Fate's Pawn

Pt 25. Snow Storms and Warm Hearts

"Winter has officially started with a record-breaking blizzard. Almost the whole region is shut down, roads, stores, and schools. We suggest you stay indoors and feed off your storage; this storm isn't letting up anytime soon."

"Did you hear that, Atta! There's no way we can find her now, let alone talk to any of the Cooleys. Who knows what is happening to Regina!"

Mavis continued pacing while Josephine remained focused on the TV. They had tunned into Montana's weather, seeing as everything seemed fine down in Wyoming.

"As soon as everything is open, I'll run down myself and talk to them. I promise Mavis; I won't let them get away with this."

"Have you found any solid evidence, though?"

She could hear Atta sigh, and Mavis fell into a seat.

"Only circumstantial. His family moved here shortly after the Nomads went missing. He has been in every state that the Bloody Claw has attacked. But there hasn't been any activity for five years, not since they settled down and opened the Little Forest shop."

"That should be enough to ask, though, right? What are the chances of an upset descendant in every location that Bloody Claw is and things stopped once his family settled down? It has to be him or his father; this isn't just some coincidence."

"I agree, Mavis, but I can't do anything."

Mavis dropped the phone, landing her head in her hands. They finally had an idea, and then this snowstorm comes in and ruins everything. Usually, winter started in late September; she should have known that the first storm would be bad since it was delayed. At most, it would last a week, and it was already day three.

But then they would have to wait for the snow to be cleared enough for roads to open. Atta didn't have to wait, but Mavis would if she wanted to ask Xander himself. And that was if it didn't storm after, it could end up storming the week after, leaving Mavis stranded somewhere in the state.

Usually, these snowstorms weren't a horrible inconvenience. But with Regina somewhere dealing with who knows what, all Mavis wanted was the snow to melt. The only thing keeping her sane was research with Josephine and talking to Atta through the mind link.

That didn't stop anyone from being worried. If they were all snowed in, the kidnappers were too, with Regina as a perfect target. Who knows what horrible things could be happening to her?

****

"Snow day!"

"Cor, don't yell, Engel."

"Sorry, Mama, I won't."

"Go play, Jannie, the snow may be cold, but we can build a snowman!"

"Okay, Mama."

Regina sat on the porch, confusion building in her heart.

This place was, nice. Cozy wooden cabins in a clearing covered in pure white snow. At the end of the row, there was a large meeting house where the pack would spend nights eating dinner and laughing. Other than the fact that everyone seemed scared of Abraham, this place wasn't so bad.

A chuckle escaped her as Cor threw a snowball at Faya. The woman turned only for Cor to duck behind the small snowman Jannie was still trying to build. Soon, Faya was chasing the girl while Jannie pouted for her snowman.

She had been here nearly a month, and other than the first two weeks, everything was going great. Faya and the girls made food, cleaned, and prepared while Abe spent the whole day at the meeting house. He came home to hugs and kisses, only reacting badly when something happened. For the entire week, Regina had been with them, Abe had only hit her once, and that was for breaking a plate.