Heart of a Wolf

She offered me a nod. “The night Dani died.”

My heart seized. “You don’t think—”

“They had anything to do with it? It’s hard to say, but they came rushing in at us to catch Ash off guard. We were ready, and with your help, now will be no different. Now, I’ll ask you again. Go to the manor. Let Ash and the other wolves know that we might be getting some company.”

“What about you?” The idea of her going against any wolves, no matter how few, made me sick to the stomach.

“I’m going to track them. If they leave the territory, I’ll report back.”

“And if they don’t?” I hedged, not really wanting to know the answer.

“Ash will know where to find me.”

Confused, I nuzzled her one last time before making my way back to the manor. All the while, I could feel her eyes on my back, watching and making sure I was safe.

A part of me hated to leave her, but I also had my sister to think about. She just got me back. If I ever put her through that pain again, I’d never forgive myself.

I didn’t stop until I reached the front door, pausing until someone finally let me in.

“Ash has asked you to remain in the shed until further notice,” one of the guards said, his eyes narrowing in my direction.

“Okay, fine, but we have a bigger problem. I was just out by the stream and there’s a band of wolves out there.”

“Ours?”

“I think I’d know if they were pack.”

The guard didn’t offer a response, he simply stood in front of me and stared.

Knowing Ash was close by, I raised my voice and hoped she was in a listening mood. “Fallen’s out there with another pack of wolves. Caden? Coren. Somebody. She’s tracking them, but the ones I saw tonight—”

“You saw them?” Ash cut me off, slowly making her way out of her study.

I peered around the guard so I could meet her gaze. “On my way back from the edge of the boundary. I had to take Val back to the city. It’s where we… it’s where she belongs.”

Ash gave me a nod of approval, then asked the guard to step aside. “How many were there?”

I shook my head as I honestly hadn’t thought to count.

“Six? Possibly more. I only knew they weren’t pack and started to make my way here. Fallen met me under the trees and is out there right now doing whatever she can to protect you.”

Ash nodded her understanding, then beckoned a pair of wolves. “Get the others ready.”

“What about you?” one of the guards asked, his eyes never leaving mine. “Are you sure we can trust her?”

“She’s one of ours. While her earlier outburst may have been out of line, she also wasn’t wrong.” To me, she said,

“We’ll go out there together. I’d like to see what Coren’s group is up to. It’s also been quite some time since I’ve gone on a chase. It’ll be good for me and my wolf.”

She shifted as she spoke, her skin rippling until only her pelt remained. She made it look so fluid. Effortless. A small part of me envied her for it, but then she had been shifting a lot longer than me. Her pelt was chocolate, much like Fallen’s, but not nearly as dark.

“Ready?” she asked, shaking her fur until everything fell into place.

“Lead the way.”

Knowing she had more experience when it came to the hunt, I followed after her, veering in and out of the trees until finally picking up Fallen’s trail. Her scent faded in and out, always changing but definitely belonging to her. The bitterness I scented in the air made my wolf anxious, the heat in my chest almost too strong for me to stand. With so many other scents floating around, it was hard to tell which way she went.

There were scents belonging to the pack and the new wolves as well.