Page 106 of The SnowFang Storm

The water was up to my neck and full of entangling weeds. “I can’t say more right now because I’m here for rumors. I hope I’m wrong and just barking up trees and I’ll go home looking like an idiot. I only want to know if that’s what Alan spoke to the Council about. If I’m wrong, forget we spoke. My pack only knows I came as far as Fairbanks to see a man about a horse.”

Spring’s laughing gentleness disappeared. I jerked back as she leaned over the table, and she hissed in a low, forceful voice tight with anxiety and snatched at my offer of a potential, if nameless, ally. “Believe it, Winter! That’s exactly what Alan talked to the Council about. There is a hybrid and his human father buying up land all over. If it’s got wolves on it, they buy it. He came for FrostFur two years ago, and now his father is going for AmberHowl. No one wants to admit it—oh, you’ve heard about AmberHowl, have you?”

I didn’t have to fake my blooming horror and dismay, and the way all the blood rushed to my core and my body tensed. “Yes, yes, I’ve heard that. That’s what made me come here. It’s just a piece of land, so it didn’t make any sense.”

It’s really easy to lie when you’re telling the truth.

She wagged that finger at me again. “It makes perfect sense if you’ve been paying attention, but the Council just keeps letting Rodero do his thing.”

“What are you talking about? My father had something to do with this? How long has it been going on?” My heart beat so hard my lungs couldn’t get a breath in edgewise.

“I don’t know when it started, goes back a few years, but that family came for FrostFur two years ago. Alan said enough. Next you know the Mortcombes will be trying to buy our deeded land and not just all that parkland! Probably pull some eminent domain bullshit. Alan tried to get help first with your father.”

That made sense. FrostFur went to SilverPaw for help. FrostFur had helped SilverPaw in the BlizzardFall war, plus the close family ties, and SilverPaw’s familiarity with Alaska. Some SilverPaw even still lived up this way, another hour flight to the southwest.

Spring went on, “Your father said he’d deal with it, but wanted to keep it quiet. He said he came up with a plan. Didn’t tell Alan what it was, but to be patient. Your father’s word is always good, so Alan trusted him. Whatever Rodero did or didn’t do hasn’t worked because the Mortcombes just keep buying land!”

Spring didn’t seem to know about Sterling’s paternity test or the ties that already existed back to my father. I scrambled to keep up. “What kind of plan did Dad have?”

“Damned if I know. Alan’s getting impatient. He took it to the Council, but the Council said to give Rodero more time. Not that Rodero told anyone what he was doing!”

She snorted in frustration.

“And the Council trusted Dad?” I whispered, ashen and clammy.

“Your dad always delivers.” Spring shrugged.

A few droplets of sweat traced the groove of my spine despite the cold.

Spring popped a piece of doughnut into her mouth, “Everyone in Alaska and Canada is at our door asking us to help them. They’re in a damn near panic. Alan came back from the Meeting this summer and now AmberHowl and all, and if worry could melt snow, we’d be in a lake. Whatever your father has cooking, he damn well better hurry up.”

Spring’s words rolled downhill like a snowball.

“And that’s just the ones up here. There are other packs down in the lower forty-eight and Canada that have problems. You start asking around, they’ll start telling. Your pack should be afraid. Go find other little packs and talk to them. Every feral pack is affected, but nobody wants to talk about it! The Elders know, they’re not doing anything, but how long are we supposed to wait? There’s a lot more Alan didn’t tell the Council because he was being discrete. He should have, in my opinion. This problem is too big for just one wolf, even if it is Rodero!”

I nodded numbly.

She sipped her coffee. “But it’s all coming to FrostFur’s ears. You know how it goes.”

“What a mess,” I whispered.

“Hah, you’re telling me. Don’t get emotional, kid.”

“You sound like Mom. I’ll get emotional if you do that.” This was so much worse than I’d expected.

“I miss her too.” Spring sighed and looked at me with sad fondness. “You look so much like her. It’s like I’m talking to her. But you’re sharper. Autumn always kept her soft side around. You don’t have a soft side.”

“I think it’s somewhere under my third rib,” I said.

Spring’s misty expression cleared up, and she smirked. “So, tell me the news from the fall. You’re mated, which I guess happened after the Meeting since it didn’t happen there.”

I had what I’d come for, but I couldn’t just bail like a can was tied to my tail. It might tip Spring off. But time to start heading towards the proverbial door. “I’d rather not. That Meeting was awful.”

Outside, the buzz of snowmobiles rattled the quiet, gnawing on my ear. Did I risk trying to talk to Spring about Sterling? Did I tell her the truth and mention AmberHowl, or would AmberHowl’s involvement piss off FrostFur? Granted, I wasn’t even sure what AmberHowl’s angle was.

My father saying I’ll handle it spun my entire understanding of this situation.

Spring grinned. “Sorry, kid. Autumn’s daughter not having a mate? Your dad doing… well. I don’t need to tell you how it looked.”

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