Shadow Hunt

by L. L. Raand

  “Not might wake.” Sophia came in and gently closed the door behind her. “She will wake up. She’s strong.”

  “I know. I know about before…about how much she’s already survived.”

  “She told you about being a captive,” Sophia said, more a statement than a question. “I’m so glad.”

  Tamara swiveled so she could track Sophia’s movements, knowing Sophia was there to help Gray but still feeling protective and strangely defensive. Gray was hers to protect. She’d been taking care of her since she’d been hurt. She would see that no one harmed her ever again. “Why? Why do you care?”

  Sophia smiled. “I care about everyone in the Pack. Including you.”

  “You would.” Tamara couldn’t keep the envy from her voice. She was like Sophia, but not—not as strong, not as sure. Not as worthy. Everyone said she was Pack now, but how could she be when she had no place? She was a warrior, but not dominant like the others. She could fight for her place, would fight if she must, just as she always had, but she would always know she was less.

  “I care not just because of what I am,” Sophia said. “But because I am a Timberwolf, and all the Timberwolves are my family.”

  “I know it’s supposed to be that way.”

  “In time, you’ll believe it.”

  “Is it hard,” Tamara said finally, “living in…some in-between place?”

  “Is that what you think we do?”

  “Isn’t it?”

  “Do you know what they call the Omega of a wolf Pack?”

  Tamara grimaced. “Only that the Omega is the lowest rank in the Pack.” Bernardo had never let her forget it, even after she’d won too many challenges for him not to allow her a place with the warriors.

  “Some refer to the Omega as the joker, or the trickster. The Omega defuses aggression in a wild wolf Pack, particularly when higher-ranking dominants are frustrated or irritable.”

  “I don’t know how to be Omega. I’ve tried all my life not to be.”

  “You don’t have to try, you just are.”

  “What does that mean? The Blackpaws called me weak, humiliated me, beat me until I showed them they were wrong. I proved I was stronger than most of them. I won my place as a warrior. I’m not like you, I’m not a peacekeeper or a healer.”

  “Just because you’re Omega does not mean you can’t be a warrior. But you have something the other warriors don’t.”

  Tamara regarded her warily. Hope was a foreign sensation, as was kindness. “What?”

  “The ability to temper your fire with reason, to think before you strike, to search for compromise before combat.”

  “Doesn’t that just make me weak?”

  Sophia laughed. “Just the opposite. It’s easy to strike out, and much harder to wait. Much harder to reason. Our warriors need calm as much as they need the courage to fight. You bring them both.”

  “Will they believe that?”

  “Of course. You have proven your strength and your courage. You and Clint risked your lives for our wounded.”

  Tamara regarded Gray. “She’s a Were. I couldn’t let her die.”

  “Just a Were?” Sophia asked softly.

  Tamara stared at her. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Smiling, Sophia came closer slowly, making no sudden move toward Gray. “Do you mind if I touch her?”

  Sophia was mated, but she was still beautiful and powerful. For an instant, Tamara wanted to snarl at the image of Sophia touching Gray, even to heal her. The feeling was foreign and yet completely natural. “I…all right.”

  Sophia felt Gray’s throat, put her hand on her chest, touched the back of her hand to her abdomen. “Her heartbeat is stronger. See how her skin is lightly dusted with pelt? That’s her wolf growing stronger. She’s healing. Give her time.”

  “Will she shift before she wakes?”

  “She might, but I think she’ll need a little more strength to do that.” Sophia hesitated. “And the courage to trust her wolf.”

  Tamara bristled. “She doesn’t lack the courage. She is the bravest Were I’ve ever known.”

  “You’re right. She is very strong and very brave.” Sophia reached to stroke Gray’s hair and Tamara warned her off with a sharp growl. Nodding, Sophia drew her hand back. “She told you about being held prisoner, but she might not have told you when the Alpha freed her, her wolf was out of control. The Alpha almost had to put her down.”

  “She didn’t say, but I’m not surprised. Her wolf is very strong, fierce.” Tamara sounded proud. She was proud. “She has no reason to be ashamed.”

  “Exactly. Let her know how much you value that. How much you trust her. She needs to shift as soon as she’s strong enough to heal completely. Don’t let her hold back.”

