Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Spare no Details

Ariel stared at the unfamiliar ceiling and blinked a few times while she tried to comprehend her situation. She tried to turn her head, but a sharp pain in her neck refrained her from doing so. Noticing her wince Ashton supported her neck properly and helped her to sit up on the bed. “How do you feel”? Ashton asked her softly.

“My neck, it hurts so bad”. Ariel winced in pain as she touched softly at the back of her neck. “Where am I”? She asked after looking around, with her eyes and with as much as she could without moving her neck.

“In the pack hospital honey”. Mrs Parker replied to her. She noticed that along with her mother and brother, even Caleb was present there.

“Where is Ava”? She asked, genuinely curious for her twin.

All of them looked at each other before looking at her, “Honey, can you tell us what happened? What’s the last thing you remember”? Mrs Parker asked her that instead.

“Tell us everything, spare no details”. Ashton added with concern.

“Well, Molly called us to meet in the playground since she lives nearby. It’s been a long time since we met so Ava and I agreed. You weren’t home so we didn’t bother asking for your permission”. Ariel mumbled the last line while glancing at her mother before lowering her eyes in embarrassment. Mrs Parker didn’t comment on that and waited for her daughter to continue.

.....

“She brought her four year old cousin with her and all of us were playing. He was starting to get frustrated so Molly bought him a balloon. Unfortunately it slipped and got stuck in the tree and he started crying. Since I was a wolf I thought maybe I could get it back for him, but as soon as I managed to unhook the thread from the branch I slipped and fell. I think I hit my neck because that’s the last thing I can recall”. She finished.

“So, you were with Ava all the time”? Her mother asked her to clarify.

“Yes” she nodded. “Wasn’t she the one who informed you I passed out? Ariel asked.

All of them looked at each other before Mrs Parker took it upon herself to explain to her the situation. When Ariel found out that her twin sister is missing she panicked. She started to lament and therefore her eyes turned to a darker shade of red in no time. Ashton, trying to console his sister, patted her slowly on her back. After her sobs were a bit less deranged, Caleb asked her softly. “Can you try to link Ava”?

After sobbing twice she nodded and tried. When it didn’t work she closed her eyes tightly and tried once more, but she failed once again. “I can’t reach her”! Her eyes were filled with tears once more. “She is not dead right”? She questioned through her muffled voice before she started to wail.

“Of course not! Your sister is alive! Don’t worry, we will find her”. Mrs Parker tried to assure her daughter. She herself was on the verge of breaking down when she found herself unable to completely have faith in her own words.

Caleb suddenly felt his brother trying to link him. He was at the hospital and he wanted to talk to Ariel, however he wanted to meet with Caleb first. Caleb agreed to meet him outside the hospital so that the situation here is not disrupted. He took the emergency exit to avoid the wolves that were surrounding most of the hospitals.

He was surprised to see no other wolf was present except his brother, “What’s going on”? Caleb asked skeptically.

“Since it was similar to your scent Dad and I followed it by ourselves. We haven’t involved any other werewolves yet, but we might have to”. Christian explained.

Suddenly the door opened and Ashton emerged from the door, “I followed you” he answered to the curious gazes of Wrisberg brothers. “Did you find her”? Ashton asked anxiously.

Christian pursed his lip before shaking his head. “The scent led to an empty warehouse. I believe that’s where they were. Or somehow they used that trail to reflect us there”.

“What do you mean”? Ashton asked, confused.

“You know how her scent disappears at the edge? I think they masked it by unloading the pheromones and then directed it somewhere else to create a false trail of scent. Whoever planned it clearly anticipated for you to be there” Christian sighed. Ashton’s fists tightened as he fought the urge to attack whatever comes in front of him. His rage and frustration was over the top, so much so that even Christian could feel the shift in his aura.

To calm him down, Caleb places his hand on his back and rubbed his back slightly. Even if Ashton didn’t realize it that tiny action helped him a bit. “This is so messed up”, his brother sighed. “Two omegas in the same day, that too from our pack”.

“What do you mean two”? Caleb asked him, startled.

“Oh yeah, remember when I told you I was busy? Remember Valerie Durance, she hasn’t been home since last night”. Caleb sighed.

“Wait, weren’t we invited to her wedding this fall? I thought she was already mated. Mated wolves aren’t supposed to be taken away right”? Caleb questioned inquisitively.

“Well, apparently no. She hasn’t been marked yet, despite finding her mate”. Christian informed him. After a moment of silence Christian spoke, “By the way, don’t use those pheromones anymore”. Christian pointed out. “I think it’s better if you avoid it for the time being. In fact, I think if by any chance any pack members sniffs the scent left at the park, they will suspect you first”!

“That is ridiculous”. Caleb mumbled. “Why would I kidnap them”?

“You won’t. But people who lost their family members won’t think further. They are devastated and they are desperate for answers, even if it’s a fake one” Christian explained. “You don’t give off any scent now. Use that to your advantage for the time being”.

“What about Dad? He would notice”. Caleb pointed out.

“Well, I didn’t. Let’s hope he doesn’t either” Christian mumbled.

“How are you planning to get back the taken omegas”? Ashton asked Christian, trying his best to fight his rage.

“We are still trying to figure it out”, Christian informed him. “Don’t worry, this has become huge and we are doing everything we can to tackle this”! He tried to assure him, but Ashton’s eyes made it clear that he wasn’t convinced.

“How about we try the plan I suggested back then”? Caleb spoke up.

“Are you crazy”!? His brother shouted at him.

“What was it”? Ashton asked, hoping for a ray of hope. Christian explained what Caleb told him the other day about using him as bait. “Absolutely not”! as soon as Ashton heard it he shouted like a reflex.

“Look, its not a bad plan. At least consider it!” He pleaded. “At least tell me this, if I wasn’t your family...” he turned to Ashton “..and your friend-“.

“Mate”. Ashton mumbled in between.

“...Will you guys still be against my idea”? Caleb continued with his question as if hearing Ashton call him his mate didn’t just make his heart skip a little bit.

“Yeah” his brother replied. “This whole pack is our responsibility. And I am not letting anyone become a bait”.

“You guys are seriously so naive”! Frustrated Caleb stormed off inside the building. Both Ashton and Christian stared at the door for a few seconds until Christian asked Ashton, “How is your other sister doing”? Even if he didn’t like Ashton, he could sympathize with him being a big brother himself.

Ashton glanced at him awkwardly before replying “better”. Before he could be questioned further he walked away quickly inside the building. Christian followed him to the ward to see a little girl around 12-13 years old sitting in the bed red faced.

He wanted to ask her questions too, but he decided to wait till she felt a little better and visiting hours are over. Caleb was nowhere in the sight, so Christian assumed his brother was sulking somewhere and thus avoiding them actively.

Meanwhile Ashton was happy to see Ariel capable of moving her neck after another hour. According to the doctor she was definitely recovering and thus a wave of relief washed over them, however temporarily. Ariel needed to spend the entire night there but her family had to leave.

The entire night, instead of sleeping Ariel spent her energy trying to link her twin sister, except for the time when Christian questioned her. By the time it was dawn, her sobs had completely dried away. She was exhausted which hampered her healing as well, thus she was way to go before she could achieve full recovery.

She was about to pass out from exhaustion when she heard her own voice in her mind except this time it felt like it was calling her, “Ariel”! It was a scream of Ava that turned to a whisper by the time it reached Ariel. Something was indeed blocking the linking process, but Ava had managed to break it down. They might not just save Ava, they might just save everyone else after all.