Chapter 39

*Silas’s POV*
Im in the drivers seat driving us all to find my future brother in law. Even though its not in the best circumstances, its been a rather nice trip. It gave me time to bond with Athena and even found out she has no intention of rejecting me. I find that quite relieving, considering her whole pack hates me I thought the idea was on her mind.
Athena goes to open her passenger side window and a particular scent floods the vehicle. She freezes and her eyes go wide. She is breathless.
“Pull over.” She quietly mutters. I quickly put on the breaks and pull to the side of the road. She yanks off her seat belt and pushes open the passenger side door. She immediately shifts into her wolf and takes off for the forest.
“Wait, Athena!” I yell and rush out of the vehicle. Everyone’s follows me out and calls for her. She completely ignores us and runs through the tree-line. Luckily I’m not getting any whiff of the damn rogues so she should be fine. I still however have a bad feeling.
We all run to catch up to her but its proving futile. I would shift but I don’t want to draw any attention towards us. Someone from the road could see a flying wolf, a freak of nature.
She goes out of sight and I follow her scent that is mixed with Aidens. The smell of winter and mint remains strong within the sea of scents.
“Do you think he’s alone?” Alaric asks from my side.
“Judging from there are no other scents in the area yeah, but we need to be ready for anything. Damon is crafty and will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants.” I say. There’s no telling what he will try to pull.
We continue the pursuit and finally catch up to Athena. Since she shifted and shredded her cloths, she created a short dress of tinted tiny crystals of ice. It hugs her curves extremely well and her icy blond hair is following in the wind making her look like a divine ice goddess.
If this wasn’t a bad situation, this would be a real turn on right now.
Then my eyes shift over to my mates brother. My eyes widen at what he’s become.
I can almost see Damons craze and unhinge in him. This is no longer her brother, this is a puppet. A powerful puppet under his control. An emotionless wolf at his beck and call. A wolf that feels no fear, pain, guilt, not even love. A perfect weapon.
“Aiden. What happened to you man?” Atlas mutters with wide eyes.
“What ever do you mean? I am what I’ve always been. My other self was just too polite and self righteous to show it.” He bites down his bitterness.
“That’s not true, Aiden.” Athena whispers in a disbelief.
“Is it?” He snaps is head towards Athena and his face becomes even more angry and bitter. “Jealousy has always existed in me. Always having to live up to the golden girl Athena Goldstein. Always being compared to your image and grace. Even at times our own parents would wonder why I couldn’t be more like you. Oh, why can’t you be more like your sister? Athena this, Athena that. Maybe fathers death is a blessing in disguise.” He spits. My eyes widen in surprise at his outburst. I can even see my mate fuming in anger and the mention of her father. “Now I don’t have to listen to that anymore. Im finally my best self. I will show every goddamn living being in this world just how different we are.”
With that being said I notice movement deep in the trees behind him. My head snaps up and see my old pack mates come out of the shadows. How did I not know they are here. They are giving off no scent. Not even Vladimir noticed them.
I hear him growl in irritation. Nothing just gets passed him.
They are here for Athena. I wont let them take my mate without a bloody fight.
My eyes go back to Aiden and his face becomes stone not even holding any anger.
“It’s just as I said before, sister.” Aidens doesn’t turn away from his sister. “I wont live in anyones shadow. Not yours or anyones.”
With that, the rogues charge after us. Snapping their teeth and giving me murderous glares. They want revenge on me for banishing them. Like hell I would let them have it.
I shift with everyone else and go in for the attack. I give Vladimir control knowing he is bloodthirsty. He wants their heads for everything they have done to our mate and her pack.
He eyes one and snaps his teeth at him. The rogue does the same and we circle each other waiting for an opening.
Losing all patience, Vladimir growls and pounces on the rogue. He tries to sink his teeth into his neck but he is thrashing around and snapping so he cant get a clear shot. Vladimir manages to catch his paw and bites down hard cause the rogue to whimper.
I retake control and it gets out of my grip and licks his injured paw. There’s more than that where that came from.
I am about to attack again before Vladimir stops me in my tracks.
“Get to mate! She’s in danger!” He whimpers in my head and my head snaps to where she is fighting Aiden. However I see him stick her with a syringe filled with a off gold liquid. Athena then falls to the ground howling in pain.
My eyes widen to seeing her in such anguish and try to go to her, but he rogue I’m facing stops me. Too busy being focused on trying to get to my fallen mate, I don’t pay much mind to the wolf keeping me from her.
Her body goes limp and I can only see her eyes move and they are on me pleading for help. Whatever he injected her with must have been wolfsbane. The Bastard! The coward made sure she would have no chance in fighting him off.
As I see him lift her up and throw her over his shoulder. Something snaps inside me. Me and my wolfs burning rage morph into one and we growl menacingly. We pounce at the wolf in our way. Just as im about to sink my teeth into his open neck his eyes become widened with fear. I don’t pay any mind however and sink my teeth deep into his neck. Then my anger leads to me tearing out the flesh on his neck and he dies instantly. He was right to be afraid.
I sprint in the direction of where Aiden is fleeing with Athena in his possession. I run as fast as I can but its futile. He is too far ahead.
Just as I’m about to take off, two more rogues intercept me and bare their teeth as a warning to stop. I narrow my eyes at the both of them and their demeanor slightly shifts with fear. They really think they can stop me?
I allow Vladimir control and he kills both the rogues brutally. He tears them apart until there is almost nothing left.
Once he finally has his vengeance, we take off and try get back onto her scent but its gone. The smell of cold winter and mint is no longer present. We fly and search but there is no sign of them. They completely disappeared and now my mate is in Damon’s hands. Who knows what he’ll do with her. I imagine the worst and let out a ear piercing howl. A howl of anger and pain. How dare they!
Seeing it is in vain to try to continue. I turn around and fly back to where the others are fighting off the last of the vermin. I dive down and land on the ground with a loud thud. I growl and everyone stops in their tracts. Alaric, Celeste, and Atlas look at me with wide eyes, and the rogues cower in fear.
I take a step forward and as they are distracted, Alaric and Atlas pounce and kill them quickly.
Once I see that they are lone dead, I run to the SUV and shift back. I pull on a pair of basket ball shorts and look down at the ground.
Damn it! I lost her! The one person I’m supposed to protect with my life was taken. I let that bastard take her. If only I taken out that rogue sooner, she still would be here. What the hell do I do now? I lost their trail.
I scream in frustration and fall to my knees. I send hard and many punches onto the earth.
I hear everyone slowly approach me but they are too afraid to say anything.
“D-did Aiden take her?” Celeste whimpers. She must feel almost as guilty because it was her best-friend that was taken.
“They somehow masked her scent. I couldn’t catch up.” I growl.
“We will get her back. No matter what it takes.” Alaric crouches down and places a supportive hand on my shoulder. “Lets give the Luna a call and see if there is anything she can do.”
I can hardly hear him over Vladimir’s constant whimpering. Not only did I fail. We both did.