Sup yall! Happy Holidays! I'm sorry about the delay, it's been 20 days since my last upload and I'm really sorry. I'm late to this game anyway, but am definitely costing myself readers. anyways. I finished up my exams today, which is utter bullshit. Of my seven classes, two of which are study halls, I only had two exams. The rest were projects. I am dead inside and out, so I decided to relax and unwind a little and post another chapter. Side note, the internet here in the asscrack of Nowhere, Indiana is absolutely astoundingly terrible. Again, I apologize for the delay. Enjoy, read and review maybe?

I'm watching the marathon of Chicago Med on TV with Embry's mom while he's went out to help Sam and Jake with a new imprint who is seriously freaking out with her wolf. Turns out we both have a mutual love for Natalie and Crocket.

"I have never before in my life seen someone who knows so much about these shows." I admit during a commercial break.

"Well you know." Tiffany laughs. "I don't have much else to do."

I smile at her. "Embry can be kind of…"

"Pushy? Persistent? Irritating? Protective? Worried?"

"Yes, all of the above." I laugh. "I went to work the other day and I thought he was going to throw a shit fit."

Tiffany laughs. "You should've seen him when I was standing at the sink doing the dishes. I thought he was going to pull his hair out."

I snort attractively. "You raised a good kid, Tiffany. I don't think I've ever met someone who cares so much about strangers and who is just so… good."

Tiffany blushes. "And he really loves his mom."

"Oh definitely." I reply with a smile.

My phone rings and the ringtone identifies the caller as Dani.

"Dani?" I ask.

"Can you come to Emily's? We have a bit of a situation. Embry needs your help. Hell, I need your help."

I furrow my eyebrows. "Yeah. I can be over in a few minutes. Need to bring anything?"

"Your weapons. We've got a problem. I won't say anything else."

"I'll be there in ten minutes." I say standing up quickly. I hang up.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Tiffany." I say holding my hand down for her to shake. "But that was work and I've got to go."

"Oh!" Tiffany cries. "Right of course. Don't let me keep you. And be careful. Embry mentioned your job being kind of dangerous."

I smile. "I will be. Always am. Have to be now that your son practically breathes down my neck." I tease her.

Tiffany laughs. "Right."

"Anything I can get you before I leave?" I ask.

"No, no, I'm good. You've got me well set here."

I smile before letting myself out. I leap over the porch railing and jog to my car. I get in and take off at a very fast speed, pushing it for my house. I run inside and grab my dagger which I strap to my thigh and then my sword to my hip.

I drive like an idiot back to Emily's, and park next to Dani's Porsche.

Through the entirety of the drive possibilities fly through my brain. Why did Embry need me? What's going on? What happened? Is someone hurt? Why did I need to bring my weapons? Who touched my boys? Is Dani okay?

Worry surges through me stronger than any hurricane I've ever met. Winds around me howl, ripping through the trees. As I drive past First Beach the tide is roaring in against the shore, leaving a large amount of seafoam along the shore.

I'm physically terrified.

And to think that Tiffany and I were making fun of Embry moments ago for being a worry wart.

My vehicle is off before it's stopped and I throw it into park seconds later.

As soon as the door closes Dani and Jared are on the front porch.

"What happened?" I demand jogging up the stairs and flying into the house after them.

"Paul and l were on patrol together when Collin decided to tell his imprint about the wolves and shit." Jared explains. A girl I've never seen before is sitting at the table with her head in her arms. There's a cup of hot chocolate in front of her, and Emily beside her trying to console her. Emily looks like she's the one in need of consolation though.

"We don't even know what happened." Jared says. "Embry and Sam phased in to help Collin with Lexi and then Sam is just gone. There was this sharp flash of pain from Sam, and then there was nothing. He was in the middle of the sentence when he blacked out."

My eyes cut to Dani. "Where is he?" I ask.

"That's the thing." Dani whispers. "We can't find him."

