Chapter 86
**Arsen POV**
"*Arsen*" I hear through the link Aelin. I immediately know what it is for.
I start packing up my things quietly, "if everyone here could excuse me, Luna Aelin has gone into Heat," I explain.
I get a room full of understanding nods. I get up and walk towards the exit. My wolf is getting anxious and my human was following suit. I felt this gut feeling in my chest that something was wrong. I couldn't comprehend what or why. A burning sensation sudden and almost paralysing in pain strikes me just where Aelin's mark would be.
"Fuck!" I shout, placing my hand on my neck and pressing tightly.
Everyone's eyes turn to me.
"*Aelin?*" I asked through the link.
"Alpha?" Someone, I couldn't care to identify who, asked.
"*Vampire*."
That's all I get. A mere whisper. Barely comprehensible if it wasn't for how closely I was listening to the mindlink, I wouldn't have been able to understand her. I immediately knew who it was.
"Fucking Ascian!" I shout. "Everyone spread, Cassius with me to the packhouse now!"
I don't wait to hear an answer from them. I take off running. Faster than my legs have ever ran before. I run and I run. Hoping. Praying that my Aelin has not been captured. I let my wolf take over, I needed his sense of smell, his abilities and his need for Aelin to take over.
I follow the scent of Aelin until it leads me to the front of the packhouse. There's no one there. Just a sickening smell from Aelin, she was barely a few minutes after getting into her Heat before that blood-sucking soulless beast took her.
*She's not in the packhouse* I mindlink all the warriors. *Spread out. I want this territory swept. I don't want a single square feet of land that has not been inspected.*
I mindlink with my Alpha voice. Everyone needed to search for her.
I kept talking to the mindlink to Aelin, hoping at som point she would answer. I tried touching my neck, hoping her mark would tingle and wake her up or help her fight against whatever magic was causing all this.
However, I don't hear a thing from her. I knew she was awake if she died, the mate bond would die with her. The bond was there, it was far from gone, it only didn't fully work somehow. I knew this was all plan of Ascian. He wouldn't kill her that I was sure of. He wanted her all for himself. Ascian. The person that subjected her to a life of misery, torture all because of what.a man did to her. There was no punishment in this world severe enough for that man. He had to suffer. As long as they didn't leave the North I would get my Aelin back and I would get to make him suffer for all the pain he's caused.
,
The hours started adding up and there was no sign of Aelin. The time was ticking. If she had gone into Heat it was a matter of time before the rest of she-wolves would do too. I needed my warriors in search for her.
A few loose scents of Aelin were picked up, all in different areas, all pointing at different directions. Ascian wanted to cause chaos and confusion. So, I sat down. I took one ofAelin's t-shirt and I smelt it. I took a deep breath and instead of using it as a way to panic myself. I let it relax me. A take another deep breath of her scent. I let myself be reminded of the peace that she brought me.
I throw my head back, and unlike previous times. I think clearly for a second. For two. For a minute. Until, at some point, I don't know for how i long I was thinking for, but suddenly all of Ascian's plan was revealed to me. Everything we had gathered up about him. All the trails, all the witches we had talked with to gain insight.
Her name popped into my head. She hadn't wanted to help, gave excuses and no type of price for coming was big enough. Until it was, she came to my office and a big meeting was made. Regardless of how costly she had been, she never gave straight answers, always turning everything into riddles and finding the story a bit too funny. Forrest had pointed it out from the beginning, she was suspicious. Everyone dismissed as just her witch nature. Witches hated werewolves. But, it was also common knowledge that they hated vampires more, yet for some reason, she seemed to like Ascian more.
I mindlinked everyone. I ask for a group of 20 warriors to go to witch Arabelle's house. It was far into the mountains, yet not far enough to be dangerous. Rather a place no one really wanted to visit, granting her the perfect place for her lonesome life. Everyone else would go to every other witches house, he was in one of them, that I was sure of.
We go all the way to Arabelle's house and I could assure you before busting the door open that she was there.
The house had been very intelligently made. Never confuse a witch for a fool. She had carved the side of the mountain. The only clue that there was someone living there was the small wooden door in betwen the black rock. My men and I barely fit through it and didn't know what would be waiting for us on the other side of the door. However, we couldn't wait outside thinking and planning. We needed to be quick and attack. Surprise them.
I would go first, several of my men would wait out making sure nobody could escape. Either way another group of warriors was asked to come help but stay more in the outskirts of the area, making an even larger perimeter just in case.
I thrust my whole body against the door, summing as much force as I could. Breaking the wooden door in front of me into shards. I make it inside. Aelin's scent hits my nose.