It took about ten more minutes for the wolves to reach the clearing. His senses were that good. He cocked his head, recognizing the scent even if he didn’t recognize the faces. “Are we on Copper Pack land?” he growled.
The closest wolf, a light brown with sharp eyes, stepped forward. He wasn’t the biggest there, but he was lean and carried himself like he’d survived things. The wolf shook his head and then jerked it toward the tree line.
“You want us to come with you?” Caidrik asked.
The wolf nodded. A much larger black wolf flanked the younger one, his stance sure. He’d seen some life. For sure.
Caidrik had always gotten along well enough with the Copper Pack, and he didn’t mind the reprieve from the deadly Slate Pack trials, especially since Nadia kept ending up in danger. Real danger. “All right.”
Air burst from inside the cabin.
It had taken her long enough.
“If any of you makes a move toward her, I’ll rip out your throat,” he said calmly, letting the promise sit heavy in the air. Then he opened the door.
Nadia padded out, her fur platinum blond and shimmering against the snow. The daylight caught her, and for a moment she looked unreal. Her eyes were darker in wolf form. For a wolf, she was small, just like she was as a human.
He checked her without thinking. Ears up. Stance solid. She looked good. Healthy. Alert.
“We’re going into Copper territory,” he told her.
She sat and looked at him expectantly.
He dropped the sleeping bag and moved away to shift. Even then, his energy cascaded out, and a couple of the wolves stiffened.
Once he was in wolf form, he couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked like she was grinning.
He felt like grinning, too.
What they’d shared the night before had been intense. He hadn’t made her his yet. They hadn’t talked about it, and it wouldn’t have been right. But he planned to. Soon.
He took the lead, keeping her tight to his side as they ran into the forest. Miles passed under their paws before the scent changed. Copper land. A truck waited at the edge of the trees. The brown wolf shifted into a teenage boy. The bigger, darker wolf beside him shifted into a tall, broad man. The rest vanished back into the woods.
Nadia shifted back into human form before Caidrik even gave her the sign.
“Konrad,” she cried, joy breaking free as she launched herself into the taller man’s arms.
What the fuck? The female was naked, jumping at another male? Caidrik shifted fast. “Nadia,” he snapped.
“It’s so good to see you,” Konrad said, embracing her. The giant clapped her on the back before setting her down.
“I take it you know each other,” Caidrik said, his eyes moving from one to the other. He kept his tone neutral, but his body stayed angled slightly toward Nadia, a reflex he didn’t bother fighting.
Nadia hopped up beside him, her energy bright and unmistakable. “Yes. Konrad and I were in the same pack before we joined the Copper Pack. We’re all friends. He’s a farmer.”
Konrad looked more like a killer than a farmer, but all right.
“I’m Oakley,” the kid said, opening the back of the truck. “We’ve got clothes.”
Apparently being a gentleman, Oakley tossed a sweatshirt and jeans at Nadia. She caught them easily and started pulling them on without hesitation. Konrad’s eyes darkened as he looked her over while she dressed. There was no doubt she’d been thoroughly loved the night before. Marks told that story clearly enough.
Caidrik was suddenly glad he’d left his everywhere.
Konrad glanced at him, suspicion sharp in his eyes.
Fair enough. Caidrik had most certainly made a claim on the female.
Oakley tossed clothes to Caidrik, and he pulled on the jeans. They fit surprisingly well. The sweatshirt did too.
