Two

“What? No, Tori. We need to head back.” Kurt stepped forward and threw his hands towards the rest of the scouts. Most of them were tired of searching and were filled with exhaustion and fatigue no doubt. 

“We have been out here for three days. Three bloody days! Everyone is exhausted - the troop needs to rest and eat too.”

“Are you asking me to give up, do you mean to say we should give up searching for her?” Her hardened gaze fell on his body.

“No, no. Finding your Mum is our biggest priority. She’s like our mum too - our Alpha. But we have outdone ourselves for the day, we need to go back and refresh.”

He said, staring at her.

Perhaps she should have listened to Kurt. His words held some truth to an extent and afterall, he was the leader of the elite troop of wolves - North Lotus’ finest set of warriors. They had been tasked by the council to find her Mum and tirelessly, they had rummaged every inch of these woods to find her. They had followed her scent and screamed her name and had even put up a few posters of her picture, but it had all been to no avail. This was the point where she was supposed to give up and head back to the pack like Kurt insisted, but how could she when it was her mum that had been missing. 

“Every minute we waste could be a second closer to her getting killed or being lost forever. How can you even suggest 'rest' when she’s out there alone?” 

She scowled. 

“We will head West, Kurt. We will keep searching until we find her.”

She said, her words caused Kurt’s jaws to clench and knowing him for over eighteen years, she knew he had a mouthful to say. Everyone has been on the edge for the past 72 hours and Kurt’s usual boisterous attitude had disappeared somewhere along the way. Just when she thought he do oppose his words, he took a firm glance at his sister beside him and sighed.

“I will let the troops know.”

He said, then walked away.

Her words settled it and to an extent, they were law. That was what came with belonging to one of the most important families in the North Lotus pack. On most days, what she said goes and no one, not even Kurt, could stand against it. His father was the beta of the pack and that gave him and Kasa a level of command over other pack members. From the day they were born, they do been trained to be elite warrior wolves and it didn’t surprise her one bit that they both grew to be one of the fiercest warriors. Even though their characteristic innocent blue eyes was bound to deceive anyone that they were harmless, However, in battle, these two could take up a hundred wolves.

For over three hours, she continued on her quest and rummaged deeper into the heart of the woods. 

Her muscles ached and her stomach squirmed in hunger. Although they were naturally built to be agile, exhaustion was not something they could escape.

It did not help the fact that the West of these woods was an unexplored territory. It made everything look strange or maybe, it was strange. The breeze seemed stiffer in these part of the forest and the birds had no songs to sing.

Sharply, her eyes surveyed every inch of the vicinity and she couldn’t help noting the uneasiness that went down her spine. 

Almost like the hairs on her body stood as still as the wind here. She pushed through large tropical leaves, leading the troop through the slowly darkening forest. The tree canopies here were thicker and blocked out the rays of the dim sunlight from reaching the forest roots. 

“What’s this place?” she asked Kasa, who stood beside her, she had her eyes all over the forest. 

“I am not sure but I am guessing rogue territory.”

“She is right.” 

Kurt said, stepping up to pace with us.

“It’s not safe to be here. Father has told us tales about this place.”

“Someone’s scared?” 

Kasa said, nudging her brother, teasingly.

Kurt scoffed.

 “As if I would be scared of those uncircumcised bastards. I eat rogues for breakfast!”

“Well, not today. I really think we should head back. We could get attacked and in this condition, we might turn out to be a dinner.” 

Kasa turned staring at her.

“Let’s just go a little further.”

Catori said, urging them to walk further.

“Catori, are you crazy? Look at this place, it’s like one big rogue hunting nest. We need to leave.” 

Kasa said, and she knew even without facing her, she knew Kasa was glaring at me. 

However, Kasa's words fell on a deaf ears. Instead Catori's eyes snapped to a particular part of the forest. 

It was more sheltered than the rest, with larger leaves and bigger trees. Her heart picked up it’s beat and every sense in her body focused on that small sheltered place. Like it was calling out to her.

On her own accord, she detached herself from whatever Kasa was whining about and slowly walked towards the mysterious place, pushing through the branches and twigs.

A strong unfamiliar scent overcame her other senses at that instance and the sound of a heart beating erratically filled her eardrums, except it wasn’t hers. Whoever it belonged to was inside that sheltered place and it was calling out to her strongly. 

The deep urge to be there excited her more than anything and save for caution, the thrill almost had her changing in to her wolf form and sprinting towards it’s source. 

However, her run was shortened when a cruelly intimidating growl echoed through the woods and had the birds taking flight. It was coming from that sheltered place and on one hand, her human instincts told her to take flight away from there, because it smelt of danger but something else urged her on - pushing her to keep going, it was her wolf.....

“Catori! What are you doing? We need to leave. Now!” 

Kasa pulled her back harshly and like a spell, she snapped out of what she would call a trance. 

She blinked at her and at the rest of the troop. They do formed a defensive stance and some had already gone into squatting position, ready to transform with their teeth bared. She took a step back. The forest had gotten darker and it went beyond saying that they were in enemy territory. 

“Everyone stand back. We’re leaving!” 

She called out to the troops. 

“About time,”

Kurt mumbled and went on to address the troops on the route they do be taking to go back to the pack.

Yet, her mind could not shake off the thought of what she had experienced so easily. That unknown feeling, unknown desire that kept calling out for her. What was that? Or rather, who was it?

She turned back to the sheltered zone for one last time before she joined the troops to leave.