HUNTED

Chapter 159 - Come Back

[ Finn ]

Finn shifted and raced after Gabriel. He knew he couldn't keep up, but he could follow the vampire's strawberry scent. It was far too sweet, and he found himself sneezing the longer he followed it. Leeches. He rolled his eyes.

Twenty minutes later, he found the suave vampire strolling through the forest, his hands in his pockets as he looked at pawprints on the ground. Why the hell was he wearing a suit? He even changed suits when they arrived at the hotel. 

He shook his head. If only he had centuries to accumulate enough money to walk around in limited edition suits and not worry if they got damaged.

"I would be extremely pissed off if my suit got damaged, Finn. Don't underestimate a fine suit," Gabriel said dismissively. Finn snorted and started tracking the pawprints.

The pair worked together, and after hours of following pawprints, they worked out that they had been going in circles. Finn stopped following Gabriel and huffed in frustration while the vampire's gaze assessed the area they stood with narrowed eyes. Finn could see him figuring something out, but the pair snapped their heads to the side when they heard some gunshots in the distance.

Without looking at each other, they raced towards the direction of the gunshots. Gabriel shot off immediately, not bothering to wait for Finn, but the Delta didn't mind. If Aila was there and the vampire could get to her in time, then it didn't matter. All that mattered was getting her back and keeping her safe.

When he finally arrived behind Gabriel, though, he stopped in shock. Bodies were lying on the ground, blood splattered on trees, heads ripped away from their bodies, all that led towards a cave. Finn glanced down at Gabriel, and he saw a slight smile on the vampire's face. 

The mosquito probably enjoyed the smell of blood. He remembered one of their attempts at escaping and how Gabriel lost himself in the riches of his blood lust. It was his downfall that time, where he ended up drinking the hunters' blood until there were no drops of blood left in their bodies.

"I won't deny that this gives me joy," Gabriel murmured before stepping over a head. Finn growled but stayed vigilant. Even if these hunters were dead, there might be more, but there was also the point that Aila may be lost inside her wolf. The vampire and werewolf tentatively walked towards the cave until they stopped at the entrance.

A low growl echoed back to them, causing the ground to vibrate slightly. Finn recognised the voice behind it, though it was more animalistic than usual.

"Aila," Finn reached out through the mind-link; it was strange. He had never tried to mind-link with a near-feral wolf before. He could still feel the 'line' of the mind-link, but it was fuzzy, and if he tried to linger too long, he was 'pushed' out. Another growl reverberated through the cave, but it didn't stop them.

"Aila…" Gabriel tried this time, his voice unusually soft. 

Gabriel took a step forwards, risking his hand as he brought it forwards. But as soon as he opened his mouth, the darkened cave suddenly showed two gleaming blue eyes before a wolf's silhouette slowly materialised. Aila's head was lowered, and her fur bristling as she took another step towards them. Her lips curled back, and she growled again before snapping forwards.

"Aila.. Come back," Gabriel's voice was soft, and Finn watched as the wolf stopped growling and her eyes widened as though she was suddenly conscious.

"Finn, Gabriel?" Her hoarse voice came through the mind-link, and Finn stepped forwards, accidentally kicking a stone. The movement and sound caused Aila to snap her head at Finn, and she barked at them, her eyes wild again, and she sprinted past them.

Gabriel left in a blur, and Finn spun around and watched in shock. Aila and Gabriel fought at incredible speeds, occasionally showing one or the other flying in the air and landing on the ground. He could hear Gabriel trying to talk to her softly again, but she snapped at him again before running off.

"Don't interfere next time," Gabriel snapped and raced after her. It was then, Finn realised Gabriel was trying to coax her out with compulsion. But if she was lost, then how would his mind control work?

For the next two days, the pair kept trying to coax Aila out of her mind. Mainly Gabriel did the work, and his outfit worsened with mud and rips from their constant fights. But Finn was slightly relieved he didn't have to fight his Luna, it would go against every fibre of his being, and he knew she could kill him in seconds. Whereas Gabriel was 500+ years old, Finn was sure he was a lot stronger than her.

Near the end of the second day of coaxing, Finn watched as Gabriel was getting further along with Aila. Their eyes were locked as she was backed against the cave wall with nowhere to go. Finn knew after their days together how compulsion worked now. But this time, he watched as the white wolf and vampire seemed to interact through their minds.

[ Cassius ]

He inched closer to Aila. After days of trying to coax her out, he knew it wasn't her he needed to talk to. It was her wolf, as she was the one in control. While Finn kept guard and thought he was trying to compel Aila, Cassius was actually working out the name of her wolf. Her true name.

Now, as he cornered her, he finally called her through his mind, "Malia."

The wolf tilted its head, and Cassius smiled. "Malia, I want you to listen to me.." He spoke calmly in her mind, and he could tell it was working. Malia stopped growling and relaxed her body with her bright blue eyes trapped in his gaze. He could use either compulsion or by using her real name.

"Malia, I want you to let Aila come back. You've had your fun.." He trailed off and couldn't help his low chuckle as she whined back at him and sat down. Cassius relaxed his tense body and strolled towards her. His hand reached up to her vast form. There was no hesitation this time as he went to pet her.

Malia lowered her head and let him stroke her head, then scratch her behind the ears. He was starting to sense Aila's presence in their mind as the wolf began to relax around him. Within minutes, Cassius was on the ground leaning against the cave wall, and the white wolf's head settled on his lap.

"Malia.. It's time. Bring Aila back. Now I don't normally say please, but just for you, I will. Please bring Aila back."

Malia yawned and licked him on the cheek. Cassius couldn't help but chuckle when he saw how stunned Finn was. After hearing the breaking of bones, his gaze snapped back to Malia and watched in fascination as the ferocious white wolf transformed into Aila's naked form. She collapsed, and Cassius placed his jacket over her, relieved to find her mind clear and back to normal.