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Tanner
It had been two, maybe three days, and I had yet to shift back. Staying in my wolf form was the best way I knew to dampen my emotions. The elders usually counseled against it because the longer we stayed as wolves, the harder it was to shift back.
When I remained in my wolf form, things were much simpler. Sleep, hunt, and eat. The allure of such a life was strong, and some shifters preferred it that way, mostly those who had massive problems.
I got it. My life was empty. I spent my days hunting the human detritus Carlos wanted rid of. When I wasn’t hunting in person, I was doing it online, with the help of various illegal software programs and the Dark Web.
There wasn’t much joy to be found in any of it.
I yawned and stretched. The cave I’d been sleeping in had sheltered me from the weather and was perfectly comfortable for my wolf. He was hungry, though. We’d survived on a few rabbits, but because of the weather, bigger prey was in short supply. My wolf wanted a more substantial meal, preferably a deer.
Outside, the sky was leaden, heavy with snow. Dusk was falling, and another storm was on the way. I’d lost track of time out here in the forest, but it didn’t matter. Cole and Silas wouldn’t bother looking for me yet. They’d be too busy caring for the human.
My emotions faded as I sped through the forest, following scent trails. I ignored the rabbits - we were sick of rabbit - instead, searching for something more interesting.
Hell, we’d settle for a coyote at this point. Not much meat on them, but the thrill of the chase was a lot more fun.
On and on we trotted, following indistinct trails around the mountain, until we picked up an unfamiliar scent and my wolf growled. It was the same scent we’d detected around the truck where Silas had rescued the human.
A man, possibly the same one she’d been running from.
My wolf growled, the sound jarring amid the quiet of the forest. Birds stopped chirruping and all the creatures fell silent. The scent trail was relatively fresh even though recent snowfall had covered any footprints.
I followed the trail. It led me in circles, each one widening. This man was looking for something. Or someone.
When I got within a mile of the cabin, it stopped. The scent was fresher here. In the distance, I could see lights. The man’s scent clung to rocks and brush all around the clearing and I found a discarded cigarette butt. He must have stayed a while.
There were no other trails, which meant he’d backtracked along the same path.
I briefly debated following the scent as far as the road but it seemed a waste of time, and also risky. The last thing I needed was some old timer with an itchy trigger finger spotting my wolf on the edge of the trees.
My wolf was strong, but he wasn’t bulletproof.
Anxiety spiked through me when I thought about someone searching for our little human. We needed to make sure she was safe with us. It was time to set up a more secure perimeter.
With my mind made up, I ignored the sharp hunger pangs and trotted back toward the cabin, ready to face my brothers.
And Eva.
Silas
Iheard the back door open. It had been three days since Tanner left. Cole and I had gone from angry to worried, especially given how he disappeared after Jessie died and didn’t return for nearly six months.
Tanner walked in wearing a pair of sweats. He looked like shit, but the anger had gone.
“You OK?” I asked. I might be furious with him for hurting Eva, but he was still my brother.
He grunted in reply and stalked into the kitchen. I heard the coffee machine grind and steam and then he reappeared with a mug in one hand and a pastry in the other.
“Sick of rabbit?” I smirked and his lip quirked up in a reluctant smile.
“We need to talk,” he grunted, swallowing the pastry in two bites.
“Cole is still mad.”
“This is about Eva. I think someone is looking for her.”
My senses sharpened and my wolf perked up, no longer sleepy. “What did you find?”
