Broken Souls

Alpha Aaron’s POV

I have to get the hell out of that meeting, I don’t even care if they join me or not, I will kill every rogue, and I will kill Seth. I didn’t make it that far down the hall before I hear Willow call my name.

I don’t stop until she says, “I saw Kay.” That makes me stop dead and turn around.

“What? When?” I’m growling at her.

“Just before the meeting. I had a vision of her, and I think I can find her, Aaron.” I can hear the concern in her voice.

“Where is she? I will get my best, and we can leave as soon as we know where we are going and what we may be up against.”

“I didn’t see much, but I believe he has just taken to hiding in his old pack lands. Most of them have been deserted and taken over by other packs, but there is a large piece of land that is unclaimed still. We need to be careful. Seth has become more unstable, and Hadeon’s power is growing stronger. I believe Hadeon is taking souls of the rogues to gain strength.” Willow’s warning barely registers. I’m already linking my best people and getting them to meet me in the spare office.

In less than five minutes, Michael, Oriel, and a few other warriors gather in the office. Eric and Rana are quick to join us with a map that has Seth’s old pack lands on it. Willow comes in with them as well, and she quickly takes the map from Eric laying it on the desk. I am about to say something, but Rana holds up her hand stopping me.

Willow, with the map spread out, holds a crystal pendulum with a long gold chain. At first, the pendulum is still, and I don’t think it will work. Then, Willow closes her eyes and begins muttering. This is soon followed by pleading in a whisper for Kay to just call to her. Everyone in the room is holding their breath

We are all waiting for something to happen, but the pendulum is painfully not moving. I feel my heart begin to sink as Willow reaches out grabbing my hand.

“Find the link to her. Think of only Kay,” Willow whispers, and she begins mutterings again. I do as she says. I’ll do anything at this point.

I think of only Kay and push everything else out of my mind for the moment. I think of her, her soft hair, and beautiful eyes. I can see her in my mind, and I swear I can almost smell jasmine.

I feel Willow squeeze my hand, and I look at the map and pendulum again. It’s moving. It moves slowly at first, but soon it’s swinging in faster circles.

“Keep her in your mind,” Willow orders, and I find the image of her and hold on to it mentally with everything I have. I keep looking at the wild swinging crystal as Willow continues to mutter. She is watching the swing movements of the pendulum barely blinking.

The pendulum begins to slow making smaller circles, smaller and smaller until it finally stops.

“There!” Willow shouts causing everyone to jump and gasp at the sudden outburst. I look at the map, and the crystal in over a far corner of what would have been Seth’s land. We all look at one another each trying to figure out what we just saw.

“I need scouts with me. We leave in half an hour,” Oriel says looking me dead in the eyes. She has been in warrior mode since Kay was taken.

“I’m coming too,” I tell her.

“No, I don’t think you should. We need information first. This’s isn’t a rescue yet,” Michael says looking grim. He knows that’s not what I want to hear.

“We need to know what we are facing. This is just to get information. When we go to get her, you will be there but not for this,” Michael continues, and I know he’s right. I hate that he’s right, but we do have to be smart about this.

“I’m going and that’s not up for discussion,” I growl, and everyone in the room except Eric and Rana shrink slightly. I don’t care the risk. I don’t care if we are going in blind. I am going.

“It’s going to take two days to get there at the least,” I say looking at the map and getting control of my anger as best as I can. Oriel comes closer and looks at the map as well.

“If we dive to Alpha Ben’s pack, we can cut back down to the area. That is the fastest way there. If we can take one of his scouts with us that could be helpful in scouting the area as well.”

“Then that’s it. I want two of our best scouts and Oriel to meet me at the car in twenty minutes. We will send four more warriors once we scout the area. Eric, will you get Alpha Ben’s permission to use his pack lands and one of his best scouts?” I finish giving orders as the room clears. The only people left in the room is Willow and me.

“You know you can’t go rushing in. Hadeon wants Kay broken and killing you would be the fastest way to do that. You have a big target on your back,” Willow says looking at me like she’s reading my every thought.

“I don’t care. I have to go, and I have to save her.” I say.

She only gives me a sad smile and pats my shoulder. “If anyone can save her, you can. Just don’t do anything stupid.” She walks out of the room. Now that I’m alone, I feel the rush of adrenalin leaving me. We have somewhere to look, and while I hope this whole magic thing works, I can’t help but doubt it. I just hope she is there, and we can get to her.

