Page 79 of Nitro

Spike and I emerged from the truck and I sucked in a breath at the sight of the abandoned quarry.

I knew Moon Burrow used to be a mining town a long time ago.

"That bastard who took Marc picked a difficult location," Spike muttered under his breath and I had to agree.

"How the hell will we know where Tommy is?" Spike demanded.

Spike had a point. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the uneven ground, painting a sinister atmosphere.

The quarry was huge, and without a specific location, finding Tommy and Marc would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

I scanned the area, trying to discern any signs of recent activity, only to feel white hot pain in my chest.

I wasn't hurt, not physically, but my mate was.

"Nitro," Spike said in alarm as I clutched my chest.

"Tommy, he's nearby," I uttered.

"Right. You can sense him through the mate bond. Pinpoint where he is," Spike urged.

"That's not the easiest thing in the world to do," I muttered. "We're both still new to the bond."

"Nitro, hate to break it to you, but tommy's life is at stake here. Breathe in and out. Try to zero in on me," Spike told me.

A ragged laugh slipped out. It felt like Spike and my roles were reversed.

I was the calm one usually giving out instructions when we were stuck in a dangerous scenario.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart and focus on the bond that connected me to Tommy.

Closing my eyes, I inhaled slowly, attempting to drown out the chaos around us and tune into the connection with Tommy.

Spike's voice cut through my concentration. "You can do this, Nitro. Tommy needs us,” Spike said.

His words spurred me on, and I visualized the bond as a thread of light stretching out from my chest.

With each breath, I tried to extend my awareness along that link, reaching out to sense Tommy's presence.

I sensed Tommy’s distress and his anger. After a few moments, Tommy’s presence blazed in my mind.

"Got it," I said, my eyes snapping open. "He's that way."

I pointed towards the direction where the connection felt strongest—the mineshaft.

Spike nodded, his expression grim. "Let's move. We're running out of time,” Spike said.

TOMMY

As I stumbled through the dimly lit tunnels, I wished for the hundredth time that I brought a flashlight.

Right now, all I could rely on was the small beam of light from my cellphone.

Some shifters could see in the dark but not magpie shifters.

I swallowed. The battery was going to die out any moment and when that happened, I didn’t know what I’d do next.

The moment I got out of my cab, I heard a voice in my head, telling me to go to the mine shafts.