“Guess that’s it, boys.” Levi shut off the engine. “Carry what you can; we walk from here.”
Finn hopped out of the truck with his bag slung over his shoulder. Levi and Lucian jumped into the bed of the truck and were looking at some rope and pointing at the handles on the coolers.
“Here, you can use this.” Finn handed Lucian his knife so he could split the rope.
Leo put on his gloves and grabbed the sacks. They’d brought everything but weapons. Chitahs were superior hunters and fighters, and they could kill a Mage with one bite. Between the three of them, they had no worries about who they might be up against. Their only concern was bringing the turkey.
Finn searched inside the truck while they gathered up the food. “Where’s the flashlight?” he yelled out.
As his brothers gathered behind him, he could hear the snow crunching beneath their boots.
Finn turned around, a white plume of breath accompanying his words. “I can’t find any flashlights.”
Levi pulled his hat over his ears. “You looked?”
“I already went through everything in the backseat during the ride,” Finn said. “Unless you have a secret compartment I don’t know about, it’s not in the glove compartment, under the seats, in the armrest thing, along the doors—”
“Here, let me look.”
Levi leaned inside, ass out, and searched his truck.
The brothers stood watching, freezing pellets tapping against their jackets and hoods.
Levi finally emerged. “We’ll be fine without them.”
Lucian shoved past him and got inside, tossing stuff out of the glove compartment. “How do you not have a flashlight in your truck? You have a condom, beef jerky, tweezers, deodorant, a Butterfinger…”
Finn smirked. “You could be onLet’s Make a Deal.”
Lucian hopped out and slammed the door. “Yeah, but he’d lose if Monty asked him for a flashlight.”
Finn came to a decision and set down his bag.
“What are you doing?” Leo asked, watching Finn take off his coat.
“Shifting. My wolf can navigate through this snow with no problem, and he can sniff out the cabin and lead the way.”
Levi nodded. “Good idea. We’ll bring your clothes.”
The men trudged down the road, staring into inky darkness with no lights or stars to guide their way. Chitahs could see a little in the dark, so he didn’t have any concerns about them not seeing his wolf.
In a fluid movement, Finn shifted. He shook his head and raced ahead of the men, communicating to his wolf what they needed to do. Finn lifted his nose and drew in the scents around him. He could smell fresh ice, wet earth, pine trees, turkey, and in the distance… smoke.
Chapter 18
Silver and Logan
Logan stoked the fire, and it didn’t take long for heat to permeate the small cabin. There were only two windows—one by the door and the other over the sink. I’d shaken out all the blankets, but our dilapidated surroundings depressed me. Here we were, on the most important day of our lives, about to make an impression on a child who would soon be ours, and we were surrounded by filth. No food, no running water, no warm bed.
I had removed the thermal pants from beneath my jeans and began searching for something to keep me preoccupied. “Logan, what if this reallyisa trap and they plan to kill us for the money?”
He launched to his feet and his fangs punched out. “Then I’ll tear out their throats. Any man who comes after my family will taste his own mortality. Sharpen your light and stay alert.”
When I placed my hands on his chest, his canines retracted. Logan gazed down at me, firelight brightening the ends of his blond hair, his brow pensive, his shoulders broad and formidable. Nothing about him frightened me.
But it made me wonder if he would frighten the child. What if this was a teenager who’d had a traumatic experience with Chitahs? The odds were great that this child might be reluctant to accept us in the beginning, but I hoped in time we could shower enough love on him or her that they’d realize it doesn’t matter what Breed you are. Love is an emotion that knows no race, gender, or age.
Logan drew in a deep breath and swung his eyes toward the door. “Someone’s coming.”