My mouth drops open. "He's a massive wolf! How can you not find him!?"

"Because he's gone." Dani growls. She grabs me by the front of my jacket and shoves me against the wall. The movement surprises everyone but I just push her off. "Calm down!" I growl. "You don't want to explode around imprints."

Dani takes a deep breath. "Whoever took them, knew to wipe Embry's mind so he didn't couldn't remember ever seeing who took Sam and how they did it."

My lips part in surprise.

"Sam is missing." I state. "The Alpha. Sam. Uley. Sam. That Sam. Is missing."

"Yes. Embry was the only witness and whoever kidnapped Sam, wiped Embry's memories so he wouldn't know who took Sam and how they did it. What is so difficult to understand about that?" Dani asks.

"Because that means it was one of us." I hiss at her. "Someone of rank too. The only people who can alter memories are the Queen and her guards."

Dani's eyes widen. "Oh fuck."

"There wasn't the scent of leech at the scene was there?" I ask Jared.

"No." He answers. "I couldn't smell a leach aside from the Cullens for miles."

Paul shakes his head pacing back and forth. "I mean Sam didn't see them coming. Didn't smell them coming. Didn't sense them coming. Didn't hear them coming. None of us did. He just- just stopped talking."

I glance over at Emily with a distraught look on her face.

"Can we talk about this another time?" I hiss flicking my eyes to Emily. Paul and Jared's eyes simultaneously flick to Emily, standing in the doorway. She heard every word.

"It's going to be alright." I promise her. "I'm going to find him. I promise you."

Kim touches Emily's shoulder and gently pulls her back into the room with the others. Kim's eyes cover Jared for a few seconds as if making sure he's alright. Aside from being half distraught he seems alright.

I shake my head. "We aren't getting anything accomplished talking about it. How's Embry? Where is he?" I ask.

"He's down the hall." Emily says grabbing my wrist and tugging me down a long hallway. The door is open and Jake is beside him. He's unconscious, and looks as if he could be sleeping.

My heart drops into my stomach and my throat closes. My tongue feels thick and is heavy as lead.

"Oh my God." I whisper walking forward. I take his pulse, which isn't anything usual. A little slow at 70 beats per minute. He's just seriously out of it.

I inhale and catch a distinctively scentless scent.

"All Officers carry a signature scentless scent." I murmur. "And Embry's got the scentlessness all over him."

"Are you accusing an officer of treason?" Dani asks quietly. "Because I'm giving you a few minutes to reconsider quickly."

I inspect his body, shamelessly checking him out. But then I see it. Tangled in the hair at the base of his neck is a scar. It's healed already, but it was deep at one point.

"Alright look at this." I rest my knee beside him and push his body over onto his side in the recovery position before showing Jared and Jake. "Scar. Someone struck him with probably their sword over his neck. My guess is the assailant was waiting in a tree, and then jumped, took out Sam, and then took Embry.

"They targeted Sam?" Jared whispers.

I frown but shake my head. "No. Mara was under the impression Embry imprinted on me. Elemental Guardians have a similar rule to your never-hurt-an-imprint rule, and that's our never-hurt-another's-soul-mate-rule. For us, Soulmates are found and then formed, like we aren't born to find someone. But once we do, it's all the Guardians' job to protect them until the Elemental decides to throw the towel in."

I look at Dani. "Mara and Colette seemed to think that Embry and I were together because of you and Jake being all over each other right behind us."

"But they don't know their wolf forms." Dani stammers.

"They'd know their scents." I point out.

"But what do they want with these guys." Dani asks. "I mean Mara really wanted you especially to take her place. She isn't using them as leverage against us is she? Kill off your family and make it so nothing is stopping you?"

I shake my head. "If she is she would've gone after Embry first unless she's making a game out of it. I doubt it."

"Someone of power cleared Embry's memories but left him. So either someone is playing a long game with me, or it was Sam specifically they were after."

I make sure there was no way Emily could've heard me say it when I did let the words tumble out.

