"Sometimes we need to lose our way to find our way."
~Robin Sharma
********************

Anna

I commandeered the driver's seat after our wild hour of passion. My cheeks were still flushed, and my smile never left my face, but my focus remained solely on the road as we got closer and closer to Spencer's hideout. Dom sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window with a grin of his own, but his anxiety was evident from his thudding heartbeat, and I couldn't blame him. Knowing I was about to see Spencer after a few months of him being practically erased from existence, along with Elsa, it was a weird feeling.

I'd be more excited if the circumstances were better, but my gut told me Spencer was in bad shape, and not just physically. If I was losing my mind worrying about Elsa, I could only imagine Spencer was in a similar state.

"Here, turn down this road," Dom ordered, pointing to a hidden dirt road on the right.

"It's well hidden," I said, carefully driving up the path and avoiding any branches that could scrape up the car. I figured Dom didn't care if I did since paint could be easily fixed. Still, I didn't want to be responsible for any damage to his car.

For two miles, we drove through dense wood on the bumpy, dirt road. Sunlight barely filtered through the thick canopy of pine trees, and the only sign of life we saw were birds flitting from the branches.

Suddenly, I rounded a bend, and a stunning, two-story mansion came into view, appearing in much better shape than Dom told me it would be. Spencer and Elsa must've fixed it up.

I whistled, impressed. "This place is like a fortress."

"I think that's why Spencer liked it," Dom said. "You ready?"

"Absolutely." Shutting off the engine, I stepped out of the car, staring up at the building. "I don't hear anyone inside."

"I bet they either went out to get food or are hunting. What do you say we search the area?"

"See if you can find Spencer's scent. Or Rey's or Finn's. We need to stick to finding people who know us well."

"You think they have more in their pack?"

"We know they have Killian and the Park sisters, but I wouldn't put it past them to have found more rogues. Let's go."

Dom shifted into a gray wolf; I joined him as a brown one. We trotted off towards the back of the house, where we found a makeshift trail. I detected Finn's scent, and possibly Rey's and Spencer's. It'd been so long since I'd seen them, I couldn't remember if it was theirs or not.

This way. Dom said. I obeyed, falling into step with him. His shoulder brushed up against mine repeatedly, making me shiver as the memories from earlier washed over me. I wanted nothing more than to repeat this morning's activities.

Anna, maybe we should split up. Dom suggested.

Aren't we safer together? I countered, confused as to why he thought splitting up was a good idea in our weakened states.

Yes, but I can't focus with you bumping into me.

Why?

Because it makes me want to deviate from our current mission.

I snickered, unable to help myself. Oh?

Yes. You're making it extremely hard to focus.

As much as I'd like to find out what you want to do, I also respect the mission at hand too much. I trotted off to the side, going up the incline next to the trail. Smell anything?

No, but Spencer's scent is getting stronger, so we're definitely on the right path. Rey's is here too. They're most likely together. There's a third, but I don't know whose it is.

Probably Finn's. I have a scent up here, too, that's pretty strong. I'm going to follow it. Howl if you need me.

Be careful, Supergirl.

You too, Superman.

I walked uphill, scanning my surroundings and listening for any possible ambushes. I could hear Dom padding almost silently on the path below me, squirrels jumping from tree to tree, and birds twittering angrily at each other. Amongst it all, nearly imperceptible, was the cracking of a branch like someone stepped on it rather than it breaking off a tree.

Unsure if they were ally or enemy, I lowered myself to the ground, slinking towards the sound. The vegetation thinned out enough that it hindered my ability to hide, especially if what I was stalking turned out to be a Shifter. I'd have a better chance hiding behind the trunks as a human.

Reluctantly, I shifted. I didn't like being out in the middle of nowhere in unfamiliar territory as a human. I performed better as a wolf, but if it was a Shifter, they might be more willing to be friendly right off the bat to an 'innocent' human girl than another wolf.

I pressed my back up against the bark, listening carefully for the direction of my target. Although no more branches broke, I could hear their near-silent footfalls coming toward me along with some indecipherable muttering. Despite that, I recognized the voice.

Stepping out, I said, "Hey, Spencer."

The Stark alpha halted. "Elsa?"

I shook my head, smiling sympathetically. "No. Anna."

"Anna?" Spencer remained rooted in place, registering my presence before bounding towards me and lifting me into the air with a hug. "Oh, thank God! Dom said Callie attacked you. Are you okay?"

"I've had better days. How are you doing? You look almost as bad as I do."

"I haven't been sleeping."

"I understand more than you know." I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Dom isn't too far away. Want me to show you to him?"

"Yes!"

Shifting, the two of us sprinted in the direction I'd come. Although Spencer was following me, I could tell he was restraining himself from out-distancing me. Hyped on adrenaline, excitement, and worry, I could whole-heartedly understand.

I reached out to Dom in the meantime. I have Spencer! We're heading your way!

I have Rey and Finn! He replied immediately, enthusiastically.

While it felt like forever, in reality, it took about two minutes for our groups to clash. Spencer and Dom came to a skidding halt, shifting into humans in the process and crash-hugging into each other.

"It's good to see you, man," Dom said, a sigh of relief following his words. The brothers pulled away.

Spencer glanced Dom up and down and said, "Dude, you look like shit. What happened to you?"

Dom scoffed. "Speak for yourself. For the record, the Shadows found Anna and me yesterday. A fight ensued, but we're fine."

"He's ignoring the part where he almost died from the wolfsbane the Shadows dipped their silver claws in," I said, staring at him pointedly. "Although he's looking a hell of a lot better than he did right after the fight."

"Thanks to you."

"You're welcome. He's also failing to mention we had help from the most unexpected source-" Dom and I shared a brief glance- "Karina and Justin Kellerman."

While Rey and Finn wore blank expressions, Spencer blanched. "The Laroche Controllers?"

"The very same."

"Let's head back to the house, and you can tell us everything that happened," Spencer suggested. "We'll introduce you to the rest of the pack too."