Page 35 of Midnight Moon
I swung my head from side to side.We aren’t backing out of our agreement. We gave our word.
To two strange wolves who could be planning to ambush us.
Asher and Chase wouldn’t do that.
Hunter’s nostrils flared. You can’t possibly know that. Youjustmet them… unless there’s a reason you think you know them so well.
My furry brows arched as realization dawned.
Hunter was jealous.
I shouldn’t be surprised. Hunter always acted weird whenever he believed a guy showed interest in me. Asher’s dismissal last night had gotten under his skin, but I thought we’d cleared that up. Apparently, I was wrong.
I puffed out a breath.
I knew Hunter. He would never own the true reason for his dislike of Asher, but now was not the time to let his jealously get in the way.
Hunter, am I the leader for this competition?
Of course,Hunter quickly replied. For all our pack’s innuendos about how Hunter was better fit to become the next alpha, he didn’t share the same ambition.
Then listen to me. We agreed to this alliance. We will honor it. Are we clear?
Fog billowed in the cold air as Hunter exhaled. He bowed his head in a sign of submission.We’re clear.
Silence settled between us. We continued trailing behind Asher and Chase, each of us sniffing the air as we moved. I didn’t pick up a deer’s scent until almost an hour later.
The breeze traveled over the tip of my tail, ruffling the snow-white fur along my spine. I turned my snout to rub away a tickle on my nose when the scent hit me.
Wait!
Hunter immediately halted. Asher and Chase kept moving. They didn’t hear my mental shout.
I released a small whine to draw their attention, hoping the sound wouldn’t scare away the animal.
The Wilds shifters stopped walking. Matching pairs of yellowish-green eyes focused on me. The black wolf tilted his head in silent question.
I turned around to face the direction of the deer’s scent and lifted my snout in demonstration. Asher and Chase got the message. The grey wolf threw his head my direction, as if telling me to lead on.
I didn’t hesitate.
Our group traveled east. The scent of the deer disappeared for a while. I began to worry I’d made a mistake, but then another breeze blew toward us, bringing with it the scent of the animal.
I smell it,Hunter shared, shooting me a wolfish grin.
I returned the expression, happy to be the one to first smell the animal. The Badlands forest was massive, and I’d expected us to spend the entire morning searching for the deer. Hopefully, the creature was branded with the Badlands Pack symbol, and not just a random deer scouring the forest for food.
Ten minutes of following the animal’s scent led us to a gushing stream cutting through the trees. I called on my memory of the map of Badlands’ territory. There were at least three streams documented on the map, each one similar in size to the others. I couldn’t determine which of the three we’d found.
I scoured the banks of the water for the animal. Mud stuck to my white paws. Clouds covered what little sun shined through the treetop, but my wolf’s vision gave me a clear view of my surroundings.
There.Hunter pointed his snout to our left.
A deer, partly concealed by thick brush, munched on the grass near the edge of the stream.
I nearly yelped in joy when I saw the Badlands’ crest on its flank.
I’ll take it down. I know you don’t enjoy killing.
