Chasing Tails (Original)

46. Dresden (short)

Dresden growled bitterly as he tottered back to the pack house in the early morning hours with Ollie at his side. He was beyond frustrated. They spent hours chasing after these four fucking Alphas, playing cat and mouse and when they finally disappeared, they couldn't even get a scent to trail them. Now, the sun was beginning to rise slowly and he knew he should get back. The image of Julie as he left her made him want to rush home and continue what he was doing.

This play is seriously getting annoying. Ollie told him and he growled in reply.

We need to regroup and reorganize our facts. The more we know the better. Ollie nodded, glancing over at Dresden.

Are you sure you're alright?

Fine, he grunted back. He went ahead, his pack separating from Ollie's and hurried home. The sooner he could return to Julie, the better. She was the only thing that could help him relax from his annoying and tense night of chasing stupid intruders. He phased, changing into a pair of jeans and looked back at the pack house. Jack paced back and forth on the porch, looking panicked. Sheila ran up to him immediately, setting her hand on his shoulder and he jumped.

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking at him with concern. Jack glanced around and his eyes caught his Alpha's eyes. He gulped, his face paling. He knew that he would be killed for sure this time. Dresden could tell immediately that something wasn't right. Julie, he thought immediately, panic rising in him.

"Where is she?" He asked, his mix of worry, fear and anger seething through a low growl. His wolf like sneer made Jack wince.

"I have no idea." Dresden launched at him, snarling a powerful snarl. Sheila shrieked out of the way as Dresden attacked Jack. It was the first time for everyone to see their beta whimper and cower all at once. "She disappeared!"

Dresden pulled back, slamming his fist into the house, missing Jack by mere inches. He paced back and forth, his anger and power brining his entire pack to his knees. No one dared to near him. They didn't even dare speak. They couldn't even look up at each other. They just whimpered and shook with fear as they felt their Alpha's anger. The only one who was capable of standing was Jack but even he was whimpering under Dresden's influence. He stood as far away as possible from Dresden, too frightened to move. He knew anything he did - any sudden movements - could end his life. His Alpha was reverting back to his old days, his dark days all because Jack slipped up and let Julie disappear.

Dresden paced, his mind racing with different scenarios. He knew Julie wasn't running from him. She kissed him back and he knew she had feelings for him. So that definitely wasn't a possibility. Miranda could be one but she wouldn't leave without telling him or Jack. At least, he hoped she wouldn't.

"What happened?" He demanded when he had gained control of himself. His rage was overwhelming and it took him all of his strength to keep his wolf down who wanted to be freed onto Jack, blaming him entirely for Julie's disappearence. For the sake of finding his mate - his wolfless, reckless mate - he tied the beast down.

"I honestly don't know." Jack said, his voice small. "There was nothing going on here except Julie breathing in your room. Then I heard a door close and when I went to look, she was gone. I tried to track her but Dresden...her scent is gone."

"What do you mean gone?" His mate's scent couldn't have just disappeareced. It was always there, always available to him. It couldn't just vanish.

"I don't know, Alpha." Jack whimpered under the dangerous gaze Dresden was giving him. He could see his Alpha's dark eyes turn red and then slowly returning, having trouble controlling his wolf's inner anger. "The only sign that she was even here is faint from your room. I can't find it anywhere else."

If Julie had run - no matter why she might - her scent would have been easy for Jack to follow. He wouldn't even have to phase to keep up with her. But Julie wasn't stupid enough to run when an all Alpha pack was on the loose. Dresden knew she wouldn't dare do that. She had enough with Alpha packs. But if she felt like she could do something by going to Miranda, she would've left some kind of message. She wouldn't just take off and leave Dresden to worry. Besides, there was no way in hell Julie would know how to cover her scent. Not even that damn witch could help her with that. The witch might have been able to direct the scent in a different direction but for it to disappear completely was impossible.

Then he recalled something - something that he once thought was so minor, he didn't see it as important after he and Ollie had settled things. Now, it was the only clue as to what was going on.

"Call Ollie and have him and Julie's family over here as soon as possible." He demanded as Jack nodded immediately. He stared at everyone else, telling them to stay where they were and they didn't dare to go against him.

He turned and walked into the house, the back door closing loudly behind him. He listened, the house was eerily quiet and dark. He sighed once and then took in a deep inhale. Beer and left over food raided his nose. The scents of his brothers and sisters, of sex and the odors from cleaning supplies, perfumes, lotions, and deodorants followed after. He could smell the woods that surrounded the house and all of its natural wildlife. But he could barely catch lavender and spring rain.  He went up the stairs to his bedroom where he knew her scent would be the strongest. He took another deep inhale, taking in as much as he could. He smelt the shampoo and body washes from the bathroom. Her lotion and the tooth paste along with mouthwash assaulted him. He even got a strong whiff of his own scent but even here, he could barely catch her scent.

But it was there. Something was odd about it. He could pick out the lavender and the spring rain but there was an odd, new scent mixed in with it. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but he knew it had to do with Julie's disappearence. His eyes opened immediately and his rage entered into a new stage - even for him. He could see clearly now and his power felt stronger than ever but he knew he was over the edge.

Someone kidnapped Julie. And whoever took her, took Trisha too.