Sisters by chance - The beginning

Mine

Unknown POV

When the phone rings, waking me, I check it first. When I see the screen filled with the picture of Lucas, I don't hesitate to answer. 

"Hey man, what's up?" I murmured with a raspy morning voice.

"Not much, except River is gone, and we have problems finding him!" 

"Didn't he leave for the gathering this year? It's this week isn't it?"

"Na, he wouldn't have gone without telling mum. She wouldn't allow it! You know her!"

"That's one mama bear I don't want to mess with!" I laugh "But, why the early call?" I ask, somewhat confused checking the screen in my dark bedroom.

"Well, I think this guy living at the campsite knows something about River. But he claimed that he and someone else needed help from the Alpha before telling me. I'm not sure, but something is telling me to trust him. He sure looks like he could use some help! He lives with Hugo." At the mention of Hugo, I tensed up. He is an aggressive piece of s**t. I never understood why he was allowed to live at the campsite.

"Well, you know me, always happy to help!" I admit, "I will talk to Johnny about it and we will probably head down. Can't say when though."

"Thanks! River is apparently in some kind of trouble, can you imagine?" Lucas laughs half-heartedly.

"We'll fix it, see you later!" I say with confidence before hanging up. Lucas and I have been best friends for years. Not totally common, sins he is a bear, and I'm a wolf. I fall back against the pillows with a deep sigh. It's Sunday, today should have been my day off, from everything. No training, no work, and nothing. But it seems life has other plans. With a grunt and another deep sigh, I drag myself out of bed and to the bathroom. I'm not a morning person. Rubbing my sleepy eyes I don't turn on the lights. I prefer it to stay dark until after my shower. The hot water rinses me off and wakes me up. After drying off I look in the mirror scratching my short beard. I'll let it be, for now, not feeling like I have the time to shave. I have this restless feeling like I'm in a hurry. Or should be. I throw on clothes and skip breakfast, I can have something in the packhouse. My thoughts wander to the campsite and my wolf starts to wander in my mind, restless. 

I jump in my car and drive off. It's a forty-five-minute drive from my home by the southern border to the packhouse close to the center. When I arrived, the omegas is preparing the weekend breakfast. Mrs. Birch welcomes me with a smile. "Mr. Winter, welcome. It's not like you to be up so early! Is something the matter?" 

"Good Morning Mrs. Birch, not that I know of. Just needed to talk to Johnny, is he up?"

"The Alpha is in his study I believe, unlike you, he is always up with the sun!" Mrs. Birch says with a wink. I just laughed at her before thanking her and headed up to the Alphas floor. I walk in on my big brother reading some papers deep in thought. "Morning! busy?" I say and flop down in the visitor's seat leaning back. 

My brother looks at me astonished. "I know, I know. I'm not a morning person, okay! Lucas called. He needs help finding River. And he thinks this guy living with Hugo at the campsite knows something."

"How does that involve us?" 

"He refused to talk, he told Lucas he needs help with something first! And I consider that to be a violation against the rules." I frown.

"Which one? Him not talking, or him needing help?" Johnny said with a smug look. I roll my eyes at him.

"Well the rules are clear about illegal activities, and River is in trouble he needs help!" 

"We don't know if there is illegal activity based on River's disappearance. I'm not obligated to help your friend!" Johnny sighs and continues "The pack is my priority, the campsite is charity. It's run by us but they are not us. We can't just go in accusing people of foul play as we chose."

"I know that, but something is wrong. And as you said, we run the place, and we are obligated to keep it safe for the families living there. River isn't the first to disappear as you know. Next weekend is the monthly checkup, why don't we move it to today? I have no authority without your approval, Alpha." The use of his title annoys him. He hates it when his family calls him Alpha when we are supposed to be informal.

"Fine, it won't hurt to go," Johnny exclaimed with an expression of big brother defeat. We both stand to leave and walk downstairs for breakfast. I still have this restless feeling and need to slow myself down when we eat. Blue wanders in my mind not helping at all. When I try to suppress him he just snarls and ignores me while still wandering. I eat, deep into my own thoughts, I hope River is okay and that this guy knows something useful. If not I will let Lucas take over and then just cover for him. I can't imagine my brother going missing. Looking around the table Johnny sits with his gamma Isac leaning over some paper, Isaac's mate Charlotte bounces their daughter trying to eat and talk to Harry. Harry is the pack's Beta. I know Johnny is stressed about finding his mate, so am I. I'm twenty-three and I really want to find her soon. I wonder what she smells like, how she looks but most I wonder how she is. What she likes, how she feels and sounds like. 

"Hey, Jacob! Wake up.." Harry snapped his fingers in front of me. "Huh?" I say still distant thinking about her, who I've never even met.

"Are you ready to leave?" Johnny stands in the doorway and Harry has left. "Yes! Let's leave!" I stand and pick up my phone texting Lucas: We are on the way!

We all sit in Harry's pickup truck. He drives us through the deep woodlands South while Johnny and I go over border patrols, camp security, and the renovation of the service-house. Living so close to the southern border and having alpha-blood I was assigned responsibility for the border patrols in that area. Usually, I report to Harry. I am, with the warriors living in our tiny village by the border, the first responders if the campsite security needs help. The drive somehow takes forever. Blue is unbearable pacing in my mind driving me crazy and giving me a headache, 'calm down will you?' 

'No! Faster' is all he growls before ignoring me again. I rub my temples trying to refocus on Johnny.

"Something wrong?" He wonders.

