Two nights had passed, and Elias was still nowhere to be found. As if enough hadn't been going wrong, Nineva was beginning to grow worried that this meant he was gone. Not necessarily hurt or detoured just... gone. Like so many others in her life and, honestly, like she had expected on some level. She would have pushed the emotions this stirred down and locked them away, if not for her daughter. Ellery wouldn't understand if Nineva attempted to explain that sometimes, this just happened, even to those you loved the most, and really, Nineva didn't want her to understand. Not this young. Not ever, if that was at all possible.

After a final search of the territory, she returned to the epicenter of the pack to seek out the young blonde. There was a slight wheeze to her breathing from the exertion, evidence that the sickness remained settled within her lungs, but it wasn't going to slow her down anymore. She was finished being an invalid.

"Ellery?"