From rejection to mates

FIRST YEAR AGONY.

She whipped around, giving the deadliest glare that she could. "What makes you think I can not protect myself? You have not been there since all of this has happened, why try to be now?" She yelled at him. He stared at her, mouth agape, confused by her outburst. He stayed silent, not sure on her to respond to her questions, or even how to react to them. The pain he was feeling in his heart was more than what he thought he could bare. Just watching her hurt like that was not something that he wanted to keep watching. He needed to fix it, but he did not know how. She waited a few more minutes for him to respond, but when she got nothing, she looked down, giving a depressed sigh. "I caught Delta's scent in the woods, it led to the lake, where I assume that is where they went. So, there is a lead, I suggest you get started. I am going to lay down for a little while." She spoke sternly, disappearing into the house.

John stood there, not saying anything, staring at the door where she disappeared into. How did she pick that up but no one else could? Shouldn't that scent have already disappeared? He was confused but either way, he needed to follow the lead, for her sake. He walked up to his warriors; he had placed in the trees to keep an eye out. They hopped down in front of him, waiting for orders. "I need two of you to come with me, on a lead I picked up from Liliana on the children, and the rest stay in place to keep an eye on the pack so nothing happens while I am gone." He stated. They all nodded. All of them hopped back into the tree, besides his two strongest warriors. They went for the woods, shifting into wolf form. They jogged slowly and quietly, in hopes to pick up the same scent that she did. Air hit his nose, making him stop in his tracks. Lifting his nose, he gave a strong sniff to the air, and looked back at the two warriors that were following him. 'I have Delta's scent, its weak but it's there.' He mind-linked them. They nodded, and they headed off in the direction of where it was coming from.

They finally came to the lake, just like Liliana had said, and stopped at the bank. He looked out on the lake, noticing that nothing was there. He frowned, the smell led to hear and then it stopped. All he could think of doing now was gathering up some members and getting a boat and going across the lake to see what they could find. Of course, no one has been across the lake, and it may not be a good idea, but to find the children, they needed to do it. He sighed, turning to look back at his warriors. 'Let us go back and call a meeting. I have an idea. It may be scary, but it has to be done.' He mind-linked them. They nodded once again, and they headed back to the pack house to gather for the meeting.

The conference room began to fill, and everyone took their seats, waiting for John to start the meeting. You could see in their faces, that they had hope, that there is a plan in place to try and find the children. When everyone was there and seated, he stood, staring around the table at everyone, preparing what he was going to say.

"I have called you hear, with some news. Liliana, last night, caught a scent of Delta, and it led her to the lake. I also followed the same scent to the same place. What I am going to do, is gather some of my warriors, and we are going to take a boat across the lake and see if we can find anything on the children. I am not guaranteeing that we will find them, so please do not have that in your head. I am hoping for another lead, that may be able to bring us either closer, or finding them." He spoke. They all watched him, waiting for him to continue, and nodding at him. "Okay, I will take the top 4 strongest warriors that we have. Be ready for thing in the morning to take off. This meeting has ended." He spoke, leaving the room without talking to anyone.

Liliana was not in the meeting, so he decided he needed to go and check on her and tell her what was said at the meeting. He rounded the corner to where their room was located, hearing silent sobs. He sighed. He should have known she would be in there upset, its obvious she thinks that nothing is being done about the children, but he needs to show her otherwise. He needs her to understand that he is doing everything he can to get the children back. He turned the doorknob to the room, and slowly opened the door. Peaking inside, he watched as Liliana laid on her side on the bed, clutching onto her pillow tightly, pouring her heart away. Her body was shaking as if she was stuck in earthquake. The sound of her sobs echoing in the room, making his heart sink farther then it already had.

"Liliana, can I talk to you please?" He whispered, knowing she heard him due to wolf hearing.

She quickly tried away her tears, sitting up and putting her pillow behind her. She looked at John, trying to hide her hurt. Failing at it miserably. "Yeah, sure, lets talk." She spoke softly.

He came and sat beside her on the bed. "We had a meeting... You were not there." He spoke, tucking a strand of hair behind her head. She looked at him again, just watching.

"Yeah, I am sorry about that, I was really tired from my run that's all." She said quietly, no longer looking at him, looking down at the bed instead.

He sighed and looked at the ceiling. "Well, I went and followed that lead you gave me, all the way to the lake." He spoke again, trying to get her to keep talking, even if it is small talk.

"Well I am glad you decided to do that, what do you think about it?"

"Well that is what the meeting was about." He stated, sitting to where he could see her face. He put his finger under her chin, making her look up at him.

"Okay, well tell me about it, you have my attention." She spoke calmly.

"Well, it ended at the lake, so obviously that went across or in that general area anyways. So, I am going to take four of my strongest warriors, get a boat and we are going to go across the lake in hopes to pick up another lead that will take us to the children. But I will need you to take leadership of the pack until I come back." He spoke, staring her in the eyes, hoping she will go forward with his plan.

She looked up, that hopeful spark back in her eyes again, and she smiled widely. "Really? So, you are going to go and try to find them? Of course, I will play leader until you come back!" She said excitedly.

He was taken back from her shocking excitement, but he also knew that he needed to make sure she did not get her hopes up too much. "Yes, we are going to look, but do not get your hopes up until we no more, I don't want to take a chance of you being more heartbroken then you already are. Do you understand what I am saying to you?" He asked simply.

She felt a small tear hit her cheek, and went to wipe it away, but John beat her to it. He looked into her eyes once again. "Yes, I do understand." She said, returning his gaze.

"I need you to stay strong with the rest, while we work on trying to find our children." He spoke softly to her, finger still under the chin, still gazing into those beautiful eyes of hers.

She sighed loudly, it was going to take a lot, but she knew that she was going to have to fight through. It took a long time for her to try and push through, but she was going too. "I know I need to be strong, and I will. I have not really been myself lately, and I do apologize for that, I will push through it, and help as much as I can. We will get through this; we will bring our children home." She spoke with so much confidence, she even was shocked with herself.

John gave her a encouraging smile, hoping this confidence would stick with her for a little while. "Good, I am glad to see my wife coming back to her old self. I know it seems a bit farfetched, but what about a date night tonight? Just me and you? And try to relax some." He asked.

She smiled. "That actually sounds, and when are you going on that trip?"

"Tomorrow."

"Okay, well then a date tonight before you go sounds fantastic." She felt overwhelmingly excited.

"I will make sure everything gets set up." He spoke, getting up and walking out of the room.

She sighed laying back on the bed. She knew she would need to get up and get ready soon, but she felt like just laying there just a little while longer, staring at the ceiling. She knew the road ahead was not going to be easy. She knew she would have times where she would have the feeling of breaking down and just giving up, but she knew that she would need to fight through it, and not let anything bring her down. She needed to be strong for her kids, for their return. She needed to be strong for teaching them when they did return.