By the Light of the Silver Moon

Chapter 49 Fox

I was sitting in my office when I first felt it, a stabbing sensation in my chest. I had only felt a pain similar to this once before, when Marigold and I were still separated. I gasped and clutched my chest, reaching out to Marigold, hoping that I could sense her presence. My efforts snapped back at me like a rubber band. Suddenly I felt dizzy and weak, like all the air was being sucked out of the room; my body felt like it weighed a ton. I named the feeling: powerless.

I jumped from my chair and ran through the packhouse. I knew Marigold had gone to the stables with Stone. I started to frantically mindlink Stone but got no reply.

"Ferra!" I yelled.

"Alpha?" She replied, sensing my fear

"Can you reach Stone?" There was a brief pause and then Ferra responded,

"No, I can't. What's going on?" Ferra began to sound worried.

"Something's wrong with Marigold. They went to the stables and now I can't get a hold of Stone."

"I'm on my way."

I snapped the mindlink closed as I raced towards the stables. Ferra arrived at the same time as me and we searched the building for any signs of our mates. One of the stalls was empty and I knew Marigold's favorite horse was the one missing. I found Cassie in another stall, brushing a horse.

"Where did Marigold and Stone go?" I asked, startling the stablemaster.

"Oh, Alpha, I didn't hear you come in." She gasped, spinning around.

"The Luna and Gamma are missing." I growled. Cassie's eyes went wide,

"They left over an hour ago. It's not unusual for them to be gone for hours at a time."

"Where did they go?"

"Through the pastures, up towards the flower fields, along the edge of the territory line." Cassie said. Ferra and I shared a quick glance before bursting into our wolves and taking off in that direction.

We were able to catch onto our mates' sense pretty easily and followed it up through the pasture. We made it to the top of a grassy hill before the scent change course and was mixed with unfamiliar wolf smells.

"Someone else was here." Ferra said.

"Stone's scent goes that way and Marigold's scent heads in the opposite direction. You follow Stone and I'll go after Marigold." I instructed, taking off towards my mate's scent.

A few minutes later, I was nearing the furthest point of our territory line. Ferra finally mindlinked me an update on her search,

"I found Stone, he's in bad shape, Fox." I could tell Ferra was crying. She showed me an image of her mate.

"He's been attacked by wolves. Get him to the packhouse and send reinforcements to my position." I ordered.

I had a pretty good idea who was capable of sneaking into my territory, attacking my Gamma, and kidnapping my mate. This had Alpha Torrin's name all over it.

Marigold's scent led me to a small cottage at the edge of the territory border. Four familiar scents were joined with the unfamiliar pack and my mate. I just couldn't place where I knew the four wolves from. It didn't matter. Anyone involved in my mate's disappearance would pay the ultimate price. I wasn't about to wait for backup, so I started circling the house, looking for a way in.

There was a small window on the foundation of the house, likely a basement. I decided that was my best chance at sneaking in. I shifted back into my human form, and kicked the window glass in, sliding through the tiny opening. I felt my skin being cut open by the shards of glass, but I didn't care. I jumped to the ground and sniffed the air. My mate's scent was strong here. I started searching the basement.