Xavier's POV
'Xavier.' Her voice wakes me in the middle of the night, morning really. A brief glance at the clock tells me it's about four in the morning.
'Celeste!' I reach for her through our link. I find myself doing this most mornings. It's never real. I put my head in my hands, rubbing my temples in circular motions. Just once, I want her to be there. Need her to be. 'Celeste,' I beg, 'please tell me you're there.' Nothing comes in response, of course.
I shove myself out of the guest bed I'd been sleeping in. I suppose three hours of sleep is better than the no sleep I'd grown used to these past few weeks. I need a shower.
'Xavier?' I stumble over the rug placed between the bed and the door.
'Celeste!' There's a slight laugh in my voice, a momentary relief flooding me. Just hearing her voice. . . 'Baby, it's really you.' I need to tell Jared or Josh. Both of them need to know. But I can't, not right now. Right now, she's all mine.
'Xavier,' she repeats. 'Is this real?' I can hear the longing and relief in her voice. To know she's been needing me as much as I've been needing her brings a sense of relief to my wolf and I.
Reality is quick to set it. I don't know how long we'll stay in contact. I don't want to think about the truth. I know they've got to be using wolfsbane to keep our link shut. It's the only way to block a mindlink. I want to tell her how I look for her every day. How I talk to her every day, even though she's not there to hear me. I want to tell her that I love her and as soon as I get her back, I'll put more work into us and our future. A very aware but slightly embarrassed part of me does not want to mention how I've been thinking of how I can't wait to have kids with her. How I want to know how she'll be while pregnant with my children. If her skin will glow or if she'll throw things at me, cursing me to the Goddess for making her miserable for nine months.
'Where are you?' I sound panicked. I feel panicked. I should try to remain calm, for her sake. But I can't. 'I - I can't find you,' I admit. I should be able to find her. I have the resources, I have the will. But it's been almost three weeks and she's still gone.
'I don't know.' My heart clenches. Think Xavier. What can I say to her? To narrow it down. To reassure her that I'll reach her. 'The caves!' That's my girl. 'We're in a series of caves.' Caves. . . Caves. The mountains! Goddess, they're in the mountains. We've never been able to track the rogues through them because they're not going through them. They're in them. I need to tell the guys now. 'Oh Goddess, Xavier. He's coming.' My hand stills on the door knob. He. Malum. She sounds so scared. My Celeste. . .
'Celeste, it's okay!' I can get to the mountains in four days, less than three if I run in wolf form with minimal breaks. I can get to her. I just have to find the entrance, I can do that. I have the resources. I can do this.
'Xavier. Please,' she begs. She begs me to find her. And dammit, I will.
'I will find you,' I assure her.
She doesn't respond. I can feel my heart beating in my throat. I'm out of the guest room in less than a second.
'I need to see you guys in my office right now,' I link to the guys.
'Xavier, it's too early,' Josh links back. 'Get some rest.'
'Now.' My words are final. I'm sure my steps up the stairs would wake the entire house if it wasn't built to be so sound proof.
My office is still slightly in a state of disarray but it's better than it was. Jared comes in every other day and organizes anything he deems 'messy.' I hate to admit that it's been a huge help. He's even taken on much of my regular work while I've been drowning in my doubts and looking for Celeste. I have gotten better with keeping it in a state that's not concerning but it does happen; especially after a long day of feeling like I've been failing at every turn. No more. I know where she is now. I'll blow the damn mountains down if I have to.
'Celeste,' I check in. She's been quiet. 'What's happening?' I anxiously wait for her response as I take a seat in my chair, pulling out a pile of maps.
'Xavier.' My hands still. Her voice wavers through my head, 'Help.'
'Stay with me, baby.' The door opens and in piles three extremely exhausted men. I can't give them more than a second of focus. 'Celeste?' She doesn't respond. 'C'mon, baby. Come back to me.' Nothing. "Fuck!" I push myself out of my chair, my hand dragging over my mouth.
"Xavier?" I pace several times over, turning to my friends. "What's going on?" I sniffle, stretching my neck.
"Celeste was able to link me." Their eyes widen.
"Is she okay?" The concern is overflowing from Josh's question.
I shake my head. "I don't think so." I clear my throat, returning to my desk. Jared is quick to move the several piles of paperwork as I open up a map. "She's in the mountains."
"In the mountains?" Jared is disbelieving. "How?"
"She said they're in a cave network."
Jacob walks over to my desk, running his hands over the map. "I take it that it'll be these mountains." He points to a large set of mountains rather than the smaller one that's closer to us. "With the numbers we've seen and other packs have observed, they'll need space." I nod, agreeing with him.
"That's also as far as we've been able to track them."
Jared shifts closer to observe the area discussed. "It could be a four day journey on foot, less if we shift."
Josh shifts on his feet. "How soon do we leave?"
"You stay here," Jacob instructs with an edge to his voice. Josh's eyes widen.
I shake my head. "No, Josh comes with us." Jacob glares at me. "Jared will stay behind and look after the pack. I think you should too, Jacob."
"What?" My friend is starting to fume.
"I need you two to look over the pack while we're gone. Josh knows the forest better than either of you and I'll need his skills out there. We'll take no more than thirty warriors. Expect a fight but hope one doesn't occur. We go in, intimidate them, get Celeste, get out."
"You're not going to kill them?"
"This is a retrieval mission, not an attack."
"Xavier," Jared hesitates, "even I don't think that's wise."
"If Celeste is hurt then an attack could put her in danger."
"At least take more warriors then. Be the truly intimidating force you want to appear. And then you'll be prepared for a fight if they do attack."
I think it over for a second before nodding.
"Okay, so fifty warriors. Yes?" Jacob and Jared both nod. "Great, we leave at noon."