Page 21 of In the Mouth of the Wolf (Of Wolves and Kings #1)

21

CAMDEN

“I got something over here!” I yelled. Large paw prints gathered at a spot near the stream and then continued northward. We’d wandered throughout the night, the sky now turning to blue as dawn approached.

She had to be tiring soon. Archer had versed us on his research into full shifts during the drive over. Marlowe was alone, with no pack and no home to return to. She’d likely wander aimlessly until she exhausted herself, seeking shelter to rest and possibly revert back to her human form.

There was nothing but farms out here, and wolves typically gave people a wide berth. Would she find safety in time? A few hours without clothing in these conditions could kill her.

I didn’t wait for the others to follow as I trailed the prints up. She was heading back to Maiingan Hollow, whether she realized it or not. Was she trying to find us?

We weren’t bonded yet, but I ached for her all the same. I was also furious she’d been tricked by a vampyr, that he’d thought he could take one of ours into his servaglio. And I was shocked by her shift, but it was a race against the clock and I refused to entertain any worst case scenarios.

Nolan caught up with me, the second most physically fit out of the four of us. Elias and Archer were strong, but they had desk jobs and didn’t get outside as much as me or Nolan. Nolan was a very active and hands-on mayor and spent most of his time pitching in wherever he could. And then there was me, of course. My muscles weren’t for show, and most of the new construction in Chippewa Valley was proof of that.

“Here.” Nolan handed me a beef jerky stick, and I nodded my thanks. I wasn’t hungry in the slightest, but for Marlowe’s sake I would eat. Food meant energy, and I needed every ounce of it if I was going to find her.

My eyes narrowed in on a tuft of light brown fur hanging off a low tree branch. I gingerly grabbed it, rubbing it in my fingers and releasing her sweet scent. I sighed, tucking it into one of the pockets on my vest. “This is her, alright.”

Never in my life had I hated the fact that I couldn’t shift more than I had when we’d gotten that call from Elias. That gift had left our people years before I was born, the last full shifter dying while I was still in diapers. How could you miss something you never knew?

I supposed you could say the same thing about omegas. I never thought I’d ever meet one, let alone bond with one.

And then Marlowe walked into our lives. For a fleeting moment, I saw a happy future. One with love and family.

And then she had promptly shifted and ran out of it.

I wasn’t going to let her go without a fight.

“We’ll find her, Cam,” Nolan reassured me. Although he was probably saying it as much for his own peace of mind as he was for mine. “She loves your house. You could convert one of the bedrooms into a good nest for her.”

“She can have the whole basement, for all I care. Whatever she wants.”

My basement was the mancave to beat all mancaves. Fully carpeted, large screen TV, wet bar, pool table – the works. It had taken me years to get it right. But I’d rather it go to her than spend another second down there without her by my side.

“You think she’ll still let you watch the games, though?”

I let out a weak laugh. “Hell, I’d watch them on my phone, with headphones, as long as she’s sitting next to me.”

Our feet crunched in the snow, the paw prints unwavering in their trek. “Crap, what if living in San Fran’s made her a 49ers fan?” I asked.

“Moon forbid,” he chuckled.

I think I might forgive her for that, though.

A drenaline pushed us forward, and if anyone was feeling tired, no one looked it or dared say it. By early afternoon, the prints had led us to an old barn. Poor thing must have been drawn to the warmth of it. We snuck inside, and her scent ended on a pile of straw.

“She was here,” Archer whispered. “There’s no blood, thankfully. She must be inside that house.”

I took out my phone. “Has she tried to call any of you guys?”

They checked and then shook their heads. “I doubt she has our numbers memorized,” Elias responded.

The barn reeked of alpha stink and I growled. “Someone has her. She would have found a way to get in contact by now otherwise.”

Nolan rolled his shoulder. “Let’s go get her back, then.”