Inhaling deeply, he didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary, but he was very certain that someone was watching who didn’t belong in the pack’s territory.His hands gripped Kaeli close for a moment longer, and then he released her slowly.
“Get dressed, we’re being watched,” he whispered.
Anger surged through him as he stared into the dark trees and dressed swiftly.Beyond them was another neighborhood, but the houses were more spread out, so there were more places to hide and watch.Not to mention the dirt road that bordered the town.
“Are we in danger?”she whispered as she found her jeans and pulled them on.
“Not at the moment, but yes.I fucked up.”He pulled up the contact for the security office and put in the call.Grabbing her arm when she had her shoes on, he said, “This is Solan.There’s an intruder or possibly multiple intruders on the eastern side of town.I’m pinning my location.”He sent the pin and then hustled Kaeli toward the house.
“Got it,” Gabriel said.“You okay?”
“Yeah.I’m getting Kaeli home, then I’m heading back here.”
“I’ll meet you.Dove is patrolling with Rodrick.I’ll send them to the pin.”
“Thanks.”
The house came into view, and Kaeli exhaled sharply, like she’d been holding her breath until they got to safety.He opened the back door and hurried inside with her, taking a quick walk through to make sure no one had ducked inside while they were gone.“The house is clear, lock the doors behind me,” he said.
He pulled her close and gave her a quick kiss.
“Be safe,” she said.
“I will.And I’m sorry.”
“For what?Sexing me up so good I saw stars?”She smirked as she spoke and then smiled.“I’m the one who should be sorry.I should have suggested we come back to the house.”
“Nothing to be sorry for.I’ll be back.”
He walked out but didn’t leave the back patio until he heard the door lock.Then he raced off to where they’d been intimate and arrived just as Dove and Rodrick appeared.Gabriel showed up a minute later.
Solan told them he and Kaeli had been out for a walk, and that he was certain they were being watched.Gabriel looked toward the place where Solan had felt someone watching.Whoever it was hadn’t been close enough for him to see them, but with binoculars or cameras, they could have been anywhere.All he knew for sure was that whoever had been watching didn’t belong in Thorn Hollow.
“Let’s head straight out,” Gabriel said.“I’ve called an alert to all available security team members.When we figure out what we’re dealing with, we’ll take the next steps.”
They walked in a straight line through the woods, ears open, wolves at the ready.It wasn’t until the dirt road came into view that Dove let out a gasp as she stumbled.“Damn it, I kicked something.”She shone her flashlight on the ground and revealed a discarded lens cap, possibly from a camera or binoculars.The ground was crushed all around the area, and there was a faint tang of ozone in the air.
“What is that?”Rodrick asked.“It smells like lightning.”
“I think it’s a chemical spray that prevents humans from smelling like humans to shifters.It was marketed a few years ago for deer hunters, but anti-shifter assholes used it to mask their infiltration of shifter territories, and it was taken off the market.I’m sure they got it on the black market,” Gabriel said.“Which I’m pretty sure we all know what this means.”As Gabriel lifted his phone to his ear, Solan walked down the dirt road and saw wide tire tracks that looked fresh.
He hadn’t heard a vehicle at all.It was possible it was an electric vehicle, which wouldn’t make much noise.
“It’s Foley, right?”Dove asked.“That anti-shifter asshole and his mercs are back.”
“Seems like it,” Solan said.“But his people didn’t attack Kaeli and me, so I’m not sure what they were doing.”
He turned away from the dirt road and faced the trees.Beyond them was a neighborhood, another thick span of woods, and then his own neighborhood.Anyone could have been harmed by anti-shifter people on the dirt road, but they’d done nothing but watch.
“Maybe they realized you saw them and they left,” Rodrick said.
“Maybe,” Solan said.
Gabriel put his phone in his pocket.“Adam says we need to grid search.Brick wants to come back from his honeymoon, but he’s still got a couple of days left, and Adam told him to stay put with his mate, or he’ll personally put a boot up his ass.So it’s on you, Solan.How do you want to do this?”
“Back to the security office, call everyone in.I’ll set up the grid search.It’ll be dawn in another hour, so let’s hustle.”
He sent a text to Kaeli and told her that he’d be back in a few hours when the search was finished.She offered to help, but he told her he would rather she stay where she was so he wouldn’t have to worry about her.
