Ch. 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

~Drake:

Something feels off. There’s a kink in my neck and rotating my head to rest on my other cheek isn’t quite it. The stiffness in my shoulders and neck hit me as I lifted off the table. I blinked for a moment, remembering where I was, what had happened, the gnarly and the nearly perfect. I’d spent hours cleaning up the bodies from the disaster that was yesterday so she wouldn’t have to see it anymore, so we could talk through everything without that hanging over us.

I breathed in and it hit me. No fresh scent. My mate wasn’t here. I bolted upright and started barreling for the door. A swim again? I ran to the lake but there was no sign of her, and no fresh scents either. My eyes caught it then. Her car was gone.

“Mate!” I growled out in frustration.

She ran from us, Dane said his voice laced with anger and hurt.

How could she just take off like that? Did she not take my words seriously? I ran back to the bedroom in the cabin and confirmed her things were gone. She must’ve gone back to her rental. She runs like this from place to place like it's her profession, she must have gone back to leave things like she had at Beth’s.

I shut the door to the cabin and removed my clothing, shifted and inspected the place the car had been. While it was very slight, I had the remnants of her scent and car exhaust. I’d follow it.

We took off at top speed, not risking losing her trail to time.

My muscles screamed as I ran faster than we’d ever had to. I knew we were heading southwest but I didn’t know exactly where she had been staying, just that her landlord was some older guy. Really not enough to go by if I lost her trail.

Staying near the highways I raced along the bushline so random humans wouldn’t report sightings of an oddly large wolf running down the streets of towns. We really don’t need extra attention from the Lycaons who were probably looking for talk like that online and on police scanners.

They’d likely put together who owned that cabin before I would get to my mate, and the thought of them finding her first sent fury through the both of us as we pushed faster, further.

The scents finally changed directions leading me off the highway. It had to be here, she had to be nearby!

We ran in the new direction until the trees opened up to a more residential area. The scent was much fresher here and I had to take a minute to shift and not attract unwanted attention. Throwing the bag of clothes on the ground I shifted back and quickly got dressed. I was still pulling a shirt over my head as I took off down the street. I ran another three blocks until I found it. The place seemed vaguely familiar and her scent was even fresher here.

There was no car to be found but I took off down to the studio area. I cupped my hands around my vision and saw it, the note for the guy renting the place. I suddenly noticed the glimmer of light shining off a body of water near here. Was she there?

In a minute I was there. It smelled of mint, chocolate, and… salt? Tears. She’d cried here. Did someone hurt her? I took a second to double check but it didn’t seem like anyone else had been here, no reason for her to have cried.

She cried for us, Dane whined.

The thought stilled me.

She ran from me but was upset about it? But she hadn’t turned around, I would have picked up on that. Goddess, why was she running then?

Back over by the street we walked around a bit before I picked it up again. I hadn’t noticed the first time because it smelled of salt and car exhaust. The salt was strong here even though it was a little older than the slight salt by the water. She’d been crying here, and gone to the water for relief. My heart tugged. She needed me.

I remembered what she looked like the last time she lost it at the lake, exploding like a supernova at the pier. She needed me then, relieved I was there. The realization had calmed her down. But I wasn’t here this time. What had she done? Was she okay?

Focus, I told myself.

I picked up the new direction she went and took off running.

In wolf form again and on a new highway we followed her trail for another hour at top speed. My mind fought between focusing on what I was doing and where I was headed, but equally swallowed with worry that the Lycaon would be fast on our trail. It was a miracle of the Goddess I hadn’t smelled any wolves or other scents at the rental she had been staying in.

My pads hit the dirt roughly as we weaved around obstacles and leaped over bushes. A few cars passed near us but there was enough coverage for us to go undetected. Where was she going? This highway she took was smaller than the main ones, with a slower speed limit and just one lane in either direction. She was headed east, away from the ocean, what was even east of here? Mount Hood in the distance, but there was nothing else I could think of in this direction other than the next state over.