"Which means whatever they have in store for Sam isn't going to be good." Dani whispers.

I grab the hilt of my sword, squeezing tightly. My heart pinches painfully as I look down at Embry. To think I'm powerful enough to do something like that to someone who I love. That is one scary thought. I'm more powerful than all the officers put together. I'm not gloating, I'm being honest. The only thing they have over me is their ability to manipulate memories.

"How do you know he won't have memories?" Paul asks. "He hasn't even been awake yet."

"Because I know our kind." Dani growls. "We don't kill innocents but some of us aren't above hurting them for the mission. If Sam was the mission, which we're going to assume he was, then Embry's mind was tampered with so he wouldn't have any recollection. There's enough information circumstantially to gather who is responsible."

"However if they're playing the long game to blackmail me. Embry might have his memories if those memories weren't going to reveal who specifically took Sam. And if they do, then whoever took Sam should've taken Embry to get more of a reaction out of me." I explain. "So therefore I think we can rule out blackmail unless they really, really, really hate me and want to play the long game."

"And vampire is out, it didn't smell bad enough." Jared points out.

"Unless a vampire was working with you guys." Paul suggests.

I gag while Dani glowers at Paul violently. "Just because Elemental Guardians will associate with just about anyone doesn't mean we don't have lines we refuse to cross. Vamps being one of them. Only the ones with Golden eyes and good intentions are safe."

"So then who took Sam?"

Dani and I share a look. "We're going to find out." I say. "Jake, call your father and tell him I need to talk to the entire council, ASAP. Give me a call when they're all gathered. Paul, if I hear you left Embry's side, I'll ash your ass. Call me the second he wakes up. Understood?"

Paul nods and sits down on Embry's other side while Jake grabs his phone.

"Dani. Let's go." I say grabbing her wrist and tugging her outside. We jog into the woods and immediately I can smell it.

Scentlessness. It's a unique smell of it's own because it strips the air of all the other scents as well. It isn't hard to follow. And that's because it's everywhere. Whoever took Sam knew where he was going to be, how he moved, where he lived…. Whoever took Sam knew what to expect too.

Dani finds the clearing where they found Embry.

I can smell his blood saturated into the ground.

I stare at the large puddle and feel sick.

"Kensi?" Dani asks as I stare at the large blackened bloodstain on the forest floor.

"What?" I ask.

"We'll find Sam."

"If this is because I refused that job, I'm going to murder all three of them." I vow quietly. "If this is because of me and Embry got hurt as a result of it… I don't know what I'll do."

Dani shakes her head. "Embry will be fine. It's already healed."

"But this is a lot of blood Dani." I whisper looking at the ground. "If I find who did this, they are going to pay for it. With interest."

But I can't find any indication aside from scentlessness who did this.

I reach out to the trees and to the animals in the area, hoping to find something that I can read the mind of.

I find it in a skittish elk. I can sense a Cullen nearby, and I'm sure I'm about to scare off their dinner, but I don't much care.

Tentatively, I step forward cautiously, wary of the skittish animal before me. I slowly reach out my hand until I'm stroking the muzzle of the timid animal.

I peer into it's thoughts. Animals' thoughts are easier than humans, because humans know something isn't right and fight you. Animals don't know.

I learn several things. One, the elk is terrified of me, which is why it isn't moving, and afraid of the strange smelling thing that's been stalking it.

I look in further and then I find what I'm looking for.

Embry's gray and black wolf flies gracefully through the trees in the elk's mind. Sam follows behind him a few paces. Both of them stop and share a few glances, communicating with the pack.

And that's when it happens.

At the speed of light.

Speed of light insinuates that it was an Elemental Guardian that attacked. And I'd be right. She wears an 18th century gown that seems to be modernized. She's holding a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other as she leaps out of the forest canopy above Sam and Embry.

Her blade only cuts deep into Embry, but she uses the hilt of her sword as a blunt weapon that knocks him out immediately.

