16. Slade

The morning sun filtered through the heavy curtains, casting long shadows across my apartment. As I stood in the kitchen, pouring coffee into my mug, the rhythmic sound offered a brief respite from the lingering fatigue that clung to me. The night had been long, after returning from a run in my wolf form, I had stayed up trying to piece together information on the missing shifter.

Taking a sip, the bitter warmth chased away some of the exhaustion, but the fatigue lingered. My usually serene apartment now echoed with the disquiet of an ongoing crisis. The quiet creaks of the old wooden floor beneath my boots added an eerie cadence to the silence.

A knock at the door shattered the peace, my attention drawn away from the swirling steam rising from my mug. Few dared to disturb me at home, and as I approached the door, I debated who it could be. The air thickened with tension, the atmosphere in the apartment conveying the urgency of the impending conversation.

Opening the door, Gi-Gi stood there in her usual attire of jeans and a tee, her purple hair as bright as the morning sun.

"Gi-Gi," I greeted, my voice raspy with disuse. I gestured for her to enter, the door closing with a muted thud. As she stepped in, her perfume mixed with the lingering scent of coffee.

With a weariness that transcended physical fatigue, I gestured toward the couch. "Sit," I offered. As Gi-Gi settled in, the aged cushions seemed to groan under the weight of our shared concern. Gi-Gi made herself comfortable before boring her gaze into me. The muted colors of my apartment formed a subdued backdrop to our conversation.

Gi-Gi wasted no time in expressing her worries. "Slade, you look like you haven"t slept in days. You can"t keep going like this. It"s not healthy."

I took another sip of coffee before answering, its warmth seeping into my soul. "Gi-Gi, I appreciate your concern, but we can"t afford to slow down. Not with the number of supes disappearing."

She leaned forward, her eyes searching mine. "I know, brother, but you"re no good to anyone if you"re exhausted. We need you sharp, not running on fumes."

A moment of silence hung between us.

"I"ll sleep when they"re found," I finally said, my gaze meeting hers. The pressure of responsibility was reflected in my tired eyes. "We can"t afford to let up until we have answers."

Gi-Gi sighed, a mix of frustration and understanding in her expression. "You"re stubborn, Slade. But if you won"t rest, at least promise me you"ll take a break when you can. This doesn't just fall on you. Everyone is working to bring them back, and Remina is the best there is. She will find them, I'm sure of it."

I nodded, acknowledging her concern. "I promise. Once I help Remina today, I"ll take a break. Deal?"

She hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Okay, so before I get out of your hair there is one more thing. Someone"s been leaving discarded meat on my doorstep every night for the past week," she began, her words carrying a weight of their own. "I thought it was just a stray, but it keeps happening. I need you to tell the shifters so they can find the right door. Remina's getting sick of putting it in the bin, Slade."

Without my consent, a growl rose inside me. I caught it at the last moment before I clued Gi-Gi into my wolf"s fury at Remina throwing out the meat. I frowned, the mention of the meat on her doorstep stirring a primal unease within me. "Meat?" I asked, though I already had a sinking suspicion.

Gi-Gi nodded, her expression troubled. "Yeah, and I know it"s not some misguided gesture. It"s an offering, Slade. From one of the shifters to their mate. But they"ve got the wrong door, and it"s turning into a nightly ritual."

I cursed under my breath, the confirmation hitting me like a punch to the gut. It was my wolf, my primal instincts taking control and leaving those offerings. It believed Remina was its mate, and no rational explanation could convince the beast otherwise.

"I"ll take care of it," I assured Gi-Gi, the weight of guilt settling on my shoulders. "I"ll talk to the shifters and make sure they find the right door. This shouldn"t be happening."

Gi-Gi"s gaze lingered on me. "Thanks, Slade, don't be too hard on them. You know how our animal sides can be."

I sighed, sadly I knew that all too well. My wolf had a mind of its own, but it hadn"t taken over completely until Remina arrived in Astur. "No worries, Gi. I"ll sort it out."

As Gi-Gi left, the apartment returned to its quietude. The offering from my wolf to its perceived mate was the least of my worries.

I stood by the window, staring at the compound below, each building carrying its stories. The muted sounds of the waking community filtered through, a reminder of the chaos that awaited outside. The scent of coffee, now bitter and cold, hung in the air.

I prepared to face the day, I had an hour until I was due to meet Remina and I didn't know what I would take.

I made my way through the dense woodlands behind the shifter sector. The sun filtered down through the leaves of the trees above. The forest paths, usually teeming with life, now felt eerily quiet, the only sound being the crunch of leaves beneath my boots.

Remina emerged from the trees to my left, her silhouette barely discernible with the bright sun rays shining on her.

Remina stood before me, a vision that had my wolf suddenly alert and straining to be let loose. Her ebony hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her face. Those intense, lilac eyes held a depth that seemed to peer into my very being. Dressed in form-fitting dark leathers, she emitted an air of command, every inch of her attire tailored to the contours of her lithe frame. The leather clung to her curves like a second skin, my cock twitching in appreciation.

Her amethyst eyes met mine, the forest stretched out before us like a realm of secrets waiting to be unraveled.

