Page 29 of Billionaire Wolf Needs a Pilot
“Hmm?”Her eyes fluttered open, confusion giving way to alertness as she registered my expression.“What is it?”
“Listen.”
She tilted her head and went still.After a moment, her eyes widened as her human ears finally caught what mine had detected minutes earlier.Voices calling through the trees, the mechanical whir of rotors, the unmistakable sounds of rescue.
“Is that—” Her voice broke as hope and disbelief warred on her face.
I nodded, already moving to get dressed.“They found us.”
The bond between us pulsed with her sudden surge of emotion.I felt it echo through my own chest, relief tinged with an unexpected reluctance.Our cave had become a sanctuary of sorts, a private world where we’d found each other without the complications that awaited us beyond these stone walls.
“We’re going home,” she whispered, the words part question, part declaration.She rushed to her feet, gathering her own clothes.
I pulled her against me, inhaling her scent once more.“Wherever you are is home now.”
The truth of it settled in my bones.After years of self-imposed isolation from my birthright and heritage, I had finally found something worth returning to.Someone who made even the most difficult homecoming bearable.
Outside, the calls grew closer.We emerged from our shelter into the crisp morning air.I clutched Felicity’s hand tightly in mine.The storm had finally broken, leaving behind a clear blue sky and shimmering snow on the ground.I scanned the treeline, my wolf’s vision immediately catching movement where human eyes would see only wilderness.
Six figures in bright rescue gear moved through the trees with coordinated precision.Even at this distance, my senses detected what Felicity couldn’t.It was the unmistakable scent of wolf shifters moving in pack formation.My body tensed instinctively, territorial awareness surging as unfamiliar wolves approached my newly claimed mate.
Felicity squeezed my hand, misreading my reaction as anticipation.“They’re here,” she breathed, emotion making her voice tremble.She began waving frantically, her free arm a blur of motion as she called out to the approaching rescue team.
I remained vigilant beside her, scenting the air to assess the approaching wolves.Not threatening.Not yet, anyway, but they were unknown quantities in my territory.My wolf bristled beneath my skin, urging me to position myself between these strangers and my mate.
The search party reached the edge of the clearing, led by a tall, broad-shouldered man with sandy blond hair, whose stance marked him clearly as the team’s alpha.His gaze locked with mine first.He nodded, looking down and to the side.It was a deliberate acknowledgment between wolves.His attention then shifted to include Felicity in his assessment.
“Mr.Roberts,” he called, approaching with measured steps.“Ms.Foster.I’m Caleb Winters, head of Angel Spring Fire Department’s Search and Rescue.We’ve been looking for you for three days.”
Felicity’s relief poured through our bond as she stepped forward.“You have no idea how glad we are to see you.”
I maintained my position slightly ahead of her, my stance communicating a message only the wolves would understand.This woman was claimed.The rescue team’s body language shifted subtly in response, their approach becoming more formal, respectful of boundaries.
“This is my team,” Caleb continued, gesturing to the men fanning out around him.“Maddox leads our tracking operations.Slade is our medic.Kane handles communications.Clint specializes in technical rescue, and Ryland is our wilderness expert.”
Each man nodded at his introduction, their eyes briefly meeting mine with the silent acknowledgment of shifter to shifter.I cataloged their scents, storing the information for future reference.They were all part of the same pack, with strong bonds between them, and experienced wolves comfortable in their hierarchy.
Slade, a lean man with observant eyes, stepped forward.“I’d like to examine your injuries, if I may.Particularly, Ms.Foster’s head injury.”
My wolf growled internally at the thought of another male touching my mate, but the rational part of me recognized the necessity of proper medical attention.Still, I couldn’t stop myself from hovering as Slade approached Felicity with a medical kit.
“Her concussion has been improving,” I said, my voice carrying a subtle edge of authority.“But she’s still experiencing occasional headaches.”
Felicity shot me an amused glance.“I can speak for myself, you know.”
“Of course.”Slade maintained a carefully respectful distance as he examined her.He kept his movements clinical and deliberate.“Ms.Foster, can you follow my finger with your eyes?”
I watched every touch, noting how the medic kept a formal distance.Occasionally, he addressed me directly.“Sir, her pupillary response is normalizing nicely.”Slowly, my possessive instincts eased.
“How did you find us?”Felicity asked as Slade checked her vital signs.
Maddox, the tracker, spoke for the first time.“Your smoke signals were visible whenever the storm broke.”He hesitated, glancing at me before continuing, “Plus, I picked up your trail where the plane went down.”
I understood what remained unsaid.A shifter tracker would have followed our scents, particularly mine.
“We’ve had search teams combing these mountains since your plane disappeared from radar,” Caleb explained.“Your company reported you missing almost immediately.”
While the team prepared us for extraction, checking our physical condition and gathering what few belongings we wanted to keep, Caleb gestured me aside.
