I was squinting my eyes toward the wolf when a much bigger one, far larger than normal, emerged from the undergrowth. I nearly inhaled a sharp breath but concentrated on slowing my breathing, hoping the wolf couldn’t hear our heartbeats hammering in anticipation. My gun was ready in my hands, but my palms were slick with sweat, and my head throbbed with the beating of my heart.
What the hell is a dire wolf doing out here? I wondered. We’d not heard of a wolf pack in these parts in ages, not since Hanley’s brother Hayden had disappeared while hunting a pack. Now here were two enormous wolves scanning the area as though they already knew we were there.
The larger of the two held an obvious intelligence in the eyes. He wasn’t just an animal; I caught a hint of human in the irises. Were they shifters? They very well could be, and if they were and attacked us, we were as good as gone. Shifters were rare, but they did run in packs, and that meant a whole heck of a lot of them were approaching right behind their alpha and what I now assumed to be his mate. There was no way to avoid a pack. They had more than likely split up to survey the area and had spread out far enough to have us surrounded before we could even have a chance to escape.
Ridley reached over and slipped her semi-automatic machine gun into her hands as quietly as possible, barely breathing like the rest of us. She threw me a pointed look. Hanley had his hands wrapped around a hunting knife, waiting for the inevitable, while the wolves surrounded us. We were like rabbits cornered in our den. We’d never find Amy if they ripped us to shreds.
A slight breeze picked up, and the wind blew the stench of thick, damp fur and sweat across our noses. The pack had to be massive to stink like that. It had rained the night before, making them all smell of wet dog. It was more than likely the dire wolves smelled our stench too. It was impossible to hide from a wolf’s nose.
I hoped the shifters didn’t smell so bad once they shifted back to human. Maybe we could appeal to their humanity. Or maybe they’d tear us to pieces if we even tried. The situation was bleak, and I watched Ridley for the signal to attack. Her back was drenched with sweat. She glanced my way, doubt glimmering in her shiny blue eyes.
This won’t end well, the pit of my stomach agreed.
It would do no good to run, but we’d all go down fighting, that was a definite. I hoped we would find a way out of there, or Amy would truly be on her own.
Think, Craig. We had to come up with something….
“Wait!” Hanley jumped to his feet and stepped out to face the wolves. Several more of them had come to stand behind their alpha, and they all bared their teeth as he walked forward, his hands held out to show that they were empty; he’d already put his knife back in its sheath. Walking into a circle of wolves took balls, I had to admit, but there was no way I would join him. Ridley was madly waving for him to withdraw, but he ignored her gestures. He continued forward, staring at the dire wolf I’d determined was their leader.
“Please. I need to know where my brother is. His name is Hayden, and he was attacked by a wolf shifter pack about a year ago. I know this is the pack that did it. Tell me what became of him. You must know.”
Hanley stared out at the wolves, standing tall and unwaveringly. The guy apparently had some serious adrenaline addiction. The rest of us remained glued in place, watching it all play out. Even Ridley didn’t step out to face the pack; she wasn’t stupid. What good would it do except let the wolves see what they already knew. We were no match against such a large pack. Our best bet was to keep our backs against something solid and pray like mad.
There had to be more wolves lurking around, and we didn’t want to set them off by moving into view. Not unless they asked, of course. Manners went a long way, even between supernaturals and humans.
No one budged, each side waiting for the other to make the next move. The alpha snarled at Hanley, sending shivers up everyone’s spine as breaths were held and bowels churned ever so slightly. The forest itself seemed to be waiting, having fallen silent in response to the trembling vibration of the sound resonating from the wolves. Everyone glared at Hanley, but he did not back down, nor did he even flinch when another wolf, presumably the second in command, came bounding out of the bushes and brushed his side, attempting to knock him down. How he didn’t piss his pants at the touch was beyond belief. It was downright stunning.