"Slade," she greeted; her voice was a low murmur that blended with the rustling leaves. I nodded in acknowledgment, and together, we ventured deeper into the heart of the forest. The scent of damp earth and pine enveloped us, the musky aroma a reminder of the untamed wilderness that surrounded the shifter territory.

As we walked, our fingers grazed one another repeatedly as though drawn together by an invisible force. The filtered light painted dappled patterns on the forest floor, illuminating patches of moss and fallen leaves. The shadows of the trees danced around us, casting an otherworldly glow on Remina"s features.

I led her to the trail where the scent of the missing shifters abruptly vanished, leaving an unsettling void in the otherwise natural order of the forest. The air here felt stagnant as if nature itself recoiled in the absence of its rightful inhabitants. I could see the furrow on Remina"s brow deepen as she surveyed the surroundings, her keen eyes scanning for any clues that might unveil the mystery.

"The scent just ... stops here," I remarked, gesturing to the point where the trail seemed to lose all traces of the missing shifters. Remina crouched down, her fingers grazing the earth as if seeking answers from the very soil beneath her. The tension in the air escalated, a silent acknowledgment of the elusive threat that haunted us.

A distant howl of someone in wolf form echoed through the trees, adding an eerie layer to the already strained atmosphere. I crouched down beside her. Remina"s fingers traced an invisible line in the air as if following an ethereal thread that connected the vanished shifters to an unknown fate. I watched her carefully, knowing that her abilities held the potential to unravel the mystery we faced.

The forest, a living entity in its own right, seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. The trees whispered ancient secrets, their gnarled branches casting long shadows that stretched like skeletal fingers across the forest floor.

Remina rose from her crouched position, her expression contemplative. "Whatever took them ... it"s not natural. It"s like they were plucked from existence right here," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. I could sense the weight of her words, the gravity of a force that defied the natural laws of the supernatural world we inhabited.

I couldn't stop myself from reaching out to place my hand on her lower back, almost to reassure me and my wolf that she was safe. "What could make supernaturals vanish like that?" I could feel the weight of the question hanging in the air. Remina"s eyes, pools of purple, met mine as she unraveled the unsettling mystery.

"Transportation through the shadows," she murmured, her words carrying gravity. "The Dark Fae were once masters of the shadows, moving effortlessly through space, but they haven"t been in our realm for over fifteen years. Any dark magic users, the kind who delve into forbidden arts, could also have the ability to traverse through shadows. But it would require sacrifice. The life force they sacrifice can act as a conduit, allowing them to transport through space."

As she spoke, a gust of wind rustled the leaves overhead, and a shiver ran down my spine. The forest seemed to echo the weight of her words, each tree bearing witness to the unsettling truths that lurked in the mystical underbelly of our world. Remina painted a vivid picture with her words.

The day unfolded as Remina and I visited each sector, investigating the locations where the trails of the missing supernaturals vanished. Remina's initial assessment became a reality as we moved from one sector to another. We discovered the same eerie phenomenon that had been in the shifter woodlands. It was a disconcerting pattern, an unsettling confirmation of Remina's suspicions. Each site held the lingering scent of darkness, a residue left behind by whoever had orchestrated the disappearances.

As the day wore on, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, and Remina"s insights painted a chilling picture. It became evident that someone well-versed in dark magic was orchestrating the disappearances. The realization tightened the knot of unease in my gut. We were dealing with someone who was sacrificing people to extract supernaturals without a trace. The question was why? Why were they taking supes from each race and going to extremes to do so?

The scent of damp moss and pine needles lingered in the air as Remina, and I made our way back to the main courtyard of the compound. My wolf, restless within, urged me to bridge the gap between us, to let go of the restraint that kept me at a distance from Remina. Hours had passed since we discovered the remnants of magic in the shifter territory, and with each step, the tension between us became palpable. My wolf urged me to make her mine. To protect her. If I was honest with myself, it was more than just my wolf who wanted that.

Remina"s silhouette, adorned in dark leather, moved with otherworldly grace, navigating the forest like a phantom. The play of shadows on her face highlighted her beauty.

As we walked, silence hung heavy between us, laden with unspoken words and the implications of our discoveries. The cool breeze rustled through the leaves, creating a haunting melody that underscored the anticipation building within me. The awareness of her proximity, the scent of her skin, and the subtle cadence of her breathing fueled a desire that had been simmering beneath the surface.

The forest seemed to close in around us, a cocoon that heightened the raw, undeniable connection. I stole glances at Remina, her eyes captivating in the afternoon sun. The path twisted and a clearing emerged, bathed in the soft glow of the fading light. It felt like a stage set for this very moment. Tension had built since we started our journey into the heart of the forest this morning.

Unable to resist the pull any longer, I let my instincts guide me. Closing the distance between us, I gently pulled Remina to a stop. I placed a hand underneath her chin and tilted her face towards me, the coolness of her skin sending shivers through me. Her eyes, sparkling like gems, met mine with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

The world around us faded as I leaned in, my lips capturing hers in a kiss that spoke of both longing and surrender. The forest, our witness, held its breath as time seemed to stand still. The taste of her lips, the softness of her breath against my skin, ignited a fire that had smoldered for far too long.

The boundaries between us blurred, and the tension that had a hold of me evaporated. My wolf, once restless, now lay content within, having claimed what it desired.