A man shifted quickly and ran ahead of the group. Jahida pushed herself faster, the rest of the wolves followed behind us, no one was going to get left behind. Jahida panted, arms tired, as we tried to make it to the safety of the pack. I kept my guard up, glancing around the woods, ready to shift at any sudden movements.
We broke the tree line to see Rush, Jonah, Beckett, and another few wolves coming out of the packhouse. Jonah ran to Jahida and knelt down, checking over her. Rush walked assertively towards me, but I could feel his eyes checking over me as well.
“There were hunters?” Rush asked, scanning the woods behind us.
“One, he was a boy, but he ran off towards the east.”
Rush nodded.
“Everyone go home. Stay inside until further notice. No one goes anywhere alone until we are positive we’re safe.” The wolves nodded and scurried off. Rush grabbed my hand as we walked back to the packhouse. “Don’t go outside without me,” he told me, looking down as I glanced up at him.
“Of course,” I squeezed his hand, resting my head on his arm.
Jonah and Jahida stayed with us at the packhouse until dinner when they insisted on going home. Rush could only be handled in doses when he was stressed; I understood.
“They’re getting closer to the packhouse.” He threw a book on his desk. I lifted my hand to soothe him but pulled it back to my chest when he turned around faster than anticipated. He sighed and leaned against his desk, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, I’m just stressed out. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t scare me,” I said firmly, stepping in between his legs, resting my palms on the tops of his shoulders. “What can I do?”
His hands found my waist, pressing his fingers into the soft flesh below my shirt.
“I don’t know if there’s anything any of us can do,” he spoke honestly. “The humans are getting more reckless, and if they get close enough to the packhouse, I don’t know what we’re going to do. It’s not the humans that are indifferent towards us that we have to worry about. It doesn’t matter if ninety percent of them don’t care about us, it’s the ten percent that are going to harm our pack members.”
“That ten percent can do a lot of damage,” I agreed. “So, what’s our plan?”
“Honestly?” He looked up at me sadly. “I don’t think we have one.”
Offspring
“So,” I said conversationally, purposefully not making eye contact with Rush. “My sister said something about visiting our pack soon, would you mind?”
“No, not at all.” He continued working on the pile of paperwork on his desk.
“Really?” I said, surprised.
He glanced up, looking over his reading glasses. “Why would I? I’d like to spend some more time with your sister, the only time I met her was when she thought I was going to kill her,” he said, chuckling, looking back down to sign something.
“Well, okay,” I said. That conversation went a lot smoother than I thought it would. I was prepared to make my argument and give character witnesses, but he was oddly accommodating.
“Tell her to wait a week until we can figure out a bit more about this hunter situation. I wouldn’t want her showing up in the middle of this, but next week would be fine.”
I ran out of the office to our bedroom and grabbed my phone off the end table. Isla picked up on the fourth ring, yelling at someone with the phone muffled against her chest.
“Sorry, S, I’m working with amateurs!” she screamed the last word loudly to whoever was in the room. “What’s up, girl?”
“I was wondering if you had any plans next week?”
“Uh, apart from killing the Alpha, taking over the pack, uniting all the packs under my reign, and ruling over everyone as the ultimate, supreme, glorious, Alpha….no, not really, why?” she said it so casually it was hard not to take her seriously.
“Rush, and I want you to come visit for a few days,” I said happily.
“That would be wonderful! I do have a lot of stuff to do here, but I can maybe come for a day or two? I promise I’ll stay for longer later, but you know how busy the shop gets right before school season, all the kids need new clothes.”
“Absolutely, even just a day visit would be nice.”
She hummed on the other end of the phone and then said something that didn’t make sense. “Sorry, I’m not talking to you.” She pressed the phone against her chest again. “Okay, now I’m talking to you. I’ll let you know what day I can come!”
We talked for a little while longer and then hung up. I wandered back to Rush’s office and swung the door open. Beckett was sitting across from Rush, he glanced up at me but didn’t change his facial expression.
“You know, they say frowning leads to premature wrinkles,” I said spitefully, walking past him to sit on the edge of Rush’s chair.
“Who are ‘they’?” Beckett sneered.
“You know.” I crossed my legs. “The universe, cosmetologists, dermatologists, people who have actually smiled before.”
Beckett let out a heavy breath from his nose.
“Okay, enough,” Rush settled, fighting the humor out of his eyes. “We need to find out more about these hunters. They’re gaining confidence and numbers, which makes them dangerous.”
“Has anyone tried to talk to them?” Beckett and Rush looked at me strangely. “What?”
“The last time we tried to talk to them, they stabbed you and nearly killed you,” Rush spat. “So, no, I don’t think talking is the best option.”
“That’s it? You’re just going to go straight to fighting? Maybe we can work something out, they’re people too, they have families and lives.” My heart ached for the humans.
“I’m more concerned about
