When Paths Collide

Jon

⚠️ Blood/Mild Gore Warning ⚠️

A storm was coming. The rain was only mild, but it was going to get heavier, that much was certain. The flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder were the same way, mild now, but sure to get worse as the storm passed over.

"Violet, he hasn't come home." I turned my attention to Jaxson, who had come up to the bar and was currently standing in front of me.

"Would you like a drink with that?"

"Violet, this is serious."

I sighed. "I know. Raymond, can you close for me?" The silent guard nodded and began to close the place as I made my way over to Jaxson. "Now, what's the issue?"

"Vio, he hasn't come home." He repeated.

"Jon, correct?"

"Yes." Jaxson seemed as though he was on the verge of completely freaking out, so I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm not trying to be clingy, but if he was going to stay at one of relatives' or friends' house, he would've called and told me."

"Have you tried calling him?"

"Yes. It keeps going to straight to voicemail." Jaxson shook his head. "What if something happened to him?"

"Grab a spare raincoat," I said as I lead him towards my office, opening the door and walking in. I opened the closet door and grabbed one of the two raincoats, slipping it on. "And grab a flashlight, a pair of gloves, and some boots." Slipping my shoes off, I slipped on the rain boots before pulling the gloves on my hands. "Your boots might be a little too big."

"Why do you have spares?"

"Emergencies in a storm," I answered. "Do you have a piece of clothing or fabric that Jon has worn recently?" Jaxson nodded, pulling out a scarf. Grabbing it, I crouched down and held it out for King and Remy to sniff. "Chase, I'm going to need you to stay on guard here. Can you do that?" Chase barked in response.

King and Remy seemed to get a scent, as they ran out of the office and began to scratch at the main entrance's door. Quickly grabbing a flashlight, I followed, Jaxson close behind.

Opening the door, we were immediately hit by the onslaught of rain pouring down.

"Where are we going?" Jaxson shouted over the rain.

"Wherever they go." I quickly gestured towards the two wolves before running after them, mud squishing underfoot.

After a few minutes the storm worsened, bolts of lightning cracked across the sky, lighting up the forest we had entered.

Without warning, King and Remy came to a halt. King leaned down, sniffing the ground, trying to find Jon's scent. Remy whined and paced in a circle for a moment before stopping. Both of them glanced at me, damp fur clinging to their bodies, and turned away.

"Go find him," I told them, both King and Remy running off. "Come on," I told Jaxson. "We can't lose them."

We ran for what seemed like five minutes before I heard it.

Running water.

A river.

My blood froze, but I pressed forward.

It's a coincidence. I told myself.

We seemed to be getting closer, as the sound of the river kept getting louder.

They stopped, and Jaxson and I cautiously approached once we caught up.

Panting, I said, "Don't slip." I knew he knew I was referring to the mud...well...everywhere.

Shining the flashlight on the bank of the river, I noticed Remy sniffing along the ground.

"Why would he be-" Jaxson's abrupt stop confused me, though I didn't say anything about it.

After a few minutes, I grew worried and finally turned to him, opening my mouth to speak.

But I didn't.

No words could be formed.

There, right where Jaxson was shining his light in the river, caught between rocks, was a dead body.

The stench.

It was that of rotting flesh, overwhelming and sickening.

Just like the dream.

Unrecognizable.

Face, if it could still even be called a face, torn apart.

Mauled.

It was a man, that much could be said.

How he died couldn't be accurately determined.

Multiple stab wounds.

Left leg barely attached to his body.

A missing ring finger on his right hand.

He could've died from the wounds themselves or the amount of blood he had lost that came with it.

What was certain, was that it was no accident.

It was definitely murder.

Remy whimpered, nudging my leg and dragging my attention away from the gruesome scene before us.

In his jaws was a severed finger with a ring on it, the missing finger from the body.

Jaxson too managed to look away, face unusually pale, drained of all color.

I carefully took the finger out of Remy's jaws and slid the ring off, holding it in my hand and dropping the finger on the ground.

Jaxson made a small sound, a sob that had escaped his throat. "Jon..."

Oh god...

"Police." I managed to murmur. "We need to call the police."

————————————————————————

A/N: Boring.

I still hope you enjoyed!