“Jager’s in constant pain. You know how to perform healing spells.” Heidi’s eyes glinted.
Tabor’s earlier hope was carried away like a fallen leaf upon a rushing river. If this was Heidi’s best suggestion, he had a better chance of lifting his bow and arrow and hitting the moon. “The man mistrusts magic, same as everyone else.” Probably more.
“Yeah,” she said, “and his back’s killing him. If he’s opposed to spells you can always brew up a potion and say it’s a special poultice. Doesn’t hurt to ask.”
No, it didn’t, but it still sounded like an impossible task. Jager not only mistrusted magic, he was a traditionalist who wouldn’t approve of a half-breed partnering with a pureblood. That was a challenge Tabor couldn’t discuss with Heidi without giving away the identity of his intended mate.
Heidi placed her hands on her hips. It was clear to see who Amy had picked up the gesture from.
“Stop overthinking it, Tay. Channel your inner animal. Go after what you want. She-wolves like a shifter who asserts himself.”
“Uh, yeah, she’s more the dominant type.” Yet another hurdle Tabor had to jump. The idea of Sasha as a submissive was laughable. She’d probably bite anyone who got near her back, even if they had permission.
“I really want to know who this shifter is,” Heidi said, swinging her arms forward and grasping at thin air. “If you tell me, I can help with your approach.”
“I’ve already told you too much,” Tabor said.
“It’s a delicate matter, I understand. I’ll speak in general. All she-wolves, no matter what their type, respect strength. You killed a vulhena today. She’ll have noticed that.”
Heidi had no idea. Tabor coughed and nodded.
“The timing couldn’t be more perfect,” she continued. “You’ve demonstrated your ability to protect the hollow. The full moon ceremony is the day after tomorrow, which gets all shifters thinking about mating, and the changing of partners is happening in two days. Shower her with attention at the ceremony—not in a ‘I want to sneak off into the woods and hump you’ kind of way. You’re looking for a life mate, not a bedmate. Fetch her a drink, and compliment her performance if she’s one of the dancers or drummers. Save your best smiles for her. Make conversation, but be a good listener.”
Tabor had to stop nodding; the ground was beginning to tilt beneath his toes.
Heidi’s eyes narrowed. “And whatever you do, don’t pick another fight with Zackary.”
“I’m not the one who—”
Heidi shushed him. “Doesn’t matter,” she said. “If she sees you throwing punches with another shifter, she’s not going to think about how tough you are. She’s going to think you’re too immature to be a mate.”
Tabor grumbled. “What if she already saw me fighting with him?”
Heidi’s cheeks filled with air. She released a steady breath. “Oh, boy. You better be extra attentive and charming at the ceremony, but don’t overdo it. And convince Jager to assign the two of you together. And from now on, be the bigger man anytime Zackary attempts to bait you. Think you can handle all that?”
Tabor sniffed. “Act like a gentleman rather than an animal at the ceremony. Get on patrol together. Got it.”
“Ahem. Aren’t you forgetting something?” Heidi raised one eyebrow.
“Ignore Zackary,” Tabor said.
Heidi gave him a thumbs-up.
“Thanks for the pointers.”
“No problem. Plus, if you’re successful, I’ll know who she is.”
Tabor laughed. “First of all, you won’t know whether I was successful or paired with someone of Jager’s choosing. Secondly, maybe I’ll hold off for a while to throw you off.”
Heidi smiled. “No, you won’t. You’re far too impatient. I bet you’ll make Jager see things your way, and I bet your next partner will be your mystery female. I even bet she’ll be your mate before the summer is out.”
Desire flared inside Tabor, the kind that hit him in the heart rather than the groin. He looked around the den and before he could stop himself, he pictured himself and Sasha around their own little fire below their treehouse or hut. He didn’t care which, so long as it was their own. He imagined Sasha lying beside him on one of the hammocks, her belly swollen with their first pup. Such daydreams were dangerous. If she rejected him, it would pierce Tabor’s heart worse than the arrow he’d put in the vulhena earlier.
