Chapter 63: Sixty-three.

Ten weeks Ago.

"Marcus, have you heard anything? Anything at all?" Elijah asked frantically, desperate for any information what so ever.

"Sorry, Eli. Colt's parents are as much in the dark about it as we are." Marcus answered, rubbing his hand through his hair and wishing he could do more.

"Damn it!" Elijah shouted, slamming his fists on the desk, before getting up and recklessly pacing in his office.

It was a cold Saturday morning and Elijah was awoken before his usual alarm, he was physically sweating, and had the foreboding sense that something was badly wrong. In particular, something was badly wrong with Colt. He had a thumping headache for some reason, and a strange ache in his chest, when he first woke up. But, more than that he couldn't settle this nagging sensation that she was in trouble. He was completely riled up and feeling extremely territorial for some reason as well.

He had called Kalvin himself repeatedly, but to no avail. The man wouldn't take his call, and finally he changed his tact and called in Marcus, figuring they might just talk to him.

"Eli, there is something though." Marcus began hesitantly, not sure if this would be a positive or a negative piece or information.

"What? Anything, please Marcus, tell me. What if it were Marissa?" Elijah begged unashamedly.

"Auntie Isla, did say that Uncle Kalvin's security contacts spotted Colt leaving the amazon jungle with a woman. She dropped her back off at the hotel you stayed in. Which she was then seen leaving about two days ago, with another woman again. Unfortunately, they lost them at the airport." Marcus offered up all he knew, without hesitation, knowing exactly how he would feel if it Marissa.

Elijah sat back down, lowering his head into his hands. He couldn't decide if this was a good thing or a bad. Colt was at least not in any danger from being alone on the Amazon, but what if she were now somewhere worse. Elijah felt anxious, and restless. He was an Alpha wolf. He shouldn't feel like this.

"Where the hell is she, Marcus?" He asked, his face etched with worry and pain.

"I don't know, but Auntie Isla agreed to call if they got any news. I said we would do the same." Marcus answered, not sure he liked the lost look on his Alpha's face.

Elijah nodded, before getting up. "Can you ask Zachary to take care of things for a few days?" He asked Marcus, as he headed out the door.

"No problem." Marcus nodded, knowing better than to ask for more information. It was very obvious, Elijah needed one of two things, either his mate in his arms, or to be on his own. Sadly the latter was his only option right now.

-----

Elijah threw his SUV door open as soon as he had arrived. He had parked it in front of the ranch's slowly withering house with a grimace. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing here, but he knew he just needed to be away from everyone, and this seemed like the best place to go after he collected some groceries. He studied the house as he walked around it, coming to the conclusion that fixing the old girl up may be the perfect way to keep busy till Colt returned. But first, he needed to run, and not on two legs, but on four. Elijah needed to lose himself in his wolf form and hopefully out run the niggling anxiety that still lingered over Colt's safety and well being.

Peeling his clothes off and leaving them on the driver's seat of an old tractor by the barn, he let his shift begin. Almost instantly his wolf stood there. Though, the usually proud and strong beast, didn't seem as imposing today. Something was definitely wrong with Colt, he could try and deny it or hope for the best, but even in his animal form Elijah could still feel it, and it was tearing him up inside, because he was utterly useless right now. How could he help her, when he didn't even know where she was.

He felt his frustration at the situation begin to bubble up, it coursed through his veins until he released a deafening howl, and then his legs burst forward. They carried him through the empty paddocks, and over the dilapidated fences to the forestry tracts beyond.

For hours he wove between the trees without slowing. His feet pounding into the ground with a vengeance it didn't deserve. He was a sleek streak of silver in the fading evening light, and still he kept going. On and on he went until he just couldn't carry himself any further. Then, he simply collapsed under a large pine tree, as the oblivion of an exhausted sleep claimed him.

When morning arrived, Elijah felt like a fool. He was laid on the frost covered ground in his human form. He was lucky he woke up at all and hadn't become hypothermic. Standing tall, he stretched out his weary back muscles, before returning to his wolf form and beginning to hunt, his body's need for sustenance over ruling his instincts to get back.

It took him two hours, but then he eventually found the scent trail ofa deer. The buck was grazing lazily through the trees, when he caught up to it. He was downwind, so allowed himself some time to watch the animal's movements carefully. He watched as his ears twitched, constantly on the alert for a predator, making him still every muscle in his body, so as to not alert the animal to his presence. It's nose was sniffing in every direction as he unknowingly approached Elijah, but without successfully picking out his scent, all the animal's instincts were on high alert, as if he knew there was danger lurking.

Elijah's mouth was drooling in anticipation, his muscles were coiled and ready to spring, and still he waited, holding himself back just a little longer. Normally he enjoyed the chase of a hunt, but right now he was exhausted and fuelling his weary system was what was important. He only needed the buck to take one more step, to get that little bit closer, and then, he leapt. Soaring through the air and barreling full force into the side of the animal knocking it from it's feet. Before the buck could react, Elijah's strong jaw was sinking into the animal's neck and tearing out it's throat. The hot copper tasting blood overwhelming his senses and his appetite.

He ate quickly, devouring as much of the beast as he could, till he was unwilling to linger out any longer. Now his hunger drive was satisfied, his feelings of unease had lessened, but still, something wasn't right, not yet. So, he made his way back as fast as his four legs would carry him, to check his cell for messages. Cursing himself internally, for not having done so sooner.

-----

Zero missed calls. Zero messages. Full reception coverage. Seventy-two percent charge.

These were not the things Elijah wanted to see upon the screen of his cell when he returned. To be honest what he had hoped to see was a missed call from Colt. Or a message. Anything that gave him a connection to her really.