“Hayden, it is you, isn’t it?” Hanley called out at the alpha, holding out his hand. “I know you’re in there. This wolf you’ve become… does it still remember? Why didn’t you come back? We never knew what happened to you. I would have accepted you no matter what. I’m your brother, forever and always. Why did you never come back?”
The alpha snarled, his growl growing in volume as Hanley stepped closer. There was no mercy in those dark, liquidy eyes. The humanity I had seen a few moments before seemed to have receded. Our entire team continued to hold our breaths afraid for not only Hanley but all of us.
I expected to see him get ripped to shreds at any second. Soon there’d be flesh and blood flying through the air. Too bad none of these wolves were affected by iron. No, they didn’t have the same weakness as the fae. Silver worked, but only if it could penetrate their thick, furry hides. We had a few silver weapons, just in case, but not nearly enough. Wolves had not been our target.
Still, nothing violent happened. In fact, what did occur next left us all with our mouths dropped open and our eyes wide. Even the forest swayed with a sigh of relief and shock, expelling a load of leaves into air. They fluttered to the ground, riding on the gentle breeze.
The alpha approached Hanley, still staring him in the eye. His now gentle growling began to fade as the wolf shifted into a man. I had been right; it was a shifter pack, and one of the scariest I’d ever seen. All the wolves were larger than normal, much bigger than a man when shifted. Now their leader stood face to face while his family held back, staying vigilant. He was naked, but that didn’t appear to concern him.
He looked like an older version of Hanley, a bit taller and with slight grey streaks on his temples. Hardened from the years, his sharp eyes scanned his younger brother. Scars ran up his chest, across his left leg and sliced around his arms like he’d been in a fight with some vicious creature. Hanley’s mouth fell open, like he could hardly believe his long-lost brother was standing before him, and several moments passed before he could speak once more.
“Hayden… Is it really you? I knew you were still alive.” Hanley held his hand out, his legs shaking as though he was afraid he’d wake from a dream. Hayden stepped forward, his hardened expression never easing off. There were vast differences between the brothers, but both were experienced warriors, and both just as fierce as monsters came.
“Hanley. What are you doing here?”
“I searched for you for months after you disappeared. Why didn’t you come back?” Hanley asked.
“I couldn’t. I wanted to. But the transition is violent, and I didn’t want to hurt any innocents. The Agency would’ve never taken me back; you know that as well as I do. I’m one of them now. One of the very creatures you’re paid to hunt. I’ve survived out here and kept away from the city, like the Agency’s Supernatural League Charter designated for all wild packs. There is no returning home for me.”
Hayden snapped his eyes up to scan the forest behind Hanley, taking in deep inhales of the surrounding air. After sniffing the air in all directions, he snapped his eyes sharply our way.
“The others who are here with you… tell them to show themselves.”
“It’s all right,” Hanley called out to us. “Hayden’s my brother. He won’t harm us. Come out, or you’ll anger the pack.”
Jay stepped out from behind his tree, as did the others. The rest of the team stood several yards away, unwilling to get any closer. I didn’t blame them. I wasn’t moving from my visible spot while Ridley and the rest of the team stayed near the trees. I swallowed hard, my mouth and throat dry, while the other wolves watched us with ravenous murder in their eyes.
/> “These are my friends.” Hanley waved in our direction. “Also, part of the Agency, but we’re not here for your pack. I wouldn’t let them hunt you even if they wanted to.”
“I know who you are,” Hayden said to his brother in a cold and disconnected way. It was near the end of the moon cycle and close to full moon, which could bring the wild out in the pack, turning them completely feral. Hayden already seemed to be struggling to keep his calm. “You forget I was one of their prized agents once. But here I am, tainted with shifter blood, and completely forgotten by the Agency. They wouldn’t have me any longer. Not when I’m the enemy.”
“You’re not the enemy. We don’t work that way. You know that. You should have come to us first. They could’ve helped in the transition. There would’ve been no violence and nobody hurt, but you stayed away and chose to stay out here, wild in the forest. Why?” Hanley’s desperation was showing, his usual stiff demeanor long gone.
