Chris woke up and immediately wanted to throw up. He slowly sat up on his horse and saw the back of Nathan and then Vin. He felt a hand touch his leg and he looked down to see Buck smiling back up at him.

"Glad to see you awake there, buddy."

"What happened?" he croaked.

"We found you cornered in a small cave. Killed the hunters and got the Wolf's Bane out of your system, but you'll need to take it easy until we reach the others. Before you say anything about not wanting to be around us, you need to listen to what Nate's got to say." Buck said before Chris could start his complaints.

Nathan looked back at them and sighed, "A friend of mine is an Oracle. He was told that all our fates are tied together. Whether you like it or not, I think we're a pack and you're the alpha, Chris."

"My old alpha said something of the same thing." Vin added.

"We were sent by my friend to find Vin and you so we can save Ezra from the alpha who turned him." Nathan finished.

Chris frowned, "Ezra was taken?"

"No, we have him staying with my friend and JD. They should be safe there until we get back."

Chris only groaned as he shifted in the saddle, "Then why are we moving in this snail's pace? Let's ride."

Buck and Nathan shook their heads in exasperation before picking up the pace. Vin fell back to ride alongside the blond.

"You alright to fight, because it's probably going to come to blows before all of this is over."

"Don't worry about me."

They rode for about hour with Nathan up front leading the way. A call from Vin had them pulling to a stop. The horses were breathing heavy as they paced, ready to keep going.

"What is it?" asked the healer.

Vin had his head pointed up as he sniffed the air. Buck and Chris did the same and caught it too.

"The alpha was around here." Chris confirmed.

"We're only about five miles out from Josiah's place. You don't think it as there do you?" asked Nathan worriedly.

"Would be a huge coincidence for him being around this area if not." Buck frowned. "Do you think you can track which direction it went?" he asked Chris and Vin, knowing they were superior in tracking.

Chris only nodded and spurred his horse forward in the direction the scent of the alpha and the others were in. The others followed behind. Buck, who had been running alongside Nathan began to slow, it felt like his heart was ripped out and he grabbed at his chest.

"Stop! Hold up, something's wrong with Buck." Nathan called to the others.

Chris looked annoyed at having to stop, his horse was as restless as the rider.

"Buck, what's wrong?" asked Nathan, wondering if this was something he could help with.

"JD," Buck looked up at the healer, "I smell JD. His scent is mixed with the alpha's."

"It took Ezra and JD?" Vin growled, he had recognized the scent of the youngest as well as Ezra's.

Chris also was growling in his saddle. Their pack members were split up and in harm's way. The pain Buck was feeling in the pup's absence was sending the rest over the edge. Nathan wondered what he could do and then caught sight of something from overhead. A bird crossed the sky and alighted on a branch in a tree a few yards away. It was a gray owl, wise old eyes staring down at the troubled group. Unfurling its wings again, the owl swooped down and approached them. Just before it landed, it shifted into the human form of Josiah.

"Josiah." Nathan exclaimed, too preoccupied with worry for the missing werewolves to ask about his ability to change into a bird, "What happened to the others?"

"I went out for a hunt and heard the sounds from the house. I ran back as fast as I could but they were gone. I'm sorry for losing your pack members." Josiah said, bowing his head in respect to Chris.

"Do you know which direction they were taken in? I'm starting to lose the connection I first felt with Standish." Said the blond.

"I saw the path they took. The alpha is trying to sever the bond you have with him. Once that is done, he will try to invoke the sire to control him." Josiah explained.

"Lead the way." Chris nodded.

Josiah transformed once again and flew off, the others kept up as he took them deeper into the woods.

Nathan couldn't help wondering if everyone he knew was a part of all of this. He was aware that being an oracle was considered dark arts and indirectly tied to creatures of the dark like werewolves. Part of him wondered if the reason he had found these people or was going along with them was because he was just like them in a sense. A better comparison would be to say he was like Josiah. Although he couldn't transform like his friend. After knowing the man for five years, he was still finding things about the older man. Nathan couldn't fault him for not telling him, he still never told anyone about his true heritage. It made him wonder if he should in fact tell the others. Not right now though, things were too serious with the kidnappings. He just hoped it wasn't too late for the others.