Page 42 of In the Mouth of the Wolf

My eyes narrowed in on a tuft of light brown fur hanging off a low tree branch. I gingerly grabbed it, rubbing it in my fingers and releasing her sweet scent. I sighed, tucking it into one of the pockets on my vest. “This is her, alright.”

Never in my life had I hated the fact that I couldn’t shift more than I had when we’d gotten that call from Elias. That gift had left our people years before I was born, the last full shifter dying while I was still in diapers. How could you miss something you never knew?

I supposed you could say the same thing about omegas. I never thought I’d ever meet one, let alone bond with one.

And then Marlowe walked into our lives. For a fleeting moment, I saw a happy future. One with love and family.

And then she had promptly shifted and ran out of it.

I wasn’t going to let her go without a fight.

“We’ll find her, Cam,” Nolan reassured me. Although he was probably saying it as much for his own peace of mind as he was for mine. “She loves your house. You could convert one of the bedrooms into a good nest for her.”

“She can have the whole basement, for all I care. Whatever she wants.”

My basement was the mancave to beat all mancaves. Fully carpeted, large screen TV, wet bar, pool table – the works. It had taken me years to get it right. But I’d rather it go to her than spend another second down there without her by my side.

“You think she’ll still let you watch the games, though?”

I let out a weak laugh. “Hell, I’d watch them on my phone, with headphones, as long as she’s sitting next to me.”

Our feet crunched in the snow, the paw prints unwavering in their trek. “Crap, what if living in San Fran’s made her a 49ers fan?” I asked.

“Moon forbid,” he chuckled.

I think I might forgive her for that, though.

Adrenaline pushed us forward, and if anyone was feeling tired, no one looked it or dared say it. By early afternoon, the prints had led us to an old barn. Poor thing must have been drawn to the warmth of it. We snuck inside, and her scent ended on a pile of straw.

“She was here,” Archer whispered. “There’s no blood, thankfully. She must be inside that house.”

I took out my phone. “Has she tried to call any of you guys?”

They checked and then shook their heads. “I doubt she has our numbers memorized,” Elias responded.

The barn reeked of alpha stink and I growled. “Someone has her. She would have found a way to get in contact by now otherwise.”

Nolan rolled his shoulder. “Let’s go get her back, then.”

22

MARLOWE

The gross old farmer pack finally reentered the room. Paul had a vicious sneer on his face, while the other two appeared penitent, refusing to look me in the eye.

This didn’t bode well.

“We’ve decided,” Greg said. “You owe Paul an apology.”

Was that it? Just an apology?

Not that he was owed one, anyway. The guy had kidnapped me – how dare I try to escape?

I forced my features into an expression of contrition and faked my best teary pout. “I’m really sorr—”

“Not with words, omega.”

I felt the blood drain from my face as Paul started unbuttoning his shirt. “I’m gonna knot you, and then you’re going to thank me for my hospitality. It was my barn you chose to sleep in, after all. It’s the least you can do.”

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