Chapter 5 I'd Come For You

Eric’s POV

I looked up from the book and stared at Liam. He had been in a coma for as long as Serenity had been with the hunters. With the news of the deaths of shifters all over the country, we have made less progress in pinpointing Serenity’s location. It was like she was everywhere.

I sighed as I remember the night she had left.

If only we were stronger-

Eric, it was no one’s fault. I hear Josephine say. Serenity chose to leave to save you and her family.

But it doesn’t mean that we have to sit here doing nothing.

You know that we’re not doing nothing. She reminded me.

She was right. If it were all up to me, I would have been out there looking for her. But with the current situation of killings, the royal family still under my care, I can’t just get up and leave. Besides, if I was to harm, no one will know how Serenity is doing.

Just like how last night brought me chills when I felt an agonizing pain from her. The worst part of it was it was becoming such a common feeling from her.

I stared at Liam again and sighed, “You would have kicked my ass if you were awake right now.”

“If he were awake right now, he’d be nervous of you sitting beside his bed.”

I looked up by the door and saw Siam leaning on the door, watching me.

“Meh…”

He chuckled, “Does Serenity knows that you found a new mate?” he asked, pointing at Liam.

I laughed, “I doubt any of them would like that thought, Siam.”

He laughs and walks up to us, and stood at the end of the bed. “Uncle Luke said you’d be here.”

“You need me for something?” I asked, setting down the book on Liam’s bedside table.

“Nothing big,” he shook his head and shook his head, “you’ve just been locking yourself up again.”

“Oh…”

“Something wrong?” he asked.

I shook my head, “I’m just trying to calm myself, that’s all.”

“Calm yourself?”

I sighed and looked at Liam again, “Don’t get me wrong, Siam, I want nothing more than to protect you and the royal family. You are Serenity’s family, after all. But…” I paused, “But it’s been months since I’ve seen her, and I want her to be home so bad. At night I always have the urge to get up and find her myself-“

“But your responsibilities are holding you down.” Siam finished for me, and I gave the nod. “Eric, I know the feeling of losing my sister is different from the feeling of losing your mate.“ he says calmly, “As much as I want to find her personally, we have to keep in mind that we are the royal family Eric, we serve not only the deity but also our kind, if they lose us, then no one can protect them.”

I looked up at him in surprise. Did he count me as part of the royal family?

He gave me a questioned look, “Do you really think you are still different from us, Eric?”

“I… I just… I don’t….”

He chuckled and shook his head, “Liam would kick your ass for that.”

I laughed and nodded, “He probably would be my personal ass-kicker with all the stupidity that I’ve been thinking.”’

“It isn’t stupid Eric, you are worried about Serenity,” Siam pointed out, “so that’s just normal.”

I grinned, “Thanks.”

He nodded, “So, how is she doing?”

“Just the chills again. Other than that, she feels better today.” I said, “If any, she seems to be more like herself.”

“That’s good.” Siam says, “If she’s back to her old self, then the hunters would be having a hard time with her stubbornness.”

A smile crept into my face remembering the fight she had with him and the other boys when I arrived here.

“I guess.” I said, “Somehow, I think it would be an advantage for her even though she’ll be irking her captors.”

“She’s their card over us.” Siam pointed out, “To kill her would be their last option, and it’s too early for them to do so.”

The few moments of my happiness seeped out, hearing the possibility of her death.

Siam just said they wouldn’t kill her. Josephine pointed out, trying to calm my wolf, who had the sudden urge to come out.

For now, I added.

Suddenly there was a rapid knocking, and we turned around and saw one of the guards from the Crescent pack.

“Fred, what is it?” Siam asked.

“Another killing, sir.” He said.

“Where?” Siam asks with urgency.

“A couple of miles away from here.” then he glanced at me, “It has the princess’ scent all over the place.”

I frowned. Siam and I exchanged looks before we joined the others at the war room.

“What do we got?” Siam asked the moment we got inside the war room.

The other shifters bowed as we passed by, but knowing Siam, he wouldn’t take notice of them.

“According to the ones who found him, it seems like a fresh kill.” Uncle George says, “Maybe just last night.”

“There were also tracks from other shifters surrounding the area,” Aaron says. “There were supposed to be guards around that part, Handerson’s group.”

“And have they reported in?”

They exchanged looks again, “They haven’t been responding to the link.” Uncle Luke says, “And I know Handerson. He would report anything that he thinks is important.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Jake asked.

Uncle Luke frowned, “He always says that his death is the only thing that can stop him from serving our kind.”

We all fell into silence.

“You say the location’s near,” I said. They all turned to me. “Can we go?”

“Eric-“

“I just need to make sure that it is her.” I half pleaded.

Siam gave me a look and nodded, “Eric is right. He can tell if it is really Serenity’s scent that was left there.”

An hour later, we arrived in a clearing that was now surrounded by shifters. The body was still there. As they said, it was fresh.

“This is the first time they left the body in the exact place where they killed him,” Jake says.

“Could it mean something?” Aaron asked.