Kay’s POV

We moved the day after I met with Seth in his office. I can’t say I really remember the move though. The wolfs bane and sedatives they have forced into me keep me in a fog and mostly unconscious. I don’t even know how many days it’s been since I was taken. It’s been hard not being able to feel Diana. It feel like part of me is gone. She gave me a strength and confidence. Now it’s just me again. I also miss Aaron. Being away from him, I feel cold and sad. I know he’s looking for me, but that worries me more because I know that Seth plans to kill Aaron. I can’t let that happen.

I have been put into another windowless room, but at least this one has a bathroom. The only things in the room are a light in the ceiling and a dirty mattress on the floor. The bathroom is only a sink and a toilet. No mirror. Nothing I can use to help me get out of here. I sit on the mattress and decide to at least try to reach my magic like I did that day with Grandma, but even that seems to have left me.

The collar on my neck burns to the point of blisters that bleed from time to time. I know if I could just find a way to get it off, I could get Diana back. I feel so very alone. The door hasn’t opened since I was thrown in here, and I don’t know if that is a blessing or a curse. I haven’t had any wolfs bane, but I also haven’t seen anyone or eaten. I get up off the mattress and go to the sink in the bathroom to drink from the faucet.

I start to make my way back to the mattress when I feel a something in my mind. It feels like hot claws trying to take hold inside my head. I fight to push it out, and it rips in more. I can hear a flood of whispers. Tears start stinging my eyes as I keep trying to fight this mental attack. Images fill my mind. Images of everything I’m afraid of. All I see is the faces of the people I love being ripped from me, and I can’t do anything. I push harder trying to get this thing out of my mind. The whispering is buzzing like bees. Finally, the presence in my mind retreats slowly ripping its way through me. I collapse onto the mattress, physically exhausted from trying to get whatever that was out of my head. I keep trying to calm my breathing and clear my mind of everything, but every time I try, I just see the images all over again. Every time I try to close my eyes, it’s all I see. I can’t clear it. After what feels like forever, I manage to convince my mind that it isn’t real and everyone is okay. I’m desperate for sleep, but I’m scared of what sleep might bring.

I don’t know if it’s day or night. I just know I haven’t slept in what feels like forever. Every time I feel myself drifting off, the whispers and the claws ripping my mind apart start all over again. I have seen everyone I love die in my mind. I’m starting to question if it really happened. I have relived every horrible thing that has ever happened to me. I can’t tell what is really my memories or the visions brought on by the whispers in my head. It’s all been mixed together in my head, and I’m so tired. I can’t push the whispers out anymore. I’m stuck just lying here listening to them telling me horrible things.

I feel like giving up and giving in. I can’t seem to fight it anymore. Then it hits me! I know what this is. This is him! Hadeon is in my mind. He’s darkness and evil, so I think of the only thing I can think of: all the love I did have. I think of my parents happy and in love and how they loved me. I can feel Hadeon hiss, and the whispers get louder telling me I’m wrong, but I just keep thinking of every good memory I can. Oriel smiling brightly and hugging me, and getting coffee and laughing. I think of Aaron and how much I know I love him, and how much he loves me. I know he loves me. I felt it. Hadeon screams in my mind as he’s finally pushed out leaving my mind tired and my body weak. I feel so cold, but I hold on to the feeling of happiness trying to use them as a shield. All I know is I have to get out of here, and I know the one thing Hadeon can’t seem to be able to stand. He will not break me.

Alpha Aaron’s POV

We make it to Ben’s pack lands and get ready to start the search of the area of Seth’s old land. Most of the land has been taken over by other packs, but this area has always been left untouched. We brief the scout, Keith, from Ben’s pack. Keith tells us he had been to an old pack house in that area many years ago, but he does remember how to get there. It doesn’t take long for us to set out and begin the search of the area. As we get further into the forest surrounding the area, I can see why it was left. There is something clearly dark here. You can feel it in every inch of the woods. It’s an earie feeling that has everyone on edge.

We are spread out keeping and open link. The only downside is we can’t link with Keith because he’s from a different pack. We know it will take about day to get to the area. Keith says the pack house is located in, and I just hope that we can get all the information we need. I’m also hoping one of us can slip in and find Kay. Everyone is on high alert looking for the faintest whiff of rogues, but so far there is just this creepy feeling coming off of everything. I feel like I’m being watched, and I don’t like it.