The Moonlit Path

Chapter 22: Say That Again

TITUS:

I woke up to the beautiful light streaming in through the windows. Without opening my eyes I rolled over and reached out my arm for Liana. I shot up when I touched the cold bed. Her smell was faint around the room which told me she had been gone for awhile. Immediately, I got up and checked the bathroom, finding nothing there I sped toward my bag for my clothes, determined to find the love of my life and bring her back into bed with me for the rest of the day. On top of my bag there was a small note with a simple message: 'come find me'.

She wants to play! Telum jumped up and down. Her wolf must be out waiting for us. Let's go find her!

Let's go find her indeed. I smirked and grabbed some clothes to leave on the back porch. There's no neighbors for a couple of miles in either direction so there was no need to be shy as I popped out the back door nude and shifted to let Telum have full control. We howled a warning that we were coming to find our playful little mate.

Liana's smell was all over the yard in different patterns and directs.

Clever girl hid her scent well but not well enough. Telum started running in the freshest direction. We hit a wall of trees where the scent faded back toward the house. I grunted. We never tell her we fell for this, I think to myself and head back for the house. I tried a few other pathways, only getting a couple steps into the forest before backtracking.

I tried to use the mindlink to follow her thoughts but nothing came. She had blocked me out so I couldn't follow her thoughts, I was forced to rely on my nose and my knowledge of her. I started heading toward the water, thinking of last night and how much she loved the lake. I had only travelled about a mile before I felt the pang of fear through the link.

Something's wrong, I told Telum and forced him to pick up the pace. Suddenly, I couldn't feel Liana and Amara at all, it was like they had disappeared from the earth. My heart wretched into my chest and I sprinted, catching on to her scent. I came to a stop at the edge of a clearing where I could smell her and several other unfamiliar wolves; but they were nowhere to be seen.

Liana? I tried the link again but it was like talking to an empty void, there was nothing there. This wasn't just her blocking me out. Something was really wrong. I ran around the clearing trying to pick up which way she went from here but there was nothing.

Bella! Ven! Get to the cabin now! I can't find her! I snapped through the mindlink.The last few words almost lost their power but I had to hold on.

A large silver wolf and a slightly smaller grey one appeared before me. My brother's eyes were filled with panic and Bella's with the calm determination I had always known him to hold. I filled them in quickly and we each set off in different directions looking for any clue as to where she had gone.

Titus? Ven's voice rang in my head.

You found her? The desperation was hard to hide as I turned tail and headed back toward his route.

Titus... I found tire tracks but there's no sign of Liana.

Any scents you recognize? There was a long pause as I reached him. Ven! Any scents?

I smell Mathias and Philious...

I growled so loudly that Ven bowed his head in instinctual respect.

Where the fuck is she?

Titus, Bella appeared behind us holding a needle carefully between his teeth. Titus it's wolfsbane and silver. Her wolf may be gone but she might live.