Mythical Link ▸ Link Neal {Book One}

135

Panting, a certain fire that rippled through his chest like an internal gas explosion, Link ran to keep up with Jackson's strides. Link wanted to know why they were pursuing Rhett on foot, but Jackson growled that he didn't have time to explain before they jetted out the front door into the rain.

Shivering from the cold as it bit his skin through his sodden clothes, he somehow still managed to break a sweat as the beads on his forehead mixed with the droplets of rain that pelted him from above. Rain washed over Burbank like a hurricane was blowing through, the water whipping sideways as the rain drew it in a horizontal direction. Feeling like he was running through a tub of peanut butter felt like a hopeless understatement, and his stomach growled enough that he wished he was running through peanut butter for real.

The occasional car would pass by them, windshield wipers going on full blast while they approached with utmost caution. Link wondered what the driver and its possible passengers were thinking about two full grown men taking a sprinting stroll through the streets in the torrential downpour in full clothing without any protection. He knew that if he was in the car, he'd be shaking his head at the two idiots and chastising them about catching a cold.

That's when he remembered what Lily had told everyone about catching colds, and his heart stuttered in his chest suddenly. He hadn't spoken with his kids nor his wife all day, and he'd been meaning to call her to tell her what's been going on.

Link expected her to be pretty upset when he returned to Rhett's, and he would take the full brunt of her pent up anger.

Jackson peered over his shoulder at Link before looking left and right to cross the street, and they found themselves passing through an alleyway. Link followed obediently behind Jackson, gasping so hard and wishing he could stop to catch his breath. He wondered why they were passing through the eery enclosed area when he realized the possibility that Rhett had passed through here. Why Rhett decided to pursue animal control on foot was beyond Link, and Link thought that it was rather stupid of him to do.

There was no way Rhett could outrun the Alpha and his Betas, but if he had taken the car, he would have at least had a chance to drive away. Jackson stopped abruptly in the middle of the alley, turning his nose up and inhaling the night air deeply. Link watched his back as his shoulders rose with the breath, and Jackson spun on his heel to look at Link with a bewildered look on his face. Link's heart froze in his chest, fearing what Jackson was about to tell him. Was he smelling blood? Did he lose Rhett's scent? Was it being masked by something? A million thoughts coursed through Link's head.

"He's definitely been through here. Along with somebody else," Jackson added as an afterthought as his eyes scanned the alleyway. He took in the tainted brick walls with graffiti, the dumpster that was overflowing with a week old's trash that had been festering in the afternoon Californian sun, and a little hut constructed of newspapers and a damp cardboard box. A chill passed through Link's spine and forked throughout his extremities, making him shudder as he gasped for a breath.

"Who else?" He asked, his voice raspy. Jackson's eyes fell on Link again and he held his gaze for a solid second before lowering his eyes, as if he was wary of telling Link about the second scent.

"I want you to stop talking for a second and figure it out for yourself," Jackson said, his tone dark and foreboding.

Link was taken aback as if he had been splashed in the face with scalding hot water, and he took a step toward Jackson.

"Look, I set you free with the agreement that you were going to help me find Rhett. If something is wrong, you really need to,-"

Jackson cut Link off by holding his hand up with a dangerous glint in his eyes, and Link slowly moved his eyes toward the claws protruding from Jackson's fingertips. Link's adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, and he adjusted his glasses on his face with a shaky hand, never removing his eyes from Jackson's hand.

"I'm only going to repeat myself once. Stop talking, and figure it out. Use your sixth sense and really take in your surroundings. Not just what you hear, not just what you see, touch, smell, even taste. Tune everything out and feel like you were meant to."

Link lowered his gaze as his lips slightly parted, exhaling the pent up air in his lungs. The moment he stopped talking, he immediately began to notice that he was hearing little things that people didn't normally hear because they are so used to tuning it out. The rain water dripping from the gutter onto the pavement. Jackson's breathing. Thunder rolling in the next town over. Link slowly closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, and that's when he began to hear whispering. At first his heart began to accelerate, and his eyes flew open when he figured out that he was hearing Rhett's voice. Jackson took a step toward Link. He was at least three inches taller than him.

"What is it? What do you hear?"

Link shook his head, swallowing deeply. He didn't want to acknowledge that he was hearing whispering again, as he couldn't figure out why. It just seemed absolutely crazy to him. Jackson narrowed his eyes and Link fumbled with his glasses again.

"I heard whispering."

"Okay. What was it saying?"

"I don't know. I couldn't figure it out."

"Focus. Close your eyes and try again," Jackson's tone was demanding and Link tightened his jaw.

"What's the big deal anyway? We're wasting so much time just standing here lollygagging over my useless abilities."

"Huh. Because teaching you how to tap into your abilities is such a huge waste of time," Jackson said dramatically, with the eyeroll to boot. He folded his arms over his chest and bore into Link's eyes with his dark glare. "Tell me again how much you love thinking you're some crazy psycho-lunatic that should be locked up in the mental ward for hearing voices again."

Link's forehead wrinkled and his lips creased into a frown as he knew Jackson was right. Link closed his eyes and tried again, taking several deep breaths and tuning everything out. He could only hear the beat of his own heart when the whispering began to interfere. It was like static electricity to his ears and crackled like it was emitting through a walkie talkie.

"I think I finally lost him. At least I hope." Rhett mumbled to himself in a panic, and Link could make out the rapid heartbeat in Rhett's chest. "I shouldn't have wandered out here by myself alone. I'm probably going to die before I even get the chance to save Jessie." The whispering faded and Link opened his eyes, only Jackson wasn't standing in front of him anymore. He was watching as Rhett was running toward the opposite end of the alley, his shoes sloshing through the puddle. Something suddenly passed through Link and he gasped sharply, bringing his chin to his chest as he watched a figure emerge from him and dart toward Rhett on all fours.

The grey fur. Two heads. Menacing snarling mouth agape with glistening sharp teeth. Teegan. Link's eyes widened as Rhett veered the corner, disappearing out of view.

Link gasped again as his eyes came open for real, and he stumbled backward, Jackson lurching forward and snatching Link by the front of his shirt. He held his shirt by the fistful and lowered his face to Link's.

"So?" Jackson's eyebrow was arched as Link's lips trembled.

"Teegan. He's after Rhett."

Jackson released Link and Link wobbled before steadying himself, fixing his shirt before eyeing Jackson.

"I wasn't lying to you when I said your friend was in danger."

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