Chapter 33

*****Shawn’s perspective*****

It wasn’t just wolf pups that these wanderers were kidnapping. Humans and vampires were going missing as well. We continued with the investigation trying to find out where the wanderers were taking the missing people. We were also trying to understand why these particular people were chosen. They were all young and in good health. More than half were college students.

We started back at the beginning. The night of the fire, I was headed to the gym when I first smelled them and then the smoke from the fire. I had ignored the other two scents and focused on the fire that’s where the first wanderer’s scent led. When I arrived, only wolves were at the site. I tried to remember. Ben kept trying to see that night, but was having as much luck as I was. We both kept coming up with nothing.

On a happier note, Strix finally accepted that mate bonds exist and that we are fated. Our marking ceremony is in two days. I am excited. This should help her a lot with her blood lust and I finally get to claim her. We plan on moving, after finals, to a house of our own. Mostly for the privacy, neither of us really want to be away from family. We figure we will have our own place for just us but also switch between our families homes, too. Strix suggested building a house in the mountains but I convinced her that we should live close to campus. I am not building a house in the middle of winter; she’s funny sometimes.

It was the day of the marking ceremony. Strix was hiding because she thought she looked ridiculous in her dress. I thought she looked amazing in her royal blue silk dress, but apparently my opinion doesn’t count. Our family and friends were getting everything set up the way Strix had wanted it, right down to the blue dahlias lining the stage. Taylor created several trees of light. Strix saw one he did, accidentally, on the news and asked Taylor if he could do that at the ceremony. He agreed. She also wanted snow owls to fly overhead when she exited the house, so Phoenix said he would help with that.

At seven-thirty pm, everything was ready for the ceremony. People started taking their seats. Rose and Elizabeth went to check on Strix and make any finishing touches. At eight o’ clock, the music began and the chatter died down. And as requested, the snow owls were released and flew overhead as my beautiful mate walked out. Billy greeted her and walked her to the stage. My father commenced with the ceremony.

“Shawn, do you take Strix Dahlia Barnette as your mate, to love and to cherish for all of eternity?”

“Yes, I do.”

“And do you Strix, take Shawn Zachariah Henderson as your mate, to love and to cherish for all of eternity?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Let the marking begin!” My father shouted.

I pulled Strix close, kissed her lips, whispered “I love you” in her ear and then bit her neck where it meets her shoulder. She gasped and then melted in my arms. I licked my mark on her neck to seal it. It was a black wolf standing in front of a full moon.

*****Strix’s perspective*****

I was not expecting it to feel so good when he marked me. I turned to jelly in his arms. After he sealed his mark, he whispered, “your turn” against my neck. I looked into his eyes and whispered, “I love you, too,” and then lean in and bit his neck where it meets his shoulder. It was the best blood I had ever tasted, but neither did I crave it nor did I want to devour all of him to get every last drop. I licked my mark to seal it. It was a snow owl flying in front of the full moon.

Everyone was cheering. My dad was being obnoxious with his hoots and whistles, Ben tried to get him to stop with no luck. Shawn and I went to get cleaned up so we could join our party.

“We are bonded forever now. How do you feel?” He asked.

“I feel great, I don’t want to drain you anymore.”

“That’s fantastic. Save some energy for the mating ceremony later, that one is private, just you and me.” He smiled seductively.

“Well, now later is all I can think about.” I smiled back.

We joined everyone on the dance floor. The night was absolutely perfect. After about an hour, I told Shawn we should go. I couldn’t wait any longer. To which he replied he couldn’t either. We said our thank yous and good nights and left.

We went to the guest house behind the main house, it was the furthest from the party as I had planned it. Once inside, I ripped his clothes off.

“You really couldn’t wait could you, mate.” He said, pulling my dress over my head.

“No, I couldn’t.” I said breathlessly as I kissed him all over his face and neck.

So I was told the mating ceremony for wolves takes about three days to complete. I nor anyone else for that matter, was sure how long it would take with me being a vampire. On day two I really needed blood. So I snuck out while he was sleeping.

I went into the mountains. I had hoped to find a bear to feed on, but I found something much worse. Michael. I had forgotten about him. I should have asked someone to come hunting with me but I didn’t think to. I was too far from home to call anyone for help.

And then I heard it, in my head. “Strix, I’m coming,” it was Shawn.

“How can I hear you, how did you hear me?”

“We are bonded and mated now, we can always hear each other and sense each other’s emotions. Strix, you need to run, now!”

Before I could even move, something hit my back and I was out.

*****Shawn’s perspective*****

I was jolted awake by her fear. Where did she go? The mountains. I shifted and ran as fast as I could. I told her to run but then everything went dark on her side. Her last thought was Michael. The wanderers have her. I continued to run towards them. When I got to the spot where her scent trail ended, I found the remains of a tranq dart. They knocked her out. I grabbed the dart in my teeth and ran back to the house. I woke everyone, those who slept anyway, with my howling and shifted back.

“They took her!” I screamed, as everyone came out of the houses.

“Who?” Billy and Jacob said in unison.

“The wanderers, Michael.” I cried.

“We will find her, son.”

“They made a huge mistake taking my daughter. And if I know her, they will be begging us to take her back, I hope.”

“They tranqed her.” I said.

“They what?” Billy yelled.

“When I found where she had been taken from, I found this,” I said, handing it to him.

He took it and examined it. “They used corpse flower, She could be out for days.” Billy said.

“So I won’t be able to talk to her either.”

We stopped talking and formed a search party. Everyone from the ceremony was still here and we even called in reinforcements, Strix was part of the pack now. We spent an entire day searching for her and never found any trace.