Her Wolf Is Gone

Chapter 22

***Conlan's POV***

Sleep was hard to come by in the front seat of the truck. Zara had improved mentally during the time she was awake but once she fell asleep... It was so painful to hear her screams. She would be so loud that she would startle awake. James, the witch, and I did our best to ignore her after she'd wake. Each time I'd have to force Karr and myself to calm down. Absolute exhaustion would eventually find me every now and then and I'd be able to catch a nap here and there. The sun on our second day had long set by the time I was coming out of yet another restless nap. Soft murmurs from the rogue and witch reach me, but it was the sad undertone of their conversation that stabbed painfully in my gut.

"Is there a way to fix the broken spell?" There was a long pause. "There isn't. Isn't there?"

"James. Can you see them in the mirror?"

"The witch, Hazel, is shaking her head." He gave a little sigh. I can see that he was just as exhausted as I was. We have been rotating with Theo between driving, and running with the wolves, so that every third rotation was meant for sleeping. Theo chose to sleep in the supply truck due to Zara's nightmares. James and I always made sure to be close to her just in case for more than one reason. One being that we're witch hunters and we still can't trust a witch, white or not; second it's our mission to make sure Zara is protected. Her well being is the main reason why I've let the members of the Veiled Moon Pack follow us home. Thirdly, Karr was much more irritable once we were out of reach of Zara. His instinct to protect her was so strong it was impossible to fight. To get him to run I had to remind him that we had duties to not only protect her but the other wolves. The other wolves that were now following us, well Zara, have formed a bond. Wolf bonds are mysterious as the Moon Goddess herself, but I can't deny that I feel the bond with them. 'Maybe it's because they have lost their Alpha... Again. I'm an Alpha, so is that why a bond is forming with them?'

"I'm afraid that the only solution now is to find your mate before..."

"But how?" Zara's words carried so much hurt and sadness that it could make the clouds weep. "I have no scent. I'd have to wait for him to-- ." Her incomplete statement hung heavy in the air. "I can't do that."

"What other ways can there be though? The alternative is that you'll slowly succumb to the forced mark. It will drive you to madness. I can't watch you do that again."

A frown must have formed on my face, because I could feel a tightness on my forehead. 'Was she implying or suggesting that she would have to physically touch every male?' Karr seethed. I felt my temper rising again at the thought. 'What kind of sick Cinderella story is this?'

"Uh, Beta?" James cautiously called. "Do you need to run?" I gave him a questioning sideways glance. He shook his head and continued, "You don't even realize that you were just growling do you?"

"Was I?"

"Teagan is on edge, and quite frankly so am I. Karr is even scarier than usual. I know we're half way home and finally done with this arduous mission, but..." My pack member and closest friend sighed again for the infinitieth time. "I think we need some proper rest."

"No. We go back like Alpha Bryce commanded."

"Not even for Zara?" He pleaded. "She needs it the most. As well as for all our sanity. There is only so much you, I, we can endure." A vein throbbed on my furrowed temple.

"Stop the truck." I couldn't take it anymore. All the small annoyances were building up inside to the point I felt like I was going to explode. 'Why was this situation so hard? Why does this rogue make me crazy?' In the back of my mind I started to doubt everything.