Page 39 of Broken Forced Mate
“Time to shift,” I tell the others.
We strip out of our clothes and gear, leaving everything except essential supplies in the truck. The desert heat beats down on bare skin as I pull the Amanzite pendant from around my neck.
The deep black stone threaded with purple swirls pulses with magical energy, warm against my palm. Without the enhanced gems, shifting would be agony—bones breakingand reforming, muscles tearing and rebuilding, consciousness fracturing between human and wolf minds. With them, the transformation flows like water finding its level.
“Everyone ready?” I ask, holding up my stone.
Jay and Aidan nod with their own Amanzite pendants glowing. The magic within them responds to proximity, creating a network of supernatural connections that will allow communication even in wolf form.
I close my eyes and reach for my wolf. He responds eagerly, tired of being confined while danger surrounds our territory. The change begins as a warm tingling in my bones, then spreads outward until my entire body restructures itself. Human concerns fade as wolf instincts take precedence.
Moments later, I stand on four legs instead of two. My senses sharpen dramatically—scents become layered stories, sounds carry emotional weight, and the landscape reveals details invisible to human eyes. The world transforms from a collection of objects into a living tapestry of information.
Ready?I send through the bond that connects our pack stones.
Let’s go,Aidan responds with the same eagerness I feel.
Stay close and keep low,Jay adds.No unnecessary risks.
We begin the approach to the Thornridge camp, moving through scrub brush and rocky terrain. My wolf knows this land intimately; it understands which paths provide cover and which will expose us to watching eyes. Every rock, every bush, every slight depression in the ground becomes part of our strategy.
The main camp sits in a natural depression about two miles from our starting point. Getting close enough for visual confirmation requires crossing open ground that makes myhackles rise. But we need intelligence, and remote observation won’t provide the detail we require.
Movement ahead,Aidan warns through our mental link.
I freeze, scanning the landscape until I spot what caught his attention. Two figures in desert camouflage are moving between concealed positions with the disciplined patrol patterns of professional soldiers. Even in wolf form, I can smell their scent mixed with gun oil.
Sentries,I confirm.Professional setup.
Can we get around them?
Maybe. Follow me and stay downwind.
We spend the next twenty minutes working our way around the perimeter, using every piece of natural cover available. The sentries are good—alert, disciplined, following proper rotation schedules that prevent gaps in their surveillance. But they’re not expecting infiltration by wolves who know the territory better than their GPS units do.
There,Jay indicates a depression in the ground that runs parallel to their patrol route.We can use that wash to get within visual range.
The approach requires perfect timing. We wait for the sentries to reach the far end of their patrol route, then move quickly through the shallow depression. Desert sand muffles our footsteps, and the natural camouflage of the wash keeps us invisible from the camp.
The Thornridge operation makes my blood run cold. Twenty-plus tents arranged in a military formation around a central command area. Vehicles parked in defensive positions with mounted weapons visible on several. Weapon racksstanding in neat rows near the armory tent. Communication arrays that could coordinate operations across the entire valley.
Holy shit,Jay breathes through the link.
Count the personnel,I order.
We spend the next hour documenting everything we can see. Guard rotations, equipment inventories, and communication setups. The Thornridge forces have everything they need for a sustained offensive operation, including medical facilities and supply chains that could keep them operational for weeks.
We need to get closer to the command tent,I decide.See if we can gather any intelligence about their timeline.
That’s a hell of a risk,Aidan points out.
Everything about this situation is a risk. But if we can learn when they plan to attack, we might be able to prevent it.
The approach to the command area requires crossing fifty yards of open ground with minimal cover. In wolf form, we can move faster and quieter than humans, but we’re also more vulnerable to detection if someone happens to be looking in our direction.
On my signal,I tell the others.Fast and low. Don’t stop until you reach the equipment cache on the far side.
We wait for a gap in the sentry rotation, then break cover simultaneously. My paws find purchase on rocky ground as we race across the exposed space, and every second feels like an eternity.
