I stroked the first wolf. “You’re beautiful, too,” I told him. “Thank you for participating in my study. I’m just going to be tracking your whereabouts from now on, so I can learn more about your territorial habits.”
“Do you always thank them?” Wade asked.
“Yes.” I ducked my head. “You know they say people can still hear things on a subconscious level when they’re under anesthesia. Some people ask their doctors to give them hypnotic suggestions while they’re under. So I figure thanking them and explaining how they’re contributing to science can’t hurt.” I flushed because I knew it might sound a little looney. “I name them, too. Not for the study, but for me. White Paw, and Comet.” Yes, I liked those names for these two.
“That’s… very sweet,” Wade observed. “Isn’t it, Landry?”
Landry’s jaw was clenched and his muscles were taut. Ever since he’d fired the tranq gun, he’d been upset. Angry. I just didn’t understand why.
7
LANDRY
“This is a big fucking problem,” I muttered, keeping my voice to a whisper. Wade could hear me loud and clear, but I had to ensure Caitlyn didn’t.
We’d finished with the two wolves, then moved on, taking Caitlyn to stand in a grove of trees near the cliffs which the she-wolves used as dens to birth their pups. Once again, we’d parked and walked in, but stayed far away so we didn’t disturb this group. I’d given Caitlyn binoculars which Wade kept stored in his glove box. She was sprawled over a boulder, her arms propped, and watching the animals.
“We’ve got to keep her from publishing,” he replied. “We just put trackers in two wolves. What the fuck is wrong with us?”
I glanced at him, then back at our mate, thinking of how she’d been sprawled over a different boulder earlier. My mouth watered, remembering her taste.
Fuck. This was a nightmare.
“I know. But my wolf is snarling at me to not only bite and claim her, but to make her happy. That’s why I did the two. Only two.”
I had no idea yet how we were going to keep her from doing the others, besides leading her through the woods everywhere but where the wolves were.
“Which means she publishes,” he finished.
I nodded. The sounds of the pups’ playful yips carried on the wind, even from a hundred yards away. She’d already tagged a few wolves before we’d met her and now two more. She was going to publish no matter what. It sounded as if she had a pushy boss and had to prove herself to disapproving parents. I thought of my own—all three valued my dreams and desires, didn’t push their own expectations onto Gib or myself. I had to wonder if this was why she was so driven.
Which meant she was going to publish her findings.
And that meant we had to keep her from doing it, just like Wade had said.
I turned away from Caitlyn, not able to look at her beauty as we spoke about how we had to fuck with her hard work.
“Can you believe we’re mated to a female whose sole goal is to spotlight wolves?” Wade asked.
I laughed, but it was far from funny. I took off my hat, ran my hand through my hair. “The pack’s going to lose their shit when they find out their acting alpha tranqed and tagged two of our own.”
When I’d made the rules with Caitlyn, I’d thought it would solve all our problems. Get her what she wanted from a few wolves, then somehow later figure out how to keep her from publishing her findings. But when I’d had to shoot, then subdue a wolf because of my fucking mate, I’d been pissed. It was in my nature to fight everything that I’d done. But it was also in my nature to satisfy my mate.
Even now, with her safely watching the wolf pups, I was at odds.
“I want to rip my hair out,” Wade admitted, clearly as unsettled as I.
My cell vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, read the display.
Fuck. It was Gib.
I didn’t even know how I had cell service out here. I showed the screen to Wade, who gave a small growl in response.
“Hey, bro,” I answered softly, guilt creeping up the back of my neck. Gib had left me in charge of the pack and I’d already fucked up the job. Let a wolf biologist onto the land. Tranqed two wolves for her. Led her directly to pups.
“John Randolph said there’s a strange car parked at the Black Pass lookout.” Gib wasted no time with pleasantries.
Fuck. He meant Caitlyn’s car. How he recognized her car as ‘strange’ when there were hikers from all over accessing that trailhead, I had no idea. Randolph was one of the shifters who also worked for the forest service. It was his job to monitor the federal land surrounding the Two Marks territory. It was a great arrangement, except for right now.