Page 44 of Squirrel Hunt

“There will be. I meant when I was alpha.”

Oh great, they were locked up with an alpha. Was he the new alpha Konrad wasn’t thrilled about or was he the old one?

“Someone’s coming.”

Dahy could hear steps drawing closer, he wasn’t an imbecile, and he didn’t need some stupid wolf to tell him.

“Might want to hop back onto the chair, young man. Make it look like you’re stuck.”

Oh…yeah, maybe. Dahy sprinted over the floor and hopped onto the chair. He crawled inside his hoodie and shifted. Then, he reached for his jeans and pulled them on, changed his feet and stuck them through the cuffs only to change back into human, and did the same with his hands. When the door opened, he was stuck to the chair.

* * * *

Konrad watched as Jyran poured different kinds of nuts into bowls and placed them on the bar. “Amir is frying burgers for everyone.”

Konrad nodded. His brain was becoming clearer, and he was more in control of his body, but food would be good to help shed the last effects of whatever it was Sewell had given him. He’d kill Sewell if he’d done something to Dahy.

Roan was pacing between the tables, and while Konrad didn’t blame him, he wanted him to sit his ass down and be quiet so he could think. “What do we know?”

“Sewell kidnapped our mates.” Roan kicked a chair halfway across the room.

“With the help of a wolf from Ordbury and a bear who’s been coming to town.” Konrad grabbed his phone and called Farris again. He didn’t pick up. “And I’m assuming the bear most likely is here on behalf of someone in the Ordbury pack.”

“We go to Ordbury.” Jyran pushed a bowl of spicy peanuts toward him.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Gideon was puffing his chest and looking ready to argue.

Jyran patted his stomach. “I’m going to Ordbury. I know it, you know it, everyone else knows it. My cousin is in danger. I will not sit back when some stupid wolves arrange a squirrel hunt. He’s my only family, Gideon.”

“I’m your family!”

Jyran made an affirmative noise but looked Konrad straight in the eyes. “It’s what they’re gonna do, isn’t it? Gather the pack, let Dahy and Myka run and then chase them.”

“We don’t hunt humans.” But Konrad’s heart had jumped to his throat. No one in Ordbury could know Dahy was his mate, not even Sewell could know. He’d told Roan this morning, and Dahy must’ve told Jyran who’d told Gideon, but as far as he was aware, they were the only ones who knew. He’d only been mated for a few hours.

“In this pack. And she isn’t a random human, she’s a human we allowed into our world. Some packs aren’t okay with that.” Roan looked as if he was going to be sick.

“She’s not part of the Ordbury pack. They can’t decide over another pack.” Konrad’s teeth grew sharp. He and Gustav, the former alpha, had always had a good relationship. He had no idea where Gustav was now. Most likely dead. New alphas tended to either kill the former or exile them, and he’d like to believe Gustav would’ve reached out should he have been exiled.

He called Farris again, but he didn’t pick up.

The swing door to the kitchen opened, and Amir walked through with several plates in his hands. “Some energy, my men.” He gave Konrad a nod of respect.

“Thank you.” When Amir was about to disappear into the kitchen again, Konrad halted him. “Amir, in your former pack—” Amir had asked for a place in the Doson pack about a year and a half ago. “—would you arrange hunts?”

Amir grimaced. “It happened. Often if they’d caught something.”

“Other shifters?” Konrad curled his hands into fists to prevent claws from forming.

“It was unusual, most often big game, but once someone had caught a lynx shifter.” Amir shook his head. “It was nasty.”

“It’s a fucking squirrel hunt, Konrad. They happen often enough.” Jyran pushed his hand into his pockets only to pull one out and stare in confusion at the small bag of pistachios he was holding.

“What about Myka?” Roan was pale. “A squirrel hunt, I understand—” He raised his hands at Jyran’s glare. “Not understand, but it’s heard of, but we don’t hunt humans. No sane alpha allows his pack to hunt humans. It will lead to exposure.”

Konrad wasn’t sure Varg was sane. “Let’s eat, then we’re heading to Ordbury.” He reached for the burger, not hungry in the least, but knowing he needed the energy.

Chapter 19

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