“I should have gone after him. What if he’s the one that broke into the pack house?” I eye Angela between my fingers.
“No. Alpha would have killed me and locked you in your room for eternity.” Angela scoffs.
“You’re not wrong, but what if a pack member is injured because of it.” My hands shake violently
“Nothing that happens because of this wolf will be your fault, Jara. I won’t blame you for someone else’s actions.” She’s attempting to calm me, but it isn’t working.
“I need some water.” I jump to my feet, run into the modern kitchen, and grab a glass from the cabinet.
This is too much. What if something happens to a pack member, and I could have stopped it?
They may not blame me, but will I ever be able to forgive myself?
2
ARCHER
You all should be protecting the pack.I snarl at the wolves through the pack link. They are disobeying direct orders from their alpha by staying behind.
Humans smell of exhaust and pollution. The smell nearly makes my wolf sneeze. The scents assault my nose, and I growl low in my throat. They got too close to the village this time, and if they saw any of us shift, we need to get whatever devices they have to protect our secrets.
They are on the move, and I don’t have time to argue with the stubborn wolves.
Several of my enforcers stayed behind when I need them to protect the pack.
You said humans, as in more than one. What if they are dangerous? You can’t fight off multiple assailants with guns simultaneously, Alpha.Carter argues through the pack link.
Where did he come from? I hadn’t seen him during the pack run, but my mate had preoccupied me.
Spread out, then.There is a chorus of affirmative responses through the link as the five wolves spread out and sniff the air tracking them.Do not approach them. We are observing only.
There are at least three fresh human scents, and I can only hope they are hikers that got lost in the forest. Maybe we can herd them back to the road.
A powerful human scent catches in my nose, and I trot along, following it off to the left. It’s heading away from the village, but I won’t be satisfied until I know their purpose in my territory.
I stalk the human up the side of a hill sticking to the woods and continue to the mountain range. Dread fills me as the scents split in different directions. Why would they split up? It doesn’t make any sense.
Be careful. Something about these humans doesn’t feel right.I call out through the pack bond.
Do you think the rumors of a spy are true and humans are watching us?Carter voices my exact concerns, but how did they find us, and why investigate a village that shouldn’t exist?
I don’t know. I haven’t smelled humans in the pack house or close to the village. How could they get close without us scenting them?
No, if the rumors are true, which I suspect they are, it’s not a human but a shifter and a problem for another time.
I follow the trail to the edge of the pack lands, where they meet alpha Kyle’s territory, and pull up short, cursing in my head.
Did anyone get a look at the humans?I ask, and everyone grumbles with negative responses.
The trail continues passed the territory line. Should we follow Alpha?Brian, a younger wolf, asks. I shake my head even though he can’t see me.
No. I don’t want to encroach on Kyle’s territory. Tensions are already high between the packs. Let’s head back to the pack.I sprint down the mountain through the trees. My wolf won’t feel settled until he sees his mate is safe.
Branches smack me in the snout and flank as I race through the thick underbrush, but I don’t feel it. My only thought is to ensure that Jara is at the pack house and away from humans and the danger they potentially pose.
I make it back to the pack house in record time to find Angela standing outside, arms crossed over her chest. Something tells me I will not be happy about what she has to say. A pair of shorts hang from the railing on the top of the stairs. I shift quickly and pull the shorts on.
“Where is Jara?” I growl, stomping up the steps to my beta.