  “What makes you think I can convince her?”

  “Because you’re Omega, and because she’s yours.”

  Tamara caught her breath. “Is that what you think?”

  “Isn’t that what you feel?”

  Something hard and tight relaxed inside Tamara’s chest, and a flood of joy raced through her. She lifted her chin, smiled. “Yes, that’s what I feel.”

  “Good.”

  “I’m not ashamed of what I am.”

  “No.” Sophia stroked Tamara’s hair, and the solace was so unexpected Tamara leaned against her. Sophia’s power filled her with peace the way the Alpha’s power infused the Pack with strength. Bernardo had feared the strength of others, and he’d never wanted her to know there was more than one form of power, and more than one way to serve the Pack.

  After a moment, Tamara said softly, “I wish I could give what you do…the comfort and the strength, with just a touch.”

  “I think you probably can. Give yourself time for that too.” Sophia held her close for another moment before stepping back. “Now, my young warrior, will you get something to eat?”

  “Soon.” Tamara looked up and smiled. For the first time, she knew who she was and what her place might be. She saw a future that had meaning and worth. She glanced at Gray and saw something else. A time when she wasn’t alone. “Thank you.”

  “You don’t need to thank me. We’re Pack.”

  “Yes. We are.”

  As the door closed behind Sophia, Gray said quietly, “She’s right, you know.”

  Tamara drew in a breath and glanced down. Gray was watching her. She was pale and hollow eyed, but awake. Tamara’s heart soared, but she rumbled unhappily. “How long have you been listening?”

  Gray smiled weakly. “A while.”

  “Maybe I didn’t want you to hear that.”

  “You think I didn’t know already? That you are Omega? That you are strong and brave.” Gray tried to sit up, and failing, scowled. “Which part didn’t you want me to know?”

  “The part where I doubted. Stay still.” Tamara drew the light sheet over Gray and cupped her cheek. “Are you hungry?”

  “Starving.” Gray caught Tamara’s hand and held her in place. “Sophia said I was yours.”

  “You must have misunderstood.”

  “I didn’t. Was she right?”

  Tamara wanted to deny it all. Fear closed her throat. She’d kept hidden, kept away from everyone for so long, she trusted nothing. Gray was still watching her. “Would you care?”

  “Yes. I would care.” Gray’s voice was strong and steady. “I would like it. Being yours.”

  “What makes you think I want a stubborn, arrogant, dominant Were like you?” Tamara tried to sound indifferent, but she couldn’t stop herself from caressing Gray’s cheek.

  Gray grinned. “Because you carried me down the mountainside. Because you wouldn’t leave me. Because I want you to want me.”

  “Those are pretty good reasons,” Tamara said softly. She leaned over and kissed Gray. “You need to get well. We can talk about all of this later.”

  Gray moved over on the cot. “We don’t need to talk about it. Just be with me for a few minutes.”

  Tama
ra shed her clothes, slipped under the sheet, and wrapped her arms and legs around Gray. “How is your shoulder?”

  “It hurts worse than when Callan kicked my ass in sentrie training.” Gray nuzzled Tamara’s throat. “And I couldn’t do much more than crawl after that.”

  “Ouch.” Tamara kissed the uninjured tip of Gray’s shoulder. “It’ll be better once you’ve shifted.”

  Gray grew still.

  “I haven’t seen your wolf yet,” Tamara said. “Let me feed you so I can see her.”

  “Will you stay with my wolf?”

  “Of course.”

  “She’s…wary.” Gray swallowed, her throat tight. “And angry still. So angry.”

  “At who?”

  “Everyone,” Gray said quietly. “At me for being stupid enough to get captured. At Katya for living through the same thing and not being so fucked up by it.” She hesitated. “At the Alpha for not finding me sooner.”

  “I guess the only one you can really punish is you, huh.”

  Gray laughed bitterly. “Yeah. Maybe.”

  Tamara tightened her hold, kept her voice light. “I’ll shift with you. My wolf is Omega. She knows how to distract, to play, to quiet. You’ll be all right.”

  “What if I’m not?”

  “I can do more than play.” Tamara kissed Gray again. “I’ll just have to submit you until you behave.”

  Gray’s eyes gleamed. “That’s never going to happen.”

