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There, my wolf senses the other wolf before we actually see it.
I tense, prepared to flee because it's what I'm built for. Before I can, a red-covered wolf steps into view. It takes me a beat to realize her actual fur is tinged red naturally, she's not bloodied. And that causes just enough hesitation to let her get the jump on me.
She pounces right toward me, teeth bared. It's too late to flee, but my wolf's instinct kicks in, my eyes falling closed in a way that makes my heart rate spike with concern.
That's not right. Look! You have to look!My pleading does nothing for my wolf now that she's taken over.
The ground under me shakes, a volatile feeling that sets my entire being off kilter. I can practically hear the earth groaning as it moves for me. My eyes open just in time to see the other wolf struggling to stay upright. She looks at me with wide, terrified eyes as I stare back with a strange calmness.
She shifts into her human form, still unsteady and gaping at me. “Did that really just happen?” she asks breathlessly, clearly shaken.
I can’t answer her in wolf form, and I have no intention of shifting for her. I can sense other wolves heading this way. Wolves she was leading right for me. There’s no reason I should know it without seeing them with my own two eyes—or at the very least smelling or hearing them—yet I do.
If I thought I was crazy hearing voices before, it’s nothing compared to how I feel now.
“A war is coming.” Those words once again float around me.
Yeah, I get it.Clearly, the spirits don’t mean a metaphoric war. The woman in front of me was out for blood just a minute ago.
The ground starts to settle, leaving me uneasy. I keep watch over the unfamiliar wolf out of the corner of my eye, but start backing away, careful to avoid spots where the earth has started to split open. Whatever this is, and whatever role I just played in it, it scares me a little. The ground beneath my very feet has been permanently altered.
With fresh adrenaline, I turn and start to sprint. It isn’t the right direction, and I know that, but I also don’t feel like I have any other choice.
* * *
Tasha is the one who sees me first.Tess!She takes a few running bounds toward me, several other wolves I recognize from Dominic’s pack following behind her. With Dominic himself bringing up the rear.
Don’t! Turn and run, don’t stop until we’re back on Anchorage Lake Pack land. I think I’m being followed. Possibly by rogues.
What?My sister’s wolf eyes widen.You’re joking, right?
Move, Tasha. Now!
As far as I can tell, no one was following me the last couple of miles, but that’s only because I had a head start and fast legs. It feels inevitable that the wolf who failed to attack me and whatever other wolves she might be running with are going to be close behind somewhere. They know what direction I ran, so following my scent will be too easy.
Tasha seems to take the hint. She turns and pivots just as I’m catching up to her, the two of us passing Dominic’s pack of very confused wolves.
I can feel Dominic’s eyes boring into me, and I’m pretty sure he’s trying to mind link, but the connection is severed since I formally rejected him. He must realize it because he growls in frustration as I’m passing. He clearly has no idea what’s going on, but he follows my cue.
Tasha and I lead the pack back to their own territory, Dominic’s wolves building a kind of protective wall behind us as Dominic falls into pace beside me. He manages to keep up since I’ve slowed to run alongside my sister.
You’re freaking me out, Tess, Tasha tells me as we reach the highway.
There’s a lull in traffic—thank Goddess, because I’m not sure how anyone could logically explain a pack of wild wolves crossing the highway at midday. At least that’s one potential issue we can cross off our list. We make it safely to the other side, back onto Dominic’s land, but I don’t quit running.
I saw on East Terrace Green Pack land that boundary lines mean nothing to rogues that decide they want to fight. I don’t feel safe simply being in Dominic’s territory. I want to be somewhere as safe as it gets—his pack house. He wouldn’t have been housing me there if he didn’t consider the place safe.
The wolves behind us start to turn, and I glance at Dominic to see what's going on. He's fully focused—mind linking with his pack, I imagine—as the others peel off and start back the way we just came. The idea of them running back and not knowing what could be facing them makes my chest seize up.
I dig my heels into the ground, pulling up short.
It takes a second for Tasha and Dominic to realize I've stopped, circling back to me. I shift quickly, desperate to stop Dominic from sending his pack into potential danger. Tasha shifts with me, but Dominic stays in wolf form, watching me closely with warily narrowed eyes.
"There was a wolf tracking me back there. I think there were a lot more coming behind her. She didn't announce herself, so they must be rogues, right? Why else would she have instantly jumped to attack me on neutral ground?" My words rush out nervously.
"What? Are you okay? What were you thinking?" Tasha grabs me by the arms, looking me over for injuries.
"Stop, Tasha." There's no time for her mother hen act right now. "Are you listening to me?" I ask Dominic. "You need to warn your pack not to go rushing around out there. I have a feeling they were following me, and I have no idea how many of them there might have been."
