9 Search, Rescue, & Vagueness

Haaken's POV

**Flashback**

"Where are they headed," Gavrill shouted to Gaelen and Herlief's group after we regrouped and stood front and center of the war council.

Herlief had been silent the entire time, I'm sure in attempts to contact his mate.

I leaned silently against the wall away from the war table along with Khinn who also leaned back, arms across his chest, deep in thought.

"We need to at least track their direction, Gods damn it," Gavrill snarled, more frustrated than not even a minute ago.

The tension was becoming suffocating before I reached out to my Beta, Trygve.

"Trygve."

"Yes, Alpha?"

"I need you to take our best warriors and trackers and find the direction in which they took the Alpha of Dark Moon, Alpha Alistair and my daughter, Rúna Renouf. Do I make myself clear? Also, give me just a moment while you assemble. Await further orders in Selalon Valley. I'm going to have a mixed group from this pack meet you at the rendezvous point to help aide in the search."

"As you order, Alpha."

"Also, Trygve. I may be joining you and I have no doubts in my mind Gavrill and Khinn will join as well."

"Yes, Alpha."

With that, I sighed and looked around the room.

"What are you planning," a voice came.

Looking to my right, I saw Khinn staring at me with a brow furrowed but an expression of great concern.

"These pups don't know how to handle situations that cause for a lot of emotional pressure. Gavrill is panicked and on the verge of going feral, towards his brother's council, no less. I'm simply helping them and sending them in the right direction," I whispered to the man who had raised my daughter.

Thinking for a moment, Khinn let out a defeated sigh and inched closer to me. Leaning to the side, his was was close to mine.

"I agree with you but the ones at the disposal of this pack are infinite. It would be wise if we both approach the temporary alpha and state our concerns," Khinn whispered, unsure of the response.

After a moment, I sighed and nodded before taking a step forward to make my announcement only to be met with vibrant green eyes which caused Spire to surface, meeting Eskil's gaze with equal rigor.

"I know that you're panicked and unsure but you barking and yelling at the council is not going to help the situation," I began as I watched Gavrill's nostrils flare.

"Being in alliance with me has it's perks, my friend. I've already alerted my Beta. He is gathering 10 of our top warriors along with 4 trackers and heading to the Selalon valley. There are only so many paths one can take to get back to the King's Castle but passing through Selalon is inevitable. Let's start there. I recommend you send a group of your warriors to meet up with mine. The more available, the chances of intercepting their transportation are far greater."

Gavrill didn't move for a moment, the gears in his head working before straightening himself. Nodding, he looked over to Herlief.

"I want your ENTIRE group that are werewolves, lycans and hybrids to gather and meet up with Haaken's group."

Nodding, Herlief bowed his head and excused himself.

Looking to Nebo, Cuyler and Valenner, he said, "You three, gather 50 warriors a piece. Just like Herlief, only werewolves, lycans and hybrids. It will only slow us down if we take any others and we will be able to cover more ground. You have 30 minutes, I'll be waiting at the gates. Hillevi, stay on standby, Eira, you as well."

With this, Alistair's 3 in command, rushed out the door followed by the remaining war council leaving just Gavrill, Khinn and myself behind.

Moving to leave himself, Khinn and I watched him and before exiting, Gavrill looked over his shoulder.

"You two coming?"

With that, we followed the Alpha.

***

When we met up with Trygve, Khinn, Gavrill and myself split everyone into eight groups.

Nebo and fifty handpicked warriors were one, followed by Cuyler leading his group and Valenner in charge of his. I put 5 of my trackers in each group.

Trygve took a handful of my warriors and trackers with him, Khinn took 10 warriors and a tracker, the rest followed Gavrill and myself.

Herlief's group was split into two.

Each group shifted and took off in different directions, fanning out but keeping close enough to mindlink.

We lost almost two days after the attack so being behind put us at a disadvantage. With that knowledge though, we ran long and hard, stopping very little and as the sun set at the end of the first day, my trackers started getting restless.

They finally released a choir of yips and barks before taking off in a certain direction causing us to follow suit.

We didn't make it far though when Vuk let out an agonizing whine and tumbled mid-run forcing him to skid across the terrain. Looking at each other, Eskil and I watched as the wolf thrashed, crying out in pain. As quickly as it came, it was over.

In a matter of seconds, Vuk shot up, a low guttural growl escaping him.

He stared at all of us for a moment before tilting his head back and howled. No sooner had he finished, howls erupted from every known direction. He was gone before we could process what happened.

Gavrill shouted something through his pack's mindlink and took off. In no time, group's re-grouped, joining and running along side us.

When we lost sight of Herlief, a howl met us from a distance.

Alistair.

Everyone met his howl with equal determination right as we were met with a small force.

Barreling through the soldiers, I continued past the small skirmish and ahead of others that followed.

When I got in sight of the captives' wagon, Alistair was knocked down by one of the soldiers and before he could land a fatal blow, I plowed into him, sending both myself and the soldier into the caged wagon.

