Chapter 24 – Caden

Groaning from the pain coursing through my body, my eyes slowly open to the emptiness of the forest. Sunlight filters through the leaves and I wonder just how long I have been out under the influence of the drug.

“Caden?!” A voice calls out my name, the words muffled as if my head is under water. Holding my hand to my pounding head, my eyes widen in shock. Some time between passing out from the drug to waking up I must have shifted.

“Caden?!” The voice calls again, this time louder. It seems whoever is looking for me is growing closer. Sitting up slowly, my ears pop and the sounds of the forest come to life clear as ever making me wince. I was not ready for the instance change in sound clarity.

“Caden!” My name is called out a third time and I instantly recognize the voice just as the owner appears in front of me, pushing past a clump of bushes and looking around frantically.

"A-Amelia!" I call back, spotting the blonde she-wolf just before she sees me. With wide eyes of relief, Amelia rushes to my side as I stand, wrapping her arms around me and taking in my scent.

“Thank the Goddess I found you. When I woke up, you and Grace were gone!” She sobs out, her small body shaking. Guilt takes over as I pull her closer, letting Amelia cry her heart out. It was stupid of Grace and I to take on the Ragers and worry her. Stupid that Grace and I left her alone. Grace.

Pulling away from Amelia, I turn frantically trying to catch anything – a scent, a broken bush, any trail that would lead me to her.

"They...they took her." I whimper out, only able to catch the faint lingering of her scent.

“W-what?” Turning to look at Amelia, her tear streaked face now in a look of horror. The guilt grows inside me, knowing that I failed to protect the two she-wolves and keep them together. I watch as she begins sniffing the air, anxiety and fear radiating off of her in waves.

"I'm sorry. I tried to protect her but they had a gun, a dart gun. That's why I was out of it." I state, pacing back and forth as I try to figure out where Grace might be, relaying the map of The Run in my head over and over gain.

"She'll...she'll make it out. I know Grace and she will come back to us." I hear her whisper. I think she was trying to convince herself though. Ragers were not ones to mess with and sadly we both knew Grace had a better chance at freedom of she killed herself as once a Rager claims a she-wolf, she will never be free again.

“The ones that captured her said something about an Alpha. I have a feeling they won’t do anything to her until their Alpha does.” Amelia turns to me with shock, a smile slowly forming on her face.

“Then she has a chance!” She states her eyes filling with hope for the first time since our reunion. I nod, taking a deep breath to calm my raging emotions. Amelia is right, if Grace is being saved, then there is still a fighting chance to find and rescue her.

"Caden here!" Amelia shouts, turning to see something being thrown at me and instantly catching my bag. I sigh, happy to know that Amelia had brought our stuff when she came searching for me and Grace and feeling the guilt once more. We should have never left her alone. Running my hand along the stubble that’s grown on my face, I quickly dig inside and grab a change of clothes, dressing quickly.

"How do we find her? Find Grace?" I ask, running my hand through my dirty hair and wincing from the pain in my shoulder where the dart hit me.

"I can mind link her. I know that mind links don't work much in this forest but the closer we are, the stronger the link gets.” Amelia suggests as I take Grace’s pack from her. She carried three bags here already, the least I can do is lighten her load.

“As long as we can find her scent or the Ragers scent we can follow it to where she might be and hope that the link works." She continues, her blue eyes set in determination. It’s a good plan – the only plan that may work really – but the problem is trying to find where the right trail is. I sigh, turning to stare at the spot I last saw the Ragers disappear in and question whether or not we can pull of a recue mission. No wolf has ever taken a she-wolf from a Rager before since their base within the Blue Forest is hidden.

"What if it doesn't work?" I ask quietly. Turning to look at Amelia.

"Then we pray she finds a way out herself or she finds a way to kill herself."