Bonding and Bite Marks

Silence

Lin let out an almost inhuman cry as he turned his head to see John falling through the rusted barrier. His feet were carrying him before he could think, hand outstretched to grab him, even as he fell out of sight. He could feel his teeth sharpen as he ran faster, roaring as powerful arms grabbed him from behind, pulling him to a stop. He struggled against Takigawa's hold, doing his best to throw him off while inching his way closer to the cliff edge. Terror gripped his chest, and he wasn't sure if it was John's or his own. He hadn't even looked over the edge to see how far down it was or if there was anything at the bottom that would break his fall.

"Lin! Lin! Get a hold of yourself!" Takigawa was wrestling him back with all his might. His arms were wrapped tightly around his chest and waist, feet planted firmly as he leaned back and tried to heave him away from the edge. He couldn't hold on much longer. Despite his strength, he was an omega, and Lin was an alpha. Lin finally collapsed, more from shock than anything else. His lithe body trembled as he stared at the rusted fragments of the barrier, hands fisting on the ground. "Lin?" Takigawa could see the tears hovering in his eyes.

Lin's lips trembled as he parted them to speak, but nothing came out. A chasm had opened in the pit of his stomach, and his strength had slipped through it. He couldn't even move his legs from the sudden darkness that filled his chest like a sinkhole. His breath shook as he breathed in. One minute, he'd felt terrified, and the next, there was nothing. Everything was black and silent. He couldn't pick up even a hint of his mate.

"I-can't...I can't sense him. I can't feel him anywhere." The words came out sounding hollow, much as Lin felt from the shock. Takigawa collapsed beside him, chest aching at the news. For an alpha to be unable to feel their omega could mean only one thing. No! I have to be the level-headed one here! Takigawa took a breath and wiped his eyes as he pushed himself to his feet and approached the broken barrier, looking at the sharp rusted edges with a frown. Looking down, there was only water. Waves crashed lazily against the edge of the cliff, washing through the jagged rocks below. There was no sign of John's body.

"Hey! Whoa-whoa-whoa!" Takigawa almost yelled, grabbing Lin's arm and pulling him back from the edge as he appeared at his side. His heart pounded fearfully as he got a better hold on Lin's body and held him tight. He clearly wasn't thinking clearly. Who would at a time like this? Lin continued trying to get to the edge, though this time it was more like he was in a trance than that he'd gone mad.

"Have to find..." Lin's skin was ashen and pale as he looked down. His dark eyes were dimmer than usual, like the soul had been sucked out of them. Takigawa gripped his shoulder in support, trembling worriedly as he continued trying to nudge him back. Lin seemed vacant as he looked over the edge at the lazily rolling waves. There was no sign of him anywhere. Takigawa turned him away from the barrier and walked him back onto the deserted road. He looked up as he heard footsteps and saw the others running towards them, looking worried. They'd heard Lin's howl from further down the road and rushed over. Naru almost collapsed when he saw Lin's expression, and it didn't take long for Mai and Ayako to catch on.

"We will! We'll find him, but we have to be careful...Let's call out search and rescue. They'll be able to look as soon as it's light enough." Takigawa left Lin in Naru's capable hands as he pulled his phone out to do just that. Lin continued to reach out through their bond, fighting the numbness setting in. It couldn't have happened! Not when he was so close! Not when he'd been barely ten feet away! They'd come so far together, and now he couldn't feel anything, not even static. That could mean only one thing, but he couldn't admit that. They'd come all this way to find Gene. It was just a normal day. How could something like this happen on such a normal day?

"Lin..." Naru cursed under his breath, doing his best to stifle his own tears as he knelt in front of him and leaned against his chest. It was mere reflex as Lin accepted the embrace and held him back, a habit built up over a decade. Naru leached out his lemon tart scent, coiling it around them like a comforting shroud. Lin held him tighter as the smell reached his nose. It was quite rare for Naru to offer such comfort.

"Oh-no..." Mai covered her mouth and leaned against Ayako's side, finding her in a similarly grieved state. Ayako wrapped an arm around her smaller shoulders, taking charge as the most level-headed alpha. Naru was taking care of Lin, and Mai was doing her best to keep it together so as not to add to the panic and despair. Looking over at Takigawa, she could see him standing by the barrier on his phone, talking hurriedly with the coastguard on the other end. From his expression, it didn't look good.

"What did they say?" she asked as he finished, lips pursed as he shoved his phone in his back pocket.

"The lake is part of a national park, and there's an old tourist information centre. The centre itself was shut down because of the risk of landslides along the hiking routes, but they'll meet us there to get more information and start planning a search as soon as it's light." That was something. With the day already ending and the sun slowly making its way to the hills, it made sense to wait. They wouldn't want to put anyone else in danger, especially not when Lin had confirmed that he...

"Then that's what we'll do. Did they send you an exact location?" Ayako watched as Takigawa typed away and held up his phone with a map ready to go. Looking at the small screen, she could see it would take over an hour to walk there. It made more sense to go back and get the car, but she wasn't sure Lin would be up to walking that far. He'd had quite a shock, and besides trapping Naru against his chest, he'd shown no sign of moving. "Alright. You stay here and watch them. Take pictures of the barrier, road sign, and anything else that might help search and rescue. I'll head back and get the car. Mai, do you want to come with me?" She probably wouldn't be much help if left behind. It seemed she understood that as she nodded and hurried along at her side, both of them walking with purpose along the winding road to find Takigawa's car. The van and John's car could stay behind for now.