Chapter Twenty-five

?It?s easy to hitch with crutches. Everyone wants to stop for you. They just pull over and say, ?Where? ya going, son?? and I say ?America, ma?am,? or ?sir,? if it?s a man.? Joey walked on ahead, talking nonstop over his shoulder. ?And then I dumped the crutches under a bush because I could walk okay, all along.? This was apparently a Joey joke, because he fell into hoots of laughter. ?And then I came over the border as a Were. I just walked right into Washington one night. I had to, because I got no passport. I just stepped over into the U.S. of A.? He took an extra-long step to demonstrate. Hope swapped glances with Mouse.

?He?s all excited. He never shuts up when he gets excited,? Mouse muttered. ?Bet you wish your ears pulled off as easy as your eyes.?

?It?s just one eye, Mouse. I don?t have two glass eyes.? Hope?s answer was buried in exhaustion. She was so tired. These kids kept a speedy pace, and she was finding it harder and harder to keep up. Her head thumped from lack of sleep, and she was hungry and felt very weak.

Joey had babbled on for an hour solid since they?d left the shack. Telling them about the morning he found out Patrick and Mouse had gone, and how Noah tried to call Ren and tell her, except Ren?s cell phone always went to voicemail. And how Noah had ordered Joey to stay and help with the farm but Joey ran away to find Mouse all by himself. And how Noah would be mad, and maybe even Ren, too, but he had to find Mouse because she was his friend. And how he was glad he ran away even though he?d be in trouble, because he had found Mouse, and rescued her just like a hero.

Mouse puffed in frustration at the glory Joey heaped on himself. Now that she was saved, she was much less gracious. ?I was gonna get away soon enough. I just hung around to see if I could bite Patrick first.?

?How did you find Mouse, Joey?? Hope asked.

?Easy! Ren had a tracer put on my mobile phone so she could find me if I ever got lost. I used to get lost lots of times,? he said, a little shamefaced.

?He?d wander off for days and days,? Mouse said, eager to highlight a weakness in her heroic rescuer. ?At least with the cell phone tracker we could find his clothes, then track him down for ourselves.?

?I wasn?t really lost,? Joey said. ?It?s just when I?m a Were I forget to change back. I keep on sniffing and exploring till I?m miles and miles away and forget where I put my clothes and have to come home naked.?

?Ren was worried because he?s so stupid,? Mouse said. ?She was worried he?d be smelling so much and not looking where he was going he?d walk out in front of a loggin? truck and get squished.?

?So how does this tracer thing work?? Hope was intrigued.

?It?s for parents to track their kids through their cell phones,? Mouse said.

?And Mouse had your phone?? Hope asked Joey.

?Nope.? Joey shook his head. ?I left it sitting in Patrick?s truck. So I traced him instead!? Joey sounded very proud. Then his shoulders slumped. ?It was really Jenna?s idea to use the phone tracer. I stole her phone so I could do it when I ran away.? He looked ashamed.

?Jenna will skin your ears,? Mouse said. Joey went quiet for a moment as he contemplated this threat. Then he dismissed it and bounced back with an in-depth, nonstop tale of how he used up the fifteen free trace calls to bring him closer to Patrick until he could sniff Mouse out for himself. His plan had traces of genius, Hope decided. It had brought him close enough to effectively save them, despite Mouse?s thanklessness.

?Time out, guys.? Hope sat down heavily on a fallen log. ?I need a breather. You?re moving too fast and I?m struggling.? She had reached her limit.

Joey and Mouse stood over her, pondering her words. Then Joey slumped down on the log beside her, sitting much too close. His hip and side were glued to hers. Mouse attached herself to the other side, resting her head on Hope?s shoulder. They sat there, sandwiching her until Hope was completely crushed and overheated, but she didn?t push them away. They were dependent on her, and lost as to what to do next.

?We?re moving too slow, not too fast.? Mouse chewed her lip. ?If we changed we could get to your friend?s place in no time.?

Their anxiety made them lean farther into Hope until she felt like a pressed flower. She tried to shrug her shoulders free, but it was impossible to move under their combined weight. She had let them down.

