Carter wore a pair of short cotton shorts that looked like they’d seen better days. No shoes or shirt. His dark hair was lightly messy, making Aaron want to run his fingers through the thick locks. Fuck! Why did Aaron’s mate have to be so damn hot? And the protectiveness radiating from Carter made Aaron’s cock hard.
“No, I’ll go,” Carter said.
“What?” Aaron asked. This wouldn’t be any safer for Carter.
Carter smacked his leg. “I wish I had a weapon or something.”
“I don’t think a weapon would help in a dream.” Probably not. Aaron had never needed a weapon in one of his dreams. He was proficient in most weaponry with his council training. He might not look it, but Aaron had been the council’s agent. It was just that Bas and Leo were better at the actual fighting. Aaron was the thinker in the group.
“A dream. Right.” Carter grunted as he started down the hill.
Aaron pressed his lips together, watching as Carter moved smoothly, even grabbing onto a limb from a tree close by ashis feet slipped a little. He made it look so easy. It was kind of sexy how Carter just took control. Who was he kidding? Aaron thought everything Carter did was sexy.
Reaching a fallen log not far from the riverbed, Carter bent to peer close.
Aaron shuffled forward curiously. “What is it?”
Carter straightened. “Can you get down here safely?”
It was just a dream, right? Aaron nodded. “Sure.” Luckily his voice came out sounding sure even if Aaron wasn’t.
Carter bent back over the log, giving Aaron the perfect opportunity to make his way down. He was in no way as graceful as the cop had been. By the time Aaron was joining Carter, his hands were coated in mud. Yuck.
“I think these were the little guys that we heard,” Carter said.
Placing a hand on Carter’s back, Aaron leaned to see under the log. Three tiny little puppies were excitedly jumping all over each other and yipping. They were black and white and looked malnourished and dirty. The poor things! He reached to grab the closest one, but Carter caught his wrist.
“Maybe you shouldn’t,” Carter advised quietly. He wasn’t looking at Aaron. Instead he had his head up with his gaze darting around.
“But—” The babies!
“I don’t think we’re alone,” Carter whispered.
Aaron knew they weren’t. But the babies!
“Don’t move.” Carter went to step around Aaron.
“Just ignore them,” Aaron told him.
“Who is it?” Carter demanded.
“I don’t know. They’ve been following me.” Okay, Aaron had a pretty good guess. Bas had buried himself in the files of the hyena pack spotted in the area. That pack moved from town to town, leaving devastation in their wake. Aaron just couldn’t prove it. And didn’t want Carter involved.
“They?” Carter asked.
Damn it! Of course Carter would ask more questions. Had to be the cop in him. “I feel like it’s more than one person. Or thing. Or something.” Aaron didn’t know how to explain without giving away that he knew much more. “It’s not important.”
“Hmm.” Carter didn’t look convinced.
Bending over, Aaron offered the closest pup his hand to sniff. They seemed like regular canine dogs. Not shifters. Aaron had been terrified that he’d been dreaming about lost shifter children.
“Can you grab them?” Carter asked. “We need to get out of here.”
And go where? Did Carter keep forgetting this was a dream? Reaching for the smallest puppy wedged in the back of the log where it lay against a tree, Aaron’s hand went right through the little thing. He sighed. “No. They’re not really here.”
“What?” Carter snapped his head toward him.
Aaron waved his hand around.
