An hour had passed since the sun had set, with darkness enveloping them and only the fire providing light. The pack sat around it, under the heavy clouds. Dorian lay by the fire, eyes closed, as Eve placed her hands on his temples.
"You've been having these visions for a long time," Eve questioned Dorian, closing her eyes, flashes spreading through her mind. "Yes," he responded.
"How long?" Hayes asked, curious about the unfolding scene.
Dorian remained still, sensing the elder's presence in his mind.
"There are many images of Raven," she murmured. Every thought was of her. Even if she was not in them herself, they were always related to her. The elder wolf searched through his mind; flashes of Raven were everywhere. "She seems very important to you," the woman said, but at the mention of Raven, Dorian's eyes flew open. He rose swiftly, standing by the fire, gazing down at the confused elder.
"That's enough," Dorian declared, feeling Hayes on him at the mention of Raven. "Somehow, her ancestors have shown her."
"You have grown fond of her."
"Even the coldest at heart would be able to grow fond of her," Dorian answered the woman.
"Did you feel the mate bond before your transition?" she wondered, wiping her hands on her clothing and ridding her hands of the oil.
"Yes."
"They say you could have chosen any place in the world, yet you came here. This was where you last felt your mate," she recounted.
"The stories are true," he affirmed, buttoning his shirt.
"Dorian, you sought answers from me, but I cannot provide what you already possess. Your memories, the lullaby you know so well," she said, her gaze intense. A heaviness settled in his chest as he brushed his hand over his heart, his attention drawn to the sounds of the woods.
The humming continued, "Hmm, mmmhhh, hm."
RAVEN
RING
RING
Dorian reached into his pocket for his phone.
'Michael calling'
"Michael," he questioned into the phone, only hearing faintly Michael tell him something.
"Dorian, it's the red moon; you should" she began, but stopped, realizing Dorian had vanished.
"Grandma, who was that man?" Tatum inquired, pulling at her shirt.
"A man, you don't want to be on his bad side; come, let's go inside," she whispered back, her eyes fixed on the distance, sensing the night's troubles. Grabbing her grandson and his friend by the shoulders, she turned her back on the scene.
"A storm is coming."
***
Dorian stopped near the stream. He had been tracking through the woods, searching for her, but had no luck. This was where she would be. He could smell her.
"Where are you, love?" he mused aloud.
CRACK
In an instant, he pinned the person against the tree by their throat. "Where is she?" he demanded of the witch he held.
"How did you?" the witch started. "I recognize her by scent, by her breathing; I can detect her scent on you," he declared, as the witch looked on in terror. Dorian gazed at the moon as it took on an even deeper shade of red.
She was casting the spell. Dorian leaned into the witch, taking a deep sniff of Raven's scent coming off her as images of Raven fighting against the witches' hold as they dragged her through the woods.
"What the," She didn't get to finish as he ripped through her throat. "Your attempts to keep me from her are humorous. You are failing," he stated to the now-lifeless witch. Then he noticed something against the tree something red.
Her blood.
Her blood was smeared across the trees, even if it was just the smallest drop. He brushed his fingers across the blood. They were trying to throw him off track. His eyes snapped shut as he envisioned the remnants of a house, chains, and Raven screaming. He knew where she was.
Coming close to the ruins, Dorian spotted a few vampires lurking nearby, possibly keeping watch. As the breeze passed, he could smell them; they were newborns.
"Any sign of him?" one vampire asked, shaking slightly, still struggling with bloodlust.
The scent of Raven's blood hung in the air.
Dorian watched as the vampire's fangs extended.
"You need to calm down."
"We don't even know if he will come for her; she is just a witch." His sentence was cut short as his head rolled from his shoulders. The other vampires stared in shock but quickly attacked. One by one, they fell. Dorian caught the woman who tried to escape, pulling her back by her jacket to the ground. His eyes landed on the mark on the woman's shoulder. "You served?" he questioned the vampire. I wonder why a vampire who served would be helping the witches. "Screw you," the woman spat at him. Dorian grabbed her by the back of her head and pulled swiftly, removing her head.
His gaze then snapped to the sound coming from the ruins.