?I?m sorry, guys,? she said. She felt inadequate and miserable. Her plan had been to try to direct them to Little Dip, the only place she knew that could offer shelter. She had no idea how soon Patrick?s cronies would find him and come after them. Mouse had a point. Hope was slowing them down because she couldn?t move at a werewolf gallop. She was endangering them all.

?I?m going to give you directions as best I can. You need to change and run on ahead without me. Look for a road north of Lost Creek??

?We?re not leaving you.? Mouse was stern, and Joey nodded in aggressive agreement. They leaned in ever tighter in their mild panic, and Hope thought she would pop. ?We?re a pack. We don?t leave a pack mate behind. We?ll change, and Joey will carry you. Like a piggyback ride.?

Mouse sounded incredibly pleased with her plan. She rose and began shucking off her tatty clothes.

?Now wait a minute,? Hope said, alarmed.

Mouse paid no attention. Quickly, she stripped, dropping her clothes on the dirt around her feet. She knelt on all fours, and before Hope could blink, a small, dun-coated Werewolf squatted before her. Mouse stood and shook her coat vigorously. A sly wolfish grin creased her muzzle, and her eyes gleamed with amber mischief.

?That was the quickest change I?ve ever seen.? Hope was amazed. It had to be a youth thing. Jolie and Andre were not half as fast, or quiet. In fact, they made quite a fuss about the whole thing.

Joey had the grace to slip off behind a tree to strip down. Now he emerged as a huge red-gold beast. He, too, sported a happy smile on his leathered face. He crouched down before her, his back turned toward her.

It was obvious what she was expected to do. In a move the likes of which she hadn?t made since childhood, Hope hopped onto his broad back, and hooked her legs along his flanks. He rose, carrying her up to dizzying heights, and strode away with an easy rolling gait, her extra weight not affecting him in the slightest.

Hope clung to his shaggy neck and shoulders as Mouse trotted by his side. They picked up speed and were soon running through the forest at a very comfortable pace. Hope pointed over Joey?s shoulder when they needed to move in a new direction.

It was a seamless and quick passage through the surrounding hills and woodland. Joey leapt over fallen obstacles, swerved around trees, slid down shale slopes, never once losing his stride. Mouse kept a steady pace beside him. Both were easy and confident in their Were bodies, moving ever onward to Hope?s promised place of safety.

They were a mile or more into the valley when Ren became aware of the first one. It hung back, scouting them. No doubt there were others not far away. Godfrey walked ahead of her, unaware of their silent escort. At least he was quiet for once; the sudden hush of the forest had unnerved him into a silence of his own. Ren was relieved. She had been worried his incessant chattering would drown out the telltale noises she so desperately needed to hear.

Another mile or so and there were three tailing them. One on each flank, and another at the rear to block any retreat. They knew what they were doing. These three would shadow her into the heart of their valley, toward their compound. As soon as she drew close enough they would reveal themselves, and more would come out to face her.

Except it didn?t quite work that way. There was a vague noise to her right, a rustle or snap of a twig that distracted her momentarily. When she looked back, all of three seconds later, Godfrey was gone. She knew he wouldn?t have run; he didn?t fear her enough to run. They had spirited him away to a place of safety, out of her reach. That did not bode well. That suggested there could be confrontation. Her heartbeat increased. If they attacked without parley she could not possibly win. She was a strong fighter, but there were too many of them around her now.

For the first time she wondered at her plan. It had been quickly formulated, but she had no other options. Isabelle was ill and lost in the wilds of Oregon. She was being hunted, and if the transmutation did not kill her, there was a good chance her hunters would.

As if to underscore her concern, a quiet rumble came from behind her left shoulder, close to her ear. Oh, they were good. Very good.

They had distracted her enough to steal her companion, and while she fretted about that, they had sneaked up right behind her undetected. She felt a fool. All it took was her concentration to be fractured for a split second for them to move in on her silently.

The low growl came again, deep, and thoroughly menacing. It was a command for attention. Slowly, she turned her head to look over her shoulder, and found herself at eye level with a huge female. It was unusual for Ren to be at eye level with anything, especially a Were. This one was a senior. She was black with sliver streaks. Her golden eyes were narrowed, and she oozed confidence and authority. Ren held her gaze, then flicked her eyes away briefly in a mark of polite respect. This was not her valley, nor her den. She was on a mission. She did not want confrontation if she could avoid it. It could not hurt to be mannerly. She stood stock-still, her face turned toward the newcomer and her eyes averted. She gave a snarl to show she understood and complied.

