“They’re animals!” a voice shouted from the gathered crowd. “They think they can take advantage of our goodwill and generosity.”
“We partner with them, give them weapons and drink, and what do they give back?”
“Nothing!”
“I say,” the soldier cried, stepping off his log with a dramatic bow, “we go over and ask nicely for some gratitude.”
The newly formed mob was moving before Ian’s mind had caught up to what they were doing. He wasn’t sure what these soldiers thought they’dgivento the wolfshifters. They were children playing at war.
He followed, staying far enough away not to get caught up in the frenzy. He knew he should find Harlow or Luna, but another voice in the back of his mind told him not to bother. If the army killed itself off trying to fight against its supposed allies, who was he to intervene?
As the group came to the short fence that separated the human camp from the wolfshifter camp, they didn’t stop, moving through the two small gates that connected them.
The wolfshifters were already there, drawn by the noise, and Ian could see they’d been partaking in their own celebration. Nearly all of them were covered in blood. It ran from their snarling mouths down their chests and across their groins. Harlow had asked them to wear loincloths while in the presence of the soldiers, but none of them had listened.
“We deserve some of the meat you’ve hunted,” the man said quickly, as if he might lose his wit if he spent any time waiting. “You can’t possibly need so much.”
Ian was almost impressed with him, standing at least two feet shorter than the wolfshifter he confronted. Or perhaps he was simplythatdrunk.
The crowd’s cheer of agreement was quieter now, more hesitant, but no less vitriolic.
“You deserveourfood?” the wolfshifter asked, sneering.
“We’re allies, no? Allies share resources!” the man said. His voice had the slightest waver to it. The wolfshifter heard it immediately, his grin turning feral and hungry.
“Okay,” he said, his tongue flickering out to lick the blood from his lips. “Reggi, bring this man some food.”
A soft snicker reverberated through the wolfshifters as a dark-haired one grabbed an elk carcass with one hand and pulled it forward, throwing it down on the ground in front of the soldier. It landed with a heavy, resounding thud.
“Now eat,” the first wolfshifter said.
“That’s not how we…” the soldier started, his chin no longer held quite so high. “We’re not animals. We cook our meat.”
The wolfshifter’s grin turned cold, teeth bared. “Eat. It.”
Both groups were silent, the night falling still as everyone waited to see what would happen next. Any anger from the small mob had drained away, and Ian could see the fear permeating the air. He could only imagine that the wolfshifters could smell it.
They were watching with hungry eyes.
Before the soldier could decide what to do, the wolfshifter made the choice for him, grabbing him by the back of his neck and shoving him down to his knees. He pressed his face into the carcass. Ian couldn’t tell if the soldier wasn’t resisting or if the wolfshifter was so strong it didn’t matter. Either way, he held him there for over a minute until he was satisfied.
The wolfshifter shoved him back, the soldier falling back on his ass, gagging and shaking.
“You’re going to fucking pay for this,” he snarled, but his words were that of a rabbit in a jaguar’s jaws.
“Don’t touch what isn’t yours,” the shifter said, crouching over the man. He stood, shoulders straightening. “Take them both back to your little camp. I don’t eat meat that rot’s touched.”
The soldiers’ friends emerged from the crowd, snatching him from where he sat, still shaking. Ian expected them to leave the elk corpse, but a few men stepped from the group and grabbed it—hunger winning over shame.
Only after the group began to disperse, tails between their legs, did Ian see Harlow across the way tucked in the darkness between two trees. He didn’t know how long he’d been watching the exchange. The man’s black eyes met his own, and Ian swallowed, heart in his throat. There was no slinking away into the shadows.
He waited until the wolfshifters had lost interest before crossing the field to where Harlow waited, eyes expectant.
“Junior Major,” he said.
“Chief Commander, sir.”
“You saw all of that.”
