“It’s the same pattern you flagged before you left,” Zeke says. “Some unidentified wolves have been passing through the area, and nobody’s claiming them. A few others have gone missing, and the other packs are getting antsy.”
My stomach tightens, already knowing who he’s talking about.
Zane’s expression hardens. “Have you come across them?”
“A few just the other night. I almost collided with one, but he got away before I could see who it was.”
“I saw them and followed them to Ashford.”
Zeke’s brows lift as that gets his full attention. “And?”
Zane glances at me for a second, then back at him. “They’re organized, and they’re not working alone. I’ll tell you more when I can.”
“Great,” he says with a heavy exhale as he absently scratches the back of his neck.
“Yeah. We have our hands full.”
“No kidding,” Zeke murmurs before he jerks his chin toward me. “You want to explain that part, too?”
I stiffen slightly, and Zane doesn’t hesitate again. “Not yet.”
Zeke studies him for a moment, but before he can get himself in any kind of trouble, he nods. “Fine. But we’re going to need to loop everyone in soon.”
“I know.”
“The other packs are restless,” Zeke adds. “Hayes isn’t helping.”
At the mention of my brother, something cold settles in my chest, and Zane notices immediately.
An unfamiliar but warm feeling close to reassurance moves through the new connection I’ve been trying to ignore, and it startles me from within. I freeze up and glance over to feel Zane’s eyes already on me.
“I’ll handle it,” he says.
Zeke nods again, then glances at me one last time. “I didn’t expect to see you here, but I guess I’ll be seeing you around.”
“Yeah,” I reply flatly. “Me neither.”
A flicker of something unreadable crosses his face before he steps back and focuses on Zane. “I’ll let you get settled then. Just don’t disappear again.”
“No promises.”
Zeke snorts. “Figures.”
Then, just like that, he’s gone again, and silence lingers for a moment after, when it’s just the two of us.
Then I turn to Zane, feeling the need to fill that quiet. “You’ve been busy.”
He shrugs. “Something like that.”
“That’s an understatement.”
He doesn’t respond while I glance around again, taking it all in with fresh eyes now. I don’t know why it strikes me to see how much obvious work has gone into restoring Delmont, but it makes me wonder if I’ve been wrong about him.
Not completely, and definitely not about everything, but about this, and what he’s been doing since he left. This isn’t running…this is building something tangible and stable.
The thought sits uneasily in my chest despite trying to push it aside.
“Come on,” he says after a moment. “I’ll show you where you’re staying.”
