Page 28 of Wolf Hunter

I shake my head. “You’re the only person I know who can smell a blizzard coming.”

“It’s a gift and I have so few of those,” he replies matter-of-factly. “Might as well be good for something.”

“You’re good at lots of things.”

“And if you think that, you’re blind.”

With no further comment, I stand beside him at the deck rail, overlooking the steep slope of the mountainside despite the goose bumps rising along my skin. Most of the trees have lost their leaves against the constant swell of the wind, though dots of green pines decorate the landscape. Maine winters bring with them plenty of ice and snow. We locals understand how to weather the storms, literally. We know how to hold firm against the elements that will gut us if given a chance.

I have Liam to thank for the forewarning most times. No one has ever appreciated him and his talents before, thinking him weak with his aversion to blood. He might not be the typical wolf father wanted him to be, but that doesn’t make him less than. Telling that to the others is pointless. Most of the wolves still left in the Redcliff Pack are traditional down to their core.

They respect might. They respect claws.

“How long do we have to get to town and stock up on supplies?” I ask. “I didn’t realize we’d have to deal with this so soon.”

“You’ve had a lot on your mind. You weren’t thinking about making sure our stores were stocked.” Liam’s nostrils widen as he draws in a scent only he recognizes. “If you want the others back before the snow sets in, have them leave within the hour. That’s the best I can tell you. Otherwise, it’s a good idea to bunker.”

“I might be able to use you for something else, baby brother,” I tell him slowly. Glancing around, I make sure we’re alone before I continue. “It has to do with the woman upstairs.”

Liam’s smile turns brittle. “I think it’s good you’ve finally found someone to help warm your bed at night, even if she is a little feisty. I know you’ve been lonely since…”

If only he understood. He does, on some level. We both share the same searing pain of loneliness.

But it’s the kind of pain that no woman with her legs spread takes away, no matter how beautiful. The taste of her flashes through my memory, and I don’t have to force my grin.

“She’s not exactly a willing participant in the game, but it makes the conquest sweeter. Doesn’t it?”

Neither one of us really knows, as we’ve never forced a woman to our will before. But Liam instinctively guesses where I want to go without me having to say a word.

“As you said before, the sacrifice is yours to do with what you will. I only expressed concern because… I saw you last night. In the clearing. I saw your face.”

I glance at Liam with a scowl. “What about my face?”

“It was a look I’ve never seen you make before. Something different, alive. I wish I knew how to describe it.”

His words send a chill through me that has nothing to do with the temperature. “Thank you for letting me know. But I’m not concerned with her,” I reply. “I would rather know if you’ve heard of any troubling or upsetting rumors in regard to our pack.”

Liam shifts to face me, glancing at me. “In terms of?”

“Anything.” That leaves the door wide open for whatever he might tell me that can be of interest. “I simply want to know if there is anything that has escaped my attention.”

Or been purposely kept from me.

Liam’s quiet nature gives him the unique ability to slip amongst our people without being noticed. No one pays him any mind. They think him weak, useless.

He is none of those things.

And I trust him more than I do anyone else in this place, including my second in command. Liam will never lie to me.

“Well…”

He breaks off and my stomach seizes.

“You’ve heard something?” I hurry to ask.

“Nothing concrete. Simply rumors of those who are unsatisfied with… current management, we’ll say. But those types of concerns are common whenever there’s a change in command.” His tone never changes but his fingers tense on the railing. “It’s nothing for you to worry about, Reid. Desperate murmurs and nothing more.”

Except there are things he doesn’t want to tell me, and we both know it. I want to grab him by the shoulders and force the truth out of him.

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