Chapter 224
‘Daddy? Daddy, can you hear me?’
“Lynnie!” I can’t help but shout out loud as if she’s in front of me.
‘Daddy?’
Her voice echoes in and out telling me she’s stretching the limits of her link.
‘Lynnie!’
I try again only this time I lock her into my link giving me a sense of everything, including a badly injured foot.
“Yow!”
I hop on one foot as I regulate my senses to accommodate my daughter’s being in my head.
‘How are you walking?’
‘I’m not daddy. That's why I can link. What took you so long?’
I can just about hear the pout on her face.
‘I’ve been using the link to look for you. I don’t know why it didn’t work. What happened Lynnie?’
‘Maddie wanted to help. I told her no. That you told everyone to stay inside. She left Erin and went outside by the office. She used the trees to hide until we saw you. She ran after you. I went for her. The wolf you were wrestling pushed us. Cole got me and put me in his coat. Then he got Maddie from the tree. We went under the water and came up in a cave. That’s where I got hurt. Cole said it’s glass. I can’t walk daddy. It hurts.’
‘I know it does.’
I speak calmly as I make my way to the common room trying to get a sense of what direction she’s traveling in.
‘Can you tell me where you are? How are you traveling if you can’t walk? What about your sister?’
I fire off in rapid sequence, nearly cursing myself as it’s likely that I just overwhelmed her with questions.
‘Maddie is holding Cay’s hand. Cole made a sack for me so he could carry me but Jamie put it on Cay’s back. She left Cole and Jamie. Maddie won’t stop crying for him. I’m scared daddy. Cole is hurt bad. Very, very bad.’
“Where are you?”
I speak out loud this time as I can feel the stares I’m getting from everyone in the common room.
‘On a path. I don’t know where.’
I can hear the concern in her voice as they get closer. Lilly takes my hand in hers as I focus on our daughter. Within seconds I know exactly where they are and while Madisyn won’t create a link while she’s walking I was able to connect with her enough to feel the exhaustion from being cold and wet starting to set in.
‘Lynnie, you’re going to hear everything as I’ve locked my link on you so don’t be scared. I’m coming after you.’
I shiver as the wind outside howls and the sky lights up briefly, a loud crack of thunder following seconds later. It’s obvious that the worst of the storm is yet to be over.
“They are alive. Cole’s in bad shape. Lynnie has glass in her foot. It sounds like Jamie and Micayla broke command and went after them as the girls are close and getting closer.
Angela, I need you to bring a bed out. One that can go in the ambulance. I don’t want to transfer Cole a bunch of times from chairs to beds. Once you leave me a bed I need the wing prepped for a very injured Cole. Somehow a prospect got a tree branch and used it as a club. I know Cole took two hits to his head.
Amber, I need towels and blankets. Lots of them. Lay some towels on the floor so puddles are not left, leave the rest on the couch with the blankets. Prep guest room two, Jamison and Micayla will be staying the night. Get some heat going as this is a very cold rain for May.
Day, you’re coming with me. If they ended up where I think, Micayla’s been leading the girls towards the pack house for several miles and an added thirty pounds on a petite frame is no joke in this weather.”
Damian is on his feet and out the door with me as those given instructions prepare for the worse. The rest know that more will come when their action is needed. Damian and I easily clear the three steps coming off the porch into the down pouring rain. My link to Madilyn is my only guide. As much as I curse myself for not leaving the pack house to search for them, the storm has been much too volatile to consider blindly going into the forest.
My territory is one of the largest ones known to the council at 625 square miles and I’ve been looking to expand. Fortunately, the pack house is situated right in the middle of what used to be a 100 square mile territory so it’s relatively close to the southeast border. I find the path they are on easily and run blindly through the rain. I have no time to think as I know by the way I feel Madilyn that the girls are dangerously close to hypothermia.
I run as fast as my human form can down the path, south into the woods. With every stride I can feel Madilyn’s link getting stronger but I can also feel her getting weaker.
‘Madisyn, I know you’re tired, cold and scared but we have to keep going. Madilyn said she linked with your dad. We can’t be that far from the house and a warm bath.’
I can hear Micayla struggling to get Madisyn to keep going. After a mile at a full sprint my body forces me to tone it down as being completely spent won’t do them any good and I know Damian has not caught up to me. I slow to a steady jog even though I can feel Madilyn wanting to sleep.
After another mile, I’m relieved when I can finally see them up ahead. I start slowing down as Micayla spots me. I don’t like the wariness and fear that comes across her face as she spots me as well.
“You must be Micayla.” I try to speak casually, testing her receptivity to me.
“Yes sir.” Her voice shakes giving away her nervousness as she stands leaving Madisyn curled in a ball on the ground.
“I’m not certain where Damian ended up but we need to get headed back to the house. Are you okay carrying Madilyn?” “Yes sir. I just can’t carry both.”
I bend down and easily scoop Madisyn up off the ground before rubbing my hand on the back of Madilyn’s head. She opens her eyes but just barely. This weather is getting to them in a bad way.
“Come on. We’re about two miles from the pack house.”
I speak loudly as the booming thunder has become more frequent. Madisyn wraps her arms around me and buries herself as deep into my neck as she can get, sobbing hard and softly calling for Cole.
We start walking again. I’m quite frustrated with the fact that Damian isn’t here as I need to get further down the path to get to Cole.
‘Where are you?’ I can’t hold back my impatience but he doesn’t answer.
The classic putter of my mule can be heard closing in and for once his defiance is a life saver. He slows to a crawl as he approaches with the four seater. He had the presence of mind to get the one with the rain cover installed on it.
“I’m sorry, dad. This is the only thing I’m comfortable with driving.”
He explains quickly as I unzip the plastic door and set Madisyn on his lap.
He quickly grabs a towel and wraps it around her violently shivering frame. She grabs a hold of him much like she had me. I take Madilyn off Micayla’s back before helping her into the mule. Damian tosses two towels to her as I situate Madilyn onto her lap before hopping in and Damian takes off.
We travel another two miles down the path before I can vaguely see Jamie supporting Cole’s badly struggling frame. They have stopped and Jamie is struggling to keep Cole standing. I have no idea how any of them made it this far in this weather.
“Day, I need you to travel down the path until it widens out so you can turn around.”
I hop out of the mule without Damian coming to a full stop, crossing the path once he pulls away.
“Looks like you could use some help.” I yell over the roaring rain.
“He’s blacked out, sir. My aura isn’t strong enough to scare him into continuing.” His voice is nervous as I approach.
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