“It wouldn’t make sense if it is a warning to us. We haven’t even made a move on them yet.” Uncle George says.

“And no one will make a move unless told to do so,” Siam says firmly.

I drowned out their voices and looked around the clearing. By now, I am sure that it is Serenity, but there was something else, another scent.

I followed it and led me beside the body of the shifter. It was where Serenity’s scent was strongest.

He was killed in front of her. I thought. I looked down on the ground and saw the marks indicating a struggle, but not between the murdered shifter, but someone else… Serenity and his captor?

I reached for a handful of soil and smelt salt in it, tears maybe?

Our theory might be right.

The hunters were growing braver. Their kills were slowly coming closer to home.

Uncle Luke is right. They’re trying to make a point here.

But what? I thought.

“You said that she had some weird change of emotion last night?” I turned around to see Siam standing behind me.

I nodded and stood up, dropping the handful of soil, “It’s safe to say that those mood change does have something to do with the killing.”

“So, it’s either this shifter responded to her call or her scent.” Jake says as he sniffed around, “With the looks of the heightened pheromone on him, I’m saying it was Serenity’s scent.”

“Aaron,” Siam calls, “track down histories of the twelve shifters who were murdered. I want to know if they were mated or not.”

“I’m on it,” Aaron says, pulling out his cellphone.

“If they’re out to destroy our kind,” Siam says gloomily, “it is smart of them to start with the unmated ones.”

“But they’ve just been killing men-“

“Female shifters don’t normally just go run off to follow scents.” Uncle George says, “Unlike unmated males, females have their ways to know if their mate’s scent is indeed calling them.”

“Plus, Serenity can just attract male and their pheromones.” Uncle Luke added, “She’d have to use her voice for the women.”

“So she had gone mute?” Jake asked.

“It will be wise if she does.” Uncle Luke says.

“The idea is laughable.” Jake chuckled, “Serenity’s a fighter. She won’t let this happen without giving her captors a piece of her mind.”

“And that’s what I’m afraid of,” Siam says.

I looked around the clearing again and noticed a mark on the ground, dragging marks.

I followed it and led me to the dark part of the forest. I went through the bushes to follow it.

“Eric!” I hear the others shout, but I didn’t listen and continued.

I followed the track deeper into the forest, and it finally stopped. I frowned and knelt. The ground here would have been disturbed by other shifters or wild animals, but if you would closely…

Bingo!

“Eric, what the hell-“

“Wheel tracks.” I said, pointing ahead, “they’re heading south.”

“We’ve already checked the south-“

“We never checked to follow tracks that they’ve stupidly left, haven’t we?” I snapped.

“We’re already going in circles, Eric,” Jake says.

I stepped up to him, “And we will continue to go in circles if all arrows are pointed that way.”

“Eric, calm down-“

“No!” I snapped, “If you wouldn’t do it, then I’ll go. You can handle everything here, can’t you, Siam? You have your boys, and you have both of my pack, my departure won’t mean anything-“

“And what if you don’t come back?” Jake snaps, “What if something happened to you?”

“Then, at least I tried to fight for my mate!” I snapped, “What have you done for your mate, huh, Jake? Aside from making her wait and disappoint her?”

Jake grabs me by the collar, but that didn’t scare me to not glare at him.

“You will never know what it feels like the need to be assured that your mate is alive and well until you have admitted your fate is intertwined with her.” I sneered at him. Then I felt him being push back away from me. I stepped away and watched as Siam held me and Aaron held Jake back.

“I’m leaving.” I turned around to leave.

“No.” Siam says, “You are not going anywhere, Eric.”

I stopped.

“I get it, you want to find her and get her home, but we can’t be careless-“

“Us being careful isn’t doing anything,” I said.

“And it will not help if anything happens to you either.” He argues. “I’ll send men to go and find her in that direction, but please, Eric… just a little more patience.”

I sighed and nodded.

“I’ll head the search for you,” I hear Uncle George says, “the King is right. Losing you might also mean to lose the princess.”

I didn’t move or faced them.

“Eric-“

“Make sure to come back in a week.” I said, “No matter what you find, you would have to call it in before making a move.”

“Of course.” He says with a bow.

I turned to him, pleading. “Get her home, Uncle.”

“I will try my best, Eric,” he said and whistled, calling for shifters from the Marx’ pack. “You kids should go back to the house. The ladies are probably getting worried.”

We nodded and watched them shift and ran off, following the tire tracks and Serenity’s scent.

“Eric…” I felt a hand gave my shoulder a squeeze. I turned to see Jake, “you aren’t the only one who lost her when she left.”

With that, he turned around and left for the clearing, leaving me standing there watching him.

It would be best if you calmed down, Eric. Josephine says.

I sighed. I’m sorry…

I would understand your longing. I can feel your pain and the cold, but Jake is right, he also feels her lost, maybe not as strong as you, but he does feel it.

I turned away and looked back to where my uncle and his men ran off to. I just want her to know that I haven’t given up. That she isn’t alone in this…

She knows that Eric… Josephine reassured me, she knows that you will never give up on her, no matter what.