Fall of the Packs: Blood Ties

Chapter Five

Kestrel, Aaron, and Soleil broke into a sprint as they made their way back to the clearing, dodging roots and occasionally slipping in the mud but remaining doggedly on course. Finally, they broke through the bramble entrance and Kestrel barked, "We need to evacuate now! The river is flooded; we need to get to high ground!"

The dogs reacted quickly to their alpha's order. Zephyr and Francesca scooped up their pups and ran, Garland shepherding his daughter, Breeze, behind them. Holly grabbed her own pup, Night, who was barely a month old, and shot a wistful glance at what herbs weren't already ruined by the rain before following.

"Solstice and Oak, stay with them and find shelter," Kestrel said, and the two dogs responded with a dip of their heads before leaving with the rest of the dogs. "Everyone else, we've got to find the patrols. The one that went to Frost Pack should already be safe since they're above the river. Cameron, take Lindsey, Liana, Solar, and Soleil. Go find the Night Pack patrol. The rest of you, we're going to find the hunters."

The two groups split, Aaron following after Kestrel with Iliad, Gaia, and Dusty. His heart was pounding. Both Mercy and Sortita were on that patrol, and if anything happened to either of them... He didn't know what he would do.

"We have no idea where they went," Gaia shouted over the rising sound of the storm. "They could already be past the river like the dogs who went to Frost Pack!"

"Let's pray that's the case," Kestrel called back. "But we can't afford to take that chance."

They continued to search throughout the forest, howling as loud as they could over the pouring rain and occasional deafening thunderclaps. At last, Aaron thought he overheard a faint reply. "Over here!" he yelled. "I think I found them!"

Running in the direction he thought the voice came from, his heart leapt for joy when he saw Josie, Sortita, and Mercy. "Siglitun be praised!" Josie yelped as the searchers ran up to them. "I didn't think it was possible to get lost in your own forest."

"Where are Hyperion and Salixa?" Kestrel demanded.

"We all got separated a way back," Josie answered. "We three managed to find each other again, but we've seen no sign of the other two."

Kestrel nodded grimly. "Okay. What direction were you hunting in originally?"

Josie jerked her head. "Up there, closer to the river. We saw the water rising and started to head back, but then there was a massive lightning bolt and... well, you know the rest."

"All right, we'll find them. Head for the east, where it goes uphill. The rest of the pack should be up there."

"Are you sure you don't want us to help you look for Hyperion and Salixa?" Sortita asked.

"Yes. Now get out of here! Go!"

The hunters reluctantly departed, Aaron giving Mercy an encouraging nuzzle and Sortita a long look before they left. Kestrel muttered a curse under her breath. "Normally I would say we should split up," she growled. "But that's just not safe. Come on, let's go!"

They ran through the wet forest, calling their packmates' names at the top of their lungs. There was no response, at least none they could hear, and Aaron felt his heart begin to sink. Suddenly Iliad froze. "Do you hear that?" he called.

Aaron pricked his ears. He could hear it. It was like a distant roar. "What does that mean?" he asked, somewhat afraid of the answer.

"It means that."

Dusty's deadpan response in no way prepared Aaron for what he was looking at. Coming through the trees, like something out of a nightmare, was a massive wall of water.