  Tamara nipped her chin. “Not unless you want it to.”

  Gray sighed and pressed her face to Tamara’s chest. “I might, sometimes.”

  “Good.”

  *

  Sophia found Niki in the armory strapping on a sidearm. She wore forest-green fatigues and black lace-up boots. An automatic rifle stood beside her and extra magazines hung on a leather bandolier angled across her chest. She looked dangerous and distant. Sophia’s stomach churned with want and worry. “My parents say you don’t have any signs of disease.”

  Niki stilled, her expression blank but her gaze darkening. “They’re sure?”

  Sophia closed the door to shut them in. The room was long and narrow, lined with plain wooden shelves piled high with ammunition, cases of weapons, stacks of fatigues, and other supplies. One small horizontal window just under the roofline emitted a shaft of dim light. That little bit of illumination was enough to see Niki’s eyes glowed gold around the edges, her wolf ready for the hunt.

  “You can’t wait to go, can you?” Sophia said.

  Niki bared her teeth. “This is what I do. This is how I serve the Pack. This is who I am.”

  Sophia sighed and gripped her shoulders. “I know. I know who you are. And I love you.” She kissed her. “Just remember the Alpha needs you in one piece. So do I.”

  Niki grinned. “I have just gotten out of a cell after almost twenty-four hours away from you. I have plans for when I return. I don’t intend to be injured.”

  Sophia laughed despite her fears. “I see. I’m surprised you plan on waiting until you get back.”

  Niki growled and suddenly pushed her against a cabinet door. She bit her lightly on the neck while stroking her breasts and belly with a sure, arrogant touch. “I could be quick.”

  “You could.” Sophia threw her head back, whimpering softly. Niki always knew what she needed. She grabbed Niki’s forearm before Niki sliced open her pants and took her. “But I don’t want you to be quick. I would rather wait until I can have you for as long as I want.”

  Niki rubbed her cheek against Sophia’s. “I love you. You are everything to me.”

  “And you are my hero. So be careful.”

  “I’m really all right?” Niki whispered as if asking would somehow change the answer.

  Sophia stroked her rigid back. “Yes. My parents think our mate bond is part of it. That when our essences blended, you developed some kind of immunity from me.”

  Niki buried her face in Sophia’s neck, breathing in her scent. Coating herself with Sophia’s pheromones. “You see, you save me in more ways than one.”

  “I hope so.” Sophia fell silent and Niki leaned back, studying her intently. “What is it? Something makes you unhappy.”

  Sophia smiled gently. “Nothing that can’t keep.”

  Niki scowled. “There is never a better time than now. What is it?”

  Sophia smoothed her palms over Niki’s chest, reveling in her strength. “I still can’t give you young. I don’t even know if I’m capable, but even if I were, I can’t risk—”

  Niki kissed her hard and kept kissing her until Sophia softened in her arms and whimpered again. She pulled back. “I don’t need young. I need you. I never planned on a mate, so I have more than I ever expected. More than I ever dreamed.”

  “But you are so special,” Sophia said. “You should have—”

  Niki snarled. “I have what I want.” Her expression softened and she kissed Sophia gently. “You will just have to believe me. And I’ll keep saying it until you do.”

  “I do believe you.”

  “I must go,” Niki whispered.

  “I know.” Sophia stepped back and handed Niki the rifle. “Fight well, Imperator. I’ll be here when you come back. I’ll always be here for you.”

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Sylvan and the centuri piled into a single Rover. Sylvan sat in front with Dasha driving; Niki, Jace, Jonathan, and Max took the rear. Everyone carried assault rifles and sidearms.

  “Take us to the last sighting of the renegades inside our perimeter and we’ll pick up the trail from there,” Sylvan said as Dasha took them into the forest. “Niki, you’ll go ahead in pelt from that point, and we’ll follow as far as we can in the vehicle. Once you have a visual, turn back and alert us.”

  Niki leaned forward between the seats. Her scent was ripe with battle pheromones and excitement. “What if I come upon a straggler?”

  She sounded hopeful. Sylvan shook her head. “Do not engage. We want the main raiding party, and I don’t want to risk you being overpowered.”

  Niki snarled in disbelief.

