Page 81 of A Wolf for Winter

“Wha—” Boar stopped fussing with his jacket, snatched Lilac’s hand, and launched them both after the running caretaker. “By the Green Mother, how is he so damn fast? Allen, wait up!”

“He won’t,” she panted, her lungs already burning. She understood why, too: Allen had lost two families in his life and he wasn’t about to lose a third.

Allen was deep into the forest when they reached the tree line.

“We’re supposed to stick together,” Boar protested, calling green magic to his hand. He cast it upon the snowy ground to find the caretaker’s tracks now that the trees had turned the moonlight into a hazy patchwork upon the ground.

“Stop fussing.” Still holding his hand, she crouched down and pressed her palm to the footprint she knew to be Allen’s.

“You’re not Uncle Tod,” he told her, jerking on her hand. “Come on.”

She ignored his pull. “He still taught me a thing or two extra, so shut up and let me concentrate.” After discovering her delight for small animals, Uncle Tod had shared with her a very special spell to make it easier for her to find her little friends. Green magic pulsed at her fingertips as she chanted the Tracking Spell,

“Soft as feathers and a firefly’s light,

follow the steps of the walker this night.”

Allen’s footprint glowed with a faint gold light, the illumination spreading to the next and the next until his entire trail twinkled off between the trees.

“Whoa,” her brother breathed.

“Come on.”

Since the entire trail was illuminated, they were able to cut out the zig-zag parts and follow a straighter line through the woods. The compacted snow made the travel easier, though the snowflakes that were falling more earnestly now might eventually obscure the trail. Her magical core hadn’t replenished itself yet, and it probably wouldn’t for some time if she didn’t rest. But that wasn’t an option. Not when her younger sister was in danger.

They were both panting when they reached the terminal end of the glowing trail. Allen whirled upon hearing their approach, looking feral. He blinked, returning to his senses, then his eyes widened at the sight of his illuminated footprints.

“Your trail was backtracking a lot just now,” she said without preamble. “Is the scent weaker or something?”

“Scent?” Boar scoffed. “You make it sound like he’s a bloodhound. That’s my man you’re calling a dog.” He flicked her in the shoulder. “Rude.”

“I can’t smell her anymore,” Allen revealed, a panicked edge to his voice. “Something’s obscuring her and their tracks. It’s maddening.” His voice cracked at that last, his hands clenching into fists. He ducked his head, sucking in a ragged breath, his shoulders trembling.

Lilac stepped forward and cupped his face, lifting his golden eyes to meet hers.

“Hands off, hussy!” Boar exclaimed.

They ignored him. “Can you smell the forest?” she asked Allen. “The different trees, the passage of deer, the squirrels asleep in their hollows?”

He nodded.

“Something magical is afoot,” she said. “Maybe more of that fae magic, like the heretic’s fork. You said you can’t smell Rose anymore. Then don’t smell her. Smell the absence of her. It sounds like something is scrubbing all trace of her. So, track the nothingness left behind.”

“It’ll be a gap between scents,” he realized. “You’re a brilliant witch, you know that?” Then his gaze flicked to Boar. “I won’t be able to track that as a man.”

Lilac gave him a reassuring smile as she dropped her hands and stepped away. She linked arms with Boar, who seemed to want nothing to do with her now that she’d put a move on his man. “Do it. I promised to protect all of you, didn’t I?”

The trust in his smile warmed her all the way down to her toes.

Between one heartbeat and the next, there was a cacophony of ripping fabric, and a golden-white wolf stood where Allen had been. The beast shook the remnants of the white dress shirt and navy pants from his fur, then gave the Hawthornes an expectant look.

Boar, his brown eyes as wide and round a molasses cookies, emitted a strangled note like that of a yowling cat, then: “L-lover?”

“It’s alright, Boar,” Lilac assured confidently. She squeezed his arm linked with hers. “That’s still Allen. Isn’t he wonderful?” While she kept her tone upbeat and confident, she still channeled every ounce of magic into her free hand, ready to sucker punch her brother if he even thought about hurting her wolf.

Boar took a staggering step or two forward. The Nemean wolf remained still, though Lilac could tell it was with effort since all Allen wanted to do was find Rose. But he had to secure this ally so he wouldn’t get nailed with a blast of green magic when he turned his back.

Her brother lifted a hand, and the wolf gently licked his fingers. Boar yelped, mostly from surprise, then wiped his hand off on his jacket with a laugh. “Aww, who’s a pretty boy? You are, aren’t you? Who wants cuddles?”