by Dannika Dark
Melody appeared from a thicket of trees, a black hat pulled over her head and bright strands of blue hair peeking out. She had on brown stretch pants and a pair of camo shorts. She’d hand-painted the pants with dye so they resembled the bark of a tree when she stood up against it. I never thought a girl who liked to sew would be of much use. After all, Melody was just a kid.
But she stalked forward like a proud warrior, and I realized my human upbringing had hindered me in some ways that these children would never experience themselves, growing up in a Shifter household.
Melody lowered her left arm, still gripping the bow. “I was supposed to stay with the boys, but I lost them,” she said, her voice detached.
“Mel, are you okay?” I moved to her side and tucked the ends of her hair into her hat.
But she had that look in her eyes—one I knew all too well. It was something all Shifters had within them, a resilience that allowed them to fight through all the emotional battles that would have broken the spirit of a human.
April lifted our packs and rushed past us. “We need to keep moving.”
“You’re coming with us, Mel.” I smiled and coaxed her along. “I’m sure the boys are fine. You know how clever they are with good hiding spots.”
She kept her eyes alert to our surroundings, periodically circling around to look in all directions.
None of us spoke. It was the very thing that had distracted April and me to begin with. We paused when a dove cry sounded off—a long note followed by two short ones.
“That’s Austin,” I said under my breath.
I stopped and repeated the sound for anyone who might be nearer to us than they were to Austin.
He wanted us to head north. April had an innate sense of direction because she was a Mage, so she changed our course and we kept moving. We weren’t in the clear, or else Austin would have followed up the call with a high-pitched cry.
I found myself considering how fragile Melody was. Not in the sense that she couldn’t take care of herself, but in that she couldn’t shift. She was in the same position as I was. These kids wouldn’t be true Shifters until their late teens or early twenties. Until then, they were just kids with Shifter blood coursing through their veins.
Melody pulled an arrow from her quiver so fast I almost didn’t see it.
April turned in a circle, her hands out. “I can feel someone,” she whispered. “Just one.”
Melody kept her aim sharp, her arm trembling slightly from holding back the bowstring.
“Ease up, Mel,” I said, thinking about April opening the hatch. “It might be one of ours.”
In the distance, we heard a rapid burst of gunfire. This time, it didn’t stop. Not only that, but it started up to our left.
“Holy smokes, there’s more,” April announced.
The trees were tall, and a few of them clustered together would provide security. “There!” I said. “Hurry.”
Three large trees twisted together, creating a hollow in the middle. April stepped inside and leaned back against the trunk. I squatted on the ground to make myself less of a target, holding my gun and aiming it up.
“Tree stand up ahead,” Mel whispered, pointing near a mess of bushes and vines. “I’ll give you cover.”
I nodded, knowing she’d be safer up there than down here.
April and I faced each other, only she was standing.
How many? I mouthed.
My question was about to be answered when four men in black entered my line of vision.
But April’s response chilled me to the marrow.
“Three,” she whispered, looking behind me.
Chapter 25
Austin removed his boot and shook out a small pebble that had been lodged in the heel for the past mile.
Anyone captured with a Packmaster was in imminent danger, but it hadn’t made for an easy decision to separate from his life mate, knowing he wouldn’t be there to protect her. The more distance he put between them, the safer she’d be—especially if he could lure the rogues in the opposite direction. Despite orders, most Shifters would hesitate before killing a woman and would rather take them into their pack as concubines. That hesitation would offer Lexi an opportunity to overthrow the enemy or at least survive a little longer if captured. He’d given April orders to stay with Lexi since April had impressed him with her Mage skills over the past several months.
Wheeler sat down hard in a pile of leaves and leaned against a tree. “Damn,” he said, out of breath. “Is anyone keeping count anymore? I stopped at thirty-two.”
“Doesn’t matter at this point.” Austin pulled out his phone and sent a text message to Reno, who was busy hiding bodies.
