Page 54 of Mitchell's Untamed Mate

“Who do you know that likes the smell of wet dog hair?”Van countered.

Tracy huffed.“Okay, I’ll agree with that.”

“So, what’s the deal?Do you know where we’re going, or are you lost?”Van asked.

Mitchell glanced over his shoulder.“I know where we are going.It’s just?—”

His voice faded.He looked away and shook his head.What was he supposed to say?He had afeeling?They would probably laugh.Shifters were the ones who could sense and smell danger.All he had was his gut instincts.

“What is it?”Peterson asked, his tone serious.

Mitchell stopped and turned on the trail to face the group.He looked behind them, scanning the woods.The nagging feeling that something was wrong had continued to hound him all day.

“At the river… itfeltlike we were being followed,” he confessed.

Van’s easy expression hardened.He turned to scan the forest behind them.He lifted his chin and sniffed the air.

“I don’t smell anything and my wolf is calm,” Van murmured.

A swift shaft of anger swept through Mitchell.He knew what he sensed.It wasn’t his imagination.

“I believe you,” Tracy said, laying her hand on his arm.“Van, I’d like you and Peterson to backtrack after we set up camp.”

“You got it, boss,” Peterson said with a nod.He looked at Mitchell.“Just because we don’t sense something doesn’t mean we don’t believe you.We take this shit serious, don’t we, Van?”

Van nodded.His attention was still focused on the woods behind them.“Yeah.It has saved our asses more than once.”

“If you ever feel uncomfortable about something, let us know.We’ll listen, man,” Peterson added.

“Thank you.I should have said something earlier,” he admitted.

“That’s okay.We wouldn’t have wanted to miss hiking in wet clothes, would we, Van?”Peterson chuckled.

“Let’s find where you want to stop for the night.We can set up camp while the guys shift and do a reconnaissance,” Tracy said.

“We’re behind you,” Van replied.

Mitchell nodded his appreciation.The next half mile proved to be the most difficult part of the day.The trek was uphill and over rocky terrain.He checked behind him several times to see how Tracy was doing.She gave him a weary smile, but she didn’t complain.He gripped a crack in the rocks and pulled himself up.

Turning, he waited to see if she would need any assistance.She studied the rocks, moving to a slightly easier route, and joined him at the top.She dusted her hands against her pant legs and gave him a triumphant grin.

“Did she tell you that she was the assistant captain of the mountain climbing team in high school?”Peterson asked.

“No, she didn’t.”

Peterson snorted out a laugh.“Get her to tell you about the night we all spent hanging out on Mount Rainier.”

“You mean when we woke up to over two feet of snow and had to take shelter in that cabin?”Tracy added.

“Yeah.You remember that one, don’t you, Van?”Peterson teased.

“No, I don’t remember it at all,” Van muttered, glaring at Peterson and Tracy who chuckled at his response.

“Oh, you remember.I think you found yourself in a sticky situation,” Tracy teased.

“There are some things in life that are best forgotten.That moment that I was too stupid to live is one of them,” Van defended with a shake of his head.

“Wasn’t that the time you hooked up with that little porcupine from Banff—” Peterson asked, his voice fading when Tracy barked out a loud laugh.

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