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We had barely landed when I turned to Tori, Audrey, and Kyle. “Remember, if anyone asks, Brett Longtail is the one who negotiated with the hostile witch coven and put a stop to the hunting factions.”
Tori raised an eyebrow, her expression amused but skeptical. “You really think people are going to buy that? Brett’s too much of a coward and way too self-obsessed to pull off something like that.”
“I know, but it was part of our deal. Let’s just stick to the plan and hope for the best.”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes. The others nodded in agreement, and we set off toward Blackwood Creek.
As we neared town, Clawson and another shifter scout met us on the outskirts. They were always vetting the people coming and going. Clawson’s eyes flicked between Tori and me, and a smile of understanding spread across his face.
“Congratulations, you two,” Clawson said warmly. “Your mating is a joyous occasion for all of us.”
“Thanks, Clawson,” I said, grinning like a madman.
Clawson bared his throat to Tori in a gesture of submission customary among our kind towards the new luna. Tori hesitated for a moment—she wasn’t used to such deference—before nodding her thanks. I was over the moon about her officially being my luna. The sheer happiness of finally being wholly together overwhelmed me. I would never tire of this feeling.
“Welcome home,” the other scout added, offering his throat to Tori and a respectful nod to the rest of us before returning to his duties.
“Thank you,” Tori said. She glanced in my direction, joy radiating in her eyes.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” I said.
“By the way.” Clawson shifted his weight as he glanced back toward the town. “The vampires and tiger shifters Dean mentioned arrived while you were away. Margo’s been helping them get settled in.”
“Thanks for letting us know,” I said. Good, more allies had arrived. “Tori, Audrey, would you go help Margo with our guests?”
“Sure thing,” Tori said, her eyes meeting mine briefly before she and Audrey headed off.
I was so grateful for the deep connection between Tori and me. My inner wolf was no longer antsy about her leaving my side because we could still communicate and sense each other no matter the distance.
“Clawson, have there been any indications of hunter movement nearby?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Haven’t heard from shifters outside of Blackwood Creek in a while. Most seem to be in town.”
His admission sent a chill down my spine. It was unsettling, not knowing when the hunters would strike, but we had to be prepared. I glanced at Kyle, wondering if he had any insight.
“Kyle, did you hear anything while you were with the hunters that might give us a clue about their plans to move on Blackwood Creek?” I probed.
He frowned, scratching the back of his neck as he thought. “Not much, really. Most of my focus was on finding Tori, so I didn’t pay too much attention to their overall plans. But I do know my father. He’s a persistent fucker. He’s driven by hisrelentless pursuit of his self-imposed, foolish goals. I knew about Giselle’s work ‘curing’ shifters. William made me think it was the only way I’d get my sister back, so I didn’t follow it closely. I should have—I see that now. I made assumptions based on what William and Giselle told me. That’s why I didn’t know it killed shifters eventually.” He sighed and looked up at me, his blue eyes—so like Tori’s—filled with sincerity. “Ridge, I should probably apologize for that whole kidnapping thing. I mean, we’re basically brothers-in-law now.”
I chuckled at his sheepish expression. I always found it amusing how alike his and Tori’s mannerisms were. “Don’t sweat it, Kyle. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of in our pasts. What matters is what we do moving forward.”
“Thanks, Ridge,” he said, relief washing over his face. “I appreciate that.”
We walked in companionable silence for a few moments before Clawson waved us over. The urgency in his stance had my wolf bristling
“Clawson, what have you got?” I asked, my voice carrying a note of command.
“New reports from the scouts just came in,” he said, holding out a piece of paper for me to read. “There’s been hunter movement near Blackwood Creek, but they seem to be keeping their distance for now.”
“Fuck,” I said under my breath, balling up my fists. “They’re testing our defenses, seeing how prepared we are.”
“Seems like it,” Clawson said, his brow furrowed in concern. “We need to stay vigilant, make sure everyone’s on high alert.”
“Absolutely.” I nodded to my friend and second-in-command. “Keep the patrols going and make sure everyone is informed of the situation. We can’t afford to be caught off guard.”
“Understood, Ridge.” Clawson gave me a quick nod before heading back to his duties.
“Come on, Kyle,” I said. “Let’s go find Tori and Audrey. They need to know what’s going on.”
