Jane |18+| ✔️

48. The time I tried to say Goodbye

Jane

It's another hour before we have the clear to disembark the aircraft. Bravo—being my head watchman—wanted to sweep the area and make sure my friends and I had proper attire before braving the storm. I didn't argue as it gave the four of us a moment to catch up and strategize, as Alpha Malikite was busy with his personal detail on the plane that landed shortly after ours.

Returning from the private bedchamber at the plane's rear dressed in warm, albeit functional winter clothing, I meet my friends' tired, drained expressions. Offering a sympathetic smile, they frown further.

"You need to rest, Jane," Sarah scolds after standing from where she was shoving an intimidating blade into her combat boot. "I can't continually pump you with pain suppressants. It will hinder not only your ability to function but your vital organs that will inevitably lead—"

"I know," I cut my dear friend off with a understanding grin. "I know. Any ideas on finding a way to locate Polaris in this bloody snowstorm?" I hate being so short, but time is of the essence, and I'm fading at a rapid rate. 

When I landed near Sweetwater, I honestly thought that I would be miraculously revived, knowing Silas was nearby, but I was so wrong. I'm barely able to stand, let alone speak. I haven't told them about the dream they woke me from or the agony I've endured ever since, knowing damn well it's Silas's pain and suffering.

"I have an idea," Yannick comments while zipping up his backpack before chucking it on. "I'm not sure, but this might work." He shows us the trusty, cherished compass his PáPá gave him when he relocated to Carrington when he was fourteen. Nick carried it everywhere that first year, dearly missing his grandfather, who told him it would come in handy one day. We all thought it was a metaphorical trinket meant to comfort Yannick during his uprooted time. Conceivably, it was made in the making for this very moment long ago?

Humming my approval, I use the nearby seat to lean against, trying to appear casual when in reality, I need its stability to keep me upright. "Pápá was adamant I never left home without it," he shrugs with a sure grin. "Perhaps this is why?" My exhausted grin has him moving closer toward me. "The North Star is the brightest of all planets. It is so bright that we humans can see it through the clouds on misty nights. If we can find a starting point, surely our new friends can see it through the damn snow with their heightened abilities and find your mate."

Tugging on my gloves, courtesy of Lara-Lee, who patiently waits for us, I softly smile with a nod. "Excellent," his concerned yet relieved eyes move to Lannister's and Sarah's. "Where do we start?"

"Riga Road." Inhaling deeply, I push off the seat and tell myself to move, putting one foot in front of the other as I pass by my friends.

"Why?" Sarah's voice comes from behind me as I smile up at Echo, a chestnut-hued brunette with darker green eyes. He nods, opening the door and allowing the gusting winds to assault us with a blast of icy snow.

"It's where I first met Silas." My eyes greet many individuals, all covered in the unrelenting flakes the size of my thumb, seeming unbothered by the cold. Meanwhile, I can't stop shivering despite the warmth and quality of my newly acquired snow gear. Disregarding the storm the best I can, I trot down the handful of stairs as a captivating blonde with curves to kill comes flying toward me, waving like a lunatic. "Lara-Lee?" I question having seen pictures of her from my research; only she looks different—more lively and assertive than the subdued and submissive shifter she once reflected.

Her apparent lack of fineness causes a smile to curve along my lips and Bravo's before his instinct kicks in, stepping in front of me. "It's okay," I whisper, low enough for him to hear. He lowers his head and inconspicuously steps back in line with the others from his brigade.