Fall Harvest Moon

Chapter 10: The Trail

~Damon~

Even as he was standing outside the festival, Damon thought he could smell the delicious scent of strawberries away from everyone inside. Frustrated, Damon wanted to go back to the limo but he had no idea which way was the parking lot and he found himself forced having to ask for directions. He approached a guard at the front entrance "Hey man, my mother needs her purse from the car," He asked in hurry "can you point which way the limos are parked?" the guard looked at Damon questionably, as Damon noticed his eyes glaze over for a split second, he was communicating with someone else, he realized that someone must have told him who he was, the guards demeanor changed and he directed Damon to follow the walkway through a trail that would be quicker. Damon thanked him and trotted towards the parking lot. Damon smiled to himself as he thought he would make a quick getaway to the car for the rest of night, Fyer was growing frustrated towards Damon and wanted to go back to the Festival. He was lecturing Damon about his responsibilities and Damon wished Fyer would just give him one minute alone to have his thoughts in privacy. "Fine, you want one minute. I can give you more than that " Fyer huffed and Damon felt relief as he felt Fyer shut the connection between them. "Finally!!! A moment of peace!!" Damon's relief turned to disappointment as he walked through the trail into the clearing of the parking lot and saw huge lineups of limo SUVs .. "Did everyone have the same car?" Damon groaned as he wished he paid more attention to Alpha Dean's car, all he knew, it was black. They all the same to him and just as he was debating of either looking for the car or going back to the Festival, Damon noticed his driver Simon approaching him. "Good evening young Sir, I could not find any purse in the car, Are you sure the Mrs didn't take it with her?" Damon felt his plan of retreat fall apart, The guard must have told him of Damon coming to the car. Alpha Dean must've said something to Simon because he came to inform him without the vehicle. Realizing the security and how informed everyone was around here, he had no doubt someone would tell Alpha Dean of him leaving early. Damon sighed and thanked Simon as he turned to head back into the festival. Damon was taking his time walking back to the same entrance he exited. Just as he was about to walk in, strawberries flooded his senses again and Damon had to stepped back and walk to the side buildings wall. He leaned against his back the wall and let his weight slide his body to the ground. Fyer broke through the connection as soon as he picked up the strawberry scent. "She was here!!" Fyer was begging Damon to stand up and go inside to find her. Damon's mind was spinning, he felt as he was losing control and he was beginning to feel tempted to let Fyer take over, he didn't know if he was truly ready, but he didn't want to fight against this new temptation. Fyer was ecstatic and pushing against Damon to stand up, as Damon was debating of letting Fyer take complete control of his body, he felt himself standing with his back still on the wall. Damon was just about to walk back into the party, when he noticed a group of people who seemed in a rush approaching. Damon stopped and waited at the side of the entrance in case they wanted to go in together. But when they stopped and started talking with urgency, Damon couldn't help but overhear, they were looking for someone and they knew she left through this exit. Damon's heart stopped as he thought next "There's noway we could be looking for same person." Fyer was silent as he focused more and was beginning to pick up a trail of strawberries leading away from the exit. Fyer was beginning to get upset as he thought of her leaving the party before they got to meet. "But why else would her scent be here at the exit?" Damon was growing frustrated as he wished he had answers instead of so many questions tonight. But he knew, He wanted to know more about who the group was looking for, Fyer realized they were quickly retreating away from the festival instead of going in. Damon had a gut feeling he should follow them and to his surprise, Fyer agreed. There were many scents coming from this exit but Fyer knew the group was walking in the same direction as the strawberry trail. Damon picked up his pace but made sure to stay at a far enough distance to not be noticed by the group. Fyer was on full alert as he traced the strawberry scent that was coming from the house the group rushed into. He was growing excited as he realized "she must live here, her scent is everywhere." Fyer was circling with excitement, and Damon was feeling himself sharing some of that excitement. Trying to make sense of his surroundings he looked around the quiet neighborhood. It was much more quiet and peaceful than many of the cities he traveled to, the house was much smaller than any pack house he ever been too, he liked it, as it reminded him of the life he had before all this shifter business. As Damon was walking around the house from a distance, Fyer picked up the trail of strawberries from the back entrance of the house leading into the woods. Damon didn't want to caught snooping around some strange girls house while her family might be looking for her, he decided to follow the strawberry trail into the woods. The trace was fading and Fyer was getting desperate for answers, Damon picked up his pace and easily followed a trail though the woods, it was a well hidden path, but the trail of fresh wild berries made it easier for him to follow. Damon could tell the path was used often but not enough to break a clear way. "How far are we going into these woods?" This was all new for him. Damon never been in these woods, he has never been through this soul mate stuff, and he never thought he would be chasing after some girl. "That girl is our MATE! " Fyer pushed Damon to run faster and Damon ran faster without caring the bushes and trees were tearing at his suit.

"Whoa!!" Damon stopped in his tracks when he reached a clearing that had a perfect view of the town below, Damon could see the festival happening in the town's centre, the sky above was filled with bright stars and Damon's breath caught when he saw the Full Moon over the eastern mountains. Even Fyer was in awe as he saw the Full Harvest Moon. Before they could fully embrace the beauty in the clearing of the lookout. Fyer alerted Damon, they were not alone.

Damon straighten his posture and walked further into the center of the clearing making it clear, he knew he wasn't alone. Standing on Alert, with Fyer ready to shift, Damon stared into the trees and waited for whoever was there to come out. To Damon's surprise a man followed by a wolf on both sides behind him walked out, they were eying him suspiciously and the man approached him while the wolves stayed at a distance but still close enough to step in if needed.

"My name is Beta Ryan, you are on land of the Northern Star Tribe, May I ask, what is your business here?" Ryan made no effort to hide his distaste in Damon's appearance. Damon looked down at his suit and realized how he must look with his suit tattered and his hair must be a mess from the bushes as well. But Damon held his position "My name is Damon Storm, Son of Alpha Dean Storm of the Copper River Tribe. I am following the trail of a missing girl, she may have travelled this way." Damon told truthfully.

Ryans eyes glazed, Damon sighed as he knew that his father now knew for sure, he was missing from the Festival. Fyer was trying to encourage Damon to contact his mother and tell him about his mate. Damon was unsure because they haven't even met the girl yet and she may be missing. He definitely didn't

want her to worry any more than he knew she would once she saw the state of his clothes. Damon didn't know how to explain this whole situation and just wanted to go back home, at least back to the Hotel and pretend this whole night didn't happen. Fyer was insistent that they were right where they were needed. Ryan cleared his throat and Damon realized he missed what Ryan just asked him. Before Ryan could repeat his question, Damon heard a voice he recognized from earlier approaching him from behind, "What are you doing here?!?"