Once I was done, instead of heading out to catch up with the pack, I walked over and settled down on a small patch of wildgrass with my head resting between my paws. The grass was cool to the touch, which eased some of the heat I had built up during my run.
As much as I knew building pack bonds through running together was important, I had no desire to join the others tonight. My thoughts continued to go back to the two people back at the house.
It was disquieting to say the least.
I knew from the way we had found Ajag in his wolf form that he was an omega wolf. Considering my experience with omegas was pretty much nil, I found that fascinating.
It just didn't think that was what truly intrigued me about Ajag. There was something in his cobalt blue eyes that set my insides on fire and made me want to spend every second of every day with the man's eyes on me.
Yeah, that brought me right back to that whole stalker thing. At this rate, Ajag was going to file a complaint against me with the shifter council.
Or worse.
I lifted my head as my brain started to go down the rabbit hole. We'd left Ajag and Sy at the house alone believing they would be safe there, but what if they didn't stay there?
I leapt up and started running back toward the house just as fast my paws would take me. I had been so wrapped up in my obsession over Ajag that I had totally missed that he was just waiting for the right time to leave.
He had refused to go on any pack runs or even come downstairs to eat with the rest of us. Except for when one of us had gone up to the attic where he and Sy were staying, he had avoided us like the plague.
I had thought it was because he was afraid and needed time to heal from his injuries and whatever had happened to him under the cruel hands of Carlton Brass.
Now, I wondered if he avoided us because he was trying to prevent forming any pack bonds. All of the pieces fit. I just didn't understand why he was fighting against us so hard if this was the case. Granted, we could be a bit surly on occasion, but we weren't bad wolves.
Most importantly, we were creating our own little world here on the ranch with our own rules. Sure, we followed the rules set down by the shifter council so we weren't sanctioned, but beyond that, we were creating a place where being a dire wolf wasn't a bad thing.
I had grown up hating what I was until I hit my early twenties, and then I was pissed at everyone for making me feel that way. My rebellion came in many forms, but I usually displayed my anger with my fists.
What could Ajag be rebelling against?
Made me wonder if there was more going on here than just his issues with Brass. It wasn't like the omega wolf had discussed it with any of us, so no one knew.
I skidded to a stop when I reached the small clearing by the side of the house and dropped down onto my hunches.
Something was wrong.
I lifted my muzzle into the air and took a strong sniff of the night air. My lips curled back and I let out a low sub-vocal growl. Strangers were on our land. I smelled at least three distinctive scents, ones I hadn't smelled before.
I wanted to warn the others that we had invaders on the ranch, but making noise right now was not in my best interest. I needed to find out what was going on before I raised the alarm.
I stayed hunched down close to the ground and started crawling closer to the house. I wasn't positive that was where the intruders were, but I wasn't positive they weren't.
That was the direction the strange scents were coming from.
I didn't realize Sy was curled up in a fetal position in the tall grass, his hands covering his ears and his eyes squeezed tight, until I was almost on top of him. I scooted up close to him and nudged him with my nose.
Sy opened his eyes. For a moment, the acidic scent of his fear exploded and burned at my nostrils, but then he seemed to realize who I was and his fear was replaced by joy, and a bit of desperation.
He wiggled close to my face before grabbing my muzzle with both hands. "Bad men come," he whispered. "They hurt Ajag."
I started to lift my head, but Sy's grip was strong for such a little guy.
"Ajag say run and hide." Sy sniffled. "He yelled at me."
Made sense if Ajag was trying to protect his brother, he'd probably yell. He wouldn't mean to, but he'd be in a panic, especially if strangers had shown up and tried to take them.
I hated shifting because I could hear and smell better in this form, but I needed my words. Sy still had a hold of my face when I slipped back into my human skin.
"Rad," he whispered before shooting a look toward the house. "You go save Ajag?"