Sighing, he threw his phone on the seat and grabbed his clothes from the old tractor, then he started heading into the house for a shower.

When he got in, he quickly fired up the boiler, before he subconsciously went straight to the bedroom he and Colt had shared, hoping beyond reason to find Colt, before he could stop himself. However, instead of spotting Colt in the faded pale blue and white striped room, he found her jumper, lying forgotten on the floor. He looked at it longingly, then at his own hands. Dirty, didn't quite cover the state Elijah was in. So with a frown, he went to the bathroom and hand a very fast and very cold shower. Which, in turn made his efforts with boiler pointless - a bit like how he felt about most of his efforts lately.

Drying himself as quickly as he could, he walked back to the bedroom. But, he finally had the presence of mind to realise, he wasn't alone there was another scent here. He stood, inhaling deeply as he thrust his legs into his pants, his territorial nature coming to the fore. Elijah was on high alert - right now he was feeling extra territorial though he didn't quite understand why. - He slowly stalked towards Colt's jumper the scent becoming stronger as he did so.

But, as he got closer he noticed Colt's thick casmere wool jumper, was moving. Elijah's first instinct was to stomp on it, but that may ruin the jumper. So instead he reined himself in and slowly bent down till he was crouched on the hardwood floor. He reached over, picking up the edge of the grey jumper, and peeled it back slowly. Watching, as the wriggling stilled.

Whatever was in there, knew of his presence now.

He kept edging the jumper back, and was suprised when the little bundle of ginger and white coloured fur meowed back at him.

The small kitten was looking up bewildered at him.

Then it did the unthinkable. It hissed, scratched his hand, and then shot under the bed like a bolt of lightning.

"Damn it!" Elijah cursed, pulling his hand back. "Where the hell did you come from?" He asked the cat, while scooping up Colt's jumper with his unbloodied hand and placing it reverently down on the bed with a sigh.

The chances it held any of Colt's scent, were slim anyway, but having the hope dashed was hard on him. Now even he knew, it would just smell of kitten. He shook his head and strode from the room to gather his groceries from the vehicle, deciding to deal with the intruder later. Cursing himself, when he realised most of his perishable goods will have spoiled. He briefly wondered, where his head was at, before shaking the obvious answer away. He didn't know where it was at, but he knew exactly who it was with.

Elijah was in the kitchen, loading up the cupboards with the canned goods he had bought, when he heard the gentle padding of four tiny feet making their way down the hall in his direction.

"Come to apologise I hope? " He asked, before shaking his head, wondering what the hell he was doing talking to a damn cat, and likely a feral one at that.

He turned, to see two large yellow and green eyes staring at him from the doorway, while a little pink nose twitched ever so delicately taking in the scent of the food, Elijah was unpacking.

He sighed, slightly dismayed at what he was about to do, and grabbed the potentially spoiled milk, opening it and giving it a sniff, "Smells alright," he said with a shrug and poured some into a saucer from another cupboard.

He placed it down for the kitten and went back to unpacking, watching from the corner of his eye as the creature unceremoniously turned its nose up at his offering.

Typical cat, he thought.

But, the innocent little meow it gave softened him slightly. Thus, before he knew it, he was reaching for the canned tuna and levering it open by the ring pull.

Putting the second plate down, with the smashed up fish, he looked at the kitten, before saying, "No one must know, got it?"

The animal didn't answer though, it just delicately began eating, licking its lips between every couple of mouthfuls.

Elijah, turned away and finished putting the rest of his groceries away. Sighing when he discovered the kitten was sat silently watching him.

"I guess, I have a cat now." He smirked, shaking his head. "We will go buy some cat food from town tomorrow, okay?" He asked, before cursing at himself again, for talking to the animal.

-----

Finally after clearing up, and having a coffee, he went outside to put his plan in motion. He hadn't been here since he and Colt left to go the airport. His own shame holding him back, but now he was here he knew what he had to do. So, he went to the old work shed and pulled out a very old diesel lawn mower from the back. It was heavy even for him, and it clunked loudly when it moved, but it had fuel and it was a start.

It took him about ten pulls of the cord to get the thing to start. His first was too rough, and resulted in him snapping it off the machine altogether. Which then resulted in a forty-five minute repair job, to re-attach the damn thing. Then another eight pulls that were obviously to gentle, and on the ninth he got it right, and the lawn mower roared into life (well croaked), allowing Elijah to commence tidying up in front of the old house. When the lawn was done, he realised there wasn't wire anywhere in the shed, for loading up the strimmer to tidy the edges, and he mentally added a trip to the hardware store to his list, for tomorrow in town.

Sighing, he looked up at the house, it would need painted, and there was at least one patch of tile on the roof needing replaced. As he studied the exterior, he seen the little kitten was sat on the porch steps, just quietly watching him. He figured, it was odd the animal was here all alone in the first place, it couldn't be more than three months old. He decided then to try and get a hold of it, just to check it over, because that was the responsible thing to do. He in no way planned to give the animal any further signs of affection or attention.

That night he climbed into bed, after spending the rest of the day cuddling and playing with the cat, now named Tommy on the discovery of his manhood, while Elijah was petting him and he began to roll over for tummy scratches. His pet kitten lay curled up in Colt's jumper on the pillow beside him, purring contentedly, and for the first time Elijah felt okay going to sleep without Colt.

Author's Note: I have been writing Determined for five months now. As I have, I have heard songs that remind me of the characters in different ways, or at different times in their lives. I will post some onto the Facebook page @Bethanyriverwrites if you fancy a listen... First up will be an Elijah song. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. B. x.