*Adam's POV*

I'm deep in thought as I'm working out. The poor punching bag probably didn't deserve being hit this many times, but my mind is all over the place and the punching bag is paying the price.

There have been so many thoughts swirling around in my head since we visited my old pack. I don't know what to do with them at times. It doesn't help that me being an Alpha enhances everything.

The worst part about it all is that Anna is worried about us. I sigh, I know it's part of the process. The process I never gave myself the time for before this. I've always focused on surviving. I had to, but now that I'm safe with my mate and reminded of everything that happened, I'm stuck in my head.

'Adam?' our mate links and I smile when I hear her voice.

'Yes, love?'

'Are you messing with me?' Anna asks and I stiffen when I hear the caution in her voice.

'No? What's going on?' I ask.

I feel Cade surge forward, wanting to know what our mate is talking about.

'I'm on my way home through the forest and I think I feel someone staring at me...' Anna says. She sounds confident, but I can hear nervousness in her voice, 'It's probably nothing.'

I feel my heart clench, something is wrong.

'Do you have your silver?' I ask as I start making my way out of the gym. I don't bother taking my things, if Anna needs me, I need to get there as fast as possible.

'Yes... Adam, don't worry about it. It's probably just a rabbit or something.' I know she's trying to reassure me, but not being near her has me on edge.

'I'm on my way. Stay alert and keep me updated.' I tell her before concentrating on the road ahead.

For normal werewolves, either one of the forms are in control. Cade and I have a better bond however, and we know the forests well. We've learned to share control between us perfectly, making us more alert and faster.

We shift as soon as we reach the forest and run as fast as we can.

Our run is interrupted when a sharp pain hits our stomach. Cade yelps and stumbles and we stop for a second to see the damage.

There is no wound.

What?

Then it hits me, 'Anna! What's happening!?'

Cade picks up the pace again. We shouldn't be able to feel her pain yet, as our bond isn't complete, but I know that the pain I'm feeling right now isn't mine, and Anna is the only other option I can think of.

'Please tell me you're close.' Anna links. Her voice is pained, confirming that it is our mate's pain we're feeling.

'I'm almost there. Are you ok?' I ask as I start to faintly pick up her scent. I don't smell anything else.

Panic rises in me when Anna stops responding. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I perk up when I hear her voice again, only to feel my heart skip a beat at what she says, 'Brown eyes. The wolf has brown eyes.'

The link cuts off after that.

Shit.

'Anna?'

No response.

'Shit, Cade faster!' I tell him as I pick up speed.

'I'm trying!' Cade growls back.

We finally reach the spot Anna's scent is strongest. Anna is nowhere to be seen and her scent cuts off. Someone must have cloaked their scent because I can't smell anything else.

There is a pool of blood on the floor and Cade whines as he moves closer. Anna's necklace and bag are laying around the clearing, but our mate is gone.

She's gone.

I don't quite remember the next thirty minutes. I know that Cade keeps whining and howling while I'm frantically searching for options. It isn't until I suddenly feel the darkness of going rogue creeping in that I snap out of it.

I can't turn rogue now, not when Anna is in danger.

She's alive, I know that. I feel that she's alive. I'm an Alpha, I can find her. I concentrate on my surroundings and hear Anna's phone ring. I shift back and, ignoring the cold, pick it up.

"Anna?" Isa's concerned voice sounds as soon as I pick up.

"No, it's Adam." I mumble, not really sure what to say next.

"Adam? Where is Anna?" Isa asks.

I don't say anything. I can't in that moment.

Isa continues, "Adam, I know she's in danger. I can feel it. Tell me where she is or go find her!"

I let out a growl and finally get the words out, "She's been taken! I don't know by who or where, but she's fucking gone!"

This time Isa is silent. Then, Will takes over the phone call. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that's she's gone! Anna was on her way home from her friend's house. She linked me that someone was staring at her and not even five minutes later the link cuts off and she's gone." I start to ramble, "Her bag is still here, and there is a pool of blood."

Fuck, how could I let this happen?

"Alpha, is there another scent?" Will asks.

I shake my head even though I know Will can't see me, "No, they cloaked it somehow. Anna's scent ends here as well."

"Ok, try to check the area as much as possible. Isa is already packing our bags; we're flying over as soon as we can. Hang in there Alpha, we'll find her." Will says, his Beta command clear. It doesn't work on me in the slightest, but I know he just used it to reassure me and let me know I had to remain calm.

I'm not getting Anna back as a rogue or when I'm panicked. I have to keep a clear head for this. "Thank you." I say and end the call.

