My Puppy Mate

25: The River

24: A Challenge
Please, Puppy. Please. Please be alive and still my baby girl.
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Cassia's..or Vivian's POV

"He believes Cassia is still alive." I smirked, looking out over the training supernatural kids and teens, even adults. "Good. Has Christopher answered to my challenge?" Chief asked, looking over at me, and I had to roll my eyes. All he is is business with this Harbor family, no fun. "He has. But only if he knew it wasn't going to be you fighting." I laughed. Hades happened to find someone else to fight as himself. "Is our guest enjoying his stay here?" Hades looked back over the trainees. "He gives his compliments to you, sir." I said, and smiled. "Good."
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Chris's POV

Damien has slowly been losing his sanity without Terra. And I completely get it. But to not know how long she's actually been gone and if she's alive and well, is really eating at him. We organized a search party today to look for our mates. It's not exactly big though; just Damien, Jace, Rory, and Brad, my other expert Tracker.

We gotten the scents needed, and Damien immediately picked up Terra's. He shifted and we followed. Damien ran out to the forest. I tried to sniff out Baby's scent along the way. There was nothing, but that would mean she's dead. I talked to her though, so that can't be. I couldn't catch Baby's scent anywhere, like she has totally disappeared.

Chase was making excuses, like it has rained so her scent would get washed out. Or that Baby made it out, and used a scent mask so Hades and his minions wouldn't follow her and she's waiting until the coast is clear to come back home with us. At least that's what we hope.

We followed Damien deep in the forest, and soon heard the sound of rushing water. Damien sped up, so we did to. The river? Terra couldn't possibly be alive now. Yet her scent still lingers in the air. Then, he stopped, nose high in the air. We waited until he moved. The rest of us felt that Damien should find his mate, giving her the sense of him a hero to her. Like a dog, Damien put his nose to the ground, and began sniffing about.

We stayed still, because he was right on Terra's scent, so she was close by. Damien stopped as he was about to go in the river, and shifted. "She's in here, underwater." He informed, and dove into the clear, icy water. I shifted as well, and ran up to the edge. Terra was underwater, in some sort of cocoon. Magic. Then, I immediately figured it out. Spirit did this. Damien had ahold of her arms, was trying to pull her out, but he could be losing oxygen right now.

I dove in, swimming to them. Damien looked over to me, and I signaled him to get air. He nodded, swimming back up, then quickly coming back down. Terra was asleep, and ghostly looking. How long has she been here? I grabbed one arm as he grabbed the other, and we started pulling her out. For more strength, I rested my feet on her cage. Almost instantly, we got her out and Damien swam as fast as he could back to the surface, me close behind.

Once we broke the surface, Terra was gasping and choking. I stepped onto land, giving Damien a hand to get out of the water. "Terra." He breathed, as though her name alone was the air we lived on. And to male werewolves, it really truly felt like that. "You're ok." She whispered weakly, placing her hand on his cheek. He smiled lovingly and gently. "C'mon, I'm getting you back home." He told her, picked her up bridal style softly, and ran back to the pack house top speed.

"Alright. We got Terra, now let's try to catch your Luna's scent." I ordered, shifted back, and sniffed the air for Baby's scent. The others followed suit. There was nothing. Absolutely no trail. Dammit. I spoke through our link, Baby, Baby answer me. Silence. Dammit, Cassia. Answer me. I growled, getting more stressed by the minute. Nothing.

After hours of searching, which left us empty handed and tired, we headed back to the pack house. I didn't shift back until I made it to my room, and got into some clothes. Baby's clothes hung neatly in our closet, so small. I took her favorite hoodie she liked wearing as pajamas instead of an actual shirt and shorts. It was big on her, covered up to her knees, red with Pikachu on the front, and her last name and favorite number on the back. STORM 3.

I brought it to my face, sniffing it, her scent that had burned itself in my nose forever. The smell of peaches and an ocean breeze, her favorite scents. This was meant as comfort, but it only made me hurt everywhere even more. "Ready or nooot. Here I cooome." A sweet, happy voice sounded through the room. I set Baby's hoodie down, looking at the entrance of the walk-in closet. Rose walked into the doorway, her curly black hair falling around her shoulders wildly, and her purple eyes big, curious, and happy.

"I found you Daddy!" She ran up to me, and poked my arm. "You're it!" Rose yelled as she ran off. Doctor Kings must've let her out since she's better now. "Oh, Daddy, we have to find Kenny. He's good at hiding." Rose came back, smiling, but then she really looked at me. "Is it because of Mommy being gone?" She's too smart for her own good. "I'm sad too, but Mommy wouldn't want us to be sad, so let's not be!" Rose hugged my leg tightly, looking up at me. I knelt down, brushed her hair from her little face, and kissed her forehead. "Got it." He smiled down at her wickedly, then began tickling her. She squealed, falling on the ground and squirming like a worm.

"Now let's go find your brother so we can tickle him!" I yelled happily, and Rose ran off, squealing. Together, we began searching the whole house. Until we found Danny under all the stuffed animals in the kids room. Rose and I attacked him, tickling him until he was gasping for breath. Then, I turned on Rose and began tickling her. When I was done, letting the last of my laughs die out, the twins gave each other the look, and attacked me. Danny play punched me as Rose jumped on my back, pushing me down.

I yelled as I tried to fight off the two, a smile on my face. I couldn't imagine two better kids. They were worthy of being Alphas, and I couldn't be prouder.