Chapter 33

Forest's POV

My mum kept telling me to eat, to drink, to sleep, but I couldn't. Not while she wasn't beside me.

I had searched the woods for days, not stopping for a break or rest, I only stopped searching for her when I physically collapsed from fatigue.

My parents, Ash and Skye and their parents had been searching as much as they could, looking for her, we had to find her.

Without her, I was a mess, I didn't look after myself, I haven't had a shower in like, a week? I can't track time, every second stretches on for hours because she isn't here with me.

I need her.

She is the air I breathe, the ground I stand on, the water I drink, she is my rock, always there for me to lean on when I need her, I'm strong because she is mine, and she needs me to be, I would learn to live in space or deep under the sea if she needed me to.

But now she's lost, and I don't know where she is.

I turned up to school, hoping to find Tyler or Tasha, hoping I could kidnap them in return, make them tell me where she is, but of course they aren't that stupid, they were absent.

I lay on the sofa, my mum had made me take a nap, she said if I didn't take a nap she would make me, she wouldn't actually force me, she isn't like that, but the worry on her face as she looked at me, the way her voice shook as she spoke to me, the way her smile looked forced and never reached her eyes as she tried to joke, she was worried about me, she didn't need the stress of me not looking after myself on top of Aria being missing.

She love Aria like a daughter, I know she's worried about her, I know they all are. I don't think my dad or Ash and his and Skye's dad's have slept much more than me, they all make sure their mate get enough sleep, but I know actually they all just sneak into my dad's office and look over the map while their mates search the woods.

It had been a stressful few weeks for everyone. I wasn't helping anything by not looking after myself, I know Aria would want me to look after myself, but I just couldn't.

I refused to go into my room. Her scent was all over that room and I would probably lose the slight control I had. When I did sleep I either slept at Ash or Skye's houses, or on the sofa.

Even being in my own house is painful, she lived here for months, the whole house smelled of her, the sofa where we watched movies, the kitchen where we had so many meals together as a family, the hallway she walked everyday, it was all a painful reminder that she wasn't here with me.

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After my nap, I did feel slightly better, slightly more refreshed, but not much. I went to my dad's office to catch up on what I'd missed.

We had decided she must be close by. I could feel her through the bond, the bond that we shouldn't have yet, the bond that only appeared when she was in danger.

She was confused, confused and conflicted, I don't know why, and that killed me. If I didn't know where she was, if I didn't know why she was confused, how was I supposed to make it right.

"We have searched all our territory," My dad summed up, we guessed she wouldn't be on our land, but better check than later find out she's been on our land, right below our noses, the whole time, "Next we have permission from the alpha Jack to search the no mans land next."

Alpha Jack, the alpha of the territory next to us, was a good friend of my dad's, we needed permission to look though, going into no mans land without permission from other alphas, even if you are a alpha yourself, is seen as an act of war.

I nodded, I wasn't fully listening, I was busy looking over the map, looking for places he could have hidden her on no man's land. There were a few places we could try, too many. It would take us days to fully search the whole area, time we didn't have.

"Where is she most likely to be?" I asked, not looking up from the map, I needed to find her.

"We really don't know, she could be anywhere, no place is looking more, or less, promising." I nodded at my dad's words, he was right, but I wished we had one definite location.

I chose a random location on the map, "I'll search here." My mum smiled at me reassuringly, silently promising me we would find her before it was too late.

I ran outside, shifting at the edge of the woods and started running towards the caves, I didn't think they were hiding there, but I needed to do something.

My wolf relished the freedom, the wind in his fur, I gave him more control, he needed this moment, he needed to forget Aria and just run off all his problem, we both did.

We ran and ran and ran, off the territory and beyond, I had never been far off our land before, it's dangerous to stray too far from home, but in this moment, I couldn't bring myself to care.

I stopped for a break,panting from my sprint, my wolf felt better, calmer, although he still wanted his mate back, i was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't recognise the scent until it was almost on top of me.

