HUNTED

They trudged through the woods for another twenty minutes quietly. The tall trees twisted and turned; their branches and leaves shaded the group from the sun. It was so thick and dense that it almost looked like the forest was in its own time zone, a night during the day. No one complained about the trek, keeping their thoughts to themselves. Damon had already told them if they wished to speak to do it through the pack mind-link. 

"We are nearly there," Gabriel's voice entered Damon's mind as he slowed his walking down, stopping as he stroked the side of a few trees, his eyes scanning them until he smiled and looked back at the Alpha with a nod.

"Finn, find out if Ajax can shift into something unnoticeable like a small bird that doesn't look out of place," Damon mind-linked his Delta as he glanced at Ajax behind him. 

Ajax nodded and looked back at Finn, who mind-linked the Alpha, "He will shift into a blackbird. Did you want him to change now?" 

Damon gave Ajax a nod, and the shapeshifter stripped out of his tracksuit bottoms and top, instantly shifting into a small blackbird. He flapped his wings and disappeared behind the canopy of leaves. Once he was gone, Damon traipsed over to the vampire then started to pass him, but Gabriel grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him back. Damon frowned and looked back at him, annoyed by the tug of his shirt.

"The barrier is just past that tree, but as soon as you cross it, there is a trap. Follow me, so you don't fall into the ditches," Gabriel spoke in his mind again. 

Traps? They really were going to a castle led by an ancient vampire who lived in such times.

Damon nodded then looked at his pack members. It was better if only a few of them checked it out first, and the rest could be on standby. "There are traps set up, and only Gabriel knows the safe route. Kane and Finn, come with me," He ordered through the pack mind-link as he started to follow Gabriel. The Beta and Delta followed behind him, and Esme followed behind them.

The pair frowned at her until Damon mind-linked them to leave her be. He didn't want the hassle of any drama from Gabriel about leaving her behind. Plus, she wanted to prove herself useful to join the pack even though he thought it useless if Aila was to return today. 

Everyone stayed in a line, following each other and watching where they stepped. But after some time of avoiding these traps, they could not see, the invisible barrier that seemed to contain a secret castle started to show signs of its magic. Gabriel was the first to walk ahead, his silhouette shimmered and blurred like a lens zoomed too closely in a picture, and then he disappeared. 

Finn and Kane glanced at each other nervously, but Damon and Esme were the first to follow the vampire. As they walked forwards, Damon felt like he'd walked through some cold fog that clung onto his body and wettening his hair. Damon's breath suddenly fell short like the oxygen was pushed out of his lungs, but as quickly as it came, it went. The scenery of trees warped and flickered before bright skies, and the sun shone down on him, blinding him momentarily.

He squinted, keeping his arm over his eyes before finally, they readjusted, and he blinked to the bright greenery. They walked up a slight slope of a hill, and there before them was a magnificent white stone castle with blue-tiled spires at the towers. It was safely hidden from the surrounding forest. Ivy and vines grew up on one side of it, making the whole scene look like something out of a fairy tale book. 

Before the castle was a small lake and a tree with a white cushioned swing. Behind it was many gardens filled with blooming flowers, fountains, arches and mazes. Damon searched the area with his eyes, not moving as his body stayed tense from the sudden pulling sensation in his stomach. 

It was like a tight rope, and the other end was tugging at him to move forwards. His heart rate spiked, and his eyes lit up with unshed tears.

"Mate," Darius growled; he was joyful too, but the seriousness of his voice brought Damon back to reality. This wasn't some sort of a reunion where he could walk into the castle grounds and take Aila. They had to work out what to do next.

"Is Aila here?" Finn mind-linked him.

Damon nodded as his foot tapped impatiently, and he crossed his arms.

"Ajax said it sounds like there is a party," Finn added. They couldn't hear anything from their position, but a party was the last thing he thought would be happening right now. 

Someone tapped his shoulder, and he looked around until he saw Esme gesture him to follow her. He frowned, but she rolled her eyes then bared her neck at him after Darius growled through him, his chest rumbling loudly at her disrespect. She turned and walked past the small group to the left, not waiting for them to respond or follow. 

Gabriel smirked and patted Damon's shoulder, almost to nudge him in her direction. He ended up rushing after the rogue, surprised by her speed before coming to an abrupt stop. They used the cover of some bushes to look over the back gardens of the castle. Esme silently pointed towards the first-floor window and there standing with her arms crossed with his beautiful mate.

How the hell did Esme know where she was? 

"She ran ahead of everyone. Did you not notice her leave?" Darius questioned and questioned his skills as the Alpha King. 

Obviously not. Damon's silence answered his wolf's question for him while his eyes were fixated on Aila. Now he could hear some of the music, cheers and screams, and even saw a few people dancing through the second-floor windows. It was midday, and they were having a party? Who were they exactly?

It looked like Aila was alone on the first floor. She stood there wearing a white, strapless jumpsuit, her neck adorned in jewelled necklaces, her hair falling down in perfect curls to her waist. Damon thought his heart had stopped from seeing how stunning she looked. She was like a snow queen, her crystal blue eyes cold. The emotionless look on her face and the dried blood in the corner of her mouth made his own blood run cold. Her eyes that had been staring at the ground flicked up, looking straight at Damon.

Time stood still as he held his breath, listening only to the beat of his and her heart beating as one. Both thumped loudly, racing at the sight of their mate. But when Damon tried to feel through the bond, to mind-link her, he felt the barrier up between them still. 

She lowered her gaze and moved her head by a small fraction to the left, her attention taken by something behind her.

"Why hasn't she tried to run to us? Everyone is distracted; this is the perfect time to get her out of there!" Darius roared in his head impatiently.

Damon stepped forwards and lashed out at Gabriel after the vampire grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop him from going further. "Damon, Do. Not. Rush. Anything," Gabriel growled, punctuating each word.

"Why?" Damon snapped. "Why are you stopping me from going to her? Is this a trap?" He could feel his wolf losing control over being held back from his mate; now that they could see her, everything was intensified again. It was hard enough keeping his wolf at bay, convincing him they would get her. 

Damon felt paranoid now as he looked at his mate and back at the face he despised the most. If he didn't go to her, she would disappear from him again. 

He couldn't let that happen!