Page 11 of Tracking the Alpha
“They didn’t until we asked them to find us the best wolf hunters in Canada.”
Kind of flattering to realize her name came up, but at the same time, something about this conversation felt off. “I’m not currently for hire.”
“Who said anything about hiring. You’re being conscripted,” the fellow snapped.
“Like fuck I am.” A rare expletive slipped from her lips. “I have protected Cree status. You can’t order me to do shit.”
“Agree or not, doesn’t matter. You’re coming with me,” the man in uniform stated. He waved his hand to the other soldiers. “Take her.”
Wait, he couldn’t be serious. Judging by the way the uniformed posse advanced, apparently, he was. Tanis didn’t stand there like a doe in the crosshairs. She bolted, legs pumping as she raced for the village and the elders who would tell this pompous buffoon to take a hike.
She whipped past a mishmash of housing, some of it clapboard-siding style like her bungalow, settled alongside actual tipis for the more traditionally inclined. The lodging the chief ruled from was the biggest of the tents set in the center of the village. Before she could race inside, Chief Clarence Trottier stepped out, and she barely managed to halt her momentum.
“Chief,” she huffed. “I need your help. I’ve got some military guy trying to kidnap me back at my place.”
“Hardly kidnap,” the chief chided. “You’ve been conscripted to help our fine nation.”
“You knew about this?” she exclaimed.
“Of course. Who do you think negotiated the terms of your employment?”
She stared at the chief with open-mouthed disbelief. “You sold me to the military?”
“Bargained,” he corrected, as if that made it better. “I don’t see why you’re being so difficult about it. In return for a reasonable sum that will enhance our village, you will do a task for Major Stevens.”
“Did it never occur to you to ask me?” she blurted out, not entirely surprised by the chief’s actions but nonetheless annoyed.
“No. I’m chief, and what I say goes.” He looked past her and smiled. “Major, how nice to see you in person. I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow, hence why you found Tanis unprepared for your arrival.”
“My plans changed. I trust the deal is still on?”
“Of course,” the chief replied without even looking at Tanis.
“Standing right here,” she muttered.
The major smirked as he dropped his gaze to her. “Now that everything’s been cleared up, we should get going. Time is of essence.”
Tanis might not like being forced, but she knew when to give in. However, she didn’t have to be graceful about it. “I’ll need to pack a bag,” she groused.
“Of course, but first, to ensure there’s no further mishaps or misunderstandings…” The major inclined his head, and before she knew what to expect, she found her arm gripped and zip-tied to a soldier.
Her eyes widened as she yanked to no avail. “What the hell?”
“I don’t have time to be chasing you down. The plane is waiting for us to leave.”
Plane? “Where are you taking me?”
“You’ll find out when we’re in the air. National security and all that,” the major stated as he began walking away.
The urge to drag her feet proved strong, but Tanis refused to sulk like a child. Yes, her own chief had betrayed her. Yes, she would be forced to help the pompous ass. But… she couldn’t deny a bit of curiosity. Why the strong-arming to get her to help them hunt what she assumed had to be wolves, given the hints dropped earlier by the major? Surely if the military needed some professionals to cull the packs, they could have simply put out a call or offered a bounty. Plenty of folks would volunteer to hunt wolves for a chance to earn some cash.
The major’s phone rang, and he took a call that had him looking stony-faced as the soldier she was tied to kept marching in the direction of her bungalow.
“Where are we going?” she asked as she trotted to keep pace.
The soldier didn’t reply.
“Do you know how many wolves I’m supposed to track down?”
