Page 37 of Shifter's Homecoming

“Too bad it wouldn’t stand still for some first aid,” Trent said, then turned back to Rowan.

Her arms were crossed and she had that speculative look on her face again, like he’d surprised her.

“Too bad,” she said softly. Her eyes wound their way down his body, back up, then settled on his chest, avoiding his face once more.

Trent instinctively moved in close to his mate, but she moved away from him, back to the house.

25 - A Desperate Call

Reed took another step, and another, and another. The sun had come up hours ago. Her legs were hurting. Blisters were forming on two of her toes … and it could not be helped.

The pink trail had never once faltered. Troy had followed close behind her the entire time.

Troy moved in even closer. “Don’t be scared,” he told her, his voice pitched low.

“Of what?” she asked, her voice also low. She looked around quickly, but she wasn’t scared. Troy was with her. He would never let anything happen to her.

“The wolves,” he said quietly, sounding to her like he was really trying not to frightenthem.He pulled on her elbow and pointed one out, to their left, between the trees.

Its fur was thick and dark, its eyes a light amber. It watched them closely, pacing them through the forest as they walked.

“She’s with young,” Troy said, and his voice held wonder.

Reed saw he was right. Her belly was thick and heavy.

“Wild wolves don’t mate in the summer,” he told her. He looked off in another direction. “There’s another. She’s with young, too.” He stopped on the trail and she did, too. He lifted his nose in the air and turned in a circle, then pointed. “And another. Another. All pregnant.”

Reed held as still as possible, until Troy spoke again.

“I can scent Trent… maybe.” He looked confused. “Or, I scent a male wolf, that scents like Trent…” He trailed off, then looked behind him, as if seeking confirmation from one of the team.

“Can I go forward?” Reed whispered to him eager to follow the trail. The pink under her feet veered off into the forest just ahead, and she could not stay in one place.

Two female wolves crossed the path in front of her.

“Me first,” Troy said, tucking her neatly behind him where she had to compete with the two rucksacks he wore. He pressed forward.

Reed was about to point out the way, when she saw the dark-furred female wolf, the first one that they’d seen, was leading him instead, her feet touching down on Reed’s pink trail.

The wolf led them a short way, then dug deliberately into the ground near the wide base of a tree. She moved away.

Troy pulled out his flashlight and hurried forward, then dropped to his knees and stuck his light inside.

“Trent,” he called, and his panicked voice echoed inside the wolf sleeping den. He shucked off both packs and pushed his way inside, then pulled himself back out, dragging a huge black wolf by the front paws. The wolf was limp and slack with its eyes closed and it’s tongue lolling.

“Oh no,” Reed said, fearing the worst, hoping they had a medic with them. The team rushed in. Everyone crowded around Trent.

Troy’s voice twisted. “The cat, he’s there, too.”

Reed dropped to her knees and crawled in. She found the cat easily. It was as limp and as lifeless as the wolf had been. “Smokey,” she whispered, pulling him out, then cradling him in her arms.

She could barely see Trent, or even Troy with all the big males with big rucksacks crowded around them.

She heard Troy’s voice, cracked and desperate. “It’s no good, his heartbeat is so slow. He’s almost dead. Call Trevor on the sat phone. Call Graeme. Call someone—

Troy cracked. He just broke. He shot to his feet, he hoisted the huge black wolf over his shoulder, and he began to run back the way they had come.

They all followed, a male grabbing up Troy’s two rucksacks, Reed holding the cat in her arms, trying to run, but not jostle him.

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