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You got any idea where Brody is?
The gurgling sound started up in my mind again, only that time I watched as Dean’s wolf eyes widened. I knew he heard it as well. That horrible, no good sound that meant death was surely upon someone’s doorstep.
“Find him,” Dean commanded, “and don’t you stop until you do.”
My worry wasn’t that I wouldn't find him, though. I knew I’d eventually figure out where the hell our cowardly alpha had skittered off to.
My worry was that I wouldn’t find him breathing.
Especially if all I heard whenever I reached out to him was the sound of him struggling to breathe.
24
RAVEN
“Man, could you guys live any further from this place?” I asked as the winding roads slowly ushered us back to Bend.
Hudson snickered. “It could always be more remote out here. The Pacific Northwest is good for that kind of stuff.”
I shook my head softly. “I already told Brody that he could be alpha in my absence. You think he’s just going to hand that back over?”
He shrugged. “He won’t have a choice.”
“What do you mean?”
“In order for you to transfer your powers as alpha to him, a ritual has to take place.”
I blinked. “You’re kidding.”
He chuckled. “Not one bit. Even if you would’ve left town, you still would’ve been alpha. He would’ve simply been acting alpha. Like Dean has been in Colin’s presence. Dean holds none of the power of the title, but people listen to him simply because he’s helped keep the pack together since your father’s death.”
“So, you’re telling me that I still would’ve been connected to you guys even if I would’ve left?”
“It’s why I wanted to come out and intercept you. Even if you had made the decision to leave us for good, you still would’ve had to come back and perform the ritual.”
I sighed. “Jesus, I really know nothing about all of this.”
He patted my knee before resting his palm against it. “Which is why we’re all going to teach you. Once we can get you settled and get the pack stabilized from the bear attack, all of us are gonna—look out!”
“Ah!”
I slammed on the brakes of the rental car as a malleable shadow slammed down into the middle of the mountain road. I ripped the steering wheel to the left, careening us closer to the side of the rock-face as the shadow took off further down the mountain. The ground shook with each leap of the creature. The car spun around, leaving track marks on top of the asphalt as I held onto the steering wheel for dear life.
And as Hudson rolled down his window, he sniffed the air deeply. “No.”
I blinked. “What?”
He slowly looked over at me. “Bears.”
That was when I sniffed deeply as well before recoiling. “Holy fuck, why are they so far south?”
And as we looked at one another, we spoke at the same time.
“The pack.”
I threw the car into reverse and stepped on the gas. I got myself turned around, then I throttled the fucking engine as much as I could. I leaned forward, focusing on the road ahead of me as the world passed us by. My night vision took over, sharpening and dousing everything in a green-scale that brought the entire nighttime world around me to life.
And the closer we got to the pack, the stronger the putrid stench became.
