Alpha & Omega // Ateez // P.SH

- 28 -

Midsummer was getting closer and they started to prepare for a trip to the forest. Many of them wanted to go, but two insisted.

«I will not just sit here and wait,» Seonghwa said. «If she comes, I'll need to see her immediately. And if she doesn't, maybe Jongho will know where she is.»

«If he shows up,» Yeosang said, his voice dark with fear. He too insisted on going north.

«He'll be there,» Seonghwa insisted. «And he'll have valuable information, I just know it.»

«But you can't go on further on your own,» Hongjoong said. «Which is why I'm coming too.»

Seonghwa looked at his alpha. Worst case scenario, would he stand up against his alpha? Would he be strong enough? For most wolves, it wasn't even something to think about, but he was the heir to Avande. It meant he had powers he had yet to discover. He had no desire to find out what they were, but if it came down to it, Ellinor's life was worth anything to him. Anything and everything!

«So the three of us will go,» Seonghwa said.

«I'm coming too.»

Hongjoong looked at his mate. «No!»

«Yes, darling,» Yunho said and grabbed his hand. «If anyone needs medical attention, you'll need me. That's likely to happen, so... I'm coming.»

The room fell silent. It was obvious that the mates were talking in their link. It was no fight, more a declaration of love. One could almost hear them. None of them would survive losing the other.

Four wolves left the fortress together as the sun set a few days before midsummer. Yunho was the only one carrying a small pack, mostly containing medical supplies in case Ellinor or Jongho needed it. This time they ran along the east side of the city, into an area they didn't know too well. They still had an obvious goal. They wanted to get to the cave under the waterfall to sleep, that seemed like the safest option. They planned on avoiding the swamps, they didn't know that area as Ellinor did and one could easily get stuck. It would mean a lot of time lost if they had to backtrack to safe ground again.

As they came out onto the open plains, memories flooded Seonghwa's mind. Images of when Ellinor and he had to escape from wolves chasing them, cutting them off from the city. They were separated from the pack. Only a short winter Ellinor got with the pack before she was kidnapped. And she was still gone.

Seonghwa kept watch while the others drank water and rested. His mind was far away. He could not feel Ellinor, but that was to be expected. They had burned off their mating mark. He did however feel that tiny link towards his child. That link had changed but he didn't understand it. It was harder to tell the direction of it now, but he hoped that only meant that they were about to meet. Maybe she would be in the forest to meet him at midsummer?

He didn't even dare to hope. He missed her so much that it was physically painful. He could hardly breathe thinking that he might never see her again. He had to! She was his entire life.

They kept running till far into the next day. They were tired, but they were able to keep their distance from all the wolves in the area. When they finally arrived at the river, they were cautious as they shifted and jumped into the water. It wasn't as cold as the last time Seonghwa swam here, but close. As he crawled into the cave, Seonghwa whimpered.

«What's wrong?» Yunho asked. Then he felt it too. Three of them shifted back to their wolves and examined the cave. Seonghwa just cried.

«Ellinor!»

«Shhh,» Yunho tried to comfort him after shifting back. He took Seonghwa into his arms.

«She was here!»