*****
*Corey*
Adan?
What was she talking about?
“Adan? Izabella, what are you talking about?” Sean asked glancing past her because she was still staring into the trees.
“Can’t you see? It’s Adan –” She tried to run forward but Sean tugged her back holding onto her hand securely.
“Izzy, there’s no one there.”
“He’s walking away,” She ignored what Sean said as she tried to pull away from him, “Sean, he’s leaving – let me go. Adan! Wait! Why-why are you leaving?! Stay. Adan –” Her voice cracked as she called out in a desperate cry before she turned to try to shove away from Sean, “Let me go –” She pushed against his chest but he grabbed both her wrists.
“Izabella, listen to me, Babe… There is no one there.” He repeated slowly.
I glanced back towards where she had been looking, he was right. There was no movement, no rustling, no one to see.
“No, no,” Tears ran from Izabella’s eyes now as her head shook, “He’s right there! Can’t you see –? Why can’t you see him? He’s-he’s leaving – Sean, he’s leaving. He can’t leave again –” She sobbed. I felt my eyes sing as she continued to try to fight away from him, my chest tightening at how shattered she looked.
“Izabella –” Sean began.
“Trent?” Hayley’s call drew my attention to her before my eyes drifted over everyone trying to spot Trent.
“Where is he?” Kaden whispered. I turned around to look further around us. He was gone.
“Trent?!” Jayden shouted.
“I’ll be right back!” Trent’s voice came from somewhere in the trees.
“I’ll get him, stay here.” I left towards where we had heard his voice come from, walking through the trees until I spotted him, “Trent?” I spoke slowly seeing him standing alone, smiling as he looked into nothing before he turned to me, his smile unwavering.
“She’s here,” He whispered, “I thought… I thought she was gone for-forever…”
“What are you talking about?” I glanced behind him. There really was no one around us.
‘It’s the forest.’ Hearing Sean’s voice in my head made me furrow my brows.
‘How are we linking right now?’ I asked.
‘I have no idea. It seems whoever cast the spell on this place missed out on a few things.’ He replied, ‘It’s the forest.’
‘What?’
‘Remember those stores we used to get told about the forest that gave you want you wanted most? This is that forest. Izabella wants Adan and now he’s supposedly here but she’s the only one that can see him because it’s what she wants most.’ He explained.
I nodded in realisation even though he could not see me. He was right. ‘But those stories… Didn’t they always end in death?’ I linked back before being drawn from the link as Trent began to move. “Trent, wait,” I called to him.
“She’s leaving, she wants me to follow.” He looked at me with the happiest smile I had ever seen him give before turning back to the trees, “I’m coming. Babe.”
Oh no.
‘Don’t let her follow Adan.’ I linked Sean before I ran over to Trent to grab hold of his arm.
“Corey, what-what are you doing? She’s leaving. Corey, let me –” He tried to pull his arm from my hand but even without our werewolf abilities, I was much stronger than he was.
I tugged on his arm to get his attention, but he didn’t even look at me. His eyes stuck on what only he could see in the trees. “Trent, it’s not her,” I said figuring that there was only one thing he desperately wanted.
“Yes, it is. Come on, she’s leaving – Corey.” He tried to pull his arm from my hand again and I felt my chest tighten painfully at how much the reality of what was happening was going to crush him.
“Trent, it’s not her, you have to listen to me.”
“Yes, it is!” He shouted, “She’s right there, I know she is! I Corey, can’t you see her?” He stopped as he looked at me, his smile finally dropping slightly as his eyes stare at me hopefully. “You-you can see her, right?” His desperate voice trembled slightly with the question.
I shook my head slowly glancing back at the trees. I wish she was… “No… No, Trent. She’s not there.” I said, “It’s just an illusion.”
He looked back where he had seen her and let out a shaky breath as his arm became heavy beneath my grip. “No, no, no. It can’t be – I felt – I felt her. I smelt her. I-I held her.” His voice cracked.
“It’s a trick to get you killed. This forest does that. She’s not there, Trent. She wasn’t here.” I said. Trent shook his head ripping his arm from my hand but he didn’t argue or try to run. He just covered his face and let out another choked sigh before he literally attacked the tree beside us. I had to shove him away from it to keep him from breaking his hand as he punched it because it did not look like he was going to stop, even as he began to bleed. “It’s alright, Trent,” I said. What the fuck was I saying? It’s alright?
“No, it isn’t!” He shouted, his face tear-stained, “You-you don’t understand! I – She –” I grabbed his wrist when he was about to punch the tree again.
“You’re only going to hurt yourself and you will not heal out here. We can’t have you hurting yourself when we need to take care of everyone. Calm down.” I snapped shoving him back, “You’re right, I don’t understand at all and I’ll let you go crazy just not here, not right now when we’re in the middle of nowhere and you can’t heal. Please, just calm down.”
He ran his hands over his face to clear it before sighing and looking back into the trees. We were quiet for a few minutes as his breathing became more controlled. I didn’t know what to say, nothing said would be able to help him anyway. Eventually, he spoke.
“Let’s just get out of here.”
I nodded and we walked back the way we had come, him trailing behind me while still trying to gather himself. Once we reached the others, I frowned as my eyes fell on Izabella who was still sniffling into Sean. Why hadn’t she told any of us how much she missed Adan? I had a feeling she still blamed herself for his death…
“We need to move. It’s getting dark and we have to find somewhere safe to camp.” Sean spoke up.
I walked over to them and pulled Izabella from him so Hayley could speak to her while we tried to comfort her.
Why weren’t the rest of us affected by the forest? Did we already have what we truly wanted? Was it my car? Was that really all I wanted? Or… No. It’s not that.
I glanced at Jayden before giving a dry chuckle. No, definitely can’t be that.
When Izabella was calm, I frowned looking around. There was nothing but trees and the faint sound of water… The river.
“There isn’t a safe place to camp, we’re probably still quite far from the peaks. We’re going to have to camp out here somewhere. I say at the river and we’ll take turns getting some rest.” I said.
“Sounds great.” Sean smiled.
“Then let’s get moving.” I swung my arms around the girls. “Carry me. That’s an order.” I joked not using my Beta tone of voice to force them.
They both snorted and shoved me from them while we laughed but we stopped when we heard a howl.
“Wolves.” Kaden mumbled, “We can’t shoot at wolves!” He added wide-eyed.
“We won’t have to. Just stay close and move fast.” I said.
—–
By the time we reached the river, it was dark, cold and everyone was beyond exhausted. We had gathered wood on our way and I began to set up the fire as the others looked around and set the bags down. Being in a forest was not unusual because we camped out at home all the time, the only difference – and a major one at that – was not having most of our supernatural abilities.
“So… Kade, Izzy and I will stay up and watch for the first four hours and then you guys take over after that,” Sean said.
“Fine with me.” I laughed as Trent just flopped down on the grass in his sleeping bag and pretty much fell asleep within seconds.
“There, I’m done.” I sat back as the fire lit up.
“Maybe Jay should stay up with you gu…” Hayley drifted when her eyes fell on an already sleeping Jayden. “Never mind.” She giggled.
I chuckled laying down not far from the fire and peeked past the flames to stare at my mate. His ridiculously vulnerable and peaceful sleeping state was actually quite comforting to stare at, especially because I felt that for some reason it was going to be a long night and seeing Jayden look so carefree in his sleep made it feel like there was nothing to worry about.
*****
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