I take in the surroundings once more. I know that with my knowledge of the forest I'm the best tracker out there, but I also know I will never be able to do this alone. Will and Isa coming over is incredibly helpful, but that will take a few hours, a few hours we don't have.

I go to Anna's contacts and call Jasper. I'm going to need help. An entire pack, maybe.

---

I can't stop pacing around the bedroom. It's 3AM, and Will and Ray told me to rest. As if I could. Even if I could sleep without Anna present, I wasn't able to knowing Anna is who knows where.

After calling Jasper he, Ray and some of the best trackers in the pack met me in the forest and got to work. We were joined by Isa and Will later in the evening, and they had taken some trackers from their pack with them as well. They would have to adjust to the new surroundings and the snow, but any form of help was welcome. It wasn't until 2AM that Will and Ray forced me to go home and rest. I didn't want to, but they reminded me that I had to have a level head to help out with the search.

I had agreed and gone home, only to realize that Anna wasn't here all over again when I entered our apartment and her scent hit me again full force.

In a way, her scent was calming, but at the same time it worried me. I wonder what Anna is thinking right now... Is she scared? Hurt? A frustrated growl leaves me as I continue to pace.

I eventually manage to stop pacing and laid down, only to restlessly stare at the ceiling while holding Anna's pillow. The next morning, I'm exhausted, but I force myself to drink some coffee and eat a small breakfast.

The next day goes similarly as the first. More people from Ray's pack join us. Some of Anna's students and her colleague as well as some regular pack members. Anna clearly made an impression, and so the entire pack is helping out. During lunchtime the cooks meet us at the edge of their pack lands to feed us. Jace's mate and Beta female, Thalia, is the one in charge of the cooking. After lunch we expand the search area since we have more people.

No sign of her though. Since Jace is taking over Ray's Alpha duties for now, Ray is out there searching as well.

"Alpha, you should rest." A voice came from behind me. I was in human form at the moment, trying to see if I noticed different things in this form.

I growled, "Fuck off."

The person, who I recognized as Will now, sighed, "Alpha, you need to rest."

"I'm fine." I said as I kept walking through the snowy landscape.

I heard Will follow me. "The Luna needs you to res-"

"DON'T TALK ABOUT MY MATE PRETENDING TO KNOW WHAT SHE NEEDS!"

It wasn't until I noticed all the other eyes on me that I realized the position I was in. I was holding Will by the throat, cutting off his airways while breathing heavily myself. People were surrounding us, a few of which being Isa, Fred and Jasper as well as Ray.

Ah, fuck.

I growled and pushed him back before turning around and shifting, running into the forest.

I'm slipping. Why the fuck am I slipping? I've been fine for six years, but losing my mate for two days manages to break my control?

Dammit, I need to get myself together.

I can't lose it now. I can't save Anna as a damn rogue, and Anna can't save me after I've gone rogue either.

I can't lose her. I'm not losing someone again because I was too late. I failed my pack, I won't fail her.

A whine entered my head, and I remembered how I've been blocking out Cade for the past few hours.

'Sorry' I apologized as soon as I let him in.

'We need to get our shit together' Cade growls.

'And how are we supposed to do that?' I snarl back.

'I don't know but whatever we're doing right now definitely isn't working!'

I let out a growl, but also knew he was right. The search for Anna was well organized, but everything inside my head was an absolute mess. I couldn't sit still, I could barely eat and I could only concentrate on my mate and whatever she was going through right now.

Get a damn grip.

I stop running and take a deep breath. I somehow ended up at my den. No surprise there really. The den was my home for years.

I sigh, 'Maybe it's better if you're in control, Cade.'

'I'm not sure I can handle all those people though.' Cade responds. This must be the first time he admits to being antisocial.

'50/50 then?' I suggest. 'We somehow need to keep each other sane.'

Cade is silent for a bit before speaking up, 'No one knows we can do that though. Is this the right time?'

'With our mate kidnapped and in danger? Hell yes!'

'You're right.' Cade agrees before I can feel his consciousness mix with mine.

It's always a weird feeling, Cade has better senses, so when we mix like this, my own senses become better while his become slightly worse.

'First things first. That pup is right, we need rest.' Cade says as he starts making his way back to the apartment.

'How the fuck do we even sleep?' I ask.

Cade grumbles, 'We have to try. Even if we can't sleep we need to at least lay down for a while.'

'Alright. We'll try.' I cave.

I look at the forest one more time before heading back, 'We'll find her. We have to.' Cade says.

I agree with him. I will fight with the Goddess before ever giving up on finding my mate.

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Thanks for reading!