~Lincoln~
The ride to Tia was silent and took way too long. I tried my hardest to drive as fast as possible without getting pulled over by
human police. I hate that we have been away for as long as we have, and I hate that we were away for the reason we were.
That was an ambush, pure and simple! The question is, who was behind it? I would bet it was mom because she clearly stated
that Tia is not who she wants our mate to be. A part of me is wondering if it was the twins and not mom, though. I have no idea
who it was, but I want to find out so they can be taught never to try me like that again, even if it was my mom.
We finally pull into the apartment complex, and I park next to Tia’s car. I wonder what happened that it won’t start. Then again, it
is an old car, so it’s no surprise. I will have to talk to Landon and see about getting her something new and more reliable. Just as
I’m about to get out of the car, a shiver goes up my back, and I’m instantly on alert. Something doesn’t feel right. I step out of the
car and take a look around while sniffing my surroundings. Nothing really smells off; no rogues or anything.
Landon got out quickly and headed up to Tia’s apartment as soon as I pulled into the parking lot. I know he is dying to see her,
but maybe he is just as on edge as I am. I close my eyes and tap into the twin bond that we have. I can feel anxiety and fear.
Something has to be up if Landon is feeling off like I am.
I start to walk away from the car and head toward the apartment building. I walk slowly so I can keep track of my surroundings. I
don’t want to miss anything or anyone. Landon runs right up to me and looks terrified. “She isn’t there.”
“What do you mean?”
“When you pulled up, something felt off, so I ran upstairs to check on Tia. The door was slightly open, and her laptop was out on
the table, along with some books and papers. Her car and apartment keys were on the counter, but no Tia in the apartment.” My
heart starts to beat fast, and my mouth gets dry. Tia isn’t inside? She told us to come to get her on our way back, so she should
be here. From what Landon described, it seems as if she left in a hurry.
“Can you smell her?” Landon closes his eyes and walks around the parking lot slowly. I haven’t been able to catch her scent yet,
and I’ve been sniffing the air for a while. There is no telling how long she has been out of the apartment. I look at the asphalt to
see if there are any visible signs of a struggle, but nothing is there. There is no blood, no ripped clothing, no hair, nothing. This
entire situation is extremely concerning.
Landon opens his eyes and sighs. I don’t think he is having any luck. I can feel the frustration through the bond, and I know that I
feel the exact same way. Where is Tia? What happened while we were gone?

Mate……mate needs us.
Can you feel her?
Mate…..hurt……hurry!
WHERE IS SHE?! Brutus seems to be able to feel Tia’s wolf, so she is alive, but if she is hurt and alone, I need to find her. I
close my eyes and concentrate on the bond I share with Tia and my wolf. I snap my eyes open, and I know where to go.
I take off toward the tree line that’s behind the apartment complex. “What is it? Where is she?” I don’t stop to answer Landon.
Something tells me that we are on borrowed time. We need to get to Tia immediately, or things are not going to be good.
I hit the tree line and look around. I don’t see anything out of the ordinary then it hits me. I can smell a trace of Tia’s scent, along
with a rusty smell. Blood! I take off running into the forest. I follow the scent of blood and my mate, praying to the Moon Goddess
that the blood isn’t hers. Something inside of me is telling me to be prepared because I’m not going to like what I’m about to see.
I continue to run into the forest, and the smell is getting stronger. I turn to the left, then to the right. I run a bit more until I come to
an open area where the trees are sparse; there are just a few fallen logs. On one of those logs is my mate. She is barely
recognizable, with open wounds and blood everywhere.
I run to her and fall next to her. I gently touch Tia, afraid to hurt her more. I can barely hear her heartbeat, and her breathing is
much too shallow. I gently stroke her cheek, tears pooling in my eyes. “T….Tia? Tia can you hear me?” There is no response. I
look up just as Landon makes it to the clearing. He takes the sight of us and immediately pulls his shirt off and brings it over. He
lays it on top of Tia and presses his fingers to her neck.
“She is still alive, barely.”
“We……we have to get her back home. She needs help.” I’m having trouble speaking with the lump that is in my throat. I want to
scream and cry, but I want to help Tia.
“We can’t make it back to our pack with her like this. She may die on the way.”
“DIE?! She can’t die! We have to help her….we have to do something!” I’m starting to get hysterical, and I can feel Brutus
bucking in my head. He is itching to get out, but he’s torn between finding who did this and dragging his mate to a hospital to be
saved.

“Calm down brother. We won’t let her die. The Moonlight Pack is not far from here, 20-30 minutes West. Let me call Alpha
Brenner and see if we can bring her there.” Landon steps away, and I hear his phone beeping. I trail my fingers down Tia’s arm
to grasp her hand in mine. I hold her hand gently, not wanting to let go but also not wanting to hurt her.
“It’s done. He said we can head there. He will alert the guards to let us in and lead us straight to the clinic. We need to hurry
though because we don’t know how long she has been like this. All of these open cuts are concerning; they should be healed or
healing by now.” I don’t respond. I stand up and gently pick Tia up. I hold her close to me, careful not to exacerbate her injuries. I
hurry through the trees to get to the car. We have to get her to the clinic as soon as possible. I put Tia in the backseat with me,
laying her head on my lap. Landon jumps into the driver’s seat and takes off. “Don’t worry, baby. I won’t let you go. We will get
you help.”