincts kicked in.
I hoped.
I shifted not long after we'd stepped into the forest. There was an eerie silence that took over as we walked silently. Having shifted behind a tree, I emerged to see Asher patiently waiting for me. Side-by-side, we ran to the pond where I'd first seen the hunters, their scents burned into my senses, their faces ingrained in my mind.
Once we'd reached the pond, I stopped and stood on all fours.
Asher watched me without saying a single word. He knew I was trying to uncover their scents so I could read the path they must've taken.
My head shifted from side to side as I gazed at my surroundings. Their strong scent of pinewood and hatred blasted through my nose, and I shuddered. I closed my eyes and delved deep into my mind, trying to imagine what the men might be doing or thinking and where they might be. After a few minutes, I was able to see their faces playing through my mind like a movie in action. I watched as they turned from the pond, one man looking back in my direction where I'd been stationed, hidden by my surroundings.
I sniffed the same way a dog or a wolf might sniff when they were tracking the scent of their prey. The image had me shaking to the core as part of me thought they might be after me, too. Having dismissed the idea, I continued to watch the images as they unfolded. The first man had begun to talk to the others. I delved deeper into my senses, hoping I'd hear their words.
"The pack is near," the first man had stated. "I can sense them."
The other two men had nodded in agreement, their eyes roaming the area. "I agree, Sutton," the second man had said.
Now I had a name. The first guy-who'd seemed to be their leader, of sorts-was named Sutton.
"I've been tracking and memorizing their scents for years," Sutton had stated. "My family's been doing the same for decades. I learned from my father who learned from his. They're near; I can smell it and feel it." His face had contorted into an angry scowl. He'd seemed angry, for some reason.
"Macon, what have our scouts said?" Sutton had asked.
Macon-the name of the second man-had turned to his cell phone and began reading something. "From our conversations and correspondence," Macon had said, "they say the packs have been tracked to central Kentucky and further down south to Tennessee. They believe several packs have located there and are living as humans, only shifting when needed."
Sutton had turned to both men, wearing a strange smile on his face. "Good," he said. "Then we're close. We'll continue to track the scent of the male. From what the scouts have told us, Maddox and his family are strong. They have a heritage going back hundreds of years. If we can find and trap Maddox, the rest of the packs will have no choice but to show themselves. We can kill them all soon." Sutton had laughed.
The sound of his laughter had been maniacal. It was one of the evilest sounds I'd ever heard in my life. Not only because he'd been talking about killing people who I knew and loved, especially Maddox, but because he'd wanted to kill off an entire species. And for what?
Sutton had turned to lead the others toward the clearing again. "Macon and Jeff, let's track the scent and then when they least expect it, we'll pounce on them just like they do their prey," Sutton said. "By the year's end, shifters will be no more."
The men had nodded and followed their leader.
My eyes shot open, and I couldn't stop my body from shaking. Tears rushed down my cheeks as the gravity of the situation came crashing down on me.
"What's wrong, Elle," Asher asked, drawing me into him. "What did you see?"
I paused for a moment before speaking. "I saw the men. I could hear them talking," I said. "I could smell their scent. They want to kill all shifters. They're tracking all of us. No one's safe anymore." A sob tore through me.
"Tell me everything you saw," Asher demanded. "I need to know it all so I can help."
I explained what I'd seen and heard in my mind in detail. Asher listened intently. When I was finished, he sucked in a deep breath. "They've known about shifters for a while. It makes sense," Asher said. "Hunters have been tracking and chasing shifters for centuries. My family's been protecting and working with shifter families for years. We thought you all were safe, but as long as there are hunters alive, no one will ever be safe." Asher shook his head angrily.
"How did I live for sixteen years unaware of the dangers surrounding me?" I asked, voice quavering.
"I know it's hard to understand, but this is just what you have to deal with. There's no sense in fighting or trying to make sense of it all; your shifters," Asher said soothingly.
"I just want to find Maddox and get back home," I said. "We need to warn everyone."
Suddenly, my cell phone pinged, and a text from Melanie rang through.
Melanie: Elle. Where are you? I haven't heard from you in forever!
I looked down to type a response, but Asher grabbed my phone from my hands. "What are you thinking?" he asked, quickly powering off my phone. "Our families can track us using our phones. They'll find us before we find Maddox and then we'll be back to where we started." He threw my phone into the water and with a splash, it was gone.
I opened my mouth to argue but shut it quickly. Asher was right: any arguing I might do would only put our mission on pause and alert our families to our mission.
Asher had left his phone home, so we regrouped and began our quest. I had the scent of the hunters and an idea of their direction. We ran toward the clearing. As we ran, I stayed in tune with my scenes which directed me where to go. Asher let me keep the lead. He stayed on my heels as he followed me, never asking questions.
After two hours of running, we came to another clearing just outside of the woods and toward an old abandoned dirt road. Their scents grew as my paws hit the dusty ground.
"They're close." I stopped to sniff the air.