Redirecting her gaze was luckily the correct thing to do. The beast?s growl rumbled on, but the threat in it lessened. As the warning faded away, the Were carefully leaned over and clamped Ren?s muzzle in her maw. Her sharp canines slid under Ren?s upper lip, enamel scraped across enamel, until her teeth pressed against Ren?s upper gum and the soft flesh of her inner cheek. Ren tensed. By acquiescing to this she had left herself open. One snap and jerk and she could lose half her face. Every muscle in her back and shoulders bunched and quivered. This was no den guard. Only the Alpha would have the right to do this, to demand this level of obedience. And as Ren was the interloper in her valley, she had to conform.

Ren gave a low, short rumble of compliance, hoping to communicate a nonaggressive, yet not wholly submissive position. She was an Alpha in her own right, and unless she was totally unwelcome in this valley, she should be greeted with a modicum of courtesy. If she proved unwelcome she would be torn to shreds. At the moment, her risk was fifty-fifty, but what were her options? She was doing this for Isabelle. If it didn?t work she would lose her, and Ren would feel as if she were torn to shreds anyway. So she acquiesced to the Alpha and held back a yelp as the teeth on her muzzle tightened into a painful nip. It was a test, and she?d be damned if she?d yelp for a Garoul.

Her own growl deepened into a rattle of a warning. She would only take so much?and miraculously, just as she thought she?d lost the gamble, just as her temper and tolerance hung by a thread, the Alpha let go. She snapped loose Ren?s lip and ran a huge, long tongue across the creases of Ren?s muzzle, licking along her furry cheek and up into her eye, causing her to squint.

The Alpha panted and pressed her face close. Her snuffle of peace blew into Ren?s twitching ear. She had been accepted. Ren blinked, confused and thankful. She had come so close to losing her last chance.

The forest around her shuddered and shook into life as about twenty Weres emerged onto the trail. They crowded around her pressing, and sniffing, and rumbling in muted, cautious growls. They herded her through the forest and around a sharp bend. Through the trees she could see the sparkle of the Silverthread, and then the compound opened up to her, an enormous pack home of maybe thirty cabins. They were scattered around a central area with a fire pit and dozens of bench tables. Farther back she could make out other cabins crouched quietly in the forest, away from the bustle of the camp. It was a small village and belonged to this one clan. Her clan. She had found her way back to the Garoul home den. A home she had once been cast out of.

She was shown a small room. The clothes she had left at her rental car were neatly folded on a chair. Ren had noticed Godfrey and the little dog being shepherded into another building. They were the center of much concerned attention. She was pleased that the man and his dog were finally safe among friends. No harm would come to them here.

She was escorted, fully dressed and in human form, to a central lodge house. It was a larger, more permanent fixture than the vacation feel of some of the other cabins. Ren assumed some of the pack lived in the valley permanently, while others came and went in the outside world.

A tall, dark woman stood by the blazing fireplace. Her long black hair was streaked with silver, and Ren felt an unexpected gut wrench for her own mother. All she had was a black-and-white photograph, and the resemblance to the woman before her was uncanny. She also knew instinctively this was the Alpha who had caught her muzzle and tested her before allowing her to enter the valley. She was flanked by an immense bearded man who, in Were form, would be formidable and a small, intense woman who watched every move Ren made as if she could read her mind. She unnerved Ren, but she could feel the bond between the woman and the Alpha. They were mates, and the smaller woman was Were. Several other pack members filled the room. In human form their family resemblance was unmistakable, and Ren did not doubt for one moment that her own features blended right in. They all shared the same bloodline. They were Garoul.

?Welcome.? The Alpha slowly approached. ?I am Marie Garoul.? She indicated the man and woman who still flanked her every move. ?This is my brother, Claude, and my partner, Connie.?

Neither welcomed Ren. They gazed at her impassively. The big man remained wary and on guard. The other woman watched her with clever, steely eyes.