“You don’t understand,” Hayden responded. “The Agency isn’t what you think it is. It’s full of corruption. Learn that now, and you might survive your time there. Ignore it, and I’ll be mourning you instead.”
Hayden began to turn away, but Hanley called out to his brother once more. “Wait. Where are you going?”
Hayden stopped and tilted his head back toward his brother, not looking directly at him, but I could see the spark of sadness in his eyes before he closed them.
“Our walls are apparent now. We are on opposite sides of the fence. The path I lead, you cannot follow, and vice versa. But know this, brother: I will never hurt one of my flesh, but if any others of the Agency come through here again, I will not stop my pack from attacking. If you or your group here need any help, let me know. There are worse things than a pack of dire wolf shifters in the woods tonight.”
With that he began a sprint before jumping high into the air, where man morphed into the large furry animal he’d come as. The others howled, joining together in the run behind their leader, their voices echoing in a haunting crescendo. As he passed them by, they turned to follow. The last one, probably the mate or beta of the pack, eyed us curiously for a moment longer before pouncing off into the distance, disappearing beyond the tree line.
Hanley stood staring off after his brother, lost in his thoughts.
“Hanley, come on,” Ridley said. “Let’s get going. It’s already sunset, and we need to find a camp for the night. Focus.” She walked over to him and gave him a gentle squeeze on his shoulder, and he immediately snapped back to the present. Frowning, he nodded and rejoined us, grabbing his gear from the forest floor where he’d left it.
“Wow, man,” Tinker muttered. “That was Hayden? He’s like a legend at the Agency. Too bad he got tainted with shifter blood. That’s a mighty shame.”
Ridley threw him a “shut it” look as we all stepped back into formation to continue on our path. “Everyone back on task. We’re burning daylight. Find a clearing we can use for camp.”
Hanley’s anger was plastered across his face, but he said nothing. Back were the walls he’d so carefully built before the wolves had shown up. I was relieved our short adrenaline rush was over and no one had died. An attack by dire wolf shifters was close to the last thing I wanted to happen out there, but the wolves still weren’t the biggest concern for me. Hayden had mentioned there were worse things in the woods. At least the wolves did as they were told. Hayden would keep them under control away from us, of that I was sure. He was an honorable person who did not enjoy bloodshed. What a relief.
“That was fun,” Becca began, downing a loud gulp of water before she resumed chomping down on her gum as though we hadn’t almost been mauled by wolves. Everything went back to normal in the forest, and even the creatures began to croak their evening choruses. Everyone looked relieved.
Out of nowhere, Hanley laughed and shook his head.
“What’s up, man?” Jay asked.
“Hayden. He’s right. There are worse things out here than a dire wolf shifter pack. Anyone want to chance a guess on what could be worse than those things munching down on your bones? What’s harder to kill or contain, with almost endless amounts of magic?”
It was Tinker who answered this time, his gruff voice sounding slightly strange. “I have an answer to that one. Faeries, right? I loathe faeries. They’re damn near impossible to kill, you know? You’ve got to go right for the jugular. Decapitation is best, like with vampires. Just don’t let the faeries touch you guys, or you’ll turn into a downright mess if you do. Fae charms and the like.”
I flicked my eyes away, wanting to groan at his accurate depiction of faeries. Except it made no difference if the fae touched you or not, their magic worked well on humans regardless.
“Oh, shut it, Tinker,” Becca said. “You’re just pissing your pants that some wolf was sizing you up as an appetizer minutes ago, and now you’ve got to bitch and moan about magical faeries. Man up already.” She snapped her gum, shaking her head.
The rest of us followed along in silence for several miles until we found a nice spot to camp. Everyone was at a loss for words as we set up the tents and arranged night guard duty. I was on the first round, which was fine. I’d rather go to bed later than have to get woken up. That was always harder, and without coffee, I’d have the worst time focusing.
