As the evening progressed and Blake continued to bid his farewells to those who had attended the dinner, a sense of restlessness settled within him. The absence of Marie by his side was becoming more pronounced, and a growing unease gnawed at his heart. He had anticipated that she might need a moment alone, but he had hoped that she would have returned to be by his side by now.
Blake's connection to Marie went beyond the physical; the mate bond allowed him to sense her emotions, to pick up on her presence. He closed his eyes briefly, focusing on that connection, trying to reach out to her. But his attempts were met with a sense of emptiness. Pushing aside his growing concerns, Blake decided to follow his instincts and go look for Marie. Jet came to the forefront of hi mind and Blake allowed him to take over. Blake left the dining hall. His steps quickened as Jet sensed Marie's scent. Blake followed the path it weaved.
However, as he followed her scent, another scent began to mingle with it—one that raised alarm bells within him. The unmistakable scent of blood reached his nostrils, and his instincts went on high alert. He quickened his pace, dread pooling in his stomach.
The trail led him to a spot by the lake where the scents intertwined. Marie's and the scent of blood. Panic surged through him, his heart pounding in his chest. His eyes darted around, searching for any signs of what might have happened.
"Jet can you sense her?" Blake asked his wolf with panic in his voice
"No" Jet howled out.
"Marie!" Blake's voice was a desperate call, his worry evident. But his words echoed in the emptiness, unanswered.
Frantic now, Blake began to search the area more thoroughly, his senses on high alert. He came across the rocks by the lakes edge that was splattered in Marie's blood and then a trail leading away from the lake and back towards the pack house. Blakes mind was in turmoil. his thoughts all jumbled up. He was unable to think straight. All he could think about was finding his mate. He opened up the pack link.
"Steve - Lake, blood, Marie" Blake was unable to string a sentence together in his panic.
"Blake? Are you hurt? I am on my way" Blake closed the mind link and stared at the blood trail. Seconds later Steve and his men ran into the area by the lake. Steve grabbed Blake by his shoulders. "Blake are you hurt?" Steve looked over his best friend and king.
"No, No it is not me, I cannot find her"
Steve stood still and allowed the scents to catch in his nose "fuck" Steve started barking orders to the gammas he had brought with him and then he grabbed Blake and dragged him in the direction the blood trial led them.
As minutes turned into an eternity, Blake's fear intensified.
As Blake and Steve followed the trail of blood, their determination to find Marie intensified with each step. The scent of blood was a grim reminder of the urgency of the situation, and they pressed on, their senses attuned to any signs that could lead them to her.
Their search brought them to the driveway of the pack house, where the scent of blood mingled with another distinct smell. It was the scent of a car. Blake dropped his gaze to the floor and saw fresh tire tracks on the floor leading away from where the blood trail came to an abrupt stop.
The urgency of the situation heightened as Blake and Steve examined the tire tracks, their eyes narrowing as they analyzed the path they took. Blake's mind raced, his heart heavy with worry for Marie's safety.
"She left in a car," Steve said, his voice tense with concern.
Blake's jaw clenched as he nodded, his expression a mixture of fear and determination. "We need to to find her Steve"
"We will, I promise" Steve started to bark orders through the pack link and soon they were joined on the drive way by the rest of Blakes closest friends and Gammas. Steve carried out his Beta job perfectly, arranging the wolves in to search teams and sending them out into the night.
Blake pulled out his phone and called Marie's number.
As Blake's attempts to reach Marie through her phone went unanswered, his worry deepened. The lack of response only heightened his concern. With a sense of urgency, he shifted into his Lycan form. His wolf form stood at least 8 feet and unlike werewolves who shifted onto all fours he stood proud on his back legs. His fur was Jet black with a white stripe that covered over his left eye.
Steve, determined to assist Blake, followed suit and shifted into his Lycan form as well. Steve's wolf was a stark contrast to Blakes. Steve's wolf was a snow white with 1 black paw. Together, they embarked on a race against time, their senses attuned to the trail before them. The scent that led them was a mixture of Marie's and the lingering scent of blood.
As they sped through the night, Marie's scent began to fade and the stench of blood became the overwhelming scent. Blake's thoughts were consumed by the fear of what they might find at the end of the trail. Suddenly Blake came to a stop outside a small a house. The house was shrouded in darkness but the front door was ajar. The smell of blood thick in the air. Blake hesitated as he stepped forward and pushed the door open. He braced himself for what he may find behind it.
Blake shifted back to his human form so he could fit in side and Steve followed behind him.
"Marie" Blake called out. Again he was met with nothing but deadly silence.
Steve flicked the light switch and the room came into focus. Blake's heart clenched as he took in the sight. His eyes scanned the room, his thoughts racing as he tried to make sense of the chaos before him. A blood-soaked sofa, bandages strewn across the floor which also dripped with blood. Blake caught sight of abandoned medical equipment and a brown medical bag that seemed oddly familiar to him.
"Dr Michael" Blake uttered his name. Steve looked over at him. "What? The guy from the house?"
"Yes" was all Blake could reply with as he stalked around the room looking for more clues.
Blake took a deep breath in and realized that he could no longer pick up on Marie's scent but only that off blood and a werewolf.
Blake pulled out his phone again and dialed Marie's number. Marie's voicemail rang out in to the silence.
Blake let out a loud roar and fell to his knees. Steve stood by his best friends side and placed on a hand on his shoulder.
"We need to find her Steve"
Steve nodded " We will. do you have the Doctors number?"
Blake shook his head "No" I have no idea how to find him" His concern began to turn to anger and his fists curled into balls as he slammed them down onto the floor causing the house to shake and the wooden floor boards to crack. His emotions threatening to boil over.
just as his anger was reaching its peak, his phone rang, startling him. The sight of Marie's name flashing on the caller ID caused a mix of relief and urgency to flood through him. With a quick swipe, he answered the call, his voice thick with a mixture of worry and relief.
"Marie? Are you alright? Where are you?"
However, the voice on the other end of the line was not Marie's instead it was Doctor Michael's voice that rang in Blakes ear.
"Blake, it's Doctor Michael. I need you to listen carefully.
Blake's grip on the phone tightened, his heart racing as he absorbed the information.
"What happened? Is she okay? Where is she?"
Doctor Michael's continued "Marie rang me last night, saying she needed to get away. When I arrived to our meeting spot, Blake she was in a bad way. I tried.. I tried to treat her wounds as best i could but I just couldn't stop the bleeding with what I had with me "
Blake's mind raced as he processed the information. "What do you mean you couldn't stop the bleeding? Where is she Michael?"
"I had no choice Blake, I had to take to the hospital back in the town. They rushed her to surgery. She is okay Blake but she needs you"
"I will be there as fast as I can, Thank you Michael" Blake hung up the phone and looked over at Steve who had heard the whole conversation.
"Lets get to the airfield" Blake and Steve both shifted and ran towards the airfield. A new found energy pushed them both to move quicker.
Blake opened the back link and ordered the jet be ready for take off in 20 minutes. He closed the link, lowered his head and ran with everything he had. He needed to get to Marie.