Lake hit the ground with a thump, his body curling in onitself as he panted, his lungs greedily sucking in oxygen. I turned to look at Cody and Thalia over my shoulder.
“We worried who was trying to get in; we forgot some may want to comeout.”
Cody snorted. “He could have left at any time. He just wants to be where you are.”
I looked down at the small boy. “Change.”
His wolf looked steadier when he rose onto four paws.
“Do you want to explain?”
Lake shook his head stubbornly.
“Go back.”
He bared his teeth. I scoffed in response. “Fine, if you can keep up, you can stay.”
I turned away, and the three of us set off again. Thalia glanced over her shoulder, then lowered her head and set the pace. None of us acknowledged that we slowed down. None of us looked at each other when we stopped for a water break, even thoughwedidn’t need one. None of us looked behind us when the sound of small paws on hard ground skittered across the path, and none of us batted an eyelash when I stopped, gathered the smaller wolf in my muzzle, and carried him the rest of the way.
At the edge of Stonefang, we didn’t stop to change, we made no announcement, and when we crossed the barrier, the seal dropped as I passed through it.
Two dozen of my pack waited. Cale stood when we approached, curious eyes on the young one I carried. After I set Lake down, the three of us changed form. Thalia handed us clothing from the pack Cody carried on his back.
“Good to see you,” Cale welcomed us.
I wish I could say the same,I thought to myself.
“Yeah, you too,” I lied. Lake tried to stand, and I sighed, scooping him up. I searched the pack. “Darla? Can you help my little stalker?”
Darla smiled, coming forward and taking the young wolf off me. “Let’s let him sleep it off,” she told me. “He’ll change form in his sleep. He’s exhausted.”
Cody grunted. “He must be; he slept a good part of it.”
“Tell me everything,” I instructed Cale.
“We have them under house arrest,” he reported. “Her children, we’ve taken from her. The girl was scared, the brother volatile but innocent. I think.” He nodded when Cody joined us, pulling on a T-shirt. “The others that came, the ones who felt vulnerable”—his eye twitched when he said it—“they’re also under house arrest. We don’t know who to trust.”
“That’s why I’m here.” I walked through my pack, seeing faces I hadn’t seen for weeks, feeling my pack take comfort from me being here. I greeted them, hugged them, and heard them.
“They want to be where you are,” Cody commented.
“I know.” I looked around as I spoke to the pack. “But they don’t want to be at the Hollow. They want to be here.”
“Use your Will,” Cody encouraged. “Like at Blueridge, you need to be sure.”
“Cody…”
“No, Alpha. If they aren’t with you, let’s find out now. We have enough to fight.”
I hated that he was right.
“When we’re at the shelters.”
“No, Alpha. Now. There are too many to have at your back. And I’m no Diesel. Or Killian.”
I looked over at my friend. Trusted and loyal but not a beta. He looked back at me and jerked his head to the pack. I sighed.
“You nag worse than your wife cooks.”
