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The cop eyes me warily, like he’s trying to gauge how much to divulge. Finally, he gives a curt nod.
“Security breach. Handlers got mauled,” he says grimly. “Looks like there was a problem with some of the wolves. We’re still trying to figure out what exactly happened, but…” He trails off, his gaze drifting toward the buildings.
My stomach drops as the implication sinks in. If they think the wolves turned on their handlers… Fuck, this is bad. Really bad.
“You mean…some of those wolves got loose?” I pitch my voice higher, letting fear creep in. The cop’s eyes snap back to me.
“That’s what it’s looking like so far,” he confirms. “So I need you to clear out of this area for your own safety. We’ve got units mobilizing to do a sweep, put the animals down if need be.” His jaw tightens. “Can’t risk having any more civilian casualties if they’re running wild out there.”
I force myself to keep up the charade, feigning horror. “You’re gonna…kill them? All of them?”
The cop remains terse. “Any wolves we come across, yeah. Can’t take any chances when they’ve already turned deadly aggressive.” His tone grows firmer. “Now, I need you to head on out of here. We’ve got an armed search party heading into those trees within the hour.”
My mind is racing. “Right…right, of course. I’ll get out of your way, Officer.” I start backing away slowly. “Be careful out there, yeah? Those things are unpredictable.”
The cop just grunts in acknowledgment, already turning his attention elsewhere as I retreat to the trail. But as soon as I’m screened from view, I break into a jog, my boots thudding against the pine-padded soil.
The she-wolf!
I have to find her before those trigger-happy cops do. If they really think the wolves went rogue, they won’t hesitate to shoot first and ask questions never. And I can’t let anything happen to her. Not after the strange connection I felt with her, the sense that we’re somehow bound together.
I move swiftly but silently through the underbrush, all my senses pinging. Scanning, searching for any sign of that sleek golden form. If the cops are planning to mobilize a hunting party to take down the “rogue” wolves, I don’t have much time.
Anxiety coils tight in my gut as I hurry onward. What if Cedara isn’t the only shifter loose out here? What if there are others, maybe injured or disoriented after an escape attempt? I can’t let them get caught in the crossfire, either. Not on my watch.
My pulse pounds with urgency as I push forward, my strides eating up the ground. I have to find them first…have to keep them safe. No matter what it takes.
Chapter 6
Cedara
I pad barefoot over the thick carpet of pine needles, trying to find my bearings. I know that I’ve spent endless hours out here, but now, confused, disoriented, nothing is familiar anymore.
Flashes of memory tumble through my mind – the terror of seeing my family caged, the desperation as I prowled around that awful place, searching for a way in. I know I shouldn’t linger here, that every moment they’re in there risks their safety and mine.
God. What am I doing?
My steps slow as confusion clouds my thoughts. Where am I going? What am I searching for? I should turn back, make for the cover of the trees where I can keep watch. And yet…an inexplicable force tugs me onward, a call I can’t ignore. The pull intensifies with each stride until I find myself walking down a well-defined trail.
You shouldn’t be here!
I’ve steered clear of every type of human structure since I’ve been out in this place. Yet here I am, half-walking, half-jogging along a path that will surely lead to the entrance of that hellhole. I wrap my arms around myself, shivering against the cool air…and maybe more.
I’ve lost my mind.
But I keep going, my steps speeding up, moving quickly. Until footsteps pound from up ahead, steady, rhythmic, coming toward me.
Shit! Hide!
I don’t. I keep moving…moving faster in the direction of the sound, that invisible rope drawing me forward until the footsteps stop.
And there he is – the stranger from before. The man who is like me.
Our eyes meet, and I freeze, a rabbit caught in the gaze of the wolf. Except I was the wolf before. And he was my prey.
I can’t think about that now.
I’m naked.
