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The other man grunted, but his steps fell more heavily on the ground. I glanced at the two boars I’d killed and quickly untied the vines wrapped around them. I dragged one further away, smearing blood along the ground, then positioned the other one on the edge of the clearing.
“What if it escaped? And attacks us?” The scared one questioned, his voice so high I winced. “I don’t want to become no werewolf.”
“It doesn’t work that way, boy,” the other one sneered. “Now shut up before you piss yourself.”
I crouched, easing backwards, my gaze sweeping the area to make sure there was no sign of my presence. The vines caught my attention and I hurriedly shoved them deeper into the hollow. My breath hissed out as I heard them come closer and I looked for another place to hide.
My gaze caught on a low hanging limb and I swung myself up before I could change my mind. My rib protested, but there was no time as they came into the clearing. Silently, I braced myself against the trunk of the tree, trusting the darkness and their stupidity to keep me hidden.
“If there’s traps out here, how do we know we won’t step on one?” The kid’s nervous question stopped them in their tracks and the older one shoved the younger one in front of him.
“Why don’t you go first then?” He ordered as Strickland brought up the rear, his gaze wary. The kid stumbled into the clearing, his panicked gaze darting everywhere as he panted, practically hyperventilating. I tucked myself closer to the tree, afraid he might actually catch sight of me with the way his head was bobbing.
“Where is it?” The older man snarled. “A wolf can fetch a good price even if it’s injured.”
Strickland came up when he realized there was no injured wolf about to attack. My lip curled at the sight of him and this evidence of his betrayal. It wasn’t hard to determine the two men were hunters and it appeared he was working with them.
“I don’t see anything,” the kid commented, his voice quavering. “Can we go now?”
Strickland pushed to the front, his gaze determined. “Something made that noise and I want to know what.”
“Go ahead,” the other guy muttered, yanked the kid back. “If it isn’t a wolf shifter, I don’t care.”
He poked Strickland in the chest, his voice full of warning, “Just make sure you deliver what you promised or we’ll have a problem.”
“What’s that?” My attention jerked back to the kid, afraid he’d spotted me, but he was pointing at the edge of the clearing where the boar’s tuck was barely visible. “Is that a demon?”
The older guy rolled his eyes, shoving him aside as he stomped over to the dead boar. “No, boy. Your momma needs to quit filling your head with that foolishness.” He kicked the dead animal. “Here’s your human,” he sneered to Strickland. “It’s a dead pig.”
“What killed it?” The kid asked, glancing around fearfully. “What could kill that?” I closed my eyes, cursing the damn kid and his incessant questions. Clearly, he was the only one with a brain.
His question made the other men draw up short as they traded wary glances. “Spread out, look for tracks,” the older one ordered and Strickland shot him an angry look, but obeyed.
The kid wandered close to my tree, practically standing underneath it and I prayed he didn’t look up because there was no way he would miss me. “Over here,” Strickland called and the kid shuffled away as I let out the breath I’d been holding. “There’s another one.”
“Two of ‘em must have fought. Killed each other.”
“That would explain the noises we heard.” The older man grabbed the kid. “Satisfied? I don’t like wasting my time.”
“Yeah,” Strickland replied, nodding to the north. “Head that way about a mile and you’ll be off our land.” I gritted my teeth when he said our land. “There’s no traps, but I’d avoid the lands to the south.” My forehead wrinkled as Strickland warned the hunters away from Caleb’s Pack lands. The other men muttered agreements, striding off as Strickland stood over the dead boars, and I held my breath, wondering what he would do next.
He waited until they were out of earshot, then leaned down and picked up a boar, slinging it over his shoulder then grabbing the other one. He lumbered into the woods in the direction of home and I exhaled, relief turning my body liquid. I sat heavily on the branch, trying to process what I’d just witnessed.
“Strickland is working with hunters.” Even saying it out loud didn’t help, the idea was so ludicrous. He’d been Gran’s most loyal solider as long as I’d been alive. The idea that he would betray her seemed impossible, but there was no denying what I’d just seen.
