Chapter 81
(Author’s POV)
Alaric was fast and furious with his driving skills as Alex was busy tracking down Brave’s scent. After a good ten minutes’ of drive from the pack house, he smelt Brave’s scent. Alaric stopped his car instantly and got out of it at once but there was no sign of Brave or any other being, whatsoever.
It was in the middle of nowhere, vast forest was covering the dead asphalt filled road from both sides. But Brave’s scent was coming from somewhere near, Alex was sure of it. The air was filled with his odor despite there was no one in sight. And it was so intense and overwhelming, that his hands shivered. He remembered the incident from the mountain top when Brave tried to commit suicide. The lifeless face of Brave appeared in front of him, making Alaric restless.
Alaric started searching relentlessly for any clues that were hidden and simultaneously he was trying to connect the mind link to reach Brave, “Brave Everests, do you hear me? Answer me, got damnit. Tell me, where are you? Arrghhhhhh, Fuck. Answer me right now. Don’t do anything rash, brother” he growled in annoyance, his eyes turned bloodshot. The veins on his forehead wiggled.
Suddenly his eyes started glowing when he saw a nearby tree trunk. The bark of the elm tree had a hand print of someone, a hand print which was printed with blood, at that. It was the only hint that didn’t wash away because the widely spread stems and leaves were shielding it from the rain.
The sight of Brave’s bloodied hand impression chilled Alaric’s senses, ’It is his blood. Brave is in danger. Alex, detect and find his whereabouts before anything drastic happens to him.’ Alaric was petrified but he had to find his twin brother as soon as possible.
Due to the torrential and persistent rainfall, any other trace of Brave’s blood was washed out from the road and dissolved into the mud on the roadside. And surprisingly the car he was driving was nowhere to be seen, not even the glass shards were visible that fall off when Brave broke the windowsill of his car to escape.
Alaric started marching inside the dark and dense forest, trying to get any lead on Brave’s whereabouts. He went deeper and deeper and the metallic smell of someone’s blood was mixed with the rain droplets that were consistently pouring down. Alex perked up, ’It is Brave’s blood odor, I am sure of it. He is inside the forest but he is not the only one. I sense someone else as well p>
Listening to Alex’s words, Alaric balled his hands tightly in a fist as tiny drops of water rested on his knuckles and then fell from it. The scar on his palm ached; burning like his hand was holding a live charcoal.
He sucked air through his teeth, gasping for more oxygen. He was overshadowed by the feeling of foreboding that something was wrong with Brave. Alex started to take control as Alaric’s hands were shifting into paws and his nails grew sharp and long, digging deeper into the place where the scar was. It cut the flesh where the scar was and blood seeped from the wound and dropped to the wet and muddy surface beneath him.
“Aaaawwwoooooooooo”, Alex howled like a wild beast, unrestrained. His nose was flaring and his teeth grew knifelike. But he had to maintain his composure, right now was not the time to run on a rampage, he knew it very well. There were others inside the forest; it was a friend or a foe, he did not know. So he had to be careful.
’Stay calm, stay calm. We have to find Brave, Alex. Calm down. For Brave’s safety, handle yourself’, Alaric kept on repeating these words, trying to keep his sanity and his wolf in check. If Alex was run lose somehow, it would alert the other party and that could disrupt Alaric’s search for Brave. They might even try to harm his brother. Brave was strong but right now he was more or less wolf less which made him vulnerable and plus he was injured.
Alaric followed and trailed to the path forward in desperation and after a long walk he finally found another clue, a white piece of clothing covered in blood. He ran towards it in a flash and took a good whiff of it, his jaw clenched as he gritted his teeth; his hand gripped the torn white cloth securely. Like a maniac, he started sprinting inside the forest. Apart from Brave, several other scents were mixed in the air making Alaric vary of the situation.
While he ran, his hair and clothes that were wet and sticking to his birth suit, drops of rain kept falling from them. The sleeves of his black shirt were rolled up, the veins on his arms bulged as he dashed forward. The cargo pants were cohering to his well-toned legs. The forest was muddy and murky; as he dug on the boggy and squashy land underneath his feet.
As Alaric got closer and closer, he could hear grunting sound from somewhere. It was filled with pain and agony. He galloped to find the source and started marching towards the way the sound was coming from.
But, the sudden rustling of leaves from the other side of the woods made Alaric halt his steps midway. He narrowed his eyes, ’someone other than Brave is in this forest and it is not one but many. Stay on alert. They know we are also here’ Alaric warned Alex. With hasty steps and darkened eyes, he went to the direction where the rustling sound came from.
The forest surrounding the pack house was packed with large trees which were obstructing his vision. It was almost impossible for even Alaric, who had normal visual acuity, ten times better sightedness than any human, to look clearly in the dreary woods.
He reached the place and smelled the strong scent, his eyes squinted at the peculiarity of the scent, it was not Brave’s odor nor was it any wolves scent. It smelt more like an ordinary smell, a human scent. ’What will a human do inside the forest at this time, in such weather?’ It was suspicious.
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After dinner Elio and Dion did not follow the girls because they wanted to give them some space. They were called to the study and went inside to find their parents were already present.
Noah who was settled on the couch beside Sara, one arm of his was resting on the arm rest while the other was behind his wife; he asked Elio, “What is the update for that human kid? Is the elixir complete? Is he out of danger p>
“Father, Dr. Andrew has already concocted the holy basil and mixed it with the other ingredients and the elixir was ready, when I left the pack hospital. Beta Matthew just mind linked me that the boy name Rory Clinton has been given the elixir and Dr. Andrew is now observing his condition.” Elio reported in a formal tone.
“If the child’s situation has not improved yet and he is still in danger, why did you rush to come to the mansion? Is this how you handle things? As an alpha, it is your responsibility to see through things like this. Return to the pack hospital right now, and give me timely update, Elio Everests. And don’t repeat this ever again in the future” Noah was stern in his response.
Elio knew he was in the wrong but he wanted to come home for Myra’s farewell dinner and gift her the present he had carefully chosen for her. “Yes, Alpha. I will go right now”, saying this, he bowed to them and departed from the study, leaving only Dion behind with his parents.
It was now Sara turn to ask questions. She leaned back and asked, her voice cold and filled with command and authority, “You all decided to reveal the truth today, but did not even find it worthy to mention it to any of us. Dion Everests, I can understand Nora’s unrest but you and your brothers know very well, that we cannot reveal our identity so lightly. Myra is a fragile and docile girl; she will be scared to her wits if she knows what we are. You should have told us about it.” Her tone turned reprimanding.
Noah squeezed her hand, urging her to calm herself down.
Dion pursed his lips, his usual playful and casual attitude was replaced by seriousness, “Mother, at the night camp, Nora had a bit of talk with Myra. I don’t know what they talked about but since then she had been adamant and desperate to tell Myra about our kind’s existence. She had a long discussion with us siblings and after careful consideration we all support her in her decision p>
Sara sighed heavily listening to Dion’s words, her expression was somber.
Dion seeing that the time was right started, “Alpha Noah and Luna Sara, I have something very important to tell you p>
Both Noah and Sara, when they heard Dion’s formal tone, sat straight up, waiting for his words. He was not someone who would use that tone so often so it made them interested.
Dion gulped involuntarily, Drey mumbled, ’Are you sure you want to tell your parents about Myra being your mate? It may backfire p>
Dion replied, ’I have thought this through.’ He cleared his throat and ready to tell them. But before he could reveal anything, Nora’s mind link interrupted him, ’Brother, we have a problem here p>
To Be Continued……..