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“That was a nasty storm. I hope you didn’t get caught in it.”
The hurricane didn’t travel this far south.
Falcon Lake is wolf territory; every shifter knows that. Since he spoke to me in English, he doesn’t think I’m from Mexico, so that lake would be a good guess as to where I’m from.
“I may need to stop by the hardware store too.” I frown.
“That bad, huh?” He starts to ring up my items.
“Nothing a few nails can’t fix.” It’s probably not a good idea to let him know how much destruction has happened in my pack.
He opens a drawer, and I step back in case I need to run. I’m more on edge than I thought. He pulls out a small packet of nails, and I laugh. “Are these enough?” he asks.
“I might need a few more than that,” I say, smiling. He pulls out another bag, and I roll my eyes with a huge grin plastered on my face. “Sure. I think that’ll do it.”
“You can take them for free. You’re shopping comes to $25.68.”
I’m guessing he’s joking about the nails, and I leave them on the counter. I put down the money and grab my shopping. “Thanks.”
I’m almost at the exit when he catches up with me. “Wait.”
I spin around to face him but keep moving back. “My friends are waiting and I’m kind of in a hurry.” I smile sweetly, hoping he believes me.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“We’re all good.” I clutch my chest with relief before smiling again. It’s weird how this guy is affecting me. It’s like my senses are in overdrive.
“I’ll get the door for you. I wanted to give you this card.” He passes me a tatty piece of cardboard. “It’s a shelter for rogues. I’m not saying you need it, but if you do… well, you get it.”
“Thanks.” I don’t look back until I’m safely in my truck. He’s standing at the door, watching me. It’s not in a creepy way, and I feel silly for being so jumpy. I’m not used to being on my own.
He said a shelter for rogues, and I guess that’s what I am now.
A couple of hours later, I’m back at the bridge where I left my truck the last time I was at Lake Falcon. There are too many trees broken on the ground to drive any closer to my old home, so I’ll have to go on foot. I park up and make my way into the woods. The landscape is obscured, but I know this place better than anywhere. The fallen trees are scattered around, and all evidence of our village has been erased. All the clothes and hand-carved wood has disappeared. There’s no way every trace of my pack has vanished on its own. Someone deliberately moved every last trace of our existence.
I sit on the ground, trying to collect my thoughts, but all it does is waste time. I’ve lost everything, and staying here isn’t going to change anything. I could re-build a cabin, although I’m not sure if the person who erased us is a friend or foe. Plus, it would take months to get back everything I had.
I pull out the card for the shelter and turn it over in my hands. A few nights in my truck might be okay for now, but I need a solid plan.
Chapter Four
KNOX
Alligator shifters aren’t supposed to be attracted to wolves, but the damsel who was in here earlier smelt mouth-watering. I scrub my hand over my face before focusing back on the cash register. The bell above the door chimes. It’s almost midnight, and I hope these two guys aren’t staying too long. I clench my fist when I see the older guy’s crocodile boots. It’s disgusting; he’s wearing someone’s skin. They grab a few things before reaching the counter. As they get closer, I notice they both smell of wolf, and the older one is wearing a shark’s tooth around his neck. I resist snapping my teeth at him. He’s a lowlife for displaying these souvenirs on his body.
“I can’t believe you lost her. Didn’t your father teach you anything?” the older guy says. My anger simmers as confusion sets in. He has a skull earring and fur on his jacket. Everything about him screams danger.
“We’ve just been through hell, and she’s probably confused about what she thinks she should do. I didn’t know she’d abandon me at the motel. She’s always been headstrong, but I think we can nudge her in the right direction. If you hadn’t taken so long to pick me up, we might’ve been able to track her quicker,” the younger guy says. He clenches his fist around the packet of potato chips in his hand, and the bag pops, leaving a mess on the floor.
“You can’t put the blame on me. I’ve been doing my best. My pack cleared the Falcon territory. All you had to do was get your mate to Mexico. If you’d claimed her and put her in her place, we would not have this problem.”
They put their items on the counter and I price them up. “$17.”
The older guy passes me a twenty. “Keep the change.” They both start to leave, and I follow them to the door. “You can’t let her turn rogue. We’ll find her and bring her to Mexico whether she’s willing or not.” He turns to look at me. “Can I help you?” His lip curls back in a growl, and I ignore the impulse to snap my teeth together again. The markings on his neck are familiar. They are the hunter’s symbol. If my suspicions are correct, the female wolf is in trouble. Especially if she resists going with them. The mark on his neck means he hunts rogue shifters, and by the looks of things, he uses their body parts to decorate his arrogant ego.
“I’m closing up the store for the night. You guys have a pleasant journey.” I offer a strained smile. They exit the shop, and after taking note of their truck, I lock the door. After turning off a few lights, I take the cash to the safe and secure the building. As I sit in my car, I stare out into the road. Could those two guys be talking about the beautiful wolf who was in here earlier? She seemed kind of jumpy, but I get that reaction from other shifters sometimes.
I set off in the direction of home but keep on going. Falcon Lake is two hours away by car, but I can swim along the Rio Grande River. It’s the obvious choice for where she’s gone, and she did mention home earlier today.