Marie continued her introduction. ?Little Dip is our home valley, and I am the Alpha here.?

Ren nodded, unable to speak. Her heart thumped in her throat and she did not trust her voice at this important juncture. She needed this clan, but she was an outsider and unsure of their intentions. Isabelle was lost to her, out there somewhere in the wilds. This family had eyes and ears everywhere. If they would help, then it would more than halve her search time, and every hour brought Isabelle closer and closer to her first transmutation.

Marie?s intelligent eyes watched her carefully. Finally, after a short silence, she spoke again. ?How are your parents??

?Dead.?

Marie nodded at this. ?I assumed that when I stopped hearing from Dalia.?

Ren said nothing. She did not want to talk about her mother. She watched Marie carefully.

?How?? Marie asked bluntly.

?Cancer. Father had an aneurysm a few years later.? Ren left it at that. Her jaw clenched and she knew her face had hardened into a stubborn mask.

?And which twin are you?? Marie asked next. ?Luciana or Floriene??

?Ren. I?m Ren.?

?Floriene??

?Ren.?

?Ren Garoul it is.? Marie nodded thoughtfully.

Silence fell again, and again it was Marie who broke it.

?So, Ren Garoul. What can your family do for you??

?I?ve been tracking my ma?? She took a deep breath. ?The woman I wish for my mate. She?s in danger. Godfrey, the blond man who came with me. He and another friend were helping her. She?s beginning transmutation and she?s ill.?

?Where is Godfrey?? Marie asked.

?He?s with the dog,? one of the others answered.

?Go get him,? Marie said. She turned back to Ren. ?Does your mate need medicine??

Ren was uncertain how much she should reveal. Her trust did not run as deep as her relief. But she needed them to help her find Isabelle, and she had no idea what state she would be in when found.

She nodded.

The door opened and Godfrey came in. He looked fraught and tried.

?Are you all right, Godfrey?? Marie asked. He nodded.

?Ren saved me from some ferals, but they got Hope, and Isabelle ran after her to help and we lost her, too. Tadpole was hurt pretty bad, but Ren strapped him up until we got here.? It came out in one big rush, as if he simply wanted to get it off his chest and hand over the hopelessness and responsibility of it to someone else. He looked exhausted with the effort, and worried sick. ?We need to find Hope, Marie. Jolie will go insane when she finds out. And Isabelle is ill. I think she?s about to change for the first time, and she?s out there all alone.?

Marie digested this. Her eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth. She stared at Ren, her look so sharp Ren felt pinned to the floorboards.

?I thank you for saving Godfrey and tending to Tadpole,? she said curtly. ?Who are these ferals? Why have they taken Hope? And give me more information about this Isabelle.?

?Isabelle?s my mate.?

?You sired a mate and did not help her with her first transmutation??

?Isabelle?left before I could help.?

Marie?s eyes narrowed to suspicious slits. ?You sired a mate, and she ran.?

?I did not sire her.? Ren stiffened, as if ready for a fight. Her words were met with silence. ?My sister did.? Her tone was harsh. ?And I stole her.?

Chapter Twenty-six

Isabelle followed the directions given by the guy with the crushed chest and headed for Lost Creek. She was maybe three miles out when her nose took over. Once she lifted wolven scents off the wind she abandoned the truck. The air was thick with scent and she became overexcited. Her mutation came almost thoughtlessly, almost painlessly. As soon as she stepped out of the truck the myriad of wolven scents slammed into her like an express train, and she found herself facedown in the dirt pulling at her clothes like they were on fire. She smacked her lips at the blood that filled her mouth while her flesh boiled and erupted. I can?t control this. It just happens. If there?s a trigger, I need to find it fast. Her rib cage cracked and popped as she took that first deep, unadulterated breath and the natural world flooded her senses. She was bombarded with information as if the forest had opened like the pages of a book. Growling softly with pure pleasure, she slid through the trees that rolled over hills and crept up the mountainsides. Dusk accentuated her senses even more. Smell became stronger, her sight keener. Before she realized it, she was crouched in the undergrowth, rubbing her flank against a tree trunk and growling contentedly as she scratched. The early evening scents were comforting. Night was drawing in, and she felt more alive than ever.

