~Lincoln~
The ride to Tia was silent and took way too long. I tried my hardest to drive as fast as
possible without getting pulled over by human police. I hate that we have been away for
as long as we have, and I hate that we were away for the reason we were.
That was an ambush, pure and simple! The question is, who was behind it? I would bet it
was mom because she clearly stated that Tia is not who she wants our mate to be. A part
of me is wondering if it was the twins and not mom, though. I have no idea who it was, but
I want to find out so they can be taught never to try me like that again, even if it was my
mom.
We finally pull into the apartment complex, and I park next to Tia’s car. I wonder what
happened that it won’t start. Then again, it is an old car, so it’s no surprise. I will have to
talk to Landon and see about getting her something new and more reliable. Just as I’m
about to get out of the car, a shiver goes up my back, and I’m instantly on alert.
Something doesn’t feel right. I step out of the car and take a look around while sniffing my
surroundings. Nothing really smells off; no rogues or anything.
Landon got out quickly and headed up to Tia’s apartment as soon as I pulled into the
parking lot. I know he is dying to see her, but maybe he is just as on edge as I am. I close
my eyes and tap into the twin bond that we have. I can feel anxiety and fear. Something
has to be up if Landon is feeling off like I am.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtI start to walk away from the car and head toward the apartment building. I walk slowly so
I can keep track of my surroundings. I don’t want to miss anything or anyone. Landon runs
right up to me and looks terrified. “She isn’t there.”
“What do you mean?”
“When you pulled up, something felt off, so I ran upstairs to check on Tia. The door was
slightly open, and her laptop was out on the table, along with some books and papers. Her
car and apartment keys were on the counter, but no Tia in the apartment.” My heart starts
to beat fast, and my mouth gets dry. Tia isn’t inside? She told us to come to get her on our
way back, so she should be here. From what Landon described, it seems as if she left in a
hurry.
“Can you smell her?” Landon closes his eyes and walks around the parking lot slowly. I
haven’t been able to catch her scent yet, and I’ve been sniffing the air for a while. There is
no telling how long she has been out of the apartment. I look at the asphalt to see if there
are any visible signs of a struggle, but nothing is there. There is no blood, no ripped
clothing, no hair, nothing. This entire situation is extremely concerning.
Landon opens his eyes and sighs. I don’t think he is having any luck. I can feel the
frustration through the bond, and I know that I feel the exact same way. Where is Tia?
What happened while we were gone?
Mate……mate needs us.
Can you feel her?
Mate…..hurt……hurry!
WHERE IS SHE?! Brutus seems to be able to feel Tia’s wolf, so she is alive, but if she is
hurt and alone, I need to find her. I close my eyes and concentrate on the bond I share
with Tia and my wolf. I snap my eyes open, and I know where to go.
I take off toward the tree line that’s behind the apartment complex. “What is it? Where is
she?” I don’t stop to answer Landon. Something tells me that we are on borrowed time.
We need to get to Tia immediately, or things are not going to be good.
I hit the tree line and look around. I don’t see anything out of the ordinary then it hits me. I
can smell a trace of Tia’s scent, along with a rusty smell. Blood! I take off running into the
forest. I follow the scent of blood and my mate, praying to the Moon Goddess that the
blood isn’t hers. Something inside of me is telling me to be prepared because I’m not
going to like what I’m about to see.
I continue to run into the forest, and the smell is getting stronger. I turn to the left, then to
the right. I run a bit more until I come to an open area where the trees are sparse; there
are just a few fallen logs. On one of those logs is my mate. She is barely recognizable, with
open wounds and blood everywhere.
I run to her and fall next to her. I gently touch Tia, afraid to hurt her more. I can barely
hear her heartbeat, and her breathing is much too shallow. I gently stroke her cheek, tears
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmpooling in my eyes. “T….Tia? Tia can you hear me?” There is no response. I look up just as
Landon makes it to the clearing. He takes the sight of us and immediately pulls his shirt
off and brings it over. He lays it on top of Tia and presses his fingers to her neck.
“She is still alive, barely.”
“We……we have to get her back home. She needs help.” I’m having trouble speaking with
the lump that is in my throat. I want to scream and cry, but I want to help Tia.
“We can’t make it back to our pack with her like this. She may die on the way.”
“DIE?! She can’t die! We have to help her….we have to do something!” I’m starting to get
hysterical, and I can feel Brutus bucking in my head. He is itching to get out, but he’s torn
between finding who did this and dragging his mate to a hospital to be saved.
“Calm down brother. We won’t let her die. The Moonlight Pack is not far from here, 20-30
minutes West. Let me call Alpha Brenner and see if we can bring her there.” Landon steps
away, and I hear his phone beeping. I trail my fingers down Tia’s arm to grasp her hand in
mine. I hold her hand gently, not wanting to let go but also not wanting to hurt her.
“It’s done. He said we can head there. He will alert the guards to let us in and lead us
straight to the clinic. We need to hurry though because we don’t know how long she has
been like this. All of these open cuts are concerning; they should be healed or healing by
now.” I don’t respond. I stand up and gently pick Tia up. I hold her close to me, careful not
to exacerbate her injuries. I hurry through the trees to get to the car. We have to get her
to the clinic as soon as possible. I put Tia in the backseat with me, laying her head on my
lap. Landon jumps into the driver’s seat and takes off. “Don’t worry, baby. I won’t let you
go. We will get you help.”