Don't forget our Love
|15|

"Avery."

"Avery wake up!"

My eyes slowly flutter open. My head is throbbing as I sit up. I'm not in the basement anymore but on my bed. Was it all a dream? I glance down at my ankle and see a bruise still on my ankle from the chain earlier.

"Avery, what happened? I found you chained up in the basement. Bea and I couldn't get ahold of you so we rushed over?" Kayla asks with a worried expression.

"My dad, where is he?" I stand up but I'm still dizzy so Kayla grabs ahold of me.

"Are you saying your dad did this to you? Has he gone crazy?"

A tear rolls down my cheek and I wipe it away. "He's insane Kayla. I'm pretty sure he poisoned me at dinner. I woke up in the basement and he was yelling at me. He knew about- Oh my goodness Kai! Something is wrong, we have to replace him."

"That's going to be a problem," Lance answers walking into my bedroom. Bea is right behind him.

"What's going on? Where's Kai?" I start to cry more and Kayla engulfs me in a hug so I can cry onto her chest.

"When I showed up at the airport Kai and Matt weren't there. I tried to mind link them but they must have me blocked. I called both their phones and got no answer either. I'm worried because before I lost contact Kai told me to protect you. So I took the next flight over." Lance answers worrying me more.

"I felt a sharp pain earlier I think it was Kai. We need to replace him. My dad knew we were mates I think he moved us here on purpose to keep us apart. I need to warn Kai he could be in danger before it's too late."

"Avery he might already be-" Bea starts but I cut her off.

"He's not dead! I would feel it. Something is wrong but he's alive. We need to go now."

Kayla nods. "You're right. I'll book us a flight and we can head over to the airport right away. We don't want to be here when your dad returns."

"Kai told me to protect you Avery he wouldn't want you risking your life for him!" Lance argues with me and I growl at him.

"He's my mate! If he's hurt then I need to be there. Kai spent our childhood protecting me now it's time for me to return the favor."

Lance sighs. "Fine but if things get too dangerous then you leave and don't look back."

"I make no promises."

Lance shakes his head smiling. "Kai is going to have his hands full with you. But I can't think of a better Luna to follow. Book the flights Kayla we're going to save our Alpha and Beta."

Kayla books the flight then Lance goes outside to keep watch. As soon as my bedroom door closes I fall to my knees. This can't be happening!

This is all my fault. If I had left camp with Kai then we would already be together. I would have missed my graduation but at least I would know Kai is safe. My dad wouldn't have locked me away in our basement.

Bea squeezes my shoulder. "It's going to be okay. We're going to replace Kai and then we will bring charges against your dad. He won't get away with this." she says and I really hope she's right.

The whole flight over I can't stop thinking about Kai. I hate I can't communicate with Raven right now. I can feel her anxiousness and frustration over the situation. As soon I can I'm going to shift and ask her if she can feel Titan, Kai's wolf. Even though we haven't completed the mating bond she should be able to sense him if he's close.

My mind goes back to the first time I met Kai. I was four and my dad had dropped me off at the daycare on pack lands. It was his first time leaving me alone and I was super nervous. Mom was busy and refused to watch me and Dad had just started his law firm.

I was dressed in pink coveralls with matching ribbons in my hair. All the other wolves were playing but I was sitting at a brightly colored table wishing I had a friend. That's when a boy with curly black hair walked in with his mom. She kissed him goodbye and he ran in excited to play.

He was almost to his friends when he stopped and stared at me. I was frozen wondering why this kid was staring at me and if he was friendly or not. His golden brown eyes seemed to stare right into my soul already.

I still remember the first thing he said to me. "You smell funny. want to be friends?" he giggled.

Scared and baffled at his reaction I tore my gaze away and stared down at my lap. "You want to be my friend?"

He nodded. "Uh huh let's play." he grabbed my hand and dragged me over to some blocks where he showed me how to build a castle. He said one day he would be a prince and save his princess from the evil dragon.

But how wrong he was

"Avery we're here." Kayla grabs my hand getting my attention.

"Good let's go."

We take a taxi to the main border. It's just Lance, Kayla, and me. Bea stayed behind to keep an eye on my dad. She also has my cell phone so if my dad tracks my location he will think I'm still in town.

The three of us exit the taxi and walk towards the border. It's the main gate so there are five wolves blocking the entrance. I can feel how tense and uneasy they are.

"Something's not right," I whisper to Kayla and Lance.

Lance agrees. "We normally only have two guards at the entrance and they aren't normally packing guns." he points at the large rifles in their hands. "Let me talk to them," he adds as we approach them.

"Blackwater pack is under lockdown. Nobody enters or exits without the Alpha's permission." One wolf states looking at the three of us.

Lance scoffs. "Do you know who I am? I'm the delta of this fucking pack!" he growls but the wolf just shrugs.

"Rules are rules, Lance." Another wolf answers.

"Look we need in there now!" I demand and one of the wolves growls at me.

"Who the fuck are you?" he argues back.

Kayla stands in front of me blocking my view. "Watch who the fuck you're talking to! She is the future Luna of this pack!" she snarls.

"I don't give a fuck who she is! None of you three are coming in unless you have permission from the Alpha." he folds his arms across his chest and glares at us.

"Alpha Cylus says Lance can come in, but not his visitors." The second wolf speaks up.

Lance grabs Kayla's hand and drags her a few feet away. I follow along with them. "Look I'll go in and see what's going on. This lockdown might have nothing to do with Kai. There could have been a rogue sighting."

"No, we need to stick together." Kayla practically begs him but he shakes his head.

"I'll be right back I promise." he kisses her hand then turns around and walks toward the gate. The wolves let him in watching him the whole time.

Kayla grabs my hand dragging me down the road away from prying eyes. We sit on a fallen log with the large forest right behind us. A few minutes pass when I speak up.

"I'm going to shift. Maybe Raven can reach Titan."

"Okay, I'll keep watch."

Nodding I walk further into the woods. I start undressing behind a tree then my bones start to crack and turn while I shift into my wolf. Raven stands on her four legs her brown fur shining in the moonlight.

"Raven, are you okay?"

She whimpers. "No. I can't reach Titan at all."

"Are you sure? try again."

She growls at me. "I've been trying Avery. He either has me blocked or-

"Don't you dare say it!" I threaten her. If she can't feel Titan and I can't reach Kai then that means something bad happened and I can't accept that.

"Just face it Avery our mates are gone." She says and a tear rolls down her fuzzy face.

I shift back and hurry to get dressed. Raven may have given up but I'm not. Kai can't be dead. The bond is still there just very distant. I walk up to Kayla and she frowns.

"Were you able to reach him? I haven't heard from Lance and I'm starting to worry."

I shake my head. "No, but I'm not giving up. I'm going to replace Kai myself. We're sneaking into Blackwater pack."