She moved fast, leaping over fallen logs and across creeks. She thundered through the forest, strong and powerful, much like in her dreams, only there was no Ren by her side. She was alone.

The springtime forest was filled with the sounds of songbird courtship and the musk of animals attracting mates. It filled her with a lust for life. It invigorated her. Her fur hummed and her teeth tingled. She belonged in this body, and in this place. Maybe she would never go back. Maybe she would always hunt alone.

Hunger made her clumsy and careless in her hunting. She scattered four young deer on their way to the higher grazing grounds, chasing wildly after their zigzag runs. Soon, winded, she sank to her haunches and watched the taunting flash of their white tails disappear. She thrashed into a small lake and sent geese and ducks flapping from her greedy claws. Her growling stomach had to make do with frogs. She squatted in the reed water, all her earlier elation deflating along with her appetite. Mushy frogs tasted bitter. She chewed little and swallowed quickly. If she was to be alone then she had to learn to hunt more proteinaceous foods. Her ears flattened and she growled in dissatisfaction. She had no idea how to do that, how to learn any of the skills she needed. Last night?s rabbit had been a lucky kill. She would be in trouble if she could not refuel soon.

Isabelle lurched to her feet and moved on. Her nose was good. She could pick up Patrick?s scent around the lake edge. The dead boy with the crushed chest had told her of this lake and the small shack tucked back on its southern side. She moved away in a southerly direction and followed the telltale odors of Patrick?s sweat and nervousness. When he changed, his wolven smell was cocky and swaggering, but there was always an underlying residue of insecurity that permeated everything he did.

She found the shack in less than an hour, and approached carefully. A truck and a few scattered tents were huddled in a makeshift camp before it. There were multiple Were scents crisscrossing. Some were older than others. She blinked and twitched her nose, intrigued. A small distressed whine vibrated in her throat. She smelled home. Far away home?to the north. And it reminded her of Ren, not that Ren was ever far away from her thoughts. Ren?s shadow forever hovered over Isabelle?s heart, keeping it dark and subdued.

She hunkered behind a tree and watched. The early evening was beginning to steal the light away, but her night vision helped her focus clearly. Nothing moved. It didn?t feel like a trap. She sniffed the air faintly, picking up a memory of Mouse and Joey. Her longing for them grew so great she was unsure if she actually smelled them or imagined it out of longing.

She drew idle designs in the dirt with a long foreclaw as she thought this over. If longing made her imagine scents, then she would smell Ren everywhere. But she didn?t, so that meant the scents were true. Mouse and Joey had been here, and recently.

She stood and circled the shack, to creep up from behind. The closer she got, the more scents and stories filled her head. Many wolven had used this place, but only one human. Her friend! Hope!

Isabelle?s heart thrilled. She had found traces of Hope. Her ears crimped back on her skull, and her lips trembled with a low, vicious growl. The scent was faint. Hope was no longer there. Isabelle?s frustration rose.

The shack was empty. She knew it as soon as she drew close. She stepped over large splashes of dried blood and pushed open the door. Broken chain links littered the floor. The place was rank with Patrick?s fear. It overrode everything else. She stood patiently for many minutes trying to decipher the story of the last few hours in this barren hut.

Hope, Mouse, and Joey were here, but had been gone almost a day. They smelled energetic and healthy. Isabelle was pleased that they were well. Patrick?s scent was shrill and panicked. And then came another scent. A sly, subtle smell that Isabelle recognized at once. It held a deep, dark undertone. A bittersweet bite. She had come across it before, in Hope?s backyard and by the body of the crushed man. This was the predator who hunted them all.

Isabelle grabbed a plate of spindly chicken bones and reeled out of the shack, greedily gulping down the free meal. She licked her lips. Her eyes darted around as she thought through the overload of messages, and her task became clearer in her head. Follow Hope, Joey, and Mouse. Patrick, and maybe this other predator, would be following them, too, so she had to race and catch them first. She might not be a good hunter, but Isabelle had faith in her nose. She was a tracker, through and through. She would find them.

