Aubrey’s words were on repeat in my head, but all they did was join the things I’d already been telling myself for years.
That I wasn’t good enough.
That no one would want to be with me.
That I was just wasting my time with Callie because she’d never really consider me as anything more than a friend.
It didn’t matter that we had this crazy connection. She wasn’t for me and I needed to accept that and move on.
The best thing for me would be to cut all ties before it became any harder for me. Even now, the thought of losing her was like a sharp, hot knife to my chest. If I thought there was any way around completely removing her from my life, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but there wasn’t.
If I couldn’t have all of Callie, I couldn’t have any of Callie. That was just the way it would have to be from now on.
Chapter 23
Wyatt
“Hey, Carter! You plannin’ on workin’ another eight?”
I shook my head and reached out to mentally respond to Huxley, my relief. “Nah, I think sixteen hours in a row is enough for me. I can barely feel my paws.”
“Then get your narrow ass back to the lodge so I can relieve you.”
I finished my route and did as he asked, pumping my tired legs as fast as they’d go after being so exerted for so long.
When I made it back to the clearing behind the lodge, I found Huxley, Mathias, and Clyde standing around waiting for me. I trotted up to them and plopped down with a loud huff.
“Man, I really thought you were gonna go for the full twenty-four. What’s gotten into you?” Huxley asked.
“Just got nothin’ else better to do.”
“You mean no one else better to do, right?”
He and Mathias erupted into loud, barking laughter at my expense, but I let them. What these idiots found to entertain themselves with was the least of my concerns.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that too,” I conceded.
“Really? A guy like you can’t get a single piece of tail in this pack? I don’t believe it. What about Aubrey? I saw her sniffin’ around your ass the other day.”
Anger surged in my veins at the mention of her, but I tamped it down. “That’s a hard pass, brother.”
“Well, you’d be the first,” Mathias said, which sent all three of them into more barking laughter.
I started to reply when a loud howl from deep in the woods interrupted all of us. As one, we turned to the sound, each of us on alert.
“That sounded like Abraham,” Clyde said first.
We looked at each other before we all leapt into action. Despite my fatigue, I led the pack as I raced around tree trunks and over treacherous roots on my way to the source of the howl. Soon, I picked up Abraham’s scent and followed it to a small clearing where I found the alpha.
He was in human form, his arms full of what looked like a half-naked woman. My stomach sank as I realized it must be another victim of the serial killer. Another woman we failed to save.
“She’s alive.”
My eyes jumped to Abraham’s as excitement raced through my veins.
“I don’t know for how much longer though, I need to get her to Doc. Calvin took off after the wolf who did this. Clyde, I need you to delegate to whoever’s around right now. Calvin might need your help.”
Abraham took off into the woods as Clyde turned to us and took charge. “Me and Mathias are gonna go after Calvin. Huxley, you tail Abraham and make sure he gets back to the lodge safe.” He turned to me, exasperation written all over his wolfy face. “And for the love of fuck, Carter, go home. You’re makin’ me tired just thinkin’ about your sorry ass.”
“But I can help.”
He started to reply when a pair of thundering paws met our ears and we all cocked our heads to the side. “Who is that?” I asked.
Clyde shook his head, tail straight in the air. “I don’t know, but he’s comin’ in hot.”
We watched the woods silently as the sound came closer and closer until a gray wolf burst through the trees, headed straight for us.
“Calvin, what are you doing back here? I thought you were following the killer,” Clyde called to his brother.
Calvin came to a stop right outside our group and we all shifted to envelope him in our conversation. “Yeah, I was, but I lost his scent at the road. He must have gotten in a car.”
“You sure are out of breath. You losin’ your edge, McCoy?”
“I don’t know, Hux. Why don’t you ask your mom about my stamina?”
The group of wolves howled with laughter and even I let loose a few chuckles at Huxley’s expense. It wasn’t often someone got the best of him.
“Yeah, yeah. Fuck off all of you.”
Calvin turned to me next, his eyes wide with what looked like excitement. “Speaking of moms, too bad yours is so old, Carter. I’ve been really diggin’ human chicks lately.”
My hackles rose slightly, but I did my best to keep my cool. “Sorry, you’ll just have to disappoint a different woman in bed, Calvin.”
The clearing erupted in barking humor again, but I’d already sobered up.
“I can’t believe he struck again. This one was sooner than the last.”
Huxley shook his head slowly. “He’s accelerating, but why?”
We all stood there quietly as the gravity of the situation mounted on all our shoulders. Finally, Clyde shook out his coat and spoke up again.
“Me and Mathias are gonna go follow the trail anyway. See if there’s anything that was missed. Huxley, you start your patrol. Wyatt, go the fuck home.”
