Bedburg Hills

109

KIRA POV

The temperatures felt as if they were still dropping even with the sun high in the sky. I was tired, cold, everything negative, I was feeling it. As I ran through the woods I felt having these visions. I kept seeing Falco and Jazz but in reality they aren't there. I'm just ready to be home, I feel like I've been out here for a long time. A longer time than I like to admit because honestly, I don't know how long it's been since I sent them home. Hopefully they made it home. As the hours passed and the sun started to set, I made my way into a cave and shifted to a human. 

I started a fire and cuddled closely to the flames to keep warm. I laid down slowly and closed my eyes, drifting to sleep.
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JACE POV

*Three days ago* 

"You can't just go out there and start looking for her," Esme shook her head, "we have no idea where she is. No locator spells are working. You can't. It'd be suicide right now. It's too cold, even for your fur to be out there for too long." 

"Well I'm not leaving her out there any longer!" I roared, "she's been gone for a week! A week! She could be dead!" 

"She isn't dead Jace," Esme shook her head, "I can still feel her. She isn't dead." 

"Yeah well she needs to be home!" I snapped, "she saved all our asses. I'll be damned if I sit by any longer! This always happens!" I left the house before anyone could say anything else and went out to find her. It was cold but I could handle it in wolf form, so that's what I did. I let out a howl hoping she'd hear it and communicate back but I was wrong. 

I continued as the sun set and rose again. I wasn't stopping, I wouldn't rest until she's with me.

Safe. 

*Present Time*

Night had fallen and temperatures were well in the negatives. I pulled myself into a cave for a few to get out of the wind. As time went on snow turned to sleet and sleet turned to rain. When the sun rose again I set back out. This is day four of me being out here and I will admit its been rough the past few days but I'm sure she's having a harder time right now. She's been out here way longer than me, I just hope she's okay. I should probably try and catch something to eat so she can have something when I find her. 

I looked around as I tried to find something, anything. When my eyes set on a rabbit, I knew it was small for pickings are slim so I took off after it. I caught it and started to carry it around. Come on Kira, where are you. I continued to travel, searching the woods. I wasn't even sure where I was anymore. I crawled into a cave and shifted to my human form. 

"Kira!" I yelled, "Kira!" I know its a long shot but I'm at a loss here. I don't know where I'm going. I'm just following what my gut is telling me.
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ESME POV

With Jace on the run after Kira and me unable to stop him, I decided to keep trying to get a location on her. I'm not sure why it isn't working, hopefully she isn't in trouble. 

"I don't think it's smart that he's out there alone," Justin shook his head, "I think someone should be with him." 

"Yeah well he didn't exactly give us a chance," I sighed, "he just left." 

"I would have too," he said, "you were telling him not to. She's our alpha. We need to be out there looking for her too. We should be." 

"Rowan can barely open his eyes still," I shook my head, "I won't leave him here." 

"Then Kai can stay," he insisted, "someone needs to be out there. He isn't back, she isn't back. It's been four days since he left. Something just isn't right. Do another locator spell." I did as he said, tracking Jace. His location popped up on the map. 

"And what about Alex?" I asked, "what are we-"

"I'll be okay," he said, "I- uh- I actually think I should be going with you guys." 

"Absolutely not," I shook my head, "how do I know you're.. well... you?" 

"If I wasn't me then I would have tried to rip him apart by now," Alex nodded his head, "Rowan too. Please, trust me." I looked at him for a few seconds before nodding my head.

"I'm going after him," Justin grabbed a few things, "I'll be back. You can come with me or you can stay here but I'm going. I have to and Jace needs my help, our help." I looked over at Kai and when I nodded his head, me and Justin set off to find Jace. I was able to travel faster so I got us to him before the sunrise. I was led to a cave where Justin ran inside. "Jace?" he said, "Jace! Hey man how's it going?" 

"What?" he said confused as I walked into the cave, "where? When did you guys get here? How did you find me?" 

"Esme did a locator spell," he nodded his head, "and we came as fast as we could. We're gonna help you find her." I watched a smile spread across his face. I walked out and grabbed a pile of sticks before setting them down in the cave. 

"Incendia," I held up my hand and watched the sticks catch flame. Immediately the cave started to warm up and I could visibly tell how tired the two of them were. I cast a sleep spell, sending the three of them into a deep slumber. "Okay Kira," I shut my eyes and held my hands out, "I need a sign. I need something to know that you're okay out there." I looked around and kept an eye out as they slept and after a while when Jace started to wake up, the other two soon followed. "Here," I handed him the bag that Justin brought, "eat up. I can tell you're hungry. I can hear your stomach." 

"Thank you," he reached in and pulled out a few pieces of food, "do you guys want any?" Both the boys reached in the bag. Alex grabbed a bag of blood, Justin just grabbed a slab of meat. We all started on our way again. The snow was falling heavily still and the wind was blowing so hard I swear it can blow me over. I thought I heard voices coming from in the woods but when the others didn't, I decided to blow it off. 

Suddenly Alex stopped, "did you hear that?" 

"Oh thank god," I said, "because I thought I heard something but none of you seemed like you did and 3 against 1 is pretty low odds." 

"You're all of us combined plus a witch," Justin chuckled, "if anything 3 against 1 is low on our end. What was it Alex? What did you hear?" 

"Voices," he hushed us, "listen. It- it sounds like it's coming from that way." We started to follow it and we were led to a group of people. We stayed behind the bushes and scoped them out. 

"We know there's something out here," one of the men said, "you remember that thing we shot in the woods that one time! You remember the blood trail! We found the bullet buried in the snow so whatever it is, its big and you know what that means? Money!!" We watched as the others cheered around him. 

"This isn't good," I turned to them, "we-"

"It's somewhere around here!" a woman stepped forward, "I got em with my gun! You all saw it! So lets go!" 

"Wait they shot her?" Jace asked, "what? Why didn't we hear the shot?"

"Maybe there's a silencer on it," Alex breathed, "it cancels out the sound quite a bit but if there's a blood trail then we should be able to smell it." 

"Not if it's covered with snow," I shook my head, "it'll mask the smell." 

"No," Jace started to shake his head, "no something isn't right. Something's wrong. You- someone, you guys need to distract them. We have to get them to stop." 

"There are too many of them there to just walk in and compel them," I shook my head, "we'll have to scare them off or- or something." 

"There are two of us," Alex nodded, "we can do it. I think. Maybe Justin can scatter them out, might make it a bit easier." I nodded my head and just like that Justin jumped out. As people screamed and ran around, me and Alex headed out. I grabbed the first person. 

"You will forget everything that happened today," I stared into his eyes, "you will go home happy with life and forget all about the monster you were tracking today. You won't remember me or our conversation. Now, go home." They nodded their head and with a smile turned around and started to leave. We worked our way through the rest of the group and when it was over, we gathered again. 

"Okay so where'd Jace go?" Justin questioned. 

"Arrgh," I growled, "gone. I can't even smell him right now. I'll perform a locator spell."