Her eyes picked out a large patch of blood-soaked soil in the clearing before the shack. She had not noticed it from her hiding place in the tree line, but standing elevated on the front step it was plain to see. It stained the earth near Patrick?s abandoned truck and the few sagging tents that formed the crude camp.

Isabelle dumped her empty plate and slunk over to investigate. The dirt was black with blood, and the ground littered with fragments of human bone and tissue. The area smelled heavily of stomach bile, and feces. She peeked in the tents and checked out the truck, but found no body. With this much blood there had to be a body. Isabelle was worried?a human had died here?and her fears for Hope grew.

The raucous cry of crows in the treetops caught her attention. Up in the taller branches where the wood met the clearing, several crows fought over tatters, greedy for a free evening meal. More and more birds were descending, their clamor was deafening to her sensitive ears. Like a black blanket they fell on the treetops, screaming and flapping and clawing at each other and the human body parts that festooned the branches. Isabelle?s heart hammered in her throat as her keen eyesight scoured the trees. It was not Hope. It was Patrick. Her shoulders sagged with relief. The scent story came together and made sense now. He had been torn apart where she stood, his limbs and innards tossed in all directions into the surrounding trees to feed the carrion.

Such casual cruelty scared her. Patrick and the young man with the crushed chest had been working for this unknown pursuer. Failure was obviously not an option in that pack. Failure equaled death. An unpleasant, painful death.

A small part of Isabelle felt sorry for Patrick. The air hung heavy with his failings and his ultimate terror. He had been no better or worse than any of the young runaways Ren had helped. Though now it seemed he had never been in her pack at all, but owned by some other Were. A much deadlier master.

Isabelle shook the sadness from herself. The setting sun still warmed her fur and her trail scents. The breeze was timid tonight. It would be a fine evening for tracking. She burrowed under the scent of Patrick and his short brutal life, and found Hope, Joey, and Mouse. Good smells, den smells. The sunset glowed brighter for her because of these scents. Her heart was filled with eagerness and she bounded into the trees to follow them, always aware of the darker, deadlier scent that fell between her and friends. Their predator had a head start and was following them, too.

?There?s more coming in from the south. From Lost Creek direction,? Robért reported. ?Amelie has been tracking them since noon.?

?How many?? Marie barked.

?Three, so far.?

Marie swung around to face Ren.

?More of yours?? Her tone was hard. It was clear her trust was wearing thin. Ren shook her head.

?I came with Godfrey. No one else.? These had to be Luc?s rogues. Maybe even Luc herself, except she?d be surprised if Luc entered this valley so openly. Her sister was stealthy. You didn?t know Luc was there until she bit.

Ren kept quiet, even though she knew her silence was aggravating.

?This valley?s like a thoroughfare today,? Marie groused at Robért. ?Help Amelie corral them toward the compound. Then we?ll see what we?ve got.?

?I?ll send her some backup.? Robért excused himself.

?You think it?s your sister, don?t you?? Marie said.

Ren shrugged. ?I can?t see her wanting to return here. Little Dip holds no good memories for us.?

?It holds you. And you stole from her,? Marie said. In the wolven world that was reason enough for a fight to the death.

?Tell me about Isabelle.? Marie?s demand was not to be ignored. Ren shifted uncomfortably. She did not want this. She did not need to be judged, especially by the Garouls.

?When she arrived in Bella Cool we both liked her.? She held Marie?s eye, Alpha to Alpha. ?I met her through her aunt and was captivated quite quickly. It became clear that Isabelle liked me back. But Luc?Luc wanted her, too, I think because she knew Isabelle was special to me. Luc can be very competitive and she?s used to getting what she wants. When it became clear Isabelle preferred me, then Luc decided it would be fun to give me a little gift??

?So she sired a mate for you?? Connie, Marie?s partner, spoke for the first time. Her tone was incredulous. Ren stiffened.

?I didn?t ask for this. I tried to stop it, but I was too late. Isabelle had already been infected. Luc wasn?t happy that I took her plaything away before she was finished.?

?Finished? How bad was the attack?? Marie wanted to know.

?Luc clawed her and the infection started. But later?later I bit her, and reopened the wound. I pushed her deeper into it. I made her mine.? Ren?s vice was flint hard. She dared them to challenge her claiming back her mate.

