Chapter 20 - Fisher

While the girls are on their camping trip, David, Ram, and I have decided to have a guys night in at Ram”s place. We”re lounging in the living room, catching up on the latest and shooting the breeze. It’s one of those rare moments when we can just kick back and forget about the daily grind.

Not long after my call with Liz, my phone lights up again with a message from her. I grin, but then my heart sinks as soon as I read it. I feel like I”m going to be sick. ”Shit,” I mutter, my face tingling as the color drains from it.

”What”s up?” Ram asks sharply, noticing my sudden change in demeanor.

”It”s Liz,” I say, showing him the text. ”There”s been an attack at their camp. The traders have taken Tala, Holly, and Selene.”

Ram is on his feet in an instant, the shock of hearing his wife has been kidnapped evident on his reddened face. ”Gather the men,” he commands, his voice edged with urgency.

David nods, already reaching for his phone to rally the troops. But as Ram and David start discussing logistics and planning the rescue operation, I feel a restless energy coursing through me. Waiting for the whole group to assemble could take too long, and every second counts.

”I”m going ahead,” I announce, standing up and grabbing my jacket from the back of the couch.

”What?” Ram says, giving me an incredulous look. ”Fisher, you can”t be serious. That”s suicide.”

”We have no idea how long it”s going to take to get everyone together,” I point out. ”We don”t know what those bastards are capable of. This could already be too late.”

David gives me a sharp glare, shaking his head in warning. ”Don”t be stupid,” he says sharply. ”There”s safety in numbers, Fisher. Going off alone could mean the end for you.”

I glare back at him. ”They have my wife and Ram”s. What the fuck are we supposed to do?”

”He”s right,” Ram agrees, rubbing the back of his neck. ”Text the others and tell them to be at the ready. We”ll alert them when we have a location for them to report to. For now, let”s head to the campsite and see what we can find.”

We leave in a rush, piling into Ram”s truck as David messages other pack members. The tension inside Ram”s truck is palpable, each bump on the road a reminder of the urgency of our mission. My phone buzzes a few times with garbled texts from Liz, but when I try to call her, it goes straight to voicemail. ”Dammit,” I curse, frustration evident in my voice.

”What”s going on?” Ram asks, eyeing me with concern as he navigates the truck along the winding forest road.

”Her phone”s dead,” I mutter, staring out at the passing trees. ”She was texting me, but now I can”t reach her.”

Ram clenches the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white. ”Just hold on, Fisher. We”re almost there.”

As we approach the campsite, Ram slows down and stops outside the parking lot. The tire tracks from Selene”s car and the van are still visible, and we follow them until they come to an abrupt stop in front of a wall of dense brush. Ram kills the engine, and we pile out, flashlights in hand.

”Looks like they had to continue on foot from here,” David observes, shining his flashlight on the ground.

”Yeah,” I agree, my heart pounding in my chest. ”But where did they go?”

As I scan the area, my flashlight catches a tree with a peculiar carving: a triangle intersected by a wavy line. ”Hey, look at this,” I call out, pointing my flashlight at the symbol.

Ram moves closer, examining the carving. ”That”s a pack symbol,” he says, recognition dawning on his face. ”It means ”safe passage.” She must”ve left it as a clue.”

Excitedly, we continue our search, our flashlights darting from tree to tree. A few yards away, I spot another clue—the same symbol carved into a tree trunk. ”There”s another one!” I shout excitedly, and Ram follows me, David hot on our heels.

We continue moving forward, careful not to miss any more of Liz”s messages. My heart is racing with excitement as we follow the trail through the woods. The symbols are everywhere, guiding us in the right direction.

Bolstered by our progress, we press on, but as we venture deeper into the forest, the clues become fewer and farther between. In the darkness, it becomes harder to tell what might be a trick or genuine help from Liz.

Ram stops suddenly and lifts his flashlight toward an oak tree. There—a piece of torn fabric caught on a thorny bush, unmistakably from one of the girls” clothing. ”We”re on the right track,” Ram murmurs, his voice filled with grim determination.

”That”s Liz”s top.” I snatch it from him and give it a good sniff. ”This is recent. We”re gaining on them, I think. We”re close enough that we should be able to follow our noses.”

I”m about to shift when a clap of thunder roars overhead and the sky breaks open, dumping rain on our heads. Within seconds, the water washes away any lingering smell, replacing it with that of mud and damp grass. My mind is still racing as we trudge through the thick mud and puddles of water. The forest has gone quiet again, the only sound that of our footsteps splashing against the ground, punctuated by occasional gusts of wind.

”Dammit!” I shout, kicking a rock in frustration. ”We”re losing them!”

David looks equally desperate, his face etched with worry. ”We need to find them, Fisher. We can”t give up.”

”I know,” I growl, wiping rain from my face. ”But where do we go from here?”

Trapped by the storm and the fading clues, a sense of desperation grips us. The forest seems to close in around us, its secrets becoming more elusive with each passing moment. But one thing is clear: I won”t stop searching. Not until I find Liz and bring her back safe.

”We keep going,” Ram says firmly, determination burning in his eyes. ”We”ll find them, Fisher. We have to. Think. Trust your gut. I can”t feel Holly, so she must be unconscious. But we know Liz is still all right. Connect with her. Feel for her. Use your connection.”

I take a deep breath, focusing my mind on Liz. There”s a faint energy stirring inside me—something I recognize as hers. As I tune into that feeling, it becomes stronger, filling the void that had been there before. My wolf perks up, responding to her presence. His desire to find Liz fills me, pushing aside all else.

”She”s nearby,” I murmur, staring off into the distance. ”That way.”

Ram grins, turning toward David. ”You heard him. That”s our next destination.”

David nods grimly. He knows what”s at stake here, and even if his wife has been spared this mess, he isn”t going to let us down. We start moving again, trudging through mud and puddles while the rain continues to fall.

”I”m coming,” I murmur into the night. ”I”m coming, Liz.”