The Taking

Chapter 28

[Greyson]

"This is why I don't go outside often." Marty lifted his foot and grimaced at the sight of deer shit on the crevasse of his left shoe. He picks up a stick among a clutter of other sticks and attempts to scrap the junk off, whispering something about stupid animals and bacterial forest diseases.

After his store, we headed back to the woods to find traces of the rogue Remington.

Nothing Marty has said in the last hour has made any sense to me. He kept his volume rather low, because the last time I got irritated with his voice, I threw his canister of water across a ravine and we all watched as it dropped to the bottom with a echoed thump.

"Are you sure you're part werewolf, because I swear you act like a poodle." Leo scrunched his nose at Marty, looking perturbed

Vincent snickered. "Poo-dle, get it!" He pointed to Marty's shoes like an insolent little kid. The two brothers burst out laughing and gave each other a high-five, while Marty glared dangers at them. "Don't make me throw this stick at you! I mean it-

"Will all of you stay focused?" I growled. "We are trying to search for my mate!"

"Is he always like this?" Marty asked Vincent, keeping his words small and simple

This was a new talent of his; he learns pretty quickly.

Vincent shrugged, and then murmured. "I don't hang out with him often, like my brother. Alpha Grey was sheltered as a kid."

Teens these days have no respect. Selfish twerps.

Leo inhaled deeply catching his brother's attention and slowly exhaled with his gaze focused on me. "We will get her back, man. That stinky old man won't get very far and I doubt he can go against us."

The calm expression on his face didn't settle my tense nerves. In fact, I wanted to punch in his perfectly straight teeth. Easy-going people have always bothered me, because growing up, I never got the chance to have pleasurable childhood like most kids because dad always busied me with Alpha responsibilities. I had to absorb so much at a young age.

My reaction to Leo was probably insensitive, but with my blood boiling right now, I can't take responsibility for my actions. "Over-confidence when you don't use your recourses and abilities will not help you succeed at anything." Then I flung my finger at Marty. "You have the capability to reunite families or loved ones; catch criminals; and serve the community. Yet you cowardly hide yourself in that tiny store collecting and selling garbage. Do you not feel ashamed, dishonoring your family legacy?"

Marty looked down at his feet guiltily.

Vincent thought I would overlook him, so he slowed his pace, keeping himself at the back.

"And you. I'll happily tell Charlotte that you slacked off while looking for her beloved sister!" I scorned. It wasn't fair that I was the only person going mad over my mate, so I had to draw Vincent to my pathetic state.

His eyes widened in alarm. "No...don't tell her that! She hates me enough!"

The dreadfulness on my face stated some part of me I never thought I had.

"If it were the other way around-if Charlotte were the one in that rogues dirty clutches, how would you react?"

His shoulders tense, his hands fisted and his jaw clenched. "I would kill the sorry prick." The more he thought about it his eyes began to darken in shade, allowing his wolf to also express his distaste.

"I'm glad we share a mutual understanding." I nodded.

I waved Marty forward. "The only way for me to easily track Celeste's location is to get an anchor on the rogues scent." From there the mate bond will kick in. Because Celeste and I weren't completely bonded, there were limitations to our connection. I couldn't yet affectively track her down with my senses, but at least I can feel a slight pull if I'm close to her.