Dirty Little Secret

Searching and Scents

Jason's POV

"What do you mean?" I ask Darren, and he frowns before heading into the kitchen for a second, his sister frowning after him, confused, and he comes back a few moments later with what looks like a map.

I watch as he opens it and spreads it out before pushing the remotes and game controllers that liter then coffee table onto the floor.

"That smell. I recognize it." He explains and I leave the seat on the couch to join his couches position on the floor.

I look at the table, and my brows come together when I see that the map is of the Packlands, including all the forested areas that fall in the Winter Moon territory. I recognize the wooded area on the map where our home is, but focus on Darren as he points to a section of woods near the northern part of the woods where it turns into feral wolf territory.

"Sometimes when I can't sleep, I go for runs. I've been just about everywhere in our woods. These past few days, though, there's been a few new scents around here, one of them being human. And he smells just like what you said." He tells me, and I nod to him, my heart pounding in my chest from both nerves and anger, my crossed arms feeling weak and vulnerable without Nick inside them being protected.

I feel myself zone out, thinking about what it means that Nathan has been sniffed out near the edge of our pack lands.

"Jace?" I realize with a start that my name has been called a few times, and when my attention comes back to the present and I turn my head, I find Luis standing next to me, the room looking towards me as well, and at first, I frown, confused on why the wolves are turning to me, when Tarik, one of our Warriors, speaks up.

"Nick is your Mate, Jason. You tell us what you need, and we'll be there and get it done. Just tell us what you need us to do." He tells me, his handsome face serious as he nods to me.

Glancing around, I see the other shaking their heads in agreement, nodding to me, waiting for me to tell them what to do, willing to come and help me, and stand here offering to do whatever I need them to in order to get my Mate back.

Growing up, I was always an outcast at school. The big bad wolf that didn't know how to control his impulses and anger. I didn't belong at school, at home, and I didn't expect to fit in in the pack. But thinking about it now, even as a kid, I don't remember being brought around pack members, my parents always preferring to keep to the edges of the pack and away from the other wolves.

This whole time, I felt so alone, and what I was, was shielded and kept from the rest of the world until I was convinced it hated me.

In school they always teach that being a Wolf is about family, camaraderie, friendships and the lifelong bonds you create in your Pack. I always thought it was philosophical bullshit my teachers were trying to feed me so maybe I could mellow out a little, but maybe they were right. Either way, I have help I would have never expected, and for Nick's sake, I won't let the chance go to waste.

"I need as many of you as possible to come with me to the woods. Nick isn't just my brother by nurture, he's my Soulmate, and I'm going to need all the help I can get to get him back." I tell them, my half assed rallying speech getting a shaking head from Luis, but within seconds everyone has rallied, getting ready to leave the house.

I watch in disbelief as people start walking tino the backyard, Darren talking to the group of wolves that follow him, explaining where in the woods he found the scents.

Tessa walks over towards Luis and I, and I raise a brow as she stops in front of me, her hands stuffed into her pockets as she looks at me seriously. "My family lost Nick already, and we just got him back. Just.... bring him back. I don't think my mom can take this again." She tells me, before throwing me a good luck as she turns away to walks towards her mom.

I turn towards Luis and he gives me a shrug before he leads the two of us outside where I walk towards Darren who turns away from another wolf with a nod to look at me.

"You ready for this?" He asks me, his face grave and serious and I nod, rolling my shoulders and bouncing on my toes to warm my body up, wolves stretching around the yard.

"Let's go." I reply, and he nods before he begins to transform, the magic in the air behind joined by my own as it flows through me, my body growing fur as my bones grow, a growl leaking from my chest as I land on the ground on four heavy paws.

I shake my head, settling my fur before looking around, watching as the other follow suit until the only one still on two legs is Luis.

I hear a few wolves scoff and laugh, but we both ignore him, knowing that Luis can keep up.

Darren looks around to make sure everyone is ready to go, and after a growl from me, he shoots off into the woods, everyone following in his wake. Wolves of all shapes and colors weave through the trees of the forrest, blurred figures keeping pace around me as we race through the trees, rushing towards Nick as fast as we can.

After running around five miles north, we start to slow down, the woods getting darker as the trees get taller and thicker at the top, the ominous feeling in the air letting me know exactly where we are.

Near the borders of the pack lands where rouge wolves and families live outside of the pack lifestyle.

While the woods are filled with some Rouges that can be sweet, if not a little naive, some others can be vicious animals who were banned from their packs for crimes against their people.

So when we run into the clearing and I find Shannon along with ten Rouges waiting for our search partying, the weight on my shoulders almost makes me crumble.

Hold on Nick.

Just hold on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is getting intense. Do you guys think this story went on for too long? Do you think that Nathan should have been the angst and that's it?

Thoughts?

Comments?

QOTD: Whats your favorite Sitcom?