The Stinky Life I've Accepted

Chapter 22: We Won't Leave

(6 More Months Have Passed By)

Ryker

I grimace, limping my way through the abandoned town, trying to ignore the pain that has only gotten worse in my limbs. 

When shifters shift from form to form, we heal faster and easier. We also have a need... a desire to shift from time to time. It's like an itch that never goes away until we scratch it, or in our case, shift. 

I've finally shifted from my fox form to my skunk form, and was happy for a while. 

But then that itch came back. I have ignored my other form my entire life (the months held in captivity by certain groups do not count), but with my body wanting a chance to heal, that itch was strong. 

So here I am, in my most hated form. 

I sigh, scavenging the third house of the day for food. Anything. I will eat anything. 

I can't hunt very well in the shape I am, both with my injuries and with the form I am in, and so, I rely on ghost towns like this. 

I only pass through, stay for a few nights in a row, and whenever I come across a living town, I turn the other way, or take a different path. 

I don't know much about humans and their laws, but I am sure it would not bode well if they spotted a skinny, injured teenage boy wandering on his own, covered in filth and with nothing but his birthday suit on. 

Yeah, probably not a good idea. 

I groan, leaning against the side of one house to catch my breath, gently rubbing one of my sore legs. 

This is going to be a long day. 

Maxon

I glance down at the map, frowning at just how many areas have been highlighted. 

Where sights of a mangled fox, with a bad limp due to injuries in both the back legs have been spotted by humans, shifters, or both. 

Mikey hands me a soda, the cap already popped off, and I take a sip as I examine the large map on the table. 

"At this point, we have packs and rogue shifters alike searching through the entire country, keeping an eye out. Even Levi and his pack is out and about on their land, keeping an open eye out. Of course, our kind cannot keep to every spot all at once, but it is unlikely he'll go unseen for much longer. At this point, it is only a matter of time." Mikey says as he eyes the map himself, frowning. 

I sigh, rubbing my temples. "I want to believe you, but... I don't know. He's just slippery. And even if we find him, getting him home is going to be an entire other problem." I ground out, glancing at the tranq guns on the table besides the map. 

"It is the best way. Right now, we have to consider him an animal. Once we get him home, we can work on rehabilitating him. It's the safest option we have. Better than him hurting himself trying to escape us, or tearing us apart. With what info we received from... those damn agents, he's as close to being an absolute without actually being an absolute." Kli sighs from his side of the map, highlighting the areas we have checked in the past week. 

I nod faintly, swallowing thickly. 

"Right. Yeah." I murmur, and the three of us stand there in silence for a bit, mulling over our own thoughts. 

Right until the door bursts open, and one of Mikey's warriors breathlessly rushes in, gasping for air. 

"He's been scented, Alphas. It's faint. But there. Just three hours away, close to Alpha Clark's land. They have been notified to keep an eye out for him." He explains, gasping for air. 

I push the chairs out of my way, scrambling for the front door. I pass the warrior without even glancing at him, grabbing my coat off the rack before stepping out of the small house.

I know the others are following closely behind, silently. 

I'm coming, mate. And this time, I won't lose you again.

Mikey

We've been speeding down the roads for 3 hours now, and finally we come to a stop right in front of an empty, broken-down town. In -between the town, and our cars, stands Alpha Clark and quite a bit of his own warriors and inner circle. 

My cousin practically jumps out of the car and greets Clark with a firm handshake.

We all follow suit. 

After introductions are over with, Clark sighs, running his hands through his hair. "I am sorry we have to meet up in these circumstances. Really, I am." He says to my cousin personally. 

Maxon nods, smiling softly. "I appreciate your concern and apology, but honestly? I'd take this situation over the situation I was in 6 to 7 months ago." Maxon says, shrugging. 

"I guess that is true. Let's get down to business then. We don't have eyes on him, and his scent faded rather quickly, but it was here 3 hours ago. Meaning he can't be far." Clark explains, and Maxon breaks into a huge grin. 

"Then let's start searching." 

And with that, we all start to break off into teams, roaming quickly into the forest surrounding the town -- the type of place, I realize, that he seems to prefer -- to start our search for my cousin's mate who has been missing for far too long. 

And we won't leave until we find him.