A mental image flashed over the Pack link and I snarled at the sight of it. Caleb dropped the weights of the guy he was spotting and hustled after me as I slammed out of the Field House.
“Whoa, whoa, where you going?” He called out, smart enough not to grab my arm, as he quickened his steps and came in front of me. “That little image doesn’t mean a thing.”
“She gets in an luxury SUV with some guy and it’s okay?” I snapped, veering around him. “She could be in trouble,” I added, an unfamiliar throb of fear going through me at the thought.
“Or she could be fine,” Caleb replied reasonably. “She got in of her own free will.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” I dismissed, my pace picking up as I came closer to the woods. As soon as I was under the cover of the trees I could shift and follow her scent.
“We have practice,” Caleb said, his voice growing desperate. “We can’t just skip class.”
“Then don’t,” I retorted, knowing full well he would. We were as close as brothers, our future roles as Pack Beta and Pack Alpha creating a tight knit bond between us. Neither of us was wired to let the other go alone.
He grunted in exasperation, kicking his shoes off as I shifted. In the blink of an eye, my six foot eight frame morphed into the massive body of a black wolf, the only indicator I was more than animal coming from my golden eyes, which were the same color in my human and wolf forms. A split second later, a sandy colored wolf joined me, shaking his shaggy coat out of his blue eyes.
“Just don’t attack anyone without cause,” he pleaded over the Pack link. I didn’t answer, sniffing the air as I picked up speed, my four legged form giving me an advantage over the couple in the car. We raced through the forest, careful to skirt the perimeter of our Pack’s land as we followed the scent of my female.
My stride faltered for a second as I registered my own thoughts. She wasn’t mine, I reminded myself harshly. Hell, I wasn’t sure she knew what she was, much less what it meant to us. Any thoughts of her as mine were dangerous, but the newfound awareness didn’t stop me as I continued to track her.
I bared my teeth when her scent stopped at the local pay by the hour motel, certain I’d been proven right.
“Easy, bro. She just moved here. Maybe this is where she’s staying.” Caleb’s attempt at an explanation didn’t quiet the rumble emanating from my chest.
I slunk down to my belly, stalking toward the parked vehicle as my wolf detected she was upset. Caleb nipped at my throat, trying to tug me back by my scruff. His strength was no match for my own though and I dragged us both forward as she jumped from the car, her expression indecipherable.
The older man tossed an enormous ring of keys toward her with a wide smile and I watched as she sent him a forced one in return. I snarled, ready to rip his throat out for upsetting her, when he called out, “I really am glad you came, Bunny.”
Her face relaxed as she shook her head, “Jess, Dad,” she stressed with amused exasperation, “And I love you too.”
Caleb fumbled as I came to an abrupt halt.
“See,” he panted. “Told you.”
My head swung toward him and he shrank back in alarm, but I only snorted and padded deeper into the forest. I’d wasted enough of my time on her, I decided, but as her subtle scent tickled my sensitive nose I knew I’d be back as soon as darkness fell.
***
“Where have you been?” Dad hissed as I loped into our small Pack community. “I had to hear the news from Anna.” I winced internally, and let out a sympathetic whine on Anna’s behalf. Facing a furious Alpha and Beta would have made most members of the Pack piss themselves.
Anna was definitely the quietest member of our Pack, and often overlooked because of it. Guilt hit me hard because it was my job to shield the younger, weaker members of the Pack. When I’d followed Jess instead of coming home, I’d shirked my duty and forced Anna to deal with the consequences.
Ignoring my father’s demands for the moment, I used the Pack link to check on her and received a quiet reassurance that she was fine. My admiration for her shot up at the low key response.
If it had been Sam… I cut off the thought before I could finish it. There was no point in dredging up the past, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to be able to deal with Dad if I was thinking about Sam.
I shifted effortlessly, my spine cracking as I stretched in my human form. “I was following her,” I reported, keeping my voice easy. “I wanted to make sure she wasn’t a plant for the Hanleys.”