Tabor sat cross-legged on the ground and stared into the fire with its low, smoky flames.
“Have you eaten anything?” Heidi asked.
“I’ve got some dried fish at my cabin.”
“Stay and eat with Peter and me. You must be hungry after killing a vulhena and fighting Zackary.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Don’t be silly. You’re always welcome.”
“Can I do anything to help?”
“Everything’s ready in the pan. I’ll start heating it. Peter should be back from the gathering soon. You know how he likes to hear the news of the day. I’m sure he’s heard about your kill. He can congratulate you face-to-face.”
“Allow me,” Tabor said, as Heidi started toward her hut. After she nodded, Tabor went inside and knelt beside the cast iron pot on the floor. He removed the cloth covering the top to keep out bugs. Adult shifters didn’t mind insects in their food, but the children weren’t as accepting of small squirmy things swimming in their stew.
Tabor returned with the pot and handed it to Heidi, who propped it on top of the rocks.
Amy and Eric came running back over and looked inside the pot.
“What’s that?” Eric asked.
“Same thing you ate earlier,” Heidi said. “Do you want more?”
Eric shook his head.
“What about you, Amy?”
The girl growled in answer.
“Amy,” Heidi said in a warning tone when her daughter’s growls became louder.
“She can’t help it, Mom,” Eric said. “She’s a rabid wolf.”
Heidi sucked in a breath. Amy’s growling stopped as her mother’s nostrils flared. Heidi’s face turned brighter than the flames of the fire.
“Amy, Eric, that’s not funny. We never joke about that. Do you hear me? Behave this way again, and I’ll swat both your bottoms. Do you understand?”
The children looked at the ground and nodded.
“I asked if you understood me.”
Amy looked up. “Yes, Mama.”
“Yes, Mom,” Eric said.
“I should send you both to bed right now.”
“I’m sorry,” Amy said.
“Me too,” said Eric.
Heidi grumbled. “Go, before I change my mind.”
The pair ran off, Amy calling out another “sorry” as she fled toward the group around the community fire. She and Eric joined the circle, sitting cross-legged on the dirt.
An exasperated sigh left Heidi’s lips. It made Tabor chuckle.
“Laugh all you want,” Heidi said. “I can’t wait to see you running ragged after your pups.”
“I can’t wait either,” he returned.
“We’ll see about that.” She smiled and crouched beside the fire to give the pan a shake to prevent the stew from burning.
The moment Peter strode into the den, Amy and Eric were on their feet again. They ran to him and each took a side, matching his steady gait. As they passed the communal fire, the siblings veered off and returned to their spots with the rest of the children.
With his long, lean legs, Peter made it swiftly across the little clearing to his mate.
Heidi gave the pot another shake and stood up, a smile overtaking her face. “There you are, my heart. What took you so long?”
“Big news in the glade tonight,” Peter said, running a hand through his shaggy auburn hair.
Heidi looked at Tabor. “I know. I heard it firsthand.”
Peter gave her a blank stare. He moved his gaze to Tabor and rubbed his chin while studying him. A second later, Peter’s face lit up with a grin. “Oh, yes,” he said. “The kill shot. Well done, Tabor. I heard you took the creature down with a single arrow.”
“It was an easy kill,” Tabor said, shrugging it off.
Peter put a hand on his hip. “I heard you got it directly in the heart on the first try.”
Heidi ducked inside the hut while her mate congratulated Tabor. She soon returned with three bowls, handing one first to Peter, then Tabor.
They sat on the ground and held their bowls out for Heidi to fill with stew. Tabor appreciated the way Peter waited to eat until Heidi sat down with her own bowl.
They lifted their bowls in unison and coaxed the first bit of thick meaty stew into their mouths. Tabor chewed and swallowed it down gratefully. He devoured the stew hastily, unaware of how hungry he was until now. When the bowls had been set on the ground, Peter pressed his palms over his thighs.
