Saving Us *Mate Astray*

Chapter 38 Part 1

Elektra's POV

The first rays of light were only starting to make their way through the gaps between the curtains, announcing the start of a new day.

The morning was crisp yet many animals were already awake, making music and enjoying the freedom of being alive. You could hear the patrol group coming from their night shift, making their way towards their houses, eager to wake their mates with a kiss and to rest their tired bodies.

There was noise all around, dozens of preparations for the day ahead and an unspoken eagerness to make today the first towards recovery, towards healing from the destruction and despair of only two days ago.

The enthusiasm, the expectation and the rise of a new day were entirely lost on me as I moved my eyes over the hundreds of maps and documents scattered in the table in front of me. Dozens of red dots and markings were scribbled on the papers as well as on the walls that surrounded me, each one representing a location the witch had been sighted or individuals she was known to do business with.

For two days I have locked myself in the Alpha's office, searching and plotting, refusing to leave until I had a solid clue as to the witch's location. That day at the hospital wing was the last time I was in contact with anyone in the pack, my mate included, for I was a woman possessed and only killing the witch responsible for my best friend's death would ever satisfy this new obsession.

Though I was alone, I was most certainly not lonely as Atesh was an active member of this search, her old wisdom knowing no bounds. She could trace the faint scent of death and old magic that clung to the witch and track it down to specific locations; as such ensuring that we never lost track of her. Though this was great news, the witch never stopped in one place for more than a few hours before moving on once again which proved to be extremely frustrating.

For the second time that morning, I banged my fists on the table, making every object tremble and float for a few seconds.

Why is she moving around so much?!

I yell in my head, frustration beginning to cloud my judgment.

She must know we are following her

How?!

Just as I can trace her scent, she must be able to do the same to ours

How are we supposed to find her lair if she knows we are onto her?

Her powers have limits, she will need to rest and recharge eventually

Eventually isn't good enough!

I growl, this time out loud, bouncing off the walls and making items fall from walls and shelving.

It will be a lot more difficult to do this if you cannot control your anger. Do not let it over power you, you must learn to harness it and use it productively

I know! I know...

Choosing to take her advice, I close my eyes and perform a breathing exercise taught to me by Beta Nathan. I inhale through my noise, hold it in for 5 seconds and release; it helps bring my heartrate back down to a stable level and it relaxes my body in the process.

There was more than one reason behind why I chose to isolate myself.

When I first began my search I was buzzing with electricity and adrenaline. I asked the Alpha to provide me with maps and documents long forgotten so my search could be extensive. I was surrounded by people, coming and going at every hour with new information until something changed. I began to lose patience quickly, to become irritated by the merest of sounds, the amount of bodies in the room became too overbearing and I reached a point where my anger grew so much I wanted to lash out at everyone around me.