36. Nikolas: Hunt

*NIKOLAS*

The wind rushes past me as I soar high above the rugged peaks of the mountains, my wings slicing through the air with effortless grace. From this vantage point, the world below spreads out before me like a vast tapestry, the forests and valleys stretching out as far as the eye can see. But despite the breathtaking beauty of the landscape, my focus remains fixed on the task at hand—finding the bastard who attacked Claire.

Far below me, the other shifters of the Blood Moon Pack scour the ground, their keen senses attuned to any sign of our elusive target. But the trail has long since gone cold, fading into nothingness several miles back. It's as if Felix has vanished into thin air, leaving behind no trace of his passage.

I grit my teeth in frustration, the muscles in my wings tensing as I bank sharply to the left, scanning the terrain below with renewed determination. I know that Felix is out there somewhere, lurking in the shadows like a ghost in the night. And when I find him, there will be no mercy—only justice for the pain and suffering he's inflicted upon Claire.

But as the hours slip by and still there's no sign of him, a sense of restless urgency begins to gnaw at me. Despite my best efforts to focus on the task at hand, my thoughts keep drifting back to Claire. She’s not alone in her apartment, she’s safe with Vivian, but I can't shake the overwhelming urge that’s driving me to go back to her. To be by her side. To pull her into my arms and feel the quiet, familiar thudding of her heart beating against my own.

It’s a challenge in restraint— a matter of sheer willpower—that keeps me from abandoning the search for tonight and going to her. But Claire doesn’t need me with her at her apartment right now, what she needs is for me to end the bastard who’s been tormenting and harassing her for months. And I will.

With a growl of frustration, I drive my wings harder, pushing myself to fly faster, to scour every inch of the landscape below for any sign of Felix's presence. But as the night wears on, there's still no sign of him, no hint of his whereabouts. It's as if he's vanished into thin air, leaving behind nothing but a trail of shadows in his wake.

Finally, we’ve been going long enough that the sun begins to peek above the horizon, casting the once dark mountain range into shades of lightening gray. I finally decide it’s time to bank toward the ground to check in with the rest of the search party. The forest stretches out before me, a dark and silent expanse of towering trees and shadowed undergrowth.

With a beat of my wings, I descend from the sky, my dragon form shifting seamlessly into that of a human as I touch down on the forest floor. Landing, I catch sight of Ricardo's dark gray wolf loping through the trees to meet me. He shifts back into his human form as well, his tired eyes meeting mine with a weary determination.

“Boss,” he greets me, his voice low and rough with exhaustion. "Any luck up there?"

I shake my head, the frustration evident in my expression. "Nothing. You?”

Ricardo's shoulders sag slightly at my words, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "Same down here. We've covered miles of ground, but there's no sign of him anywhere. It's like he vanished into thin air.”

I run a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of frustration pressing down on me like a physical weight. "Damn it," I mutter under my breath, "We can't keep chasing shadows like this. What we need to do is work up a new plan.”

Ricardo nods in agreement, his expression grim. "Agreed. Until we have more information, there's not much we can do. From what I can tell, the coward freaked and scurried back into his hidey hole like a little rat. Now all we can do is wait for him to be dumb enough to stick his nose back out.”

He’s right. Without any further information to go off of, we’re just banging our head against the wall. “Let’s reinstate the regular patrol units for this area with a few extra guards added to each route. We’ll get back to the city and regroup back at my office in a few hours. I’ll have a few people look into gaining more insight into what Felix’s Shift forms are and go from there.”

Ricardo nods in agreement, his exhaustion evident in every line of his body. "Sounds like a plan," he claps a hand against my shoulder, offering his silent support, his eyes heavy with resolve, “We’ll be ready for him next time. I'll rally the troops and meet you in a few hours.”

With a final nod of understanding, we part ways.

I Shift back into the black scaly body of my dragon form and take back to the chilly mountain skies. Each flare of my wings brings me closer to the city’s edge and my thoughts inevitably turn to Claire. The pull to return to her side grows stronger, an almost tangible force drawing me back to her like a magnet.

I can't shake the image of her face from my mind, the way her eyes had searched mine for reassurance before I had left. I need to get back to her. To see her with my own eyes— make sure she’s alright. But it's more than any sense of duty that drives me back to her. There's something deeper, something primal and undeniable that tugs at my heart whenever I think of her.

It's a feeling I can't quite put into words, but it's there, lingering just beneath the surface, a constant presence that refuses to be ignored. Since I left her to search for Felix, the need to be back with her has only grown stronger, until it's turned into something all-consuming, drowning out every other thought in my mind. I know I can't stay away for any longer.

After all the hours of flight I’ve done tonight, I know what I need is a few hours of sleep and to replenish the calories I’ve burned through. More than any of those things, though, I need to be with Claire. The need to see her safe and sound with my own eyes, is too strong to resist. And so, with a sense of determination burning in my chest, I set my course for home, surprised at how quickly, how easily, my idea of home has switched from a place to *person*.