Page 8 of Lost Girl

At the very back.

Why?

Because a true Alpha doesn’t just lead his pack. He watches out for them and protects them at all times, too. And from back here, I can see them all, keep an eye on things. If a sudden change in direction were needed, all I’ll have to do is howl an order and we’ll be back on track, ready for whatever comes our way.

Teamwork at its finest.

Rosewood may call us The Lost Boys, more them than me, but we’re a family despite it all. Who they are, where they’re from, what they’ve done—none of it matters. Everyone has a past.

When the trees begin to grow more sparse, I know we’re close to the preservation. On those grounds is where my ancestors roam free, where their spirits sing and soar the loudest. Treasured pieces of them, their weathered teepees included, adorn the lush terrain, reminding us that, although their physical forms no longer roam these plains, they’re always with us.

It’s for this reason, the boys and I always slow down here. We tread through its sacred expanse with reverent steps, scoping the surroundings for anyone who shouldn’t be lurking here, those bloodsuckers especially.

Last time I caught a few of them out here, they almost didn’t make it home.

Once we clear the last fifty feet, we pick up the pace once more, sprinting in full force all the way home. But Soren and Levi suddenly stop short, causing a domino effect to roll throughout. Cortez and Niko pump the brakes, then Talon and Elias with me right behind them. Soren, my beta, yelps a sharp bark and comes trotting over to me, his copper head swinging somewhere behind him to the tight thicket not far from the edge of our village.

Over there,he channels me as our stares interlock,sudden movement, a disappearing flash of light. Like someone evanesced.

Better not be what I think it is, that’s all I’m saying.

Nodding, I motion toward our grounds,get to your posts. I’ll check it out.

Soren lets out a deep, guttural huff, signaling the pack to follow him. They do, without question, scampering off in different directions on his command, each one of them low to the ground. Even Niko, whose snow-white fur can usually be seen for miles, somehow blends into the obscurity.

As soon as they’re out of sight, I head in the direction my right-hand advised, ears peeled for the slightest sound, scenting everything in my path. I’m not catching wind of anything until a twig snaps just a few yards away. Almost immediately, a warning growl builds deep in my chest, canines exposed beneath a snarl. The thick, ebony fur lining my spine prickles at attention.

“It’s me, it’s me,” a voice I recognize whispers.

From behind a broad Oak, my sister slinks out of hiding, palms raised. My eyes narrow upon seeing her out here—she knows better than this—my legs carrying me over to her regardless. Tigerlily sinks to her knees and reaches out for me, running a gentle hand along the top of my head.

What are you doing out here at this time?I ask her.

She may not have been gifted the shifter gene, but relation allows her to channel me, much in the same way the pack can.

Only me, though. She can’t communicate with the rest of them unless they’re in their human forms.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she explains, fingers running through my coat. “So I went for a walk.”

And yet, as I said,she knows better than this.

Huffing a quick yet purposeful growl, I headbutt her palm. Pa would be furious if he knew.You know you’re not supposed to be out here alone, Lil. Hook could decide at any moment in time that you’re no longer free and—

Tigerlily laughs, her head shaking certainly. “Hook’s not going to revoke my freedom, Tavi. Chill out, okay? Trust me, I’m good out there.”

I don’t trust him.

She chuckles again. “Knew that already.”

So why do you?

“Because his word is genuine. Let’s go home, yeah?” She’s averting, it’s obvious, leaving me to wonder why.

What is she hiding?

I cast my glance to the coppice behind her, focusing my sights in the darkness. Soren mentioned he saw a flash of movement, an ability myverynormal andverymortalsister does not possess.

Meaning she couldn’t have been out here alone.

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