Page 26 of Shifter's Homecoming

“Smokey!” he shouted.

He skidded to a stop and looked all around him in the forest in the night.

“Smokey, I want some answers, do you understand me?”

His voice did not echo. The trees caught it and held it still. Smokey did not say a word.

Trent headed inward again, growling louder. “Show yourself, cat.”

Still there was no answer.

“Ok then,” he shouted into the trees. “What about you, wolf guardian? What do you think about this mess I’ve been handed?”

He stopped on the trail again and turned in a circle, his arms wide, unable to help the growl coalescing around his words. “Really, it doesn’t matter if she’s my mate or if she’shismate, this is fucked up, no matter how you look at it.”

Still, no one responded to him.

Trent snarled again, wanting to bite at nothing. His next words were pitched low and deadly. “Just what in the hell do you think you are doing, Rhen?”

That got him a growl, one even more low and deadly than his own.

Trent readied himself to take on the alpha of alphas, knowing this was it, this was how he died... but then he realized thatno,maybe there was more to it—

“Am I supposed to bring her home?” he whispered skyward, all of the fight suddenly drained out of him. “That’s the only thing that makes sense,” he said softly, dropping to his knees, his strength gone. “Please, I can't just get the vaccine and... die in front of her. Whether she's my mate or not, that's just cruel.”

Still, no one answered. After a while, Trent stood. After a while longer, he walked. Inward, outward, he didn’t care, and he couldn’t tell. His booted feet landed heavy on the trail with every step he took. He played the situation over and over again in his mind, knowing here in the meadow, where his mind was the most clear, that … that … could he really have a mate at home, too? Maybe hewassupposed to go home. Or maybe he was supposed to take her home with him. But no, when he’d seen the purple door, he hadn’t been there, so maybe… maybe he was supposed to stay in this world where he’d found his mate?

Trent played over Smokey’s words in his mind. Had the cat ever promised him he would go home, or was he only promised another chance at life? It seemed certain that the other Trent, that Trent he’d seen die and rise up out of his body, was dead for good, and so maybe he, Trent,wassupposed to stay in this other world. But why could he not get anyone toanswerhim? Why wouldn’t anyone at least confirm or denyanything.

This was no way to run an operation.

Trent’s long-standing anger at the conduct of Rhen started to seep in again. Little by little, it got the better of him, until he shifted to a wolf and sprinted to the very center of the meadow. Once there, he shifted again and stood as a man, intending to force a reaction from someone.

“Quit hiding, Rhen. Show your face and answer this. Do you enjoy fucking with wolves? Or just fucking wolves?”

Somewhere the catamount snarled, and the wolf guardian growled in agreement.

Trent was tossed from the meadow like a belligerent drunk out of a bar.

16 - Trent Wakes

Trent woke gasping and gagging quietly, his body and brain sore, only barely remembering his dream of challenging the unchallengeable in the meadow. He felt as bad as he had a week ago. His leg throbbed and his mind did not want to focus. A clock on the wall said 4:42 in the morning.

Slowly, he got himself under control. He blinked and opened his eyes. He was on his back in the bed with the lavender sheets. He looked around. All was dark. The small corner office he was in looked to actually be a combination office and patient room… or maybe a bedroom. The door to the rest of the building was open. It was dark. There were no lights on, but machinery hummed and indicator lights glowed softly just outside.

It seemed the middle of the night. He had fallen asleep before his mate had come to take her tests and she either hadn’t woken him, or she’d done whatever she needed to do without waking him.

He took a few deep breaths, trying to place her in the building before he moved. She was… across the room. He held himself motionless while he tried to catch any nuance of scent, but he could not, not without his wolf. He did know his mate’s breathing was deep and even, like she was sleeping.

He lay there for a few minutes, pain in his leg, pain in his heart, and pain deep in his wolfless soul, all competing for his attention.

Trent stared at the ceiling and tried to think what to do next.

17 - Troy Wakes

Reed was startled awake by Troy gasping and gagging next to her. He rolled and suddenly he was off the bed, then back on, sitting heavily on the edge.

“Hey, are you ok?” she said, twisting to face him, nervous he was sick or hurt.

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