“You already heard all the news then?” he asked.
“What other news?” Heidi asked.
Tabor looked at Peter, but he wasn’t sure what the shifter was getting at. Tabor’s kill had seemed more like an afterthought than any kind of big news.
When it became apparent to all present that Tabor wasn’t going to fill in the pause, Peter faced Heidi with a wide smile.
“Hector is coming to Wolf Hollow.”
The words barely registered in Tabor’s mind before Heidi gasped. “Hector.” She said his name with breathy awe. She leaned over her lap. “He’s come to claim Sasha then?”
“All I know is they will perform in the mating dance together,” Peter said. He placed his hand in Heidi’s lap.
“Could we have pure-blooded mates in Wolf Hollow at long last?” she asked happily. Her eyes shined when she looked at Peter. “Can you imagine? Pups in the den. The children will be beyond excited.”
Peter stroked her hand lovingly and they nestled together. Meanwhile, the chunks of stewed meat, delicious moments before, turned to rot inside Tabor’s gut.
Any chance he’d had with Sasha had flown out of the trees and far out of reach at the mention of Hector’s name. It had been a delusion to begin with.
When Heidi pulled her loving gaze away from Peter, her forehead wrinkled. “What’s the matter, Tay? You look as though you swallowed a piece of spoiled meat.”
“It’s nothing,” Tabor said. If he wasn’t careful, Heidi would put two and two together. “I was thinking about the vulhena from earlier.”
Heidi cocked her head to the side, looking unconvinced, but Peter took the bait. He shook his head and got to his feet. “Two sightings in one day is unsettling. I plan to discuss the matter with the other den members.”
Peter disappeared briefly inside his hut. Luckily it wasn’t long enough for Heidi to question Tabor further. When Peter re-emerged, he held a clay pot, which he turned upside down, dumping water over the fire. It sizzled along with the fantasy inside Tabor’s mind.
With Hector arriving, there was no point in pursuing Sasha.
Like that, his hopes were extinguished.
chapter five
The next morning, Sasha leaned against the boulder near the falls and waited for Aden. Her wolf’s early morning run had warmed her now naked skin.
Snapping twigs marked his approach. Stealth wasn’t one of Aden’s strengths. His best attributes strained against his thin cotton shirt.
He emerged from the foliage, grinning. “Good morning,” he said.
“Morning,” Sasha replied, circling her arms around her toned midriff.
“You weren’t at breakfast.”
It might have pleased her he’d noticed her absence if he had sounded remotely disappointed.
“I caught my own food.” A vole with the bad idea of nibbling on a carrot inside the den’s vegetable garden. Sasha had crushed it between her jaws then lay on her belly to finish it off.
“Nothing like hunting down breakfast to start the day.” He stepped closer, eyebrows jumping. “Congratulations. You must be excited about Hector.”
Sasha stared at Aden, irritation crawling up her back like an itchy rash.
Not only had he been blind to her feelings, but he showed no concern for her situation. Like the rest of the clan, he assumed Hector’s status as a pureblood should be enough to entice her. She hadn’t met Hector yet and everyone behaved as though they were already mated.
Rather than respond, she changed topic.
“If Jack and Farley don’t hurry up, we won’t reach the city until afternoon.”
As though summoned by her words, Jack and Farley came striding out of the forest. Both males were mated to females in the den. Jack was tall and always clean-shaven, whereas Farley had a beard and rounded face. The two were close friends and chose to pair up on assignment, which was yet another perk among the claimed. They didn’t have to defer to Jager for partners.
Jack lifted his chin. “Ready to fetch supplies?” he asked by way of greeting.
Already naked, Sasha shifted first while the three males stripped out of their clothes. She led their group through the forest, veering away from the footpath to take the most direct route toward the river, hills, and wasteland beyond.
Supply runs took two days, for safety reasons, and that was when things went smoothly. With rare exception, the council didn’t want pack members overnighting it outside of the hollow.
