My heart pounded in my chest, and a shivering cold ran down my spine, haunting me. Fear draining me. How could I have lost his scent so suddenly?
Panic coursed through my veins, mixing with the adrenaline that surged within me. I had to find Elliot. I couldn't bear the thought of losing him, not after everything we had been through.
We shifted back to our human forms together after failing to track his scent.
“Fuck! Elliot!” The words escaped my mouth in a growl, reverberating with frustration and fear. I turned my gaze to Cassidy, who stood before me, her eyes wide with panic. She had become a constant presence in our lives, and her concern for Elliot mirrored my own.
“What about him? What about Elliot?!” Her voice trembled with desperation, reflecting the turmoil within my own being. I could see the raw terror etched across her face, the pure fear dancing in her eyes. It only fueled my determination. Elliot was more than just a friend; he was family. And I bet Cassidy feels the same way.
“We need to go to the cabin first!” I declared, my voice resolute. Willing the calmness to remain gripping my soul. Without wasting another moment, I gently scooped Cassidy up, placing her securely on my back. I’m faster than her even in my human form, so there’s no doubt we’ll arrive in the cabin shortly. She clung to me tightly, her fingers gripping my fur as if she was riding a cadillac.
The wind howled through the dense forest, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth and wintry wind. With a surge of power, I leaped forward, my muscles propelling me through the underbrush. The terrain blurred beneath me as I raced through the darkened woods, my senses on high alert.
Every fiber of my being was attuned to finding Elliot, my brother-in-arms. The trees whizzed past in a blur of green, and the sound of my paws pounding against the ground echoed in my ears. Time seemed to stretch, the urgency of the situation pushing me beyond my physical limits. Each second feels like an eternity. Although I tried to tell myself to remain positive, to trust in the Moon Goddess that Elliot is still alive…I can’t help but feed to the possibility—the worst possibility—that Elliot might have been taken forcefully during Cassidy’s rejection rite.
And the worst of the worst? He might be dead by now, and the fault is on me—again.
As we approached the cabin, my keen wolf senses detected a faint trace of Elliot's scent, mingled with a foreboding odor of danger. The adrenaline surged through my veins, urging me forward further. I burst through the cabin door, Cassidy still clinging to my back, her grip unyielding.
The scene that greeted us was one of chaos and devastation. The once cozy sanctuary was now a disheveled mess, shattered glass littering the floor and furniture upturned.
My heart clenched at the sight, and a low growl rumbled in my chest.
“They took him.” Cassidy whispered, her voice barely audible. “They took him.” Tears streamed down her beautiful face, her eyes red with anguish. My heart fractured at her words, and fury ignited within me like a blazing inferno.
Without a moment's hesitation, I bounded back outside, my senses attuned to any trace of Elliot's scent. “They took him,” she repeated the third time. Him—Elliot. The very reason why she managed to turn the once-impossible rejection rite into reality. It was him who bridged the gap of his human soul and wolf identity.
It was him that she became more than a human—a werewolf.
“They took Elliot.” Cassidy is crying now, and if it wasn’t for the last self-control dangling within me, I would’ve joined her. But this isn’t the time to waste tears and let the sun wait for its ascension in the sky. This isn’t the time for mourning. The woods are whispering secrets that only I can discern. I followed the trail, determined to rescue my friend, my newly found family. I hope there’s still left of him to rescue.
The night enveloped us with the choking scent of chilling forest wind. The chase had begun, and nothing would stand in my way. I would track down those responsible, confront them, and reclaim Elliot at all costs.
But as I stepped into the dilapidated cabin, the air grew heavy with a foreboding sense of tragedy, the flickering candlelight revealed the lifeless figure lying on the floor, and my heart sank.
“Elliot…” I whispered, more like praying. It was Elliot. My trusted companion and a man whose life I had sworn to protect. But now, he lay before me, a victim of the very Rogues we had been tirelessly pursuing.
“Fuck! No… no fucking way, Elliot!” Cassidy’s watery eyes darted to me. “Please tell me this is not Elliot. Please tell me this is some kind of a joke!”
Only silence answered back to Cass. Anger surged through my veins like wildfire, igniting a blaze of fury within me. How could they have done this? How could they have taken the life of an innocent man?
The familiar Rogues taunted me with their presence, a twisted reminder of the brutality that had befallen my dear friend. Every fiber of my being yearned to unleash my powers upon them, to make them pay for their heinous act.
For this merciless act of savagery.
Yet, beneath the seething anger, guilt gnawed at my conscience. I had failed Elliot. It’s my fault. This is my fault.
The weight of that failure crushed my spirit, splintered my heart, fractured every bone of my body—weighing me down with a burden that seemed insurmountable. I had promised him safety, and had vowed to shield him from the very dangers that now consumed him as a means of gratitude for turning Cassidy into a werewolf. And yet, here I stood before him, surrounded by the remnants of his life. A testament to my inability to fulfill my duty. An evidence of my failure.
The crying of my beloved woman ringed my ears. It is not only Elliot I have failed today but also her. Cassidy. My Queen, my beloved.
A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, each one stinging like a bitter truth. I replayed every decision I had made, every move I had taken, searching for the moment where I had faltered. Me and Cassidy’s departure despite the dead of night, the rejection rite, Elliot leaving alone to be drowned in the sounds of the night and forest…
Regret swirled within me, its tendrils choking every inch of my soul. I should have been faster, stronger, smarter. I should have anticipated their every move and protected Elliot with unwavering vigilance. I should have brought Elliot with us. But my selfishness and pride show to Brandon that I need no chaperone…this is my fault. And my failure.
Anguish welled up inside me, mingling with the anger and guilt, creating a tempestuous storm of emotions. I clenched my fists, feeling the power within me surge and roar, seeking an outlet. Yet I resisted the urge to unleash that raw energy upon the world around me. This was not the time for blind vengeance. Elliot deserved more than that.
If he were alive, he’d probably just cackle at my pouting face.
Slowly, I knelt beside his lifeless body, my hands trembling as I reached out to touch his cold cheek. “You’ve done so many things to us, I can’t let you die like this…” A wave of sorrow crashed over me, threatening to drown me in its depths. I whispered his name, prayed, my voice filled with regret and an apology that could never reach his ears.
“I'm so sorry, Elliot.” My murmurs were cut short when a choking sob rose from my throat, my voice laced with grief. “I failed you, my friend. But I swear, brother, those who did this will pay with their lives. I will hunt them down, and they will know the wrath of messing with me. With us.”
With those words, my path to vengeances ignited within me, a flicker of determination amid the maelstrom of emotions.
“I promise to you.” I whispered, vowing that I would honor Elliot's memory by bringing justice to those who had taken him from us. The guilt would remain, a constant reminder of my perceived failure. But it would drive me forward, pushing me to be better, to protect those who still lived in this world, never to be falling into that pit of failure again.
“We promise, Elliot.” Cassidy kneeled beside me, lowering her head to brush her lips to his ice-cold cheeks one more time. A final goodbye, I realized.
“We promise,” she breathed.