CHAPTER 64: FAILURE (3)

Was Atia hunting for her? Did Aiyana not guard Nova as he instructed?

Even if he was not their guardian, Yoa trusted Aiyana to push aside her dislike for Nova and do this for him. He’d been there for her when she pursued another beast, even when he could tell the Apatka was trouble. Yoa shook his head, disregarding that negative thought process. Aiyana may have been opposed to Nova from the moment she laid eyes on her, but she wasn’t spiteful or cruel.

It wasn’t the way of the warrior.

Yoa stopped pacing. He took a deep, steadying breath, slowly retracting his claws from the earth. He focused on Nova’s scent again and followed it to a tree, leaping onto a branch. His nose dropped to the bark, eyes closing as he inhaled deeply, letting her scent wind through his senses like smoke, calming the wild edge of his thoughts momentarily.

Nova had rested here. Gone was the warmth her body had provided the wood. Then he caught it. Another scent. Twisted into hers like a stain.

His eyes snapped open, molten gold swirling with red as the beast awakened and surged forward with a taste to spill blood. A guttural snarl tore from his throat, building into a thunderous roar that shook the trees and scattered sleeping birds into the sky. The jungle fell still. The beast didn’t just rage—it claimed. Possessively. Primally.

Vulcan had taken his girl.

In the midst of his outrage, his ire whipped to the side at the sound of others daring to approach this area. His shoulders straightened at the two jaguars bursting through the bushes, eyes wide in panic. Their eyes snapped up to meet Yoa’s, still feeling the earth vibrating beneath their paws from his outburst that had chilled the jungle into an eerie hush.

Atia and Aiyana felt small as Yoa’s imposing and striking black form stood tall on all fours, positioned above them, precisely where Nova had last been seen. His eyes seared into them, pinning them in place, dragging the seconds into something unbearable. The silence between them was suffocating, so heavy, it made the vast jungle feel like it was closing in around them, the trees shrinking, the air thickening under the weight of his impenetrable gaze.

Atia shifted into his human form on the spot, hands parting in apology, eyes remorseful as he stepped forward. But the words died on his tongue as Yoa turned his head away, silently dismissing them. He had no interest in hearing an apology, only in getting Nova back.

Yoa’s breath hitched as the tugging sensation, like that of a string tied around his heart pulling intermittently, pointed him in another direction. He knew instinctively that it was connected to Nova’s well-being. He hadn’t been alerted to anything new.

But the chilling sensation of icy claws tearing through his flesh every few moments reminded him that Nova was still in danger, and it drove him forward. Without another glance at Atia and Aiyana, Yoa snarled and charged across the branches, literally following his heart.

His friends followed, trying to keep up with his pace. They soon fell behind, but he remained in their sight even if his beast snapped at the hinges of his subconsciousness to leave them and get to her. The more he crossed the jungle, the quicker and more forcefully his heart was tugged.

They were getting closer. Yoa could feel it. Whether his opponent was just Vulcan or a flock of harpy beasts, Yoa would slice through them all one by one to get to her. If he had to wage war with Silver Feather, then so be it. Nothing mattered right now. Nothing but her.

Yoa’s heart led him to the cliffs, and he skidded to a stop at the edge, claws digging into the earth as he peered over at the sharp drop. The tugging sensation stilled, and he stopped breathing, listening to the waves crashing into rocks and the wind brushing through his fur.

What did that mean? His being stilled in fear as the other two finally caught up to him. Atia hesitantly stepped closer, but Aiyana brushed past him, ignoring Yoa’s warning growl as she circled the area. She looked over the cliff and returned, matching his confused and darkening expression.

A sudden gust swept past them, carrying the unmistakable rhythm of wings beating powerfully. As one, they tipped their heads back, squinting, teary-eyed as dust scraped into their corneas from the wind, and growled lowly, sighting a foot disappearing behind the storm clouds.

The tugging sensation leapt to life again as a silver feather languidly floated down to them, the distinctive scent of honeysuckle filling the air. He shared a sharp look with the other two, his beast murderous and salivating at the idea of having eagle for breakfast.

Yoa shifted back into his human form while his beast was distracted with a vivid fantasy of tearing into Vulcan’s leg and ripping it off. "He cannot hide forever," Yoa bristled, his voice more beast than man, eyes like two beacons of light in the dark as he rose to his feet, muscles flexing as he watched the sky, waiting for the moment Vulcan deemed it safe to drop out of the clouds.

He couldn’t fly forever. Yoa smirked as his eyes darkened, slowly prowling forward, not once looking away from the sky. For now, he knew Vulcan had no intention of hurting Nova. Whatever plans he had must involve her. Until then, he had to trust his instincts; they’d never let him down before, and they won’t now.

Only the best hunters can lie in wait until the opportune moment. Yoa would wait, the ever-watchful hunter, patient and still until he could strike out again. He gathered the other two without commenting on what had already passed and tried to form a plan that didn’t involve him charging at the eagles with brute force.

Even so, those overgrown chickens have been acting a little too comfortably recently. It was about time he reminded them who was really in charge.