Embry bleeds profusely, but quickly passes out to blood loss.

The woman stands over Sam's unconscious form, staring at Embry. The Elk remember the air seeming thinner, and then fights my control as the stupid animal believes that it's oxygen is being stripped away once more.

The trees and foliage twist and bend with the force of the Elemental Guardian manipulating the air around us.

Embry was breathing pure carbon dioxide for too long. That, in combination with excessive bleeding he quickly passed out.

I watch as the Elemental Guardian steps over Sam's form before crouching down in front of Embry. She steps over his huge paw, bending to listen to his heart.

"I'm sorry." She whispers, but her voice was too faint for the Elk, and it sure as hell is too faint for me to identify the voice from. "Your mate is going to murder me." She concludes finally.

Abruptly, the Elemental Guardian stands upright and steps away from Embry. She turns to Sam and watches his black form intently.

Wind swirls around the clearing once more, pulling her dress taunt against her legs and swirling her cloak around her ankles.

The Elemental Guardian raises her arm, sword in hand and Sam's body slowly rises into the air. She follows Sam's limp form through the woods, heading south.

Immediately the elk flees and I leave it's mind. I push it away from the Cullen before nodding to Dani.

"Elemental Guardian. She apologized to Embry after she did it. I don't think hurting him was intentional. It's Sam she was after."

Dani curses.

"She went South, so let's follow it that way."

Dani and I follow the scent of nothingness for as long as we can until we get to a road. Along the roadside the grass is mashed down from where a truck was waiting.

I can see where the Elemental Guardian waded through knee-high grass in a gown on account of that grass being mashed down, leaving a trail.

But the trail goes cold as she gets into whatever was beside. I'm going to guess it was a van to hold Sam in his wolf form.

I walk through the grass to the roadside where I can see the tracks in the coarse sand left by whatever vehicle took Sam away.

"Dodge Ram." I mutter. "Probably a cargo van that he was tossed into. She manipulated the air to carry him through the forest without leaving a trail."

Dani swears as a vehicle races down the street towards us.

Inside is Sue Clearwater and Billy Black.

Sue pulls over for us and rolls down her window.

"Need a lift?" She asks. "What's going on?"

"Sam is missing. An Elemental Guardian took him. We tracked her as far as here before she got in a van with Sam and drove off." I explain.

"She took Embry and Sam both." Dani says. "But Embry wasn't intentionally hurt we don't think. We think that was an accident. Because immediately after she apologized to him. But Sam was her intended target."

Billy and Sue share a look. "Is there anything you can do on your end?"

Dani and I share a look. "No…" I trail off. "Because whoever did it is either the Queen, Lieutenant, or Captain of the Elemental Guardians and that is a group of women I do not want to cross. Make no mistake, I'll find the bitch that did this, and I'll kill her when I do, but until I know who it is, I can't point fingers or even make an accusation like this one until I know who did it for certain, and have the evidence to support it too. Otherwise, I'm going to die." I explain cautiously.

"Do you think it has anything to do with the vampire army?"

Dani and I share a look in shock.

"Mara and Colette knew we were using the help of the wolves to fight them off." I point out. "Do you think it's possible one of them is allied with the vampires?"

"Oh that's another, much worse, form of treason, so you better hope not." Dani whispers.

I look at Billy. "I honestly have no clue. We don't know who it was for certain, why they did what they did, what their game is and why they're playing it. We can talk more back at Emily's house. That's where everyone else is."

Billy nods. "Quil is on his way there, slowly but surely."

"Great. Mind if we get a lift?" I ask.

"Of course." Sue says.

I nod to Dani before jumping into the bed of their pickup. As the wind blows my hair around I can't help it.

But there's a strong sense of foreboding that makes every breath almost impossible.

Thunder rumbles overhead, rattling my bones. I finally accept that there's a storm coming. And not just a La Push thunderstorm. I'm talking about a full on war – that kind of storm.