Wind Runner

Thirty-Two; Empty Coffins

9 months after the war.
3rd person POV
AL sat outside on the porch at their home, thinking about his lost sister. She'd been foolish to leave home, but at the same time he'd been glad she'd been able to get out. He was also happy she'd been able to met her mate, Adam had cared for her, and was deeply upset at loosing her.

"Hey AL."

Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

"Hey Adam. How's it been?"

He shrugs, looking at the place as if imagining his mate here.

"I've been better."

"I know man. It's hard."

If AL didn't have super hearing he never would have heard Adam.

"Sometimes it's too hard without her."

10 months after the war
Adam's POV

I celebrated Ryder's 18th birthday yesterday. I made a cake, an ice cream one with chocolate in the middle, her favorite, and sang to her. Then I went to visit her. I still missed her so damn much. It was as raw as if I just lost her yesterday instead of 10 months ago.

When I got to her grave my heart stopped.

The earth was moved and the lid of her coffin open.

My first thought was that someone went grave robbing. But steal her body?

I began to frantically cast around for a scent. But what I got made me freeze and my heart stutter.

For the first time in almost a year, Alistair spoke up.

Mate?

But that doesn't make any sense. Ryder was dead. Gone. How could I be smelling her scent?

I searched for an hour. But I found nothing.

I race home to the herd house.

Everyone is in the kitchen eating. When I burst in they freeze.

"Everyone! Ryder's coffin is open! It's empty!"

Those are the magic words. Everyone is out the door and on the way to her meadow in seconds.

We get there and sure enough. Her empty coffin lies there.

Everyone exclaims and moves about angrily.

Who would have done this to their beloved lead mares grave?

"I can only smell...her?"

"I had that same thing! When I came here earlier I just smelt her!"

Everyone is shouting, and I send out patrols to search the territory for an intruder.

I continue casting about, searching for something, anything, that would give me a clue to this mystery.

But I find nothing.

The patrols come back with nothing also.

It's dark now. Almost midnight.

Everyone is stumped and confused.

Angry too.

I decide I need to calm them.

I get on a rock and raise my hand, silencing everyone.

"Quiet. Now, I do not know who would so such a sick, cruel thing, but we will find whoever did this and return Ryder to her rightful resting place!" My voice cracks and I pause, collecting myself. "But I am upset to say, we must wait until tomorrow to continue the search. In the meantime, those on patrol keep your senses alert and be on your guard."

"Yes Alpha!"

We head home. I fall asleep upset. Tossing and turning fitfully.

Something in the night I dream I feel someone slip into bed and wrap their arm around me, curling to my chest. I calm immediately. Sleeping as well as I used to when Ryder was alive and slept with me.

The next morning I am alone. But her scent is all on her old side as well as my chest.

I am going crazy.

Does someone have something of her scent and is messing with us?! Because if they are I will personally kill them. Do they know how much it hurts me?!

In the morning the entire herd is buzzing with the news. Everyone is angry that someone would dare disturb the rest of the beloved lead mare.

When I walk in everyone's heads snap to me. Smelling her scent on me. I speak up.

"I don't know what is happening, but this morning I woke up to her scent all over me and her old side. I don't know if some sick person has an object of hers and is messing with us, or it is something else. But whatever it is, we will get to the bottom of it!"

Everyone raises their voices in agreement. If someone is messing with us then they will regret it.

This hurts so fucking much. To put her scent around. Near me. On me! That hurts me so bad. It makes my chest ache and my heart pound.

Whoever this is, I will personally kill them. I want to torture them. But Ryder would be horrified. So I will just kill them.

A/N: What do you guys think is going on??? I'd love to hear what you guys think! And we got a view of AL, it isn't much, but I wanted to put it there.

~Silver_Storyteller