Alpha Stone

22- Into The Woods

My breathe catches in my throat. Is this real? Did I hear that? I stand completely still, unable to move, my ears straining. Please be real.

Please.

Maybe they just need some incentive.

"James? Dennis?" My voice is seconds away from cracking, keep your shit together, "Honey? Are you there? It's mummy."

Silence.

Then it hits me like a ton of bricks, what if it isn't my kids, what if its someone else? I immediately remember those eyes staring at me from deep in the woods that night, that man in the mall. A shiver runs through my spine as I contemplate this. Oh God, I hope it isn't.

I've already made my position clear, he knows I'm here and if he wanted to attack he could have done by now.

Realistically though, how sure am that I actually heard anything? Let's be real, my nerves are completely shot and I'm not necessarily in the best frame of mind right now. But really does any of that matter when I have my children to find?

I call on my wolf. She is ready and waiting and I use her enhanced hearing to listen for a sign of anything. I know I'm wasting time right now but I can't leave without being sure, at the same time I feel like I can't move from here.

"Kids, please," I call out, "please baby just answer me."

Silence.

I can hear my heart thundering in my chest I'm so scared to breathe right now so scared that any sound I make might block out a sound made by them. I'm a statue for the next minute, wondering how long I can wait here for.

I had to try one last time.

"Hello? Anyone here?" I call out again.

Silence again.

Dejected, I muffle a sigh and turn to leave down the corridor, I could just be imaganing things. God, could I be more stupid? Wasting time on something that was nothing more than a figment of my imagination! I could be out there, looking for my kids, looking for Theo. Finding them.

Hopefully, safely.

But until I can verify that for myself, by them being in my arms, I was not going to stop looking for them . What was not helping however – was wasting time on crap like this –

My heart stops, my breathe catches in my throat. I can't function. This is unreal.

Or maybe, it was. And this is exactly what I need.

"Mum?" very muffled, barely there.

But I heard that.

And so did She.

Bedroom.

You know when you want to do something so bad, everything then decides to get in your way of doing it? Like the universes way of saying, nope. You are way too excited for this kid. Thats what I feel like now their bedroom is only a few steps away, and yet its taking me longer than necessary to get there. It seems like eveything is blocking my way.

I fling open their door, "Honey? Where are you?"

Silence again.

"Mum?" I'm sure thats James, but where?

Frantically I tear their duvets off the bed, looking high and low wherever could they be?

A barely there breath She could just about make out.

The wardrobe!

I leap towards it, ripping the door off in the process. The relief I feel when I see Jamie huddled there is unreal. In what feels like years he opens his eyes to look at me and is instantly in my arms. I squeeze him with everything I have. Jace is sobbing in my arms as I murmur sweet nothings into his ears kissing his forehead frantically.