Proven Heart

Eighteen: The Reason

It took a couple of hours to convince the pup to go with James and Claire. Luckily, the pup was immediately eager to do anything as long as he gets an entire bag of chocolate crisps.

Aurora had started her move.

Only an hour after they took Oliver into the woods, the spy had asked around for her son. With James taking extra precautions, he smuggled the boy out of the pack with no one noticing.

Selena doubted Aurora would find Oliver immediately, but she hoped the spy would take the bait and, as it looked like now, she did.

The spy was following the same route that James took.

Hook line and sinker, the thought that came into her head.

“Huh,” William gritted his teeth. “Why doesn’t she seem bothered at all?”

Selena knitted her brows. It was odd to feel virtually nothing knowing your son was missing.

Although Aurora was always difficult to gauge. Selena couldn’t say for certain or even guess the torrents of ideas going through the wolf’s head.

It almost seemed like she was expecting this to happen.

Selena scrunched her jaw.

“We need to be careful.” She said.

“No, shit. We’re playing with fire, Selena. I don’t think this is going to end pretty.”

William shoved his blade into his pocket and walked down the stairs, following Aurora.

Adrenaline rushed into her veins while she took in a heavy breath. No more turning back. With one quick huff, Selena trailed William’s steps.

Out of the packhouse, both of them stayed out of sight and remained far away from their target. One foot closer and it wouldn’t be that hard for Aurora to sense them.

Patience was the detail they needed to master. While they stalked, following the wolf down the trail, Selena and her partner communicated through signs. She was shit at it, but she would never admit to it.

Luckily, they ended with a compromise, using some signs that they both come up with to make things easier.

Down the perilous trail of Aurora’s calm scent, the wolf paused, looking left and right.

Selena pressed herself against a tree and ceased to breathe. She glanced at William, who was doing the same. He had his knife out, clutched against his chest.

Selena shook her head as she mouthed. ‘Stay calm, not now.’

He nods.

They were still relatively close to the pack and if they got caught, Aurora would just easily run back for cover, and that was the last thing they wanted.

Once the wolf continued to walk, their tracking so did too. Selena snaked through the trees and shrubs, making no noise as her bare feet touched the ground.

Suddenly, Selena heard a sickening crack, her head whipping towards the noise.

“Fuck!” William yelped.

Selena looked at him, seeing a knife plunge into his arm. She glanced at Aurora, surprised that the wolf could even detect them.

But how? With the range she was in, it was utterly impossible for the wolf to find them. Unless… this was just a variable that she expected.

“You know, you’re not the only wolves that tried to use Oliver against me.” The spy snarled.

Selena found herself trapped by Aurora’s overwhelming anger. The way her eyes glowed made her gulp.