Hours later we crossed into Idaho and there was no sign of her having pulled over. How much gas did she even have in that tank?

She’s near, Dane insisted. Don’t screw it up this time.

How do you know that? I shot back, And like you’re any help!

Just do as I say, he grunted.

What in the Goddess's name-?

I scented it then, the change. She’d exited the highway. I slowed my run and kept an eye out for any sign of her. The brush and treeline stayed pretty dense here. We weren’t near a big town by any means, but with Dane’s note in my head I decided to shift anyway, assuming she was close.

I walked out and entered a gas station. Here her scent lingered a bit and I took a second to relish it, the ever so faint smell had been driving me nuts, but here there was a bigger helping of it. The store. She’d gone inside. I walked around a bit until I put it together - she’d gone inside and then driven - but not far. Two blocks over and across the street I saw it - her car.

She hadn’t changed it yet! Hope surged in my chest as I took off for the motel next to the parking lot.

She’s here, she’s here, Dane repeated over and over, heightening my own excitement.

There were a few other human scents here but no hint of fear in my mate’s, so I had to hope she was still okay.

I ran up the stairs to the second floor landing when I stopped. Here, her door. 202. I knocked on the door and rocked on my heels, my senses in overdrive. I could hear her footsteps, her sharp intake of breath.

She didn’t move anymore.

I knocked again. “Freckles, let me in.”

She let out a large breath and moved to the door but stopped again.

“Freckles, please,” I sighed in exhaustion.

I was tired, of the run? Sure. Of her constant fighting of our bond? Most definitely. I wouldn’t be giving up but that didn’t mean it felt great.

I waited a few more beats but she didn’t open the door.

“If you don’t open it I’m just going to wait out here for you,” I pushed once more.

Another second and the locks on the door were undone.

She opened the door just a crack and her scent, her gaze, her everything had me sighing in relief like I hadn’t slept in a week and she was the world’s most comfortable blanket set.

“H- How did you find me?” she asked, startled.

I stepped forward, my hand going to open the door further. She automatically stepped back as I came in, shutting the door behind me.

“Goddess Freckles, I like to stay fit too but all this running is getting exhausting,” I said, cracking a smile.

Really? Opening with a joke?, Dane nitpicked.

I ignored him, taking her in.

Her mouth opened for a moment then snapped shut as she spun on her heel.

“What do I have to do to get you to let me go?” her voice harsh, a dollop of sadness mixed in.

“You can’t. I told you this, and I told you I would say it again a million times, so here’s number twenty - I am never leaving you,” I chortled. “I guess I should have clarified last time that this includes ‘even if you run from me,’ which I thought was a given.”

I eyed a chair next to the bed and sat, waiting for her reaction.

“Drake, you can’t - I know that I- Ugh!” she pulled at her hair, frustrated.

A smiled at her.

“What?” she snapped, assessing me closely.

“You just - you sound like me. I usually can’t string my thoughts together long enough to make any sense - especially around you,” I teased.

She narrowed her gaze.

“I can’t deal with you right now,” she whipped the words with a snarl.

“Are you okay?” I said solemnly, remembering the tears.

She looked at me, assessing my meaning.

“At the rental, I- I noticed you’d been crying,” I admitted, averting my eyes with the confession.

“That’s none of your-” she started.

“Did you deal with it okay? I wasn’t there this time,” I said quickly.

She backed up a step, her eyes flashing.

“So what?” She said, arms crossed, tough, but her voice cracking slightly.

Her hair started to lift just a little. Her hands fisted at her sides, trying to hold it all in.

I moved faster than my mind could work. I was up with my arms wrapped around her in a flash. She stiffened at first, and I felt her power flare up before it came crashing down, her hair resting on my right arm as I held her close.

She shuddered but didn’t say anything or move. So I stayed still, feeling every cell of where we touched. Never feeling so alive or so at peace, hoping she was feeling the same way.