“I could use a cold beer,” Wheeler said, wiping blood off his pants with a leaf. “It’s only day two, and I feel like we’ve been living out here for weeks. Reminds me of my time in captivity; stuck with nothing but your thoughts to pass the time.”
Austin wiped the sweat off his brow. “Hopefully the assholes trying to kill our pack are keeping you entertained.”
Naya’s black panther slinked into sight and fell across Wheeler’s legs, lapping her rough tongue against the palm of his hand.
“What did I tell everyone about shifting?” Austin reminded him.
Wheeler patted Naya’s belly, and she began to purr. “Mayhap you only ordered us not to shift into our wolves, and Naya here doesn’t qualify.”
“You know what I meant.”
Wheeler arched an eyebrow. “That any way to talk about the woman who single-handedly took on two Northerners firing at everyone with a semiautomatic? I think some of us owe her a little gratitude, but that’s just my opinion.”
And that was before Naya had shifted into her panther. Austin lured the men toward one of their traps, and three fell to their death. The archers picked off a few who had scattered, but when two men with endless ammo began firing, Austin realized they were in over their heads. Naya shot one of the men and then crept up on the other from behind. Her shot wasn’t true, so when he fell to the ground, he fired his gun, and the bullet struck her in the leg. Wheeler moved in fast and finished the guy off, but after Naya shifted to heal, her panther smelled blood and took control.
Judas had failed in thinking that numbers were enough. You couldn’t just assemble a group of strangers and expect them to work as a true pack would, and half of them didn’t look like they’d ever fired a gun before.
“Any news?” Wheeler asked, scratching behind Naya’s ears. She cleaned her paw with her pink tongue and purred contentedly.
Austin glanced at his phone, reading a text message. “Axel’s men protected the borders, but the rogues are moving in. Two local packs joined up with Church to fortify the territory.”
“And the plot thickens.”
Church had more men, and he’d promised Austin he’d send a few to guard the southern half of the property.
Naya’s panther growled happily, flopping around and playfully gnawing on Wheeler’s hand. He merely gripped her fang and lightly shook it, unafraid that she could easily bite down and sever his hand from the wrist.
Leaves rustled behind Austin, and he spun around, his senses alert.
Izzy appeared, looking harried, with muddy water dripping from her wild tresses.
“What the hell happened to you?” Wheeler asked, a chuckle rising in his throat.
She picked a leaf from her hair. “I fell in a spring of water chasing down a Shifter, and suffice it to say it’s not one of those sparkling springs our bottled water comes from. It’s a long story, but I think I saw Spartacus.”
Wheeler cursed under his breath. “If you see Naya when she shifts back, don’t spread the joyous news or else she’ll go hunting for him. ’Preciate ya.”
Izzy wiped her dirty face, dark circles underneath her eyes, and her body showing signs of exhaustion. “Have either of you seen Mel?”
They shook their heads.
She nibbled her lip and turned in a circle,
searching the forest with a look of concern in her eyes. “The kids were supposed to stick together. The boys checked in and said they lost sight of Mel. They wanted to search for her, but I was afraid something might happen, so I told them to stay at their post.”
Austin stood up and whistled with his fingers. They had come up with a communication system using sounds since Reno expressed concern that phones could become a distraction or inadvertently disclose their locations. Only he and Reno carried them in order to relay information and communicate with Packmasters on the outside. Austin listened for Melody’s dove call, but no reply came.
“She’s probably out of range,” he said, worry tightening in the pit of his stomach.
Izzy blanched and shook her head. “I can’t leave my baby out there—not without knowing she’s safe. Maybe she’s amazing with the bow and arrow, but she’s still just a teenager, and I don’t like the thought of her all alone.”
Austin put his hands on her shoulders. “She’s a smart girl, Izzy. I bet she’s hiding in one of the tree stands and waiting for someone to find her. When the sun goes down and I have the cover of darkness, I’ll search for her. How does that sound?”
