Page 41 of Wild Fated

“Close enough,” Mara said grimly. “They’re moving faster than we expected.”

Tori ran a hand through her dark hair, frustration etched across her face. “We need a team on this. Now.”

“Already stretched thin.” Jasper’s jaw was tight. “Rowan’s gone north with the others. If we pull more wolves, we leave ourselves wide open.”

Lana went rigid next to me. There it was again.Guilt.I was right there with her. We’d killed the shrikes that attacked us at the hostel. If there were more . . .

Mara exhaled. “We don’t have a choice. If the shrikes are hunting, they won’t stop at the river.”

Jasper blew out a breath, his voice dropping lower. “It’ll have to come from Chilliwack. They’ve got the numbers, barely.”

Tori chewed her lower lip. “I agree. And if they hesitate?”

Jasper’s eyes darkened. “Then I go myself. And you have to explain that to Blake.”

Lana gripped my arm and pulled me out of the shop. “North. They’re already gone.”

We followed the road back the way we came, our steps eating up the distance in a matter of minutes. The buildings grew sparser, giving way to the natural landscape of northern British Columbia. I took a deep breath, the crisp air filling my lungs. I could almost taste the snow, and it was only September.

I felt a pull to the east. To my cabin, my territory. I needed to make sure those dark creatures weren’t anywhere near the wolves there. But Lana was singularly focused, and I wasn’t going to leave her side in this place.

A few moments later we were at a hotel. Lana hunted around, then nodded for us to continue. It didn’t take long for me to realize where we were heading next, and soon we stood in front of it. The old building the alphas had used as their temporary headquarters. The place where they’d held me captive.

“They’re here.” Lana pointed at the door. It hadn’t fully closed, not that we needed it to be unlocked. Again we stepped forward, passing through the walls like smoke.

"—don’t see anything that would give that impression," Callista said, her voice tight with worry. "There’s nothing up there." She had a tablet in her hand, and her fingers were flying over the screen.

"I don't give a damn if it’s in the records," Rowan growled. "Kael, did he give you any idea where he was taking her?"

Us. They were talking about us.

Kael shook his head. “I’m sorry. We didn’t know how long the scent would last.”

Evelyn waved him off. “I’m glad you came when you did. It was hard enough to track you when it was fresh, and this . . .” She shook her head. “It’s not the same. They’re masking it differently.”

Callista turned the tablet to face them. “This is her last known location. Her phone is dead, so I don’t know . . . They might be somewhere else by now.”

“Without her phone?” Evelyn looked skeptical. She blew out a breath, then motioned for the others to follow her. She walked straight toward us, and as I braced for her to pass through, she stopped. Her brow furrowed, and she lifted her nose into the air. Then she blinked and kept walking.

“Destin?” Lana kept her voice low. I turned to face her. “Let’s go check on them.”

“On who?”

“Your wolves.”

My wolves. I bristled. “They’re not?—”

“Right. I know.” Lana gave me a look, then waited for me to take the lead.

We left the building, and the forest blurred past us. I couldn’t explain how I knew where to go, but I felt it. Could sense it.

In seconds, we reached the clearing where the first cabin sat, its rough-hewn logs blending seamlessly with the surrounding forest. I slowed, then took a step so I could look through the windows.

The family was inside. Smiling. No sign of a disruption. I exhaled, my shoulder relaxing slightly. We did a loop of the perimeter in three steps. “Next.”

We followed the same pattern with three more cabins and two yurts. Fine. they were all fine. But then as we approached the next cabin, my wolf perked up.I feel it, too, boy.Something felt off.

I couldn’t put my finger on it until finally, I noticed the bare tree branches. No birds. They were gone.

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