LOGINGraham:Not only did I listen to the same warrior who told me he had seen Madeline break down after her daughter was taken, but I also came to confront her like a fool, only to be struck by the harsh truth. That was too much for me to swallow.For a moment, I thought about everything she had just told me, from her love for her daughter to the fact that she had not thought about me even once, while my life’s purpose had been to stay angry at her.If I really thought about it, there wasn’t a single day when I hadn’t considered creating tension between her and Baxter or ruining their lives, as if there had been anything left to ruin. They were living on top of a mountain with nothing, yet she spoke only in praise of him.“So you used us. You used us to get over your feelings for that loser of a man,” Elgin questioned first, his voice hinting at the rage he was feeling.I turned slightly toward him and noticed his eyes were filled with tears. They were real tears of pain and heartbreak. I
Madeline:“Oh no, I’ve asked everyone around. Nobody from any pack knows about it. They only found out recently, and they’re pretty scared too,” one of the alphas from the tenth pack we had visited that day replied, looking saddened, as if he wanted to offer his apologies for my daughter.“It’s alright,” I uttered, even though he had not said it aloud.“Okay, thank you so much,” Ron told him, and we began to step back toward the vehicle.“Madeline, everything will be fine. Don’t worry. We’ll find it. We’ll find where it started,” he reassured me, gently touching my elbow.“And that’s why you’re sticking with her? Because you’re waiting for a moment to fuck her?” an irritating yet familiar voice interrupted us.We both snapped our heads around to see Graham striding toward us, the strong wind forcing his eyes shut.The weather was stormy, and I was already feeling worn down. Maybe it was because after the fifth pack we still had not found anything, not a single clue.Or maybe it was so
Baxter:Once we had packed our belongings and left for the motel, I began to check the watch on my wrist with growing agitation. I did not want the entire day to pass.When we arrived at the motel and the kids settled into the room, I started to pace anxiously around the bed. I could tell that Yuvonne had begun to suspect a few things. She asked me several times why I was so anxious, and each time I gave her a different excuse.“Do not worry, they are fine. They are just going from one place to another to get any information they can find,” Yuvonne told me, snapping me out of my thoughts for a brief moment.“Actually, I need to make a call. I was thinking I could try to get in contact with someone to figure out more about the rumors,” I said, noticing she did not seem to give it much thought.“Oh yeah, you must have friends too. Sure, go ahead. If you want, you can use my cell phone,” she suggested, holding her phone up to me.However, I could not accept her phone. The person I was go
Baxter:I had been trying to calm Madeline down ever since she woke up, but I could tell the nightmare had left a heavy effect on her.She looked scared and confused. Whatever it was, it had to be related to Gina, but she was refusing to tell me exactly what it was.She only said that she did not want me to go out anymore.Honestly, I did not take it as something that hurt my ego. I realized she was panicking and worried about me.“Okay, kids, give her some space, all right?” I told my children.“I am fine now,” she finally spoke softly.I had asked her, even requested her, to take a shower and change, hoping she would feel better. She even ate a little, at my insistence.“Ron and Yuvonne are outside too,” I told her, and she sniffled, nodding her head.“Did they tell you what they have planned?” she questioned.“Yeah, Ron said he will request several Pack members to let you all visit, so they can ask them questions about the rumors,” I informed her.She watched my face with hope, lik
Madeline:At least I was able to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Baxter after that, and the good part was that we cuddled to sleep.It felt so fulfilling, but there was still a missing piece of me that was nowhere to be found, my daughter.When I woke up again, I found myself alone in the bed. It seemed as if the other kids had already woken up and Baxter had taken care of them. I rubbed my eyes, feeling a sense of yearning.I only got out of bed when I noticed the darkness outside the window, and something struck me.Was it the same night, or had I been asleep for the whole day and it was already another night?That anxiety gripped me, and I began to panic. I hastily reached for the door and opened it to see where the others were. However, the entire living room, almost as if the whole cabin, was empty.“Baxter!” I called for Baxter, reaching for him as I stepped into the kitchen, but it was empty too.The worst part was that it was not just empty, but everything seemed as if
Baxter:I knew I should not have snapped at Madeline like that. Even though my tone was calm when I dismissed her request to know if I had any plans, I could tell that I had upset her.When I walked back into the room and lay down on the bed, it felt like it had been a long time since I had done that. I only did it to avoid Madeline’s eyes, because neither of us could sleep until we had found our daughter, Baxter.I snapped my eyes open when I saw Madeline walk into the room and sit on the bed right beside me.“I think keeping ourselves awake is not going to help us. You should also rest,” I told her, trying to turn my back to her. However, she held my hand, stopping me.“I do not want to lose you,” she murmured. Those were the first words she said after sitting down, and they instantly had my attention.The way she crumbled while looking down after saying that made me feel guilty. I sat up at once and held her by her arms.“You are not losing me,” I assured her.She gently placed her







