My hackles raised. I didn’t like hearingthat.
Jericho followed the scent with fierce determination. I appreciated his keen senses right about now; I smelled the trail as well, but not with the same clarity he did. He led us through the trees, up the slope and finally stopped at the base of an old felledlog.
“The scent pools here, like whoever it was stayed here for a while,” Jericho said. “Do you recognizeit?”
I leaned in to take a whiff and instantly recoiled. Anger flooded my veins. I knew exactly who itwas.
“Hector,” Isnarled.
“That Scarlet Ridge guy you were telling me about?” Jerichoasked.
“Yes,” I growled. “I specifically told him not to come backhere.”
Jericho paced around the log. “What would he be doing here, at this spot? What’s so special about it that he sat here for awhile?”
My pelt itched with fury. I was so angry that I couldn’t think. Hector’s smug snake-like expression burned in my mind. I wanted to claw his faceoff.
“Wait a second,” Jericho said, pulling me from my thoughts. “Isn’t this the hill that overlooks yourhouse?”
I stopped in my tracks. With wide eyes, I looked around. These surroundings were too familiar. With a burst of energy, I sprinted forward until I reached the end of the tree-line. There, just below, was a log cabin - myhome.
I saw red. Hector had been here - not just on Indigo Mountain pack lands, but in my woods. Overlookingmyhome.
Hector had been spying on us and I had no idea untilnow.
Had I failed myfamily?
Jericho caught up with me and gasped. He was realizing the same thing I did a momentago.
“Oh, man,” he muttered. “This is not good. We should tell theothers.”
I was too caught up in anger and shame to reply. I should’veknownHector would have come back. He was right under my nose the entire time and I had no clue. I was ashamed ofmyself.
Jericho had one paw in the direction of the hunting party. “Flint?” he called. “Youokay?”
“I’ll be fine,” I growled. “Let’s go let the pack know there’s a rat in ourmidst.”
We caught up with the rest of the hunting party, who had reached town and were unloading the prey carcasses into the kitchen to be prepared for distribution. I was so angry that I forgot to shift back to human form, and trudged into the building with all my fur onend.
“Whoa, what’s up, Flint?” Tyson asked. “You look pissedoff.”
“Yeah, your fur is so sharp it’s practically shooting through the ceiling,” Kenadded.
I growled and forced myself to shift to human form. I got dressed, shoving my legs through my jeans and punching my way through myshirt.
“He’s been here,” Igrowled.
“Who?” Tysonasked.
Jericho was getting changed next to me. “Remember that guy I told y’all about? The Scarlet Ridge wolf that’s been skulking around ourterritory?”
Tyson’s eyes widened. “He’shere?”
“Not just here,” I snarled. “He’s been spying on my home. On myfamily.”
“How do you know?” David asked, narrowing hiseyes.
I wasn’t in the mood for his suspicious streak. I whirled around and growled at him. “Because we tracked his scent,idiot.”
