Marcus realized Lin could be using Laura as bait but still he wasn't going to turn back now. He needed to go to her still.
Marcus stopped for a moment and sniffed the air, her scent was still very much around there but she was still nowhere in sight.
He growled in annoyance because it was difficult for him to figure out which way she went at that point. Marcus would have to more than just sniff the air to be able to figure out which direction she took next.
Had Lin intentionally left her scent everywhere in order to leave him confused?
Very likely. Marcus can only expect the worst from someone like Lin MacArthur.
"Come on buddy, think outside the box" He heard Lucien voice in his head and growl.
Lucien could be right. Now is the really the time to think outside the box and that means instead of thinking like a human in wolf form, he was thinking like a wolf in wolf form.
Even in his wolf form, Marcus knew he had to think like a human because the more time he waste around, the more time he was loosing out on.
So instead of chasing her smell around, he decided to look out for possible clues she could have left behind like broken leaves branches, logs and leaves that has been stomped on and leaving her leg print behind.
Within a couple of minutes, Marcus was able to notice one of the leaf with it edge tied into a knot and it was heading southwest.
Smart girl.
Usually. In a situation where Lin planned to draw his prey away from busy route, he would need to lead them further into the wood especially the southwest where it's less accessible to users.
And from all indication, that's exactly where Laura is headed. Fucking southwest.
How fucking insane.
Marcus only wondered why he didn't killed her the previous day or during the night, why has he kept her up until that moment.
As per legend, vampires are expected to rest during the day and hunt in the night but however, Marcus was still wry of that very thought and prefer not to take chances. He has seen exactly what Lin was capable of and can not make the mistake of underestimating him whether night or day.
As he got closer, her scent became more notable.
She was close by and alive. Marcus could sense a heart beat. He tried to sense Lin as well and almost howl into the air in happiness, that old bat was far away from her. Maybe he left her somewhere to go rest and crawl back out in the night.
With that very thought in mind, he leap into the air and broke through forest of tress standing in his way and there she was, directly before him and resting on a bed of leaves while nestled into a tight ball and half covered in snow.
He stood unmoving for a couple of seconds just staring at her. His chest rising and falling due to how much he has been running through the forest in search of her.
Her golden hair was messy and sticking out in all direction. Some had even fallen against her face and covering most of it as she laid still on the floor.
Marcus was expecting her to move at least at his presence but didn't causing him to snap out of his own thought and moved in the opposite direction and grabbing his bag pack along and hide behind the shrubs before shifting back to his human form.
He quickly put his clothes on before returning to where she lay still and sleeping.
She was so still that she almost looked dead.
He squatted beside her. Her breath seemed shallow, her face completely relaxed in a deep sleep. He reached out a hand to her cheek then paused before returning it to her shoulder and shook her slightly
"Laura?"
Waves of electric bolt jolted through his body at the bare contact. The decision to grab hold of her frail figure and back into his large arms made him shake all over and he quickly retrieved his hands back to his side with a groan.
Laura woke up slowly but jerked back when she realized the manly face peeking down at her
"Oh my god,"
"oh my fucking god"
she yelped and jumped back to her feet. A choking sound leaving her throat.
Laura eyes were as blue like the ocean as they were wide in shock as they continued to stared at the handsome hulk of a man standing in front of her. Where the heck did he come out from, she thought in panic before her eyes moved to look around her again just to be sure he has been teleported to another dimension.
"It's Okay Laura. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just here to help" Marcus had told her, while holding up his hand in front of him for her to see he means no harm.
She arched a brow at him, "How come you know my name?"
"I'm working with councillor Edwin Roland and we came looking for you as soon as we heard you went missing"
Marcus saw her stance relaxed almost immediately at the mention of Edwin's name. If only she knew, he would never hurt her even if he tried.
She smiled back at him, adorable dimples showing up on both her cheeks and making her even more beautiful.
He could feel her heart beating pretty loudly in her chest, the rush of blood as it flowed through her veins almost affected him.
"Am i right to think you are okay, well and unharmed?"
"Yes I'm fine but how were you able to find me. I mean, how do you know where I was going to be exactly" Laura asked, her brow was still raised expectedly at him.
"Like I told you earlier, this is what my brothers and I do, we know every part of the forest like the back of our hand and can easily track and rescue someone if the need be" he paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing back at her.
"But then again, I'm really curious to know how you were able to get this far into the woods. How did you do it without a companion?"
"A man I met at the foot of the forest suggested that i take a faster and shorter route. And I did without thinking and ended up loosing my way"
Marcus gave a small nod, "I see. Did you get this man name perhaps?"
"No, he didn't say what his name was but he looked kind of ancient and weird with that accent. Like someone from the old world even if he was so charming and sweet"
From Laura description, Marcus couldn't help but snort internally. He knew exactly who her charming and sweet was and it's none other than Lin MacArthur.
He bet, if he was to tell her, he is a bloody vampire and a thousand years older than her own parent, she'd think differently but now was not the time.
Now is just not the time for such outrageousness.
First thing first, he needed to get her away from there and back to where it's completely safe.