We stood outside the warehouse, Caleb already heading towards the car. Hunter walked swiftly and determinedly, his wolf senses alert to something escaping mine. I asked Hunter what was happening, but he kept advancing, his nostrils sniffing the air intensely.
“What's going on?” I insisted, hurrying to keep up.
Hunter abruptly stopped, his eyes narrowing as he processed information received by his senses. He turned to me, his face serious and intense.
“The boys. Their scent is here, Fierce. They've been around... They are here,” Hunter said, urgency palpable in his voice.
“Here? They're here now?” I asked, bewildered.
Hunter didn't respond immediately. He started walking, following the scent trails of our children. Caleb approached, questioning where Hunter was going. I just followed without thinking, anxiety building up inside me.
We walked through the forest until Hunter stopped in the middle of it. His golden eyes surveyed the area, and he said firmly, “The boys have been here.”
I turned to the forest, calling out my children's names. “Cassian, Dorian, Kane, Mom is here. Come out, my loves.”
Hunter joined my call, his words echoing in the forest's silence. “Come out, boys. We're here to take you home.”
However, only the empty echo of trees seemed to respond. No childish laughter, no comforting sound of their footsteps.
Caleb approached us, his expression serious. “They weren't the only ones,” he revealed, his worried expression reflecting the gravity of the situation.
“What do you mean?” I asked, feeling a knot forming in my stomach.
Caleb took a deep breath. “I smelled the scent of three other humans here. Besides the boys.”
Hunter confirmed Caleb's words, and the gravity of the situation started weighing on me.
Hunter took a deep breath, assuming a determined posture. “They've been taken. We have to act fast if we want to find them.”
The boys had been taken by someone, and now, within that forest, the only thing echoing was the uncertainty of who had taken them from us.
Hunter led the way, Caleb by his side, and I followed, guided by the instinct to protect our children, wherever they were.
The forest exuded a palpable tension as Hunter, Caleb, and I delved into the trail left by the scents of the boys and those who took them. Uncertainty hung over us, and I tried to ignore the growing unease within me. Something was wrong with my sense of smell, but I couldn't afford to let it shake me now.
The invisible trail led us to an abandoned road, where Hunter finally stopped. I looked at him, questioning the reason for the interruption. His golden eyes focused on the exact spot where the boys and the kidnappers had left together in some vehicle.
“Hunter, what is it now?” I asked, trying to hide the anxiety in my voice.
He took a deep breath before answering. “The boys got into a vehicle here. They've been taken,” Hunter said, his gaze fixed on the road ahead of us.
“Shifting would be faster. We could catch up more quickly,” Caleb argued, his expression serious as he weighed the options.
I looked at Hunter, and a silent tension between us unfolded. I hadn't told Caleb about the temporary loss of my wolf, and now this omission weighed on me like a shadow.
“We can't risk drawing the attention of werewolves who may be involved with the kidnappers,” I told Caleb, my voice wavering.
Caleb stared at us with a questioning expression. “What's going on, Fierce? Why don't you want to shift?”
“I prefer to stay in human form,” I replied, trying to choose my words carefully. “I don't want to scare the boys. They still don't know I'm a werewolf.”
Caleb raised his eyebrows, sensing hesitation in my voice. “Why not shift? They already know what they are, Fierce.”
Hunter agreed with me, adding, “Let's continue like this as much as possible. We don't know who's behind this, and if there are werewolves involved, we don't want to attract more attention than we already have.”
Caleb frowned but accepted the decision. “As you wish, but with every passing second, the boys may be farther away.”
The tension between us persisted, but discretion was necessary for now.
We moved along the road, our senses alert, as the trail continued ahead of us. With each step, the anguish grew in my chest. My inability to fully use my werewolf nature made me feel vulnerable, but I couldn't allow that to stop me.
Caleb glanced at me occasionally, as if trying to decipher what I was hiding. I held his gaze, maintaining a firm expression.
I nodded, drawing strength from his words. We continued our search on the road, united by the mission to bring the boys back home, even if I had to face my own internal challenges along the way.
***
The heat of the day still lingered as we walked along the abandoned road, trying to track the boys and the kidnappers. Caleb, Hunter, and I agreed to stay in human form, but the walk under the scorching sun was starting to wear us out.
“It's too hot for this time of year,” Caleb grumbled, wiping sweat from his forehead. “And no one wants to shift to catch a breeze.”
Yes, we were ordinary werewolves who could use the transformation to enhance the efficiency of our search. Still, the burden of keeping my secret hidden from Caleb weighed on me, a necessary choice for now.
“Hunter, Fierce, I think we should head back to the car. It's too hot to continue like this,” Caleb suggested.
Hunter agreed, acknowledging the logic in Caleb's suggestion. “Yes, maybe it's better. We can cover more ground in the vehicle.”
I nodded, silently thanking for the opportunity to rest. Our steps led us back to Caleb's car, a sigh of relief hanging in the air when we finally reached the shade.
Caleb opened the car door, revealing the trapped heat inside. “I hope the car isn't an oven,” he said, shrugging.
We entered, and the feeling of relief upon feeling the relatively cooler interior was instant. Caleb grabbed a thermos bottle of water, offering us a much-needed break.
“Who wants water?” Caleb offered, displaying the bottle with a friendly smile.
Hunter accepted, thanking me for the offer. Caleb poured cold water for Hunter as I watched, waiting for my turn.
“Do you want some, Fierce? It was too hot out there,” Caleb offered, extending the bottle to me.
“Yes, thank you,” I replied, accepting the bottle. The cool water brought a welcomed relief, and I thanked Caleb before closing the bottle.
“Let's go, before we lose the trail,” Hunter said, indicating it was time to move on.
Caleb agreed, starting the car. The engine roared to life, and we were back on the abandoned road, eager for any clue that would lead us to the boys.