Page 2 of Shifter's Homecoming

Trent wolf-smiled in the darkness. Troy hadn’t called him that in years.

You know me, Snapper, my claws are always out.

Troy chuffed lightly in his head.Your best trait.

Trent felt a rush of affection for his impetuous, hard-charging twin. Troy sprinted into a birthday party and a demon fight with the same enthusiasm. He had more energy than a pup and more courage than adragen. He was a good wolf.

Trent edged forward, wolf paws and claws digging into the cool dirt of the trail. He examined all possible approaches in his mind. Before he could pick one, the beast wrenched himself around on the trail and took a few steps the other way.

He disappeared from view, his big body dropping out of Trent’s sight all at once. The sounds of sliding rocks and falling earth accompanied the disappearance. Trent stayed where he was, listening and scenting hard, letting his nose tell him what was happening.

When his nose saiddeath, but not for the beast, Trent loped forward and leapt into the hole.

***

Trent landed neatly exactly where he had intended, making very little noise. The beast’s eyes were on him. Trent had taken in the scene as he leapt from ground above to ground below, and he knew at once what was going on. A wild wolf had already been in this underground cave. When the beast fell in the hole from above, the wolf attacked. The beast attacked back and killed the wolf in one bite.

The wolf’s body lay to Trent’s right, a few feet off. Blood still flowed from its torso, the metallic scent crowding out the scent of the beast, but not the scent ofthe female.

Trent scented a wild wolf female and her pups, and although his man’s mind did not recognize the female, his wolf’s instinct went crazy for the scent. Trent’s wolf was disciplined though, and his crazy was a disciplined crazy. He/they stood, stock still, head lowered, staring at the beast, ready to end this mission in whatever way possible. When it was done, Trent’s wolf planned on going to find the female.

Trent had never felt such a … division with the desires and wants of his wolf before. He did not know what his wolf wanted with the female, he could not tell, he had no knowledge of it and that didnot make sense because he and his wolf were one.

Something came immediately clear to Trent: his wolf felt a duty toward this wild female wolf, and it was a duty that belonged to his wolf only, not to him. Trent knew nothing about it, even though he didn’t understand how that could be.

But he had the beast to deal with.

Trent turned his full attention to the beast, turning up his mental volume.I’m taking you home,he practically shouted inruhi, picking apart the beast’s reaction. Did the animal hear him? Maybe. He could not tell. The beast only watched Trent with silvery eyes, taking long slow blinks and projecting noruhiback.

Without warning, the beast growled hard and fast and dashed past Trent, heading either toward the exit, or toward the female. Trent moved, leaping in front of the beast, completely battle-ready. He pressed forward, lunging for the beast’s face, teeth bared and snarling, projectingruhias he went.

Please, don’t make me laugh. You’re a baby. Sure you’re big, and you’re confused, and you’re ugly, but ugly doesn’t win fights.

He needed to force a reaction, any reaction. Trent underscored his point by moving in close to the beast so quickly the beast couldn’t defend himself, then biting the animal behind his ear. It was just a nip, really. A warning. He twisted around the beast, side-stepping him, then faced him from a few paces away.

Trent growled low in his throat and continued to speak in ruhi.You’ve never even been in a fight, have you? Except when you savaged Harlan. He lived, by the way. Which is the only reason I haven’t handed you your ass yet.

The beast must have heard something. His growl idled faster. He advanced slowly. Trent felt no fear. He feinted to one side of the beast, drawing him to lunge, then Trent whirled and went for the beast’s other side. He bit, hard this time, blood spraying.

The beast yelped. Trent let up, let go, retreated slightly, then paced around the beast, then turned his back on the beast, willing to draw him close, willing to give up the offense if the beast would justreactto him,respondto him.

Nothing. No reaction from the beast. Trent whirled and went back the other way, his head close to the ground as he spoke to the beast. He would lay it out bare.

You’ve got a choice,he said. I can embarrass you now, or you can come back and see me in five years. Then it might be a fair fight.He snarled, low and deadly, measuring the beast’s every eye twitch, looking for understanding. Trent jabbed the beast one more time.For now, I am your alpha. Get home before I drag you home.

Trent took a long look at the dead wolf to his side, then stared back at the beast.

If you kill anything else I’ll be so far up your back trail you’ll be asking my permission to take a shit. Got it? Snarl once if you understand.

The beast snarled once. Trent snarled back at the assent. The beast had given his word, and it was good enough for Trent. Trent’s wolf had business to do in this cave, urgent business, and until it was done, Trent would have to trust the beast to do as he had said he would.

The beast passed him, then climbed up the rock slide, heading for the hole at the top, leaping neatly from rock to rock.

Trent reached out to him again.Beast, one more thing you have to know. Harlan didn’t-

Rocks shifted under the beasts’ feet, tumbling the heavy pieces of stone down.

Blinding pressure exploded in Trent’s head, knocking him to the ground.

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