Particles of debris were strewn all over the ground and trees around him. Smoke poured from the wooded area behind him where the lab stood minutes earlier when he’d taken Dare out of there. “Dare… Dare!!!” Staggering quickly to his feet he shuffled around, scanning the area to find his mate. Spotting a lump of charred fabric a few feet from him, he stumbled as fast as he could to see if it was Dare.Dropping to his knees beside the figure on the ground, he slowly pulled Dare into his arms. He gently swiped her tangled hair out of her face and checked to ensure she was breathing before letting out his own sigh of relief. With the ringing still in his ears, he quickly ran his hands over her body to check for breaks or other injuries before scooping her into his arms. Balduen stood swaying slightly before he regained his balance and headed back into the woods in the direction they had been going in before the lab and house had exploded behind them.Normally, Balduen would have waited a moment, given them a chance to take a break before heading out.
