Moonlit Futures

Chris POV

Roughly 2.5 Weeks After Finding Lexi.

Watching the movement below I pulled the binoculars from my face and sighed in frustration. Pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and pointer finger I closed my eyes and counted to 10. Opening my eyes I glanced over to my right at Xavier and Matt. Seeing them both putting their binoculars down I motioned for us to get off the rock perch we were on. Heading down silently we got to the bottom of the hill before anybody said a word.

"Did anybody notice a pattern today?" I asked the two of them. 

"Nothing. It's like the bastard changes his guard schedules daily, his times daily and his perimeters of the village seem to move too." Xavier told me staring straight ahead deep in thought.

"I noticed that too. It's been a little more than two weeks now. You'd have thought the ass hole would have made a mistake so we could establish a pattern, give away her location or something." Matt kicked out a rock. 

"Why are we not just rushing in to get her now? I can't stand this sitting and waiting." Xavier said punching a tree. Sighing at the two of them I growled out in frustration.

"Sorry Chris. This has to be worse on you."

"Greg is ruthless. I haven't caught her scent very strongly in 13 days. I don't want to rush in like my dad and I did and loose a bunch of people or even jeopardize her life. I know it sucks. I know you just want to go in and kill everyone. I have to hold my wolf back every day from just going and slaughtering everyone down there but we all saw the women and children in the camp. I just want us to be able to either take him down without their casualties or at least minimal casualties." Hearing a scoff next to me I growled and faced Xavier.

"You still hold your mom's death against her don't you? That's why you haven't gone in to get her yet." Growling I watched as he stopped and started to flex at me.

"Xavier, I'm warning you, this has nothing to do with that so drop it." I snarled out.

"That's what this is though Chris! That's why you told me the shame would be worse than anything else. Do you even want her back? Are you that afraid to face her?"

"NO! I'm ready to see if I can even try to make up for the way I treated her! I was an ass hole! These past two years I had people searching for her non stop! Private investigators, cops, wolves, you name it! Nobody could find her! Then to learn she was only a few miles away? And one of my "friends" didn't tell me? It hurt Xavier! Hurt to know I chased her away, hurt to know I let her down and got her taken by that maniac again because I couldn't protect her, hurt to know that you thought so little of me, hurt to know that she didn't care enough to even want to see me and it fucking hurts to know that she may never forgive me! You lived without knowing your mate for your whole life and then you only had to spend a few weeks without her. I lived without mine until one day she magically appeared and then was taken from me! By a stroke of luck I found her and then she was ripped away! I watched as her memories came back and she struggled to believe that werewolves weren't all like this sick psycho, afraid I was going to loose her then! I've lived for two years in hell, HELL! because one stupid sick bastard thinks this is a game of I want her so I claim her. These past six weeks have been the worst in my life because I saw what he did to my mother and Lexi, I saw how she barely survived and I know she held on because of a belief that I might come and save her! Do you think she has that now Xavier? Well do you? Do you know what it's like to have your mate try to be claimed by another wolf and only resist because she knows your out there?" Taking in a deep breath I collected myself a moment before I continued. "I'm not afraid to face her again, I'd rather face her wrath a thousand times and her be ok than do anything to ever hurt her again. I'm afraid because what if this time the mark takes because she thinks I'm not coming? I'm afraid because I may loose her a second time and this time I won't be able to do a damn thing about it." Hearing the pines creak in the wind around my I took my bag off and threw it at Matt. "Take this back for me please. I'm going on a run. I need to clear my head and think about our next move." Striping as I ran into the woods I felt the cold numbness take over as I changed into my wolf.