Wheeler intervened. “Take a rest and eat something before you collapse and you’re no good to anyone. Be chill. That daughter of yours is a force to be reckoned with—probably perched out of sight and picking off rogues with her mad skills.”
Izzy briefly smiled. “I’m sure you’re right, but I need to know.” Her green eyes, brimming with worry, settled on Austin. “A mother needs to know.”
“Back to your post, and I’ll take care of it. Spread the word that I’m looking for her—that way Jericho doesn’t get any bright ideas to break apart from the pack.”
She nodded and turned away, her monstrous backpack obscuring much of her slim frame.
Wheeler tossed Austin a bottle of water, and he caught it with one hand. “Hydrate, brother.”
Austin sucked down half the bottle, clean water dribbling down his neck and wetting his shirt. He poured the rest on his head and ran his dirty fingers through his hair. His fingernails had mud beneath them, his clothes were covered in grit and sweat, and yet all he could think about were his packmates and their positions in relation to the direction the rogues were coming from. Lynn and Maddox had teamed up since she was unable to keep pace with the others, but she was a good shot with the gun, and Maddox would look after her. Still, her being human made Austin uneasy, especially since she was older and not as resilient.
Naya’s panther circled the tree and lifted her nose, drawing in heavy breaths and tasting the air.
Austin put his boot back on and then reloaded his gun. Silencers weren’t completely quiet, but at least it wouldn’t attract any rogues from afar. Judas’s men were all armed, and the only silent weapons they carried were knives.
“Maybe we should check on Pop,” Wheeler said absently. “He took three bullets before shifting.”
Austin smirked and sat next to Wheeler on the slope, legs bent at the knee. “That man could lose both arms and legs, and he’d still win a marathon. I’m sure we’ll be hearing this story for years to come, sprinkled with all the embellishments.”
Wheeler laughed and scratched the whiskers on his chin. “Yeah, like the one he’s always telling us about when he almost got his leg blown off in the Civil War and still carried a wounded soldier on his shoulders for ten miles. He never did say how he got the injury.”
“Probably walking where he shouldn’t have,” Austin added. “I’ve never met a Shifter who admitted to fighting in that war. We were still slaves back then.”
“Pop loves a good story. I bet you’ll be doing the same when you have your own.” Wheeler stretched out his legs and folded his arms. “Don’t worry. I’ll be there to set him straight on the facts.”
“Or her,” Austin replied with a smile, thinking that’s how Lexi would have replied.
“Naya and I decided to wait on the family thing,” Wheeler said, touching the panther’s tail as she circled the tree. “There’s only a fifty-fifty shot our kid would be a wolf.”
“So?”
“Maybe we don’t want the other kids giving him a hard time and making him feel left out if he’s a panther. Everyone can sense a child’s animal long before the first change.”
Austin clapped his hand on Wheeler’s left shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. “Nobody is an outcast in this pack.”
“Yeah, but you know how kids are. Izzy grew up in a cougar household, and she doesn’t talk about it much, but Jericho told me they used to torment her. Maybe I don’t want anyone singling out my kid, even if they’re just messing around when no one’s looking.”
“Are you afraid the Packmaster’s kid is gonna pick on your kid?”
Wheeler stood up and dusted the twigs off his pants. “And whose side would you take?”
Austin got up. “The side that’s right. Favoritism would only teach my child to make stupid choices.”
Wheeler paced around and kicked a stone. “Maybe I’d be a shitty dad.”
“There’s no rush to start a family, brother. Enjoy each other as long as you want, but don’t avoid kids because you’re afraid of screwing it up. That kind of fear will eat you up inside with regret.” Austin knelt in front of Naya and rubbed the sides of her neck. “You need to talk some sense into your man,” he said to her.
She growled in response.
Wheeler stripped out of his shirt and reached for his bag. “I’d give up my left nut for a shower.”
An awkward silence fell between them since Ben often used that phrase. There was a grim possibility that his wolf might have confronted a band of rogues and defended the house with his life.