After the life drained from his eyes and stained the wagon's floor in carmine liquid, I shifted, hopping out and helping Alistair to stand.

The rest was a blur after discovering my daughter wasn't with Alistair or with witch. So leaving because a group to search the soldiers for any information and rid the world of their remains, the rest of headed back to Dark Wood.

***

It wasn't long after rescuing Alistair though, the Alpha would fall into fits of depression or rage. He even killed a few of his pack members, would speak nonsense, then the first would stop after a couple of day just start all over again after a day or two.

It was becoming difficult for anyone to restrain him and after the fight he had with Gavrill, no one really wanted to get close to him which seemed to benefit him more than any of us trying to help him.

**End of Flashback**

Rubbing my temple, I sighed as I sat on a tree branch that extended a little over the Avonbeg creek and watched Rune shift, Alistair replacing him.

He's been coming here lately. I'm unsure what the significance of this spot in particular is, but when he comes here, he seems to be more at peace and able to relax but also, this is where he comes when another invincible force  is going to hit him and eat away further at his remaining sanity.

It's been almost four months since the King made his grand debut with Calder at his side, no less. In just four months, we haven't really made any progress except finding the exact location of where Noir is being held.

Hillevi sent a few of her shifters to skinwalk as guards but none have made a reappearance. I'm unsure if I should fear for the worse at this point.

"Gods' fucking damn it," Alistair roared, snapping my attention back to him as he grabbed his head and neck.

Falling to the ground, he thrashed and began to convulse, partially shifting then the shift would recoil on itself, leaving the broken man to roll onto his stomach and push himself up, his chest heaving, struggling for air.

"I know you're there," Alistair wheezed, looking up in my direction.

"Hmm... it would seem I've been found out," I say lazily before hopping off of my perch and slowly approached him, keeping my distance.

"Why are you here? Did Gavrill or Nebo send you to pup-sit me," he growled.

"Like I take orders from them. Have you forgotten who I am, boy?"

"Then why are you here?"

"Why indeed? I'm here because I can be here and also, because I want to make sure you don't do something incredibly stupid before we find Noir."

Alistair seemed to ponder on this for a moment before going to creeks edge to stare his reflection.

"It's gone again," he all but whispered.

Looking at his back, I could see see the mark on his shoulder but knew it was futile at this point to even try convincing him otherwise.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, I sighed.

"Come, let's get back. You need to rest."

With that, we walked back to the village

***

When we got to the pack house, Alistair, Gavrill, Nebo, Cuyler, Valenner, Khinn and myself sat down in Alistair's office. None of us said a word as their Alpha stared absently out the window.

Something felt wrong though. A feeling of dread washed over me and crept down my spine like a careful spider leaving a trail of silk. I feel her feet on my skin, descending until I'm almost frozen in my spot against the wall.

What the fuck?

Looking around, I noticed the expressions on everyone's faces twist in discomfort.

Then it hit me. Me body felt as if I had been bruised in every corner. My legs that were frozen in place felt shaky and could not support my body yet my head was the only thing that was feeling heavy.

I place my hands on my knees and arched my back as the pain was rushed through my body like an igniting fire. Never had I ever experienced a pain like this in my life.

I could feel my head spinning and ultimately I fell onto the floor, jaw clenched as I grabbed a fistful of my hair as if it would help to ease the pain.

Next thing I knew, others in the room fell victim to whatever was happening and before I could make a noise, screams could be heard from outside of the pack house followed by the others in the room.

Finally, I couldn't handle it anymore. I screamed. It had a raw quality, the realness of a person consumed by a pain that knew no end or limit.

The pain didn't fade as a white light blinded me, hindering all possible chances to see as it crept into my mind, ripping and pulling at the inside before nothing.

Blackness consumed me.

When I came too, everyone in the room that regained consciousness and was sitting.

"What the hell was that," Cuyler finally asked.

"I have no clue," Valenner spoke next.

"Wait, why are we all in here to begin with? Weren't we supposed to be overseeing training today," Cuyler questioned again, looking between Nebo and Valenner.

When no one answered, Alistair, who looked absolutely drained, stared at me, all light in his eyes gone.

"Why are you here, Haaken?"

Why was I here?

Standing, I leaned against the wall.

"Just thought I would visit, I suppose," I lied. I really couldn't remember why I was at Dark Wood.

"I see. Well, you might want to head back, I'm sure your son has his hands full in your absence," Alistair said, weakly.

"I... of course. Until next time."

With that, I left, shifting as soon as I passed the gate. Something feels off but what, I can't pinpoint.

Bjarke met me at the entrance of our packhouse, tossing me clothes to change into.

"So, how did it go," he asked, sipping on ale.

"How did what go?"

Bjarke looked at me, one eyebrow arched.

"Your hunt for Noir? You've been gone nearly four months. Did you get any leads?"

What the hell is he talking about?

Four months?

Leads?

Noir?

"Who's Noir?"