Hunters - again...

-Adam POV-

I’ve no idea how long I’ve been running. At one point, I decided to trust Ace and lock myself out of his mind. And here I am, naked on the ground and trees everywhere. It’s almost morning, the sun is rising. Apparently Ace decided to stop running and give my body back to me.

*Ace, what happened last night?*

*I ran.*

*Well, jeah. That’s what I figured out already. Where are we?*

*East. I can feel her.*

*East? You can what...?*

*I can feel her. You know: Eve. I can’t smell or feel her wolf, so she hasn’t shifted yet. But she’s awake.*

*She’s awake? Man, that’s good news! Come, we need to find her. I’m ready, Ace. I trust you now, I really do! Let’s find her!*

*No.*

*.... We’re not?*

*No, we need to go back, Adam. It’s dangerous over here. I can smell it. Hunters. Hunters everywhere…*

“Shit..” I say out loud. I know what hunters can do. I’ve seen it myself. The only thing what makes me not terrified anymore, is the knowledge I can heal them. But.. My powers aren’t limitless either. I look around, and I see trees. As far as I can see, I see trees. I sigh. I guess it’s gonna be a long trip back to the pack. I want to shift, but Ace is holding me:

*We’re not going to shift, Adam. Hunters are better in smelling and tracking wolves, than tracking your human-form. We need to walk on two feet today.*

Damn it. It’s gonna take for hours now! The moment I start walking, I feel a sense of recognition. I’ve been here before, haven’t I? It looks so familiar. I try to find something memorable, something I know or recognize. And the moment I look up, I know where I’ve seen this surrounding before. My dream, my vision! I’ve been here with Quinn, my owl.

“Ace, this is definitely the direction of Eve’s. She’s close.” I say to him, excited. I’m not even trying to mindlink.

But first we need to go back, tell mom where we’ve been and hopefully I can try to memorize some things on the way back. We are going back here, for sure.

---

I walked the first part back to our pack, the moment Ace thought we were far enough, I shapeshifted. It’s way faster to run on four legs, than on two. It took me around 10 hours to arrive within our borders again. I already mindlinked mom when I was close enough, letting her know I’m safe.

Only 10 minutes later, Adam is surrounded by six wolves. They don’t say anything, they just run next to him - all the way back to the packhouse. They’re making sure their future Alpha is coming home safely. Adam is thanking them with a nod in their direction, before he shifts back into his human form. An omega is holding a sweatpants and Adam thankfully takes it to dress.

Adam walks inside the packhouse and goes directly to Avery. “Mom,” he says, “I’m back.”

Avery turns around and runs towards him: “Oh my goodness, Adam! You’re safe.” She hugs him tightly. “I was so worried, I know I shouldn’t; Aura warned me and said you were safe. But still..”

Adam reacts to her: “It’s fine, mom. But I need to share something with you.”

“What is it, Adam?”

“Ace ran for hours, last night. I think close to aight, actually. At one point, he felt the need to stop and shift back into my human form. Well, long story short: I know where Eve is. Ace could feel her over there. We were close! But.. he also could sense hunters. There are hunters over there, mom! Dozens..”

Avery listens, filled with confusions. “Hunters? But why? I thought they were members of the Blue Oasis. And we scared them off, by killing their Alpha-son, right? I don’t understand..”

“Me neither, mom. But I think there are more hunters than we thought. Not only that, they’re surrounding the area where the Shadow Pack is holding Eve.”

Adam starts walking around the room. “... and not only are they the most frightening pack I’ve ever heard of, they’re apparently cooperating with hunters now as well.”

Adam turns back to Avery and asks her: "But why, mom? Why are wolves cooperating with hunters? Aren't hunters a threat to all of us? Don't they want to kill all wolves?"

Avery shrugs while she answers. "I don't know, Adam. They did try to, in the past. I'm not sure what their motivation is, now. It's confusing me as well. We need to do more research, before we get Eve back. But.. It can't take to long, who knows what they do to her!"

A knock on the door follows and Crissie enters the room. "I - uuhh - I overheard the last things you said. About the hunters...? Maybe I can help..."