Running Free

Chp 28

*Everett's POV*

It took me nearly an hour to smash down my pride and call the only person who might be able to find her.
"What do you want?" Sage hissed, followed by shuffling and a loud crash.
"I want you to help me find my mate." I answered bluntly, not bothering with manners.
"Why would I do that? I'm busy enough as it is."
"I'll help you find your mate. I have a lead on where Juliet could be, who knows, maybe your girl is there too."

Silence followed my offer, so much so that I was afraid he'd cut the call.
"He-"
"Where?"
"Off of Elmore, the crash sight. It won't be hard to miss. There's glass all over the road and a truck in the ditch."
"I'll be there in ten."

This time he did, in fact, cut the call and I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I hated owing people things, it usually didn't turn out well for me or my pack, but I had to do this to get my mate back. To get my packs Luna back.
True to his word, nearly ten minutes later he came sprinting from the words, his red hair blowing slightly in his rush.

"Disgusting, it smells like diesel." He huffed, waving a hand in front of his scrunched up nose.
"Why do you need me again?"
"Clearly you have much better senses than I do, I was hoping you could try to get her scent from anywhere around here that might give us a better lead."
"One problem, I've never met her. I can't track something I've never smelt." I offered him a cloth I'd tied around my wrist, as it had been Juliet's favorite hair tie.

"You're a strange kid." Sage muttered, shaking his head before taking a deep breath to get her scent.
"Says the one sniffing a hair tie." I teased, chuckling. Sage and I used to be friends. Not necessarily best friends, but we hung out whenever our fathers brought us to alpha conventions and whatnot. He was older than I was by three years, but it never bothered us, in fact it made us like each other more. Once he turned seventeen and hadn't found his mate he was devastated. Me being the dumb fourteen year old I was -even with my slight crush on Juliet- I made fun of him for loving someone who probably didn't even know him.

Sage simply shook his head and got to work, using his uncanny sense of smell to search for Juliet's scent, though I'm pretty sure I got sight of a small smile playing on his face.
It took him forever before he finally perked up, walking from the beat up truck to a certain spot in the road several times, squinting at nothing any time he stopped.

"What?"
"There's a trail of spilled oil or something here, which is where your mates scent mixes with a few others, leather, rubber and something else. I'm pretty sure if we followed the trail it'll lead us at least somewhat close to where she could be."
"What are we waiting for then? Let's follow it."
He rolled his eyes at me as we began walking down the road, following the faint trail of oil that I couldn't even see.

~~~~

Hours passed, my calves were burning and my eyelids were drooping. I was absolutely exhausted, but Sage showed no sign of stopping any time soon. The road had become dirt a while back, but obviously he hasn't lost the trail yet, otherwise he'd be yelling in frustration. Trees surrounded us on the sides and the road had no end in sight.
A tired sigh escaped my lips, which caught Sage's attention and he shot me a look. I simply shrugged as we kept walking forward into the unknown.

Not five minutes later his phone rang, making us jump slightly as the ringtone penetrated the quiet air.
"Let's take a break for a minute." Sage muttered, quickly answering his phone.
"Yes?" He paused, flinching slightly at something the other person had said.
"I'm sorry I'm just-" he paused as I assume the person interrupted him.
"Yes ma'am...."

Must be his mom
Someone's in troubleeeeeer
Shut up idiot, we both know moms gonna end our lives when she finds out we're not at home
Touché

"Looking for a friend......" Sage muttered, kicking at the dirt. It was really weird seeing him like this honestly, but I knew upsetting a mother is never a good idea. I assume she's upset that he's not home but I have no clue.
"I'm with Everett."
He clicked the speaker button a second later and his mother began talking a moment later.
"Everett Langston? Alpha David's son?" She asked, obviously wondering if she has the right person.
"The one and only." I answered, stretching.
"Your mother is looking for you, apparently you won't answer your phone or the link."

I frowned.
"I haven't heard my phone go off." I pat my jeans and my hoodie pocket only to find them all empty.
"I must've left it at the hospital, can you tell her I'm alright?"
"Of course I will. Sage, it's late and you have curfew in five minutes."
"I won't make it back in five minutes mom. Everett and I are looking for his mate and maybe even Eclipse. There could be a chance they're being help by the same people." Sage shot back, the look of regret immediately cooling down his attitude.
"Sage Rolo Nightclaw you do not speak to me like that." I snickered quietly behind my hand as I realized his middle name was a candy.
"Sorry ma'am......." he muttered, shooting me a deadly glare.

"Now, I'll give you boys one hour to find the girls. After that you better be at home in your beds and if you're not we'll come for you and it won't be pleasant.
"Yes ma'am." Sage and I chorused.
The beeping that followed signaled the end of the call and Sage immediately grabbed the front of my shirt.
"What was so funny hm?"
"Your middle name is Rolo? I can't believe you're named after a caramel filled chocolate." I chuckled, causing his glare to sharpen.

"It was a joke mom made when I was born when the pack doctor asked what my name was and they decided to keep it that because mom likes Rolos and she figured no one needed to know what my middle name was anyway. Let's move." He shoved me back, not enough to make me fall, but enough to send a message across.
With that, we began making our way down the road again in silence.

No more than half an hour later we came upon a very large, dark grey/black building. Vines were crawling up the old, moldy walls where windows sat, covered in grime, most of them cracked or even shattered altogether. Sage winced and we both scrunched our noses as the foul smell of blood, rotting flesh and urine reached us, filling the air in its entirety.

There was a single, old, black dodge charger in front of the empty space where the doors used to be. Sage made his way over and -weirdly enough- sniffed around the car, giving me a nod to convey that it was -in fact- the source of the oil we'd been following. Which could only mean one thing; this is where Juliet is.