"I feel it, too," Asher said, nodding his head toward the right.
We continued to run down the road, our paws kicking dust and gravel into the air. When the log cabin came into view, we stopped.
"That house," I said, pointing with my head, "The men have to be in there. Their scents are burning my nose. I feel it in my soul they’re there and so is Maddox."
We needed to be careful, remain unseen.
We ran, crouched low to the ground, toward the back of the cabin and found a group of trees in which we could hide to stake out the house. We lay on the ground, posting ourselves behind a group of trees, waiting for any sound or movement. I grew anxious as I listened to the animals in the forest walking around.
Just as I'd begun to feel my hope fade, we heard a door open. We glanced at the house to see Macon as he emerged from the house and onto the porch. The log cabin was large, was the color of redwood on the outside, and had a large, wraparound porch hugging it. There were large windows embedded in the wood at the front of the house. The sides of the house had no windows, which I found odd.
"Look," Asher whispered, as we watched Macon hop down the stairs leading from the porch to the grass below it. He seemed nervous-almost anxious-as he began to pace the yard, his hands thrust deep into his pockets, his curly hair flowing in the wind. Much to our surprise, he turned his head sharply to glance in our direction, only I knew he couldn't see us where we were hiding. Still, my heart stopped and my breath faltered as I waited for him to move. Asher, who had frozen next to me, also s
eemed afraid of Macon's sudden movement.
There was another sound from inside the house, and we looked back to see Sutton running through the front door. He waved at Macon as he yelled, "What are you doing?" Sutton stomped his way over to where Macon was still nervously pacing.
"The boy's terrifying me," Macon said, his voice shaking with each word.
I gasped and looked at Asher for reassurance. I knew they were talking about Maddox, which meant he was still alive, and I could still save him. Hope rang through me as I struggled to stay where I was and remain hidden. At that moment, I wanted to jump out from where I was hiding and attack both of them. I wanted to use my claws and fangs to tear them apart until they would tell me where Maddox was and then freed him.
Sutton raised his hand and hit Macon in the face. The sound of his fist connecting with the flesh of Macon's face seemed to scream through the air. Macon looked stunned, almost shocked by Sutton's sudden anger.
"Get yourself together, Macon," Sutton yelled. "The boy's restrained. He can't shift until his body's released. We're safe, but you have to keep your head straight. The boy's our bait; we have to keep him alive just a little bit longer.
"They're coming for him-I can feel it. I can smell them in the air," Sutton finished.
I had to fight back the urge to lunge forward and reveal myself. I wanted the men to see me. I wanted them to know I was hiding just outside their door, waiting to pounce on them and tear them to shreds like the animal I was. I wanted them to fear me the way shifters feared hunters.
Asher noticed my angst, leaned over, and placed his hand on my shoulder. His grip on me tightened as I bit my lower lip and my body shook from my desire to hurt those terrible men.
"Just wait," he whispered, but I didn't listen. I had all the information I needed--Maddox was safe, but he wasn't with me.
"Elle," Asher called loudly, racing to catch up with me, "you can't do this!"
Asher stopped me.
"We need a plan," I stated, my voice low and barely audible. "What if you went to the door and pretended like your car broke down just down the road? You could ask them to give you a ride to a gas station, and that would give me the time to get into the cabin to find Maddox."
Before Asher could respond, a loud bang rang out from the cabin. Both men jumped and turned to stare at the cabin behind them. Asher held me in place, preventing me from leaving the safety of the trees to investigate. The sounds grew louder. A feral scream tore through the air. Chains banged against a hard surface. Cries sounding like a wounded animal seemed to pierce my eardrums.
I'd know that sound anywhere. It was Maddox.
"He is in there," I said, my voice full of the need to move, to act. "Go in there and shut him up," Sutton snapped.
The other man turned to rush back inside, slamming the door behind him.
"Just wait," Asher said. "Give the men a few more minutes, and I'll run around the back of the cabin and come out from the clearing by the road. We'll try your plan." I knew Asher was wary and nervous, but he hid it well. He knew how important saving Maddox was to Asher and me, and Asher would do anything for me- I just knew it.
"Thank you," I mouthed, tears welling in my eyes.
Having fought back the urge to cry, I started forward and watched the men through the window as they carried on their conversation. After fifteen minutes more, both men disappeared deep into the house, which had grown silent. Asher circled the wooded area and left me hiding as he ventured toward the clearing.
After what seemed like forever, Asher emerged and began to jog toward the cabin. I watched with great curiosity and pride as he followed through with my crazy plan.
Asher walked up to the porch, glancing back in my direction before taking a step onto the wooden porch. He knocked on the door and was quickly greeted by Sutton.
I couldn't hear their conversation, but from Asher's hand gestures and Sutton's nods, I knew the plan was working. Asher had such a sweet face, no one would ever believe he was misleading them.
Sutton hesitated, staring at Asher with wide eyes and my heart dropped as I feared I might've been wrong. Maybe my plan had been stupid, and we were about to get caught. Then, I'd have put both of the guys I cared about in danger.