"No, just Blue acting out". I told him. He looks at me concerned but doesn't press the issue. Lucas texts me back, he is meeting us at his mother's tent. He will fill the Alpha and Beta with what he knows and what we can expect to meet. The guard at the entrance stops us when we arrive. Harry rolls down his window. "Good morning Alpha, Beta, and Mr. Winters! How can I help?" 

"Good morning Tim, we are visiting one of the residents. Do you have a man to spare?" Harry says, giving him a nod.

"Of course Beta. I'll come with you!" He gives a wave to another guard and walks around to sit in the front. Tim and I went to school together, his father is the coordinator for the campsite. "Where is Mr. Blomberg today?" I ask Tim and look around.

“He’s helping granny in the shop today. Inventory!” He laughs “Dad thinks granny is too old to climb the ladder, and granny just lets him do the work so she doesn't have to, laughing behind his back!” We all laughed at that and kept on driving. The further in we come the more agitated Blue gets and it's hard to control him. The hairs on my neck stand and my skin crawl. It feels like the beginning of a shift. I guess my eyes flicker between my own and Blue's. I clench my hands into fists and breathe through my nose. This overwhelming feeling of worry is at the brink of uncontrollably. I wonder what's got him so fired up. 

Lucas sits at a deck chair in the sun, waiting by a big tent at the outskirts watching four children play. He raised his hand in a greeting as we park and jump out. Johnny has entered full Alpha mode and stands tall. The little kids stop and run into the tent. Lucas walks up and greets Johnny first.

"Alpha, thank you for coming. We appreciate it!" He extended his hand and bowed slightly.

"Lucas, of course. I'm sorry to hear about your brother. Let's see if we can put an end to this today." He answered all business. Lucas nods with a serious face. He looks tired, tense. For not being a pack animal, Lucas handles hierarchy pretty well. We gather in a hunter's circle and let Lucas take over. 

"River has-beens missing for a week. He would not have left without his family knowing. Our family is our pack. I started to ask around and got this from Tobias, who lives with Hugo down by the lake!" He shows us a note: Meet me at midnight, in the clearing. 

"The clearing is a place in the woods, outside of the camp, where we sometimes meet up. The residents here." Lucas said with a sneaky smile looking at me. I just chuckle, shaking my head at him, not looking at my brother. I can feel his glare at me. Probably thinking it's illegal.

"At first Tobias just told me he needed help. But when I refused he got desperate and accidentally let it slip that it wasn't just him. And when I was at Hugo I thought I smelled something, faint but still. He said that if I help them, he will tell me who took River. He also said, that River is in trouble but not hurt." Lucas finished and then looked at Johnny.

"It sounds like we need to talk to Tobias and Hugo!" We move out and walk towards the lake, Blue is in my head clear as day trying to urge me to move faster. We see the large truck parked at the side towering over the small building. The closer we get the more I feel it, the faint smell of clove and oranges. The sweet smell brings me to a stop. I breathe deep and a low growl escapes me. I feel Blue just at the surface. Lucas stops by my side sniffing the air. Bears have the strongest sense of smell. He looked at me perplexed, his eyes almost looked like they were glowing. 'Run!' Blue orders me, so I take off with Lucas following me. With every step, the smell becomes stronger. The heavenly smell of Christmas. I hear people screaming at me. Not until Johnny roars with his alpha tone "STOP!" My body stops being unable to not follow the command of my alpha. My body shakes and I see Lucas continue forward. Johnny reaches me and booms "What the f**k do you think you're doing?" Grabbing me by the shoulder. And I, who finally knows what's happening, turn and look him in the eye and say the only thing he will understand. The only word Blue should have said from the beginning: "Mate!"

My brother swears under his breath and lets me go. And I take off following Lucas. He is a big guy, but I am faster. The smell is stronger and different, it's mixed with blood, and my heart races. Johnny and the others are long forgotten. Lucas and I reach the truck and in quiet understanding, we open the backlash. The sound of creaky hinges scrapes against my eardrums. It's like time stops. Somewhere I hear the others taking down the house. Lucas and I move together in understanding, moving towards the source of Blue's irrational behavior. The bright sunlight rays in from behind us when we enter. The hay on the floor smells of multiple different people. In a corner we see a black bag thrown but there are no signs of her. But I can feel her, smell her. A smell that makes me want to nuzzle up beside her at the same time I want to kill whoever hurt her. Lucas motions to the right where there is a gap in the semi-high wall going straight through the truck. We both hurry in and then stop dead. A whimper escapes me when I see her. She lies carelessly thrown on the floor. seemingly lifeless. We both stand completely still and just stare. Her long blonde hair is tangled and lies over her face and shoulders. In the sunlight, you can glimpse the golden tone of honey. Her upper body is bare except for the remnants of a torn white sweater with dark spots on it. She has a black skirt that has slipped over her legs and shows her thighs, also covered in stains. Her incredible smell is strong in this close of space. Lucas moves towards her, and I follow, pulling my own T-shirt over my head to cover her. Lucas kneels down and softly brushes her hair from her face showing her soft features and black bruises. I can see that she is red and puffy around her eyes even if they are closed, her pretty nose, and soft plump lips. Looking at her I can also see the dark bruises around her throat. When I pull my shirt over her head to cover her I feel the soft sparks from where my fingers touch her skin. Her head falls back and her body is limp. But I can hear it. Her heartbeat. Lucas touches her hair again and takes her face between his hands. I take her hands in mine holding them, feeling how cold she is.

"Mine" we both whisper breathlessly.