?I remember you both as cubs.? Marie?s voice was softer. ?Luc was very strong-willed, very wild.?

Ren?s smile was so bitter she could almost taste it on her lips. ?So was I.?

?Luc was cruel,? Marie said bluntly. ?I don?t sense cruelty in you. I smell strength and loyalty, and compassion, even. You?re an Alpha, aren?t you??

?I have a small pack. They?re very young.?

?How young?? Now Claude spoke. His face darkened. ?Why are you making a pack with young people? That?s crazy.?

?More gifts?? Marie asked.

Marie had seen through her. Ren stood rigid; anger pulsed from her.

?I was in veterinary college for years after our parents died. Luc stayed at home and ran the farm. It wasn?t until I came back that I realized how feral she had become. She had moved out and taken permanently to the woods. I let her be, but over time she got it into her head that I was lonely. She began bringing me presents. Kids on the run she had found and? changed??

?Attacked, you mean,? Connie said. ?Luc is feral. She?s out of control.?

Ren fell silent. Unease rolled off her. She hated exposing herself and her sister to their scrutiny. Luc was out of control, but she did not want her hunted down like an animal. She wanted Luc to have a chance. Ren believed her ferine behavior could change. She refused to believe Luc was lost to her forever.

?Don?t judge her. You were the ones who sent us away. What did you think would happen to cubs without pack guidance??

?My mother made the correct decision at the time.? Marie?s response was measured. ?Your parents were to keep contact. There was a support network here for them. They knew that, and used it when you were younger.?

?Our parents died and Luc followed her natural inclinations. She grew weary of fighting it.?

?And her inclination is to attack humans? These young people,? Marie said. ?What happened to them??

Claude bristled and Connie glared. It was not good. Ren reasoned there would be no help for her here. She had blown her chances by telling the truth about Luc and her own sorry life. She took a deep breath. She might as well leave and look for Isabelle on her own. She had wasted enough time on this futile quest.

?I don?t need this?? Her answer was cut short by Robért?s return.

?Marie! You need to come see this. Amelie has arrived with the intruders.?

Ren moved to the front porch with the others. From the back of the small crowd she blinked in amazement at the scene before her. Godfrey joyfully swung a dark-haired woman into in his arms in a massive hug. Beside them Joey sat hunkered on the dirt, a huge shaggy pile of golden fur. He looked around with great interest, idly scratching a scab on his belly. Mouse sat curled up against him, a tight ball of nervous dissatisfaction. Her ears flattened, and her eyes darted left and right, looking for an escape.

A crowd of curious Garouls crowded around the arrivals, much to Mouse?s hissed consternation. Joey, on the other hand, loved the attention. His tongue lolled out in a friendly leer for everyone.

?Amelie. Get them some water,? Claude said.

A young woman approached with a jug of water. Mouse spat like a cat, while Joey happily gulped down the drink and burped his appreciation.

?Mouse! Joey!? Ren ran to them. They lurched to their feet, yelping in delight, and leaned into her. Mouse clung to her leg, and Joey squashed her in a joyous bear hug.

?It seems they?re yours, after all?? Marie joined her, taking a closer look at the newcomers.

?I left them in Canada. I?ve no idea how they arrived here.? Ren was mystified. She kept touching and stroking them. She ran her fingers through their fur, pressing her face into their necks and breathing them in with great big gulps of homesickness.

?Patrick?s responsible.? The woman who had arrived with them approached her. ?Patrick kidnapped Mouse, and Joey came after her. He ended up rescuing us both.? She held out her hand in welcome. ?Hi, you must be Ren. I?ve heard so many good things about you. I?m Hope, and these are two of the best and bravest Weres I know.?

Joey?s chest puffed, and Mouse peeped out from behind Ren?s leg to acknowledge the praise.

?Compliments indeed,? Marie told Ren. ?Take them to your cabin. We?ll find them some clothes. It?s been a long and eventful journey, and I expect to hear all about it over supper.?

