Heart of a Wolf

“So track and chase?”

“Pretty much. Get him into our territory where we can corner him without risking it going into someone else’s territory. Once we do, then we act.”

Nodding, I followed her down the mountainside, always mindful of the drop to our left-hand side. The deer had already made a run for it, bounding down the cliffs until it got itself turned around in the trees. The woods were a knot of trails and trees grown close together. I had a hard time navigating them until I could finally take on my pelt. No doubt the buck was facing the same problem, running one way only to get turned in another.

“He’s tiring,” Fallen said, somewhat out of breath.

“Looks like he isn’t the only one,” I teased, feeling more awake than I did when we first left the manor.

“Just out of breath is all. I’ll get up to him soon enough.”

She stopped under the trees surrounding the stream. For a brief moment, I thought she might run after the buck. When she didn’t move, I knew something was wrong.

“What is it?” I asked, watching the way the buck had gone before giving her my full attention.

She laughed. Of all the things I expec

ted her to do, laughing wasn’t it. “That buck’s smarter than he looks. I was so focused on him, I didn’t see the wolfsbane growing up there.”

“You mean everything about the plant is true?”

“Hardly. It won’t kill a wolf, but it does take some of our energy. I just need a moment to rest, then we can go after it again.”

“After a buck that ran through the stuff?” I asked with disbelief. “I think it’s okay for us to let this one go.”

She nodded in agreement, leaning into my side when I sat beside her. “You’re probably right. Then again, it is heading right for the manor, so…”

“I’ll take care of it,” I assured her, “but you’re sure you’re okay?”

“It’s a rookie mistake and one I won’t make again. I just wanted to give you a flawless hunt.”

“Maybe some other time,” I said, licking the side of her maw. “Give me a minute to warn the others, then I’ll come right back. I’ll bring a picnic basket and everything.”

Noting where we were, she smiled. “I’d love that.”

Chapter Nineteen

After giving the rest of the pack a heads up about the buck and Fallen’s condition, I gathered a handful of items from the pantry, put them in a basket, then carried it the entire way to the stream. The moment I broke through the trees, she stood to meet me.

Not looking nearly as bad as when I left, I could still hear the exhaustion in her words. “Ash should’ve made you a scout instead. You move fast when you really want to.”

“I had my reasons,” I said, shifting into my human form so I could remove the foodstuffs from the basket. “I wasn’t sure what you’d want, so I brought a little bit of everything.”

One by one, I removed the bread, meat, cheese, and a box of crackers from the basket, placing them between us. The only thing I didn’t bring with me were drinks, but seeing as the stream was right there, I knew Fallen wouldn’t mind.

“And what about the buck?” Fallen asked, shifting beside me.

“The others are aware. I think Trevor was planning to go out there and shoot it before it reaches Rosewood territory.”

“That would be wise, though I’m sure Ash has already put in a call to them as well.”

“So, I wanted to ask you something, but it’s kind of stupid.

Ash said you haven’t really fought over territory in years.

She’s also mentioned having an understanding with the southern pack.”

“We do, but I wouldn’t call it a friendship. It’s more of a