Hunting Mate

Chapter Four

I spent the couple of hours that I had free in the following week searching the neighborhood to find Pandora, everyone else that had imprinted had told me that they had this certain pull that drew them to their imprintee but I didn't have that, why don't I have that?

I head over to Joe's house and knock "hi" he greets as he opens the door "I have a question" I walk into his house and take a seat on his couch "shoot" he says as he sits down in his arm chair "so first I want to tell you that I have imprinted" I say he smiles "congratulations" I smile weakly and lobsided "thanks but the problem is I can't find her" I confess.

It's been exactly a week since I met Pandora and it was literally killing me not seeing her, I barely had an energy to stand up anymore, I need her "everyone mentions a pull that they have toward their imprintee but I don't seem to have it, if I go by sense of direction then she's everywhere" I explain he nods "maybe she's move around a lot, she might be an active girl. Have you tried phasing and see what happens then cause some people get only get it in their wolf form?" he explains.

I think for a bit "I haven't tried that but I will tonight after work, thanks Joe" I say then I check my watch "I have to go to work now, sorry" he nods "no problem, have fun and good luck with finding her" he says "thanks" I head out to work

It only takes 20 minutes to walk to work from Joe's; I start my work as usual as soon as I get there. I lie down on the board and move myself under a pick-up truck "how did Will's party go?" Damien asked, he was one of the wolves in the pack and also the owner of the garage, and he is so much like a big brother to me "yeah good, I met a girl there" I said giving the word 'girl' emphasis as I couldn't say that I imprinted as there was people that weren't wolves in the garage "oh really? How is she?" he asks handing me some tools as I sort of the car "she's totally gorgeous but that was the first and last time I've seen or heard from her, I gave her my number but nothing"

Damien kicked my leg softly, gesturing he had another tool for me; I move out to grab it and move back "what's her name? I might have heard of her" he says, he has lived around here his entire life so he knew about everyone in the neighborhood, I didn't even think of that, "Pandora Blakely" I say and he repeats her name as he thinks "what about Dora?" I heard a man say, he knows Pandora?!

I come out from under the truck and get up "you know Pandora?" I ask he looks at a guy who then leaves, what's going on? "he nods "yeah I know her, she's my daughter" he replies, Damien nudges me with a smile.

I felt my body forces me to look at the door as I do I see Pandora walk in with the guy that left a minute ago, she looks at me and smiles "Layton" she says surprised "hi" I say back with a smile we just staring at each other as I get lost in her blue-green eyes "Dora, honey, who's this?" her father asks her "this is Layton Hammond" he explains and I hold out my hand but he ignores it "and when did you meet Layton?" he asks spitting my name out slightly "I met him last week when you and the guys were talking to people" she confessed.

"Lay, I've got everything sorted for your birthday party" Frankie says coming excited before he notices that we have people here "oh, I'm sorry I thought it was empty, I didn't notice people where here" he apologises I look at him "so how old are you going to be?" Pandora's dad asks bring his attention to me "I will be 22 in one month" I say, one of the guy grab Pandora's arm as I throw myself forward wanting to kill him as she winces but Pandora's dad gets in the way "stay away from my daughter" he says "dad, leave it" Pandora says.

I just wanted to go and hug her, she looks so hurt and lost "dad, please, drop it" she begs  "the truck is ready now" Jason, one of the people that work in the garage with me, says throwing Pandora's dad the keys, he grabs them "let's go, Dora, we have a wolves to kill" he says climbing in the car, her dad was a part of the hunting pack that nearly me while Frankie and I were on our rounds last night?!

I look at Pandora who smiles at me weakly and mouths 'I'm sorry' she can't just leave me here, I don't want to lose her again, I can't lose her "call me" I practically beg her as he climbs in the car and her dad drove off. I watched the car disappear and I felt a weight hit me again, I look at Frankie and Damien "I've lost her and I didn't even get chance to know her" I said, neither of them knew what to say to that.

I left work earlier as Damien let me go because I was just moping around. I got a shower and went on my rounds early; I need to get my Pandora. I head far west of the forest as that was where I was attracted too for some reason, I couldn't go too far because then I would be out of my territory and wouldn't be completely safe.

I saw three trucks which was over the line that I wasn't allowed to pass, I examine each part of where the trucks and the men where until I found her. She was sat inside one of the trucks 'Layton?' I hear Axel say 'you aren't supposed to be out yet, are you?' he asks as I didn't answer him calling my name, 'not officially but there's no rules against going for a walk is there?' I said back, my whole focus was on Pandora.

I saw her look out and we made eye contact, she was my world I just needed her to see that, she looked down and looked up twice before the men began aimed their guns my way, if I couldn't have her why shouldn't I just let them shot me? 'Where are you? Dude, get out of there! If they shoot you, you will phase back, look, run now and we will try and find away to get you with her' Axel told me "there!" I heard one of them men say to the others. I turned and ran, it pained me leaving her. I heard a gun fire and I felt that the bullet had just missed me; that was lucky!

I need to get out of here and I need to do it fast, I can hear them behind me, how where they keeping up to me? I wanted to go stop and go back as I could smell the sweet smell of caramel and candy, it was her scent. The only thing that was keeping me running was the smell of other scents and the idea that they had guns, I started running faster. I sniffed the air trying to find if I was leading them over to the other and luckily, I wasn't.

I ran into the 'safe' house and I phased back and closed the door. I went into the room and threw on some clothes that were in there. I sat down on the floor, breathing heavily. I had already told Axel where I was so he could let the others know I was safe. I got up and laid on the couch, there was a bang on the door.

I got up and opened the door, it was my Pandora, she ran in and slammed the door closed behind her "what's wrong?" I asked, I could feel her worry and that she was scared "I got attack" she told me I look as she held up her arm which was bleeding, I took her into the bathroom and started cleaning and bandage it up "I lost everyone and when I was looking for them, I bumped into some wolves, there were five of them. I managed to shoot one" she shot one? "But then another freaked out at me and clawed me luckily one of them knocked him off or I would have been dead, he was going to eat me" she said crying.

I held on tight to her, I liked how she felt in my arms; she is right where she needs to be "it's okay, you are safe now, can I ask a question?" I feel her nod "what did the wolf look like that you shot?" I ask "it was big, dark brown with parts of light brown in it, it's fur was matted, the fur on the other wolves looked quite neat for being wild animals" she said, I froze-she shot Frankie, my imprintee shot my best friend.

I cleared my throat trying not to get emotional "was it dead?" I ask she shrug "I didn't look, I got attacked instantly" she explains, so I guess the one that attacked her was Axel defending his big brother, but what was Frankie doing out there? He wasn't supposed to be there until another hour with me.

I felt Pandora cup my cheek "you ok?" I nod "I'm fine, sorry" I say I look at her "look it's late, why don't we get some rest here and I will take you back to your dad tomorrow?" I ask she replied with a smile.

I wanted her to be safe but I also needed to make sure Frankie was okay; so making her sleep over was the perfect option plus that meant I could spend time with her and just hold her.