There was a warning in her voice. Ren caught her eye and realized the Garoul Alpha meant to have her answers. It was decision time. Her request for help would either be accepted or rejected this nightfall. Ren led her wards away, Joey loping at her side and Mouse still clinging to her waist. She could scarcely believe they were here but was thrilled to see them. She missed her pack and her home den, and wanted more than anything to hear Mouse and Joey?s story.

?And Hope wouldn?t let me bite him. She said Ren got to have first bite and I said that was okay but I got to bite him next.? Mouse stopped to draw breath and stuff more venison in her mouth.

?And I carried Hope all the way here on my back and ran real fast,? Joey said.

?But it was my idea, so we could go quicker because Hope is so slow because she has only one eye.? Mouse was not going to be outdone.

?And she threw her eye at Patrick and he screamed and I hit him with a rock.?

?I told them that already!? Mouse barked at him.

?Okay, you two. Enough.? Marie laughed. They were sitting outdoors by a blazing fire pit. A huge table was laid out before them, covered from one end to the other with food. Any Garoul who was not on guard duty had come by to share in the meal. It seemed everyone was mesmerized by the young guests. Their adventures were truly amazing.

?So this is your pack?? Marie turned to Ren, utterly charmed.

?About fifty percent of it.? Ren looked across the table at Joey and Mouse, still barely believing they were safe and sound and sitting before her. A quick call to Jenna on Marie?s phone had assured her all was under control at the farm. Jenna was delighted to hear Mouse had been found. It had been a tense week. Ren hung up content all was well in Singing Valley; she knew she could depend on Noah and Jenna. They were a more than capable couple.

?There are two more at the farm,? she said to Marie. ?Luc brings these kids to me when they grow ill. She doesn?t know how to tend them through the werefever.?

?But you did. You helped them survive,? Marie said.

Ren nodded. ?I have the almanac Grandma Sylvie gave my mother. I use the recipes in it, but it?s outdated.?

?Is it some sort of experimentation?? Connie asked quietly, so that Mouse and Joey did not overhear. ?Why does Luc do it? She must realize the survival rate is low, if nonexistent.?

?At first I thought it was because she wanted a pack of her own. But after a while it reminded me of a cat bringing home half-dead prey. Luc was proud of her presents; it took her a while to understand something was wrong. Too many weren?t surviving.?

?How many? Can you guess?? Marie asked.

Ren felt sad at her answer. ?No. Most died before they reached me. Luc lives near Lonesome Lake. She has no pack with her, as far as I know. She lives alone.?

?Why is she after Isabelle?? Hope asked. ?She tracked her all around Portland, trailed her to my house, and then chased her all the way out here.?

?I think because she knew I?? Ren cleared her throat. After all Hope had been through, she deserved the truth. ?Because Isabelle is very special to me. I wanted to get to know her more, but she had to go back to Portland after her vacation was over. We agreed to keep in touch, but Luc laughed at the idea. She said I should just take what I wanted. I disagreed.? She looked at Joey and Mouse eating their dinner and chatting happily with the younger Garouls. They were healthy and happy and proved that good things could come out of bad. ?So she attacked Isabelle?for me. Because she knew I would never do it for myself. And she knew how much I loved her.?

What else was there to say? The damage was done. Luc had taken the small pack hunting. Not an unusual thing to do. They had to learn. She had led them straight into the path of Isabelle?s car, and then, with Patrick?s help, it became another sort of hunt altogether. By the time Ren had arrived, Isabelle had been mauled and infection had set in. All she could do was help her fight the fever and hope that when Isabelle emerged as wolven she would accept Ren for a mate. It was a skewed and ill-conceived courtship, and Ren had moved too fast with her own needs. She had bitten Isabelle during their lovemaking to try to force their bond. She had been frightened Luc?s poisonous touch would skew Isabelle?s affections in some way. She had been insecure and greedy, and Isabelle had run from her. Now she had to find her before her wolfskin grew and she mutated. It would be a painful and terrifying ordeal for Isabelle to go through with help, never mind on her own.

And she definitely had to find her before Luc did. If she could save Isabelle, maybe she would be forgiven. Maybe they could start again. It was all Ren had to hope for.

?So Luc wants to find Isabelle and bring her back to you?? Hope asked.

Ren shook her head. ?Luc wants to kill her.?

Date: 2016-06-12; view: 53