I hastily jump into the passenger seat of Leon's car. He drives, heading south with urgency. As we speed down the darkened road, a familiar voice suddenly emanates from the back seat, breaking the intensity of the moment. 'If Moss lays one finger on my sister, I'll kill him,' May growls with ferocity, making Leon slam on the brakes.
'May, what are you doing here? Go back to the packhouse,' Leon demands, narrowing his eyes at May.
'No, Dad. I've never been there for Nina when she needed me. I've been a terrible sister to her, to the point she doesn't even talk to me anymore. But she needs me now more than ever, and I'm going to help save her, whether I come with you or go on my own,' May asserts defiantly, her eyes reflecting determination.
Leon sighs heavily. 'You better buckle up then,' he concedes. With a swift motion, he accelerates, leaving behind a cloud of dust as we continue our journey south.
The clock ticks past 3 a.m. as we continue our relentless pursuit through the major city. The windows are down to catch any trace of Nina's scent. I notice Leon is growing weary and tired.
'Leon, maybe I should drive for a while?' I offer, concerned.
'No, Nina's scent is becoming fainter. We don't have time to pull over, not even for a moment. The last time I came through this city to track down a scent was to find your mother after Alice threatened to kill her. She was our resident cook,' Leon adds.
'Why would the cook threaten to kill my mother?' I ask curiously.
'Her daughter, Vanessa, was in love with your father and was meant to become his chosen mate and Luna. He didn't love Vanessa, though. The council was forcing the arrangement onto him, and everything changed when he met your mother, Astrid. He was so happy to have found her,' Leon reminisces, a small laugh escaping him at the memory. 'I remember when your mother wouldn't believe we were werewolves or that they even existed. Jim from the diner shifted in front of her, and boy, did she cry wolf! The diner was a mess after that. After Alice threatened her, she ran away from your father, but we found her in Shadow Crest. Alpha Zenith had been keeping her prisoner in his cell and was going to make his son mark her as his own mate when she finally had her first shift. Zenith had also captured Seth when he was looking for Astrid in the city and placed him down in the cells with her, too. That's where I met Amelia, my mate. She was down there too,' Leon recounts.
'Mum was a prisoner at Shadow Crest?' May interjects, bewildered by the revelation.
'Yes, she was. We were able to free them all just in time, as Astrid had her first shift. Any longer, and it would have been too late, as Alpha Zenith's son would have marked and mated her,' Leon frowns at that memory of the past.
I turn away, looking out the window, absorbing the unexpected history of my parents. My father had faced an arranged mateship against his will, just as I currently do with Alpha Mason's daughter. However, his path diverged when he met my mother, breaking the imposed arrangement. Now, ironically, I find myself navigating a similar journey. I just have to break Nina’s curse as well as find my mate.
Leon curses under his breath. 'I can't smell her scent,' he says with growing worry, prompting him to pull the car over.
Exiting the vehicle, Leon shifts into his wolf form, his fur shimmering under the moonlight as he commences sniffing around the area. May and I exit the car and watch Leon scour the surroundings.
After a thorough investigation, Leon shifts back into his human form. 'The warriors have also lost Nina's scent and have spread out further to cover all tracks,' he informs us.
'Should we spread out too?' May suggests with concern.
'No, we continue south. We will eventually hit snowy weather. Hopefully, we will pick Nina’s scent up again along the way,' Leon suggests.
As the night wears on, exhaustion sets in. By 8 a.m., we struggle to stay awake, the weariness taking its toll. Leon swerves the car as he nods off, prompting me to shout, 'Leon!' and grab the steering wheel.
He jolts awake, quickly slamming his foot on the brake. 'Dad, we are no good, dead to Nina. We have no choice but to sleep, then we can continue searching for her,' May reasons with her father.
Leon pulls over, and we find a restless sleep within the confines of the car. It's only in the afternoon that we stir awake.
'We should eat,' May suggests after we've resumed our search.
'No, we need to keep driving and find Nina,' Leon insists.
'Dad, you need to eat. We all do. What good are we if we are weak when we find her and need to fight?' May argues, making a compelling point that none of us can refute.
Leon remains silent as he steers the car towards a nearby diner. 'At least eat quickly,' he concedes.
We nod in agreement, entering the diner and placing our orders. I inhale a massive pile of eggs and bacon while May indulges in a tower of pancakes swimming in golden syrup. Leon opts for a breakfast platter with baked beans, bacon, toast, and mushrooms.
We head back to the car as soon as we finish our meal at the diner. I take over the driving duties this time while Leon sticks his head out the window, attempting to catch even the faintest trace of Nina's scent. The hours pass, and we spend the entire afternoon and half the night driving through the relentless search. Panic builds up within me as my fear for Nina's safety intensifies.
I pull over just in time, feeling the telltale signs of my wolf trying to force me to shift. My eyes turn black, and I cry out in pain. 'His wolf, Dad! We have to stop him from shifting,' May shouts in urgency.
May exits the back seat and opens the driver's side door. It’s dark, but being werewolves, we can see well. May takes my hand, her touch grounding me. 'Think of Nina. Think of all the fun times you've had with her. The swims in the lake, the trees you climbed, the time she filled the washing machine with bubble bath,' she encourages.
My wolf calms down, and I smile at the cherished memories. 'It wasn't Nina who filled it with bubbles. It was me. It was always me doing the wrong thing. Yet she always took the blame. She was always protecting me,' I confess with melancholy.
Leon narrows his eyes at me. 'Nina got into so much trouble because of that,' he says angrily.
'I suppose now is the time to confess. I was also the one who broke May's window and hid in her closet. Nina was with me, but she didn't hide. Instead, she took the blame again,' I admit, deciding it's time to come clean about my past indiscretions.
Leon growls under his breath and narrows his eyes at me in disappointment.
I gaze up at the moon, my thoughts and worries directed towards Nina. 'Nina, please be okay,' I murmur under my breath.
Suddenly, something whacks me on the head. 'Ow!' I look up to see May scowling.