'That's for breaking my window,' she declares, and without waiting for a response, she whacks me again. 'Ow!'
'And that's for letting Nina take the blame,' she continues, her anger evident.
'And this one is for anything else I don't know of that she took the blame for,' she declares, but before another strike lands, Leon grabs her wrist in time.
'That's enough, May. This isn't going to help find Nina,' he intervenes.
May sighs, acknowledging the futility of her actions. 'You're right. Let's get some sleep and continue our search when we wake,' she suggests, steering the focus back to our primary mission of finding Nina.
After a fitful sleep in the car, we wake up to the muted light of mid-morning. Seth initiates a Mind-Link, connecting with the warriors and my father. Leon relays the information, 'There's still been no sighting of Nina or Moss. Your father wants you to return home,' he informs me.
'No, I'm not going back home until Nina is safe,' I declare, swiftly blocking the mind-link before my father can change my mind.
'If that's your choice?' Leon asks, respecting my determination.
'It is,' I affirm, and he nods in understanding, agreeing that our mission to find Nina takes precedence over any other consideration.
Stopping at a petrol station, we refuel the car. May and I stock up on provisions, grabbing as many packets of chips, snack bars, and water bottles as we can, ensuring we are prepared for the unpredictable journey ahead.
As we approach the next town, the landscape transforms into a winter wonderland, with snow blanketing the fields. Leon's expression becomes strained. 'We might have to stay in this town until we have a lead to follow,' he suggests.
'We can't stop looking for Nina,' I reply in frustration at the thought of slowing down our search.
'We won't stop looking for her,' Leon reassures me. 'But we have no leads and no idea where we're going other than south. Moss could have changed directions at some point and gone east or west, leading us further away from her,' he explains, and I can feel his sense of helplessness.
Finding a nearby motel, we also visit a clothing store to purchase snow jackets, socks, boots, and other essentials to keep us warm in the biting cold. Over the next four days, we comb through every store and approach every person we encounter, showing them a photo of Nina. Despite our efforts, each interaction results in disappointment as people apologize and claim they haven't seen her.
My father attempts to mind-link with Leon, but I persist in keeping the mind-link blocked. His insistence grows, urging us to return home after a week since Nina's abduction. My father suggested to Leon devising another plan once we are back, assuring us that all the Alphas from various packs are on alert regarding Moss and Nina, ready to report any sightings.
Leon fixes me with a solemn gaze. 'I won't be returning until I find Nina. Perhaps you two should go back home?' he suggests.
'No!' May and I exclaim simultaneously.
'We are staying. We won't go back either until we find Nina,' I declare firm with my decision.
'Okay, if that's the case, we have exhausted everything here. Let's drive to the next town and ask locals if they have seen Nina there,' Leon decides.
Two hours pass as we drive to the next town, the biting cold relentless. May and I huddle in the back seat, hands hovering over the car heater, our breath creating fog on the windows. Amidst the frigid air, May breaks the heavy silence. 'Do you think Moss is looking after her?' she asks through sobs.
'If he truly cared for Nina, he would not have kidnapped her in the first place. I hope she's okay and knows we won't give up on her,' I reply with heartfelt concern for Nina.
'It's her eighteenth next week. If we haven't found her by then, maybe she will shift and be able to fight Moss and free herself?' May suggests a glimmer of hope in her words.
Sadness envelops me. 'I don't think I could go another day without her,' I reply, my eyes showing worry.
As the first light of day breaks, we take to the streets, determined to continue our search. Prepared with a group photo featuring Nina, May, me, and some others, we approach people hoping to find any leads.
'Excuse me, sir, have you seen this girl?' I ask a passerby.
'No, sorry,' he replies dismissively, continuing on his way.
Undeterred, I approach a young woman. 'Excuse me, miss, have you seen this girl?' I ask.
'No, I haven't,' she replies, shaking her head, mirroring the responses we've encountered throughout the day.
Just as we're about to concede defeat, an older lady scrutinizes the photo more closely. 'I haven't seen the girl you are looking for, but I have seen him,' she says, pointing to Moss standing behind Nina in the photo.
My mouth falls agape. 'Are you sure? When and where did you see him?' I ask, desperation lacing my voice.
'Moss, I think his name is. He is going to be the Alpha of a pack of mongrel rogues who formed together last year to create their own pack. Once Moss has his mate, he will be initiated as the Alpha, or so I've heard,' she reveals.
'He's a future Alpha?' I respond in complete shock.
'Yes, his mother is well known around here too, and not for good reasons either. Their pack members are always stealing from all the surrounding towns and villages. They have even kidnapped she-wolves and forced mate ships between them,' she discloses.
We gasp, exchanging horrified glances.
'We have to tell Alpha Ryker,' Leon asserts, immediately initiating a mind-link with him.
Turning back to the elderly lady, I ask about the rogue pack's location. 'Where does the pack live?' I ask.
'They live in the woods amongst caves that link together. It's less than an hour's drive south from here,' she discloses, providing us with a crucial lead that reignites hope in our mission to rescue Nina.