“I cannot believe that I ran my mouth the entire trip about wolves and ferals and I’ve been talking to one. Oh, I am so embarrassed.” Jenny gives me a pained look. “I swear I’m not close-minded or so judgemental. I, well I’ve known good wolves.”
“The one that’s married to the gal that works at the coffee shop is a good one,” Carla says. “And he’s Alpha of his pack.”
That catches my interest.
“Alpha? Is he with Bloodstone?”
“No, they’re different. A bit south of here. Smaller pack but good folk. They’ve been helping Bloodstone try to track down those ferals.”
Jenny moans like she’s been shot. “I’m so embarrassed. Mortified. Can you forgive me?” She slumps against the door and gives me a pitiful look that makes me laugh.
“You’re really not mad I’m a wolf?”
“Mad? Why would I be mad? That’s how you were meant to be, isn’t it?”
“Well…I don’t know how else to be so yes. Even if I did, I wouldn’t change it.” My wolf lets out a howl of agreement and we all jump. Carla more so than either of us. She drops low against the steering wheel. I give my wolf a smack and quickly apologize.
“I’m sorry about that. I-well, I’ve just got my wolf. I don’t know how to control her yet.”
Carla waves me off. “I get it. The animal side can have a mind of its own sometimes. My advice is don’t try to control it.”
My wolf practically purrs in agreement at her words. It likes the idea of running wild and free, taking our skin when the mood strikes but I squash that. There’s no way that would work.
“Okay, I’ll, um, I’ll try,” I say. I don’t understand what she means. All my life, Frostclaw stressed the importance of ‘controlling your beast’ and making sure that ‘your beast serves you, not the other way around’. Maybe it’s different for Carla because she’s a bun-er, rabbit?
“Can you forgive me for running off at the mouth like that? I’m so sorry, Cordy.”
I smile at Jenny. “Of course, I can forgive you. I should have told you sooner.”
When I forgive Jenny it’s not a moment too soon. She throws both arms around me and hugs me hard enough to crack my back and only lets go when Carla tells her she’s cutting off my air. When we part, I hop out. Now is as good a time as any for me to be on my way, especially when I can see Jenny is gearing up to demand I sleep over so she can keep making it up to me.
“I’m good. I promise,” I tell her and hug her again. “The pack I’m going to, well it’s my pack. It’ll be a homecoming of sorts.”
“It’s still true about the ferals,” Carla tells me and points to the woods. “There is a pack of them in the woods. We don’t know where they came from but they’re dangerous. You’ll need to watch your back until you’re in the pack territory. They have patrols that run the forests, and you should hit it a few miles out from the trailhead here. You’ll know it when you get to a big meadow. That’s the start of Bloodstone proper.”
I make a mental note about the meadow. “Right, run till I hit the meadow. I promise I’ll be careful.”
“You better come into town soon or I’ll send a search party out for you. I mean it, Cordy. I’ll come up here looking for you myself. Oh, and stay away from beautiful,dangerousshifters. We both know how that worked out the first time.”
I blush but promise to heed her words. “I won’t go near them and I’ll do my best to be back once I’ve settled in. I swear.” It feels weird to talk about Bloodstone like I won’t have a problem settling in but it does help calm my nerves some. A welcome development knowing there’s a band of dangerous ferals roaming the area. We all hug again before the women get back into their truck. I watch as Carla makes a U-Turn to head back into town and wave to them as they drive by. I stay there for another minute or so watching them until their truck rounds the bend before I pull my hood up and start walking.
Chapter
Fourteen
CORDELIA
Imake good time getting to the trailhead and onto the path to Samson Peak. When I get a mile or so in the forest well and truly rises up around me and closes in. For the first time since I left Maud’s hut, I feel at home. I close my eyes and stand still while the rain falls in sheets on the trees overhead. The steadyshush shush shushsound of wind, rain, and trees dancing together calms me. The trees are old enough to keep me nice and dry here in the forest. I bend down and grab a fistful of dirt. I let it sift through my fingers and smile.
“I’m free,” I whisper, even though there’s no one to hear me but the forest. “I’m free,” I say, this time louder. A laugh bubbles up in me and I rise from my crouch and take off in a run. My wolf prances. Freedom calls to her just the same as it does me. She wants to run and for a second I think about it.
“You’ll need to watch your back until you’re in pack territory. They have patrols that run the forests, and you should hit it a few miles out from the trailhead here. You’ll know it when you get to a big meadow. That’s the start of Bloodstone proper.”
Carla’s warning about the ferals reminds me of why I can’t let my wolf out. She might be strong, at least, she feels thatway. Even if she’s not, I know one thing for certain. My wolf is delusional enough to challenge Alpha Ashford.
She wanted to rip him limb from limb. She wanted to tear his eyes out and…and…I don’t know what else but it wasn’t good. Even a strong wolf is vulnerable during their first shift. Clumsy like a newborn foal getting their legs under them. I remember how Keiran wobbled and tripped on his first moon run. I’d been hanging back like I always did when I saw him fall. He’d been twelve which was young but Keiran was strong. He was destined to be strong as the Alpha’s son and heir to the pack.
If Keiran fell on his face what chance did my wolf have in a fight against ferals her first shift?