After crossing the forest, they shifted beside a small cave near the Manama River. Hunched down to avoid the low rock ceiling, Sasha inched her way inside the cold confines, reaching around until she found the four packs they left stashed inside. She tossed them out one at a time then backed out of the cave, blinking in the sunlight. Black spots circled her vision like a dozen suns eclipsed in orbit.
While her eyes readjusted, the males strapped on their packs. Aden held the fourth out to her. Sasha put it on and they all walked across the river where it flowed just above their ankles. Once on the other side, they trailed the river to where it deepened and knelt for a last drink of water.
Hiking through the hills was much more tedious on two legs, but the sun was still several hours from reaching its zenith. The way back would be less pleasant, especially with loaded packs. Aden and Sasha led the way, retracing the path they’d taken the day before.
Normally, her eyes would have been sliding all over Aden’s naked body, but his lack of interest extinguished her own. Instead, a pair of hooded green eyes flashed through her mind. Not even Wolfrik had ever looked at her with the kind of hunger she’d seen on Tabor’s face, like a half-starved wolf dying to sink his teeth into a fresh piece of meat. The memory made her breath quicken.
Aden glanced at her with raised brows, but she said nothing and he didn’t ask what had made her breathless.
The quiet didn’t last long. Going in on foot inevitably meant conversation.
“I didn’t get a chance to congratulate the two of you on yesterday’s kills,” Jack called out from behind.
Aden swung around and grinned in acknowledgement. Out of courtesy, Sasha turned to face them.
Farley nodded, eyes lighting up. “Two less vulhena in the world. That’s something to celebrate.”
“Good timing with the full moon ceremony tomorrow,” Jack said with a wink. “I bet Jager will make his brew extra strong to mark the occasion.”
“An extra special one,” Farley jumped in, wiggling his brows at Sasha.
Her heart constricted. “We better get a move on,” she said evenly, pace quickening as though she could distance herself from the aggravation climbing up her spine and burrowing inside her mind like a mole digging in with its broad forepaws.
At least she could count on Aden to set a vigorous pace
. Jack and Farley, who were out of practice in covering long distances, soon ceased their banter, saving their breath for a more useful purpose: breathing.
The exercise calmed Sasha’s nerves. When they reached the peak, she took a moment to look out the way they’d come and admire the lush green oasis of home before turning to face the wasteland awaiting them on the other side.
Closing her eyes briefly, Sasha implanted the image of the hollow in her mind. Entering the wasteland, even for a day, withered her soul.
Sidling up beside her, Farley sucked in a horrified breath. “It’s as ghastly as I remember.”
Sasha opened her eyes, taking in the silent town below with its rusted cars, crumbling structures, and fading paint. “Nature will make it beautiful again one day.”
The trek down the hill went much faster . . . the walk through the sand, less so.
No one spoke as they cleared the desert where they were exposed and uneasy, hustling across the sand keeping an eye out for potential threats.
When they reached the first decomposed house on the outskirts of the subdivision, they slipped into the shadows beside a rotted wood platform with railing three feet off the ground.
Two by two they emerged from the shadows and jogged down the street. The pavement felt inhospitable and brittle beneath Sasha’s feet. Not only dangerous, supply runs required the use of arms and legs.
The sun rose above the decaying rooftops and scorched their skin. Sweat beaded between Sasha’s breasts. They didn’t slow down until they reached the fading signpost with four letters, “Pine” and two smaller ones in the right-hand corner: “St.” Below them was a faded red sign with four larger letters: “STOP.” That one appeared the same on all the decrepit street corners.
The elders knew how to read. Most of them had passed the knowledge onto their children. They’d grabbed books during past supply runs, which Sasha considered a foolish waste of space.
She didn’t see the point in learning to read. The world would never go back to the way it was, at least not in her lifetime. Even if it miraculously did, she’d been born in the wild and the wild was where she’d always remain. Nature provided. The pack provided. Everything else was a waste of time and resources.
Wolf Hollow (Wolf Hollow Shifters, Book 1) Page 5