Planting myself in a nearby tree, I scanned the area as Tinker and Norstrom set up booby traps around the perimeter. Jay was prepping dinner over the fire he’d started, mostly packaged meals, but he’d snagged a couple of rabbits to toss into the mix along the way.
Staring up at the stars, I hoped Amy was all right. Where was she? Was she eating dinner? Was she injured? Scared? I closed my eyes and let my own senses spread out into the deep forest, searching for my kin. The ability to feel one another had been taught to us by our mother from whom we’d inherited our magical quirks.
“You tie yourselves to each other,” she’d said. “Never let go. Always stay connected. It’s the only way you’ll survive.”
“And if we don’t?” I’d asked, defiant at the tender age of nine, while my two siblings listened intently. They’d always listened to our mother, but I pushed back. She’d pressed her lips together and taken my hand.
A warm tendril had embraced me, calming my anger like a soothing balm.
“Feel that?”
I’d nodded.
“That is my life force connecting to yours. I can feel you, and you can feel me. Understand?”
I’d shaken my head but stopped as the slender thread of magic slid around my heart and up into my mind. She was sad. Her heart was weak, and she didn’t have much time left.
“Mom? Are you sick?”
She’d smiled, her dark hair falling into her face over her left eye. One eye was blue, the other a deep brown. They were mesmerizing, and I wanted to see them every day.
“You feel that? Let’s connect with your siblings. You’ll never be far from each other, even when time and space do not cooperate. Amy, Jay, come here.”
They’d joined us, and it wasn’t long before we all could find each other. Even when hiding outside, there was always that connection. My mother would sit in the rocking chair on the porch and rock slowly, her impossibly thin frame hidden beneath the oversized dress she wore with a shawl to hide her bones.
She’d been dying, and I had not questioned her about it. It’d be one of the last memories I’d have of her, for she died when I was ten and my siblings were still so young, at seven and eight.
I was left alone with my siblings, but we never failed to practice the lifeline magic that held us together even now, in the darkness of the magical forest surrounding Wicked Grove.
I could feel Amy, a fading beacon not far from us, and I perked up at the sensation. She was alive and well. Hope blossomed inside me as the others prepared dinner and Hanley, who was still brooding over the encounter with his brother, stood watch on the other side of the camp. Amy was okay. So were we. For one moment, we were all fin
e.
Too bad it never lasts.
Chapter Eight
* * *
Amy
Being dragged to my feet by a male faery soldier—who looked like some centurion guard of some sort—and getting shoved down the path toward what I knew would be the faery king’s residence was not my idea of a good time. Great, I thought to myself. This was my one chance to petition the king to let me go. He didn’t really want to marry me. Maybe if I tried to convince him that I shouldn’t be part of his clan at all, he’d hear me out. Unfortunately, I was drawing a blank on how to argue my case. I couldn’t even think of anything to convince the king that I didn’t belong there.
“Ow! That hurts,” I snapped, yanking my arm away from the guard, but he gave me a stiff snarl. “Touch me again and you’ll be short an arm, eh.”
“Leave her be.” A male faery stepped out from in front of an archway of tall bushes and trees. It formed a kind of doorway, and beyond it I could see a labyrinth of gnarly trees. This was apparently the king’s “castle.” I peered at the new man, who looked like he wasn’t a guard but maybe a personal servant to the king. He was dressed in a light linen tunic and pants, barefoot, and with the same color skin and hair as the others. His eyes radiated only kindness as he smiled in my direction and waved the guard away. “You may go now.”
Was this a servant or the king himself? I narrowed my eyes. I didn’t recognize him.
“You’re the king?” I asked. The guard stepped away, bowing at him, then headed out into the forest again. I thought about running, but I knew it would be pointless. I’d surely be caught. There was just no escape. I was a prisoner forever. Might as well face the music, as they say.