Austin wiped his face clean on his shirt. “Maybe you don’t want to hear this, but I talked to Ben’s Packmaster. He confirmed that Ben hasn’t gambled in three years. He’s been on probation for a long time, always having someone follow him whenever he left the house, but that’s not the case anymore. He’s working with a financial advisor and learning the ropes. It doesn’t pay as much, but he’s built clientele, and it shows me he’s serious about changing his ways. Addiction is a tough road; just ask Jericho. Anyhow, thought it was worth mentioning.”
“Yeah, I heard that,” Wheeler grumbled, putting on a clean black shirt. He tucked the sleeveless shirt into his pants and turned around. “I’ve given it a lot of thought, and it doesn’t mean anything unless it comes with an apology.”
Austin considered that. “Maybe you need to be the bigger man and meet him halfway.”
Wheeler’s jaw clenched. “I’ve always been the bigger man, and look where it got me. He didn’t just borrow my car without asking and wreck it. He traded me over to a fighting ring and almost made me slaughter the woman I love. Maybe he needs to know that getting his shit together isn’t as important to me as knowing that he regrets his decisions.”
After a moment of silence, Austin realized it wasn’t a topic worth arguing over. This wasn’t the time. “Do me a favor and get Naya to shift back. She’s on guard for the next five hours, and I don’t mean in panther form.”
Wheeler patted her side. “Come on, kitty cat.”
They headed in one direction, and Austin went the other. He thought about Izzy’s kids and the best way to handle the situation. The boys were armed with guns but would only fire as a last resort. Their primary job was to bait rogues by inciting a chase and leading them to the traps or one of the adults. It seemed risky, but Austin could trust that most men would have a hard time killing a child, especially shooting one in the back. Maybe their wolves would act out, but men had a heavy conscience about such things. The plan had worked beautifully, and the boys were nimble on their feet and quick thinkers.
Melody was a different story. She was older, and her skills were unmatched. That made her more of a target, not to mention she was a young woman, and that would attract the wrong kind of Shifter.
Austin walked for twenty min
utes and blew another sharp whistle.
No reply.
Dread twisted his stomach into a knot, and when the urgency intensified, he knew something was wrong with Lexi.
He slid down a steep hill, his boot digging into the wet earth and giving him traction. Before he reached the bottom, he kicked off the slope and broke into a full run. His hands were balled into fists, his breath heavy, his stride long, and his heart pounded like a jackhammer.
A familiar dove call sounded.
Reno.
Austin kept running, his second-in-command falling at his side. They hurdled a downed tree, scaled a steep hill, and entered a darker patch of woods where the thorny bushes were merciless.
“You feel that?” Reno said in a ragged breath.
Austin didn’t answer.
He couldn’t explain why or how he knew Lexi was in trouble, but an alpha never ignored his instincts. A heat culminated within him as his wolf fought to break free, but Austin kept him caged, tapping into his abilities to lead the way. Even without his wolf’s keen sense of smell and hearing, Austin wouldn’t have any trouble locating Lexi. An unexplainable magnetic pull drew him to her—one that could only be defined as magic.
As they began to slow their pace, Austin’s wolf alerted him that they were close. He could smell a change in the air—a distinctly foreign scent of unfamiliar Shifters layered on top of the heady perfume of earth and greenery.
He grabbed Reno’s shirt and yanked him to a stop.
The smears of dark paint on Reno’s face were sweating off, something he was oblivious to as he gripped his gun and scoped the shadows up ahead.
Austin pointed to the right, signaling Reno to branch away so they could close in from opposite ends. Despite his muscular frame, Reno managed to move stealthily, without making a sound.
It didn’t seem an easy feat for Austin, who crept forward at a subdued pace, his boots pressing down on the forest bed, crackling leaves and snapping twigs. Sweat trickled down his temples, and he struggled to slow down his breathing. He stepped over a dead wolf—pure white, with an arrow through its chest.