  Sylvan rumbled and Niki quieted. “Circle around any lone raiders if you can, if not, return and advise us of their direction. We may be able to flank them with the Rover.”

  “And when we engage, do you plan to fight on foot or in pelt?”

  “I plan to fight to win, whatever form that takes.”

  “As you command, Alpha.” Niki sat down, closed her eyes, and prepared for the hunt.

  Nightfall had come by the time they reached their lines. Callan had radioed the closest patrol, and Mira waited for them. She saluted Sylvan as Sylvan got out of the Rover.

  “How are Acer and Gray?” Mira asked instantly.

  “Healing. How are your recruits?”

  “We’re all fine, Alpha.”

  “Do you need resupply?”

  “We have what we need.”

  “And your recruits? Do they need relief?”

  Mira shook her head vehemently, her eyes glowing in the twilight. “No, Alpha, we will stay at our posts as long as we are needed here.”

  Sylvan nodded. “Good. What do we know about the route the renegades took on retreat?”

  “Jazz’s patrol tracked them a short distance, but we did not want to weaken the line, so he pulled back.”

  Mira gave Sylvan the GPS coordinates and Sylvan passed them to Dasha. “Very good. Callan will coordinate. Let him know if there’s any sign of activity.”

  “Yes, Alpha.” Mira saluted again and faded into the night.

  Sylvan climbed back into the Rover and they continued on along the riverbank in the direction the renegades had taken. Her wolf prowled close to her skin, looking forward to the battle. Her time in Faerie had left her feeling the need to regain control, not just of the new wolf Weres who had been annexed to her Pack, but of the direction she had taken since the Exodus.

  When she’d taken the mantle of leadership from her father, she’d assumed his position tha
t negotiation and compromise would reap the greatest gains for the Pack, but experience had shown her otherwise. The humans were distrustful and actively seeking to control the Praeterns, her allies were more enemies than friends, and the unity of the Were population was threatened by rogues and renegades. She still believed that her father’s vision of a world in which the Praeterns lived openly had been the ideal to aspire to, but ideals were not reality, and the reality was that the Praeterns were vastly outnumbered and without the resources in arms, influence, or power that humans wielded. The one thing she could do to protect her Pack was to consolidate the Weres into a unified society that she could keep safe. Fighting other Weres was one of the hardest things she had to do. The thought of killing another wolf left her heart heavy and her spirit saddened. Her nature was to rule by force and strength, but she had learned from her mother that ruling was more than just power, it was also fairness and compassion. Her mother had demonstrated that compassion when she’d taken the Revniks into the Pack, even though Sophia was infected with Were fever, potentially contagious, and possibly a risk to those around her. Sylvan hoped every day she could be as wise an Alpha as her mother had been. But there was a time to fight, and that time was now.

  Dasha slowed as they bumped along the narrow, rocky riverbank and pointed to the nav con. “If we are going to continue in the Rover, I need to veer off the most likely route the renegades would’ve taken. The forest is too thick ahead to follow directly.”

  “Niki,” Sylvan said, “it’s time for you to run.”

  Niki rumbled happily. Dasha pulled over, Niki jumped out, and by the time they set off again, a red-gray wolf streaked into the underbrush and disappeared.

  *

  The forest at night was one of Niki’s favorite places to run. Under cover of the night, the shadows came alive—lit by the moonlight reflecting off the eyes of prey, drops of water caught on the undersurface of leaves, specks of fool’s gold in the rocky escarpments. Every smell was bolder, brighter, teasing across her taste buds and calling her wolf like the pull of the moon. Except for those quintessential moments when she and Sophia joined, she was never more herself than when hunting. When she stalked prey, all her senses engaged, her muscles and blood and mind attuned, she was complete. Tonight, she hunted the ultimate prey, another predator as strong as her. She took no joy in killing another wolf, but she took joy in doing what she was born to do. Protecting her Pack, serving her Alpha with her body and her skill and her heart. She caught their scent—a mix of adrenaline, fighting pheromones, and lingering fear. They weren’t that far ahead, moving quickly but not retreating at full speed, confident they weren’t being pursued. She sorted the scents, a dozen, not many more, a small raiding party. Her nose quivered—not just wolves. Cat Weres. Her upper lip pulled back in distaste. More than one.