A Winters Memory

Chapter Twenty-Four

As the day went, the Alpha along with the men in the pack searched high and low for Ara and Alec, even trying their old hideouts that Paul had discovered but all had been empty; no signs of life having been there. The scents left behind were practically fading. Which only meant that they hadn't been there in days, even weeks;

"They couldn't have gone too far, Michael, we have the advantage they don't. Remember those pelts Darius and I brought back home?" Michael nodded his head eying Paul.

"We found those in a cave, buried beneath some rocks. Now that I think about it, they could have been stashing them there for later use when they planned to escape. The problem they now face is the fact that they will have to slow down and need to stop to get warm. Without those extra pelts, they'll be freezing, they probably bundled up before leaving but it won't help much with how fierce the winter is; it won't be enough to keep them warm for long."

Michael cupped his chin as he thought about Paul's words; "very well, we will split up into different groups. You four will take the south, you three will go east, you take the west and the rest of us will head north. If you find them, secure them and make sure they do not get away. Find a way to signal us to let us know you've found them. We will not rest until we have found them, am I understood?"

The men all nodded in agreement, their faces eager to begin their new orders. "Bundle up, don't take too many breaks. Make sure to take some food and something to drink. Search all that you can. If you spot them, do not let them know you are on to them, they will run and try to avoid you." They all nodded again and began to set out in their intended destinations.

"My son is a clever hunter, he would have made sure to cover their tracks, we won't find broken or snagged twigs or fabric. We'll need to figure out another way to track them." Paul nodded and turned to look at the male standing beside him.

He was rather tall in stature, a medium sized build, he held muscle but not overwhelming. His body proportions went very well with him. He had light brown hair that he kept tightly braided with leather cords, a full beard that matched his hair color but looked to be just slightly darker; his dark blue eyes were like storms brewing as he looked at the Alpha awaiting his orders.

"Ivar is one of the best trackers, his senses are unparalleled. If they came through here, he'll pick up their scent in no time." Michael nodded and motioned for him to move on forward. The men continued their search leaving no stone unturned and no cave or opening unsearched.

Ivar still hadn't managed to catch their scent causing Michael to grow more and more irritated. "They must not have come this way; I would have caught something by now. Should we head back and go in another direction to catch up with the other men?"

Michael shook his head. "No, we shall continue heading north. Perhaps the frost has some part to play in this. It must have somehow masked their scent and blended it in with the rest of nature. It's been falling heavily since last night and they've had quite the start; it is to be expected. Let us move forward."

The men nodded and marched onwards, their Alpha now leading them forward with Ivar right on his heels as he continued to take in the smells around him trying to scour through every one to find the two he needed more. They continued farther and farther north in hopes of finally catching up to Ara and Alec and putting an end to this needless chase.

Ara's body shivered from the cold as she and Alec trudged through the snow, her pace slowing with each step she took. "Come on, we're almost there, just a little bit longer okay?"

Alec stretched his hand out to help her walk. She wrapped her arms around her shivering frame, "I can't walk anymore, I'm so cold, Alec... I need to rest, please..."

Alec moved over to Ara and brought her close to him, pressing his lips to her forehead. "I know I know you're cold, but we need to keep moving. We can't rest out here; we're too exposed out in the open. We need to keep walking until we find shelter. I know it feels like you can't walk anymore but I need you to fight it and push yourself forward, okay? I promise all this will be worth it."

Ara nodded as her teeth chattered. Alec sighed as he hugged her tightly and rubbed at her arms; the friction of his motions sending warmth through the fabric of her coat but not enough to silence her chattering teeth.

The two managed to keep walking; stopping every so often to catch their breath and search for any type of opening that would allow them enough room to use for some temporary shelter. Night had soon fallen upon them as they continued their search for shelter; when finally, Alec spotted an opening between two large snow-covered boulders.

"Stay here, I'm going to go and take a look. I'll be right back, okay?" Ara nodded and watched as Alec made his way over to the opening, then disappearing inside.

She bit down on her cracking lips as she looked around before turning her attention back to the opening just in time to see Alec emerging after some time.

"It's a bit small but it will have to make do for now. We'll build a small fire, get you warmed up, eat something and then take off once more. Remember, we can't stay in one place for too long. We don't have a lot of those herbs Dahlia gave us, so we have to use them sparingly."

Ara nodded as she followed him back to the opening, as she walked she managed to stumble through the snow a few times capturing Alec's attention. He gripped her arm to steady her making sure to never let her fall as they made their way through the snow and inside the small cave.

The small fire wasn't much but it was enough to keep them warm for the time being and that was all Ara could ask for. She hated being the one to slow them down, even if Alec reassured her that they were fine, she still felt that it was her fault they weren't as far away as they could have been if it wasn't for her needing to stop multiple times. Ara leaned against Alec, resting her head on his shoulder as she stared at the amber colored flames.

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her small frame, bringing her closer to him, his lips resting on the top of her head. "When all of this is over, I promise to properly make you mine..."

Ara blinked and looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

He smiled again as he cupped her face between his large hands; "I will mark you like a true mate should and in turn, you will do the same with me. We will be marked together as one for all eternity. You will belong to no one else but me."

He leaned in pressing his lips to hers, kissing her lovingly. "I'd like that very much..." She whispered against his lips before pressing her own back to his and kissing him back just as lovingly.

Once they were warm enough, they gathered their things, put out the fire and began their journey once again, hoping to go farther before needing to stop again. Alec hoped they would run into someone who could provide them with shelter even if just for a little while before they had to pick up and leave again. It would be nice to be inside a warm place instead of having to be outside, but he would take what he could get as long as it meant that Ara was safe and that his unborn child was out of harm's way. Nothing else mattered so long as they were safe and away from his father even if it meant he couldn't join them just yet...