Page 106 of Not Your Ordinary Shifter

“But they never found a scrap of these hellhounds,” he cut his gaze toward Keeley, daring her to say something else, “anywhere in the forest. Until one night...”

“This is the good part!” Cooper said, sitting on the other side of Emmeline. “You’re going to love it.” He took one of Emmeline’s delicate hands while Mikey took the other, sharing their courage with her.

Since the incident at school with the little boy bullying Emmeline, and Kalkin along with Hayden and Nico, putting their foot down, the timid little kitten had come out of her shell. Cooper also settled his little butt down. Damn pup reminded him of Colin at his age. Karter, it seemed, was the calm twin like his Ella.

Kalkin inched forward, placing his face closer to the flame so the shadows and color played across his features, giving him a menacing quality. “A man appeared in their town that no one had seen before. He’d traveled a great distance and needed lodging. Unfortunately, the town out in the middle of a forest wasn’t accustomed to outsiders visiting their village. They didn’t have an inn or a tavern for the man to seek refuge for the night.”

“I don’t need much,” Nico said. “Just a bed and a bite.”

“We don’t like strangers,” Hayden added. “You’re not welcome here.”

“I’ve heard of the wild dog problem you have. I believe I can help you get rid of them all. I need time though. Two weeks at most. If I could stay with you, I’d fix your problem. We’d be helping each other out.”

“Fix our problem you say?” Hayden hedged.

“Yes.”

“The woman went to the sheriff and the mayor of the hidden town and told them of the man who appeared and said he could get rid of the hounds, bringing peace back to the land. However, it would take two weeks, and they’d already spent previous nights, frightened and awake, listening to the howls and the thunderous rattles shaking the night sky.”

“Two weeks is too long,” Kalkin grumbled, acting as the sheriff. “We aren’t sleeping, and our children are scared. If we wait two weeks, our children might die of fright. Tell him he has a week. If he can’t help us, we’ll send him on his way, making sure he can never return.”

“Yes, Sheriff. I’ll relay your answer at once,” Hayden replied.

“So, the woman did as the sheriff requested. She told the man he had a week to find and kill those hounds of hell. As the man explained previously, finding the demon dogs wasn’t an easy task and binding an arm behind his back, by only giving him a week, would make their situation more perilous.”

“What does peri...perill...perilous mean, Mr. Alpha, sir?” a little boy, no more than five, with black curry hair and umber eyes flaked with gold, asked after raising his hand. He sniffed hard and scratched his philtrum before drinking more of his apple cider.

“It means hazardous, Kenny. Not safe and not somewhere little boys should be,” Keeley said, grinning at the child.

“Oh. Thank you, Miss Keeley.” Kenny sniffed again.

Kalkin winked at the boy who sat up a little straighter before taking another drink. “The woman was firm in her stance. She followed the sheriff’s orders, never bargaining with the man. One week. That was all the man would be given.”

Lightning flashed off to the north and the petrichor of rain added to the smell of burning wood, peaches and honey, his mate’s bodywash, along with the scent of the members of hispack combined. They had about an hour to tell the story before the storm would drift toward them.

“A week? You say you want your problem taken care of, yet you give me a week?” Nico said, adding a chuckle of disbelief.

“Take the time or leave before sunrise,” Hayden stated, firming her voice. “That’s the only offer you’ll receive.”

“The man glanced up at the sky,” like Kalkin had, pulling all the children deeper into the story. “Perhaps a week is all I’ll need.”

“The man walked away, leaving the woman to stare at the hazy clouds in the sky. That night, the air turned decidedly colder. Frost coated the ground, causing the green blades of grass to turn white and crunch under the woman’s feet. No matter how much wood she placed in her fireplace, her hovel wouldn’t keep warm. The chill of the coming morning also caused her to see her breath.”

“Where has fall gone? Can’t be winter already...” Hayden said, adding a chatter of her teeth.

“The man reappeared then, covered in blood, stinking of death.”

“You should’ve bathed in the stream,” Hayden said, appalled. “Now you track mud and blood into my home.”

“Was the night quieter?” Nico’s breath quickened as if he’d fought some unseen beast.

“Had it been? The woman pondered what the traveler said. He was right. The night had been quieter. Any other time, she’d have woken several times by the horrible screeching noise of the dogs no one could see.

“Well, yes,” she said, “Of course. I hadn’t realized I’d made it through the night until the cold woke me.”

“The man nodded.”

“Then it’s working,” Nico replied. “We only have a few more days.”

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