"Just let me grab my keys," I heard Sutton say. He retreated into the house for a minute and then returned with a set of silver keys dangling from his hands.
Asher smiled and chanced another glance my way before following Sutton to an old Ford pick-up. They got into the vehicle, and I took the opportunity to scout the property. I ran around to the back of the house, crouched down under a small window, and peeked inside. The room was dark, but I could make out a small kitchen area with a stove, refrigerator, sink, and counter space. I didn't see anyone or hear any movement inside, so I went over to another window on the other side of the cabin.
Inside, I spotted the other two men, sitting on an old, plaid couch, and watching television. Their attention was fixed on the news broadcast, and I knew it was my only chance to get inside to find Maddox.
I checked a few more windows out around the back of the house until I found a small bathroom window that had been left partially open. Shifting back into human form, I crawled through the open window and landed gracefully inside the small bathroom. I opened the door a crack and peeked out to see an empty and dark hallway. Slowly opening the door further, I padded along the hall, searching through the space. I was growing desperate as the cabin wasn't very big and I still hadn't found any trace of Maddox.
Just as I was about to head back toward the bathroom, I heard a rattling coming from just beyond the last door on the left. I glanced back toward the front hall, but I still didn’t see anyone, so I made my way to the door and slowly opened it. Darkness enveloped me, and I realized it was the door to the basement.
I walked slowly down the stairs, hearing the sounds grow louder as I neared the bottom.
When I'd descended the last step, I found myself in a dark, damp basement with the strong odor of mold. The air was thick with dust and cobwebs, and I felt sick just being in the space. I searched the area and spotted a cage off in the far corner. The noise came again, and I ran toward the cage, gasping when I spotted Maddox lying on the dirty basement floor, his body was mangled with bruises, still bleeding cuts, and his forehead was wet with sweat. He was also in chains.
Not knowing what else to do, I choked down a sob.
As though he felt me near, Maddox lifted his head and jerked his eyes toward me. Confusion and happiness sparked in his dead eyes when he saw me standing just a few feet away from him.
"Elle?" he asked, as if he'd thought I was a dream or a mirage.
"Yes, Maddox, I'm here," I whispered, rushing to the cage.
I slipped my fingers through the cold metal, no longer able to hide my anger at seeing him like that. Though I hated seeing Asher trapped and in chains, relief washed over me when I saw that his wounds were just minor, surface cuts.
"Elle, you have to get out of here," Maddox cried, trying to move. "If they see you, they'll trap you, too ...or worse." The heavy chains held Maddox's body down. I could see he didn't have the energy left to fight.
"No," I stated. I began to look around the room for something that I could use to cut the locks on the cage and the chains on his wrists. “I’m not leaving without you.
"Where are the keys?" I asked.
"Over there," Maddox said, nodding toward an old workbench.
I rushed over and began to sort through the various tools and papers scattered about on the surface. Finally, I found a pair of silver keys and ran back to the cage. "I found them," I whispered.
"Good. Now, hand them here, and I'll free myself. You have to get out of here," Asher said, pleading with me to listen to him.
I shook my head, refusing to walk away. "I sent Asher with Sutton to a gas station. He pretended his car broke down," I said, replaying our story. "The other guys are engrossed in television. I can save you, now that I'm here."
Maddox watched me carefully. Finally, he nodded his head in agreement. "Fine," he said, "but hurry."
I fumbled with the keys, trying to find the one that would work in the door lock, and I felt a nervous energy take me over. I was trying the last key and my hands were shaking when Maddox's eyes grew large and he began to crawl away from the door of the cage. I didn't need to turn around to know what he was looking at. I didn't need to see the figure approaching to understand the fear and torment in Maddox's eyes.
A hand gripped my arm, and I turned to see both of the men from upstairs, standing with infuriated smirks plastered on their disgusting faces.
"Well, look what we have here," Macon said.
I began to open my mouth, but before I could, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and then everything went black.
Chapter 24
I woke hours later with a pounding headache and an aching body. The taste of blood was still fresh in my mouth. I placed a finger to my lips and found dried blood crusted there. I opened my eyes and squinted to see around me. To my dismay, I discovered heavy chains around my wrists and ankles, and I began to understand what happened-I’d had been assaulted from behind as I was trying to free Maddox.
Maddox.
Asher.
My eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and I spotted Maddox crouching beside me, his eyes trained on me, his chest rapidly heaving as he watched me.
"Elle?" he asked in a hushed voice. "Maddox?"
He offered me a glance of worry and slowly moved closer. His chain rattled and he stopped moving, his eyes darting toward the door in the corner. "We have to be quiet," he whispered, his eyes glued to the door. "If they hear us moving, the men will come back."
Maddox's words hung in the air as I desperately tried to think of what to do next. In all of my planning to save him, I hadn't stopped to consider what I'd do if I'd been trapped, too.
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