Aria.

She was exactly the same as when I last saw her, she didn't seem to be too injured from her brother, her scent calmed my wolf instantly, in the way only a mate could.

I looked over and saw her wolf staring at me. She was really here! I was so happy my wolf started to prance around like a happy puppy, but she was just standing still, staring at me, she nudged me with her head, but still looked sad, if it was possible she looked even sadder.

Suddenly, and without any warning, she turned tail and ran. She ran away from me, her own mate.

I threw myself forward, running after her, through the woods, into a new territory and beyond, still she didn't stop, I couldn't see her anymore. I was following her scent. Until her scent just stopped.

I had followed her to a random point of the woods, it didn't seem particularly special, but her scent just stopped.

I looked around for a bit longer but she was gone, completely gone. My wolf howled out in defeat as I ran back. We had found her, but she ran from us.

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I got back home and just wanted to curl up and die. I trudged through my house, heading for my room before remembering that would just be more painful and heading for the sofa.

I threw myself on the sofa before realising I wasn't alone. "You look like shit," Ash said from the across the room. I just looked up and stared at him while Skye slapped him, "What was that for?" He asked with a pout.

"You were being rude," Skye said, "Also I wanted too." Watching their interaction made my wolf yearn for Aria even more, why did she run from me?

"No seriously dude, you look worse then you did an hour ago, and that's saying something," Ash said bluntly.

I sighed before answering, "I found Aria," They both gasped but I cut them off before they could say anything, "She ran from me, it wasn't Aria, she didn't recognise me, whatever they have done to her, they've changed her already, messed with her head or whatever. It's too late."

Ash just sat there, looking shocked, for once he was lost for words. Skye came over to me, putting her hand on my shoulder she looked me in the eyes, "Don't give up on her, she's your mate, if you don't believe in her, what chance does she have."

I just sighed, "I should probably go tell my dad." Skye looked disappointed with me but let me get past, going over to the sofa where Ash was sitting.

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After I'd told my parents what had happened they stayed silent for a minute before answering, "If he has a witch, the witch may have cloaked their location so only certain people can get through." My dad said, I agreed it was a strong possibility.

"But why did she run from me?" I asked, not meeting their eyes, I didn't want pity, I wanted answers.

"I don't know, we'll look into it," My mum promised, my dad nodded in agreement, they were sure we could still get our Aria back, but I thought she was too far gone.

"I'm going out," I announced suddenly, looking to my dad to see if I was needed here.

My dad gave me a short nod and I started to walk out the door.

Keyword started.

I hadn't got more then a few steps away from my dad's office when an immeasurable amount of pain washed over me from the link with Aria that still shouldn't exist, The torment was so great it caused me to fall to the floor, screaming in agony.

My head was pounding with my heartbeat and pain pierced through me like a needle through fabric. In my nerves, in my blood, everywhere.

Ash came running up the stairs, "Forest what's-" He asked, concern written all over his face, my parents were frantically trying to figure out what was wrong with me.

He was cut off by scream as my back arched off the floor, I felt as if my insides were burning, my throat was closing, cutting off my oxygen. A stream of foreign emotions started clouding my mind.

My mind knew the truth, but my heart wouldn't believe it, that this amount of pain wasn't my own.

But it was the truth.

I was feeling her. Every emotion I was feeling was hers. Every tear that was rolling down my cheeks was hers. Every ounce of pain I was feeling was hers.

I grimace as another wave of pain shot through me like a bullet, "It's Aria," I managed to growl out, causing everyone around me to gasp, I knew what they were all thinking, if I was feeling pain at that intensity, and we hadn't fully bonded, how much pain must she be in?

After a few minutes I managed to block the bond slightly, I didn't want to but it was the only way to decrease the pain, even slightly. I was no help to Aria if I was withering on the floor in pain, but I still felt like I was betraying her, If I couldn't survive the slightly muted pain, what hell must she be going through.