Page 57 of The Fated Hunter Wolf

I listened hard but got nothing except wind and water. “You sure?”

The look she gave me suggested the question was insulting. “There’s a cave system half-a-mile north. We can lose them underground.”

“Or we could fight.”

“You want to take on a crowd of vampires when you can barely stand?”

My wolf didn’t like the challenge, but she wasn’t wrong. I was in no shape for another fight.

“Fine. You lead.”

Her breathing accelerated as we went. I had to remind my wolf to pay attention to the surroundings more than to her, but he growled in reply. From what I could tell, the vamps she’d sensed weren’t in our surroundings, if they were there at all. I was still figuring out who this woman was, with her extra senses and abnormally quiet steps.

The cave was hidden behind thorny vines. It opened into a chamber that went back further than I could see.

“You know an awful lot about this territory,” I said, and sat down hard at the entry to the cave, leaning my back against the cold wall. It felt better than I cared to admit.

“We should stay here a while.” She avoided the question, as usual. “You need time to heal.” She gathered wood.

“You know more than someone just passing through on a mission ought to, don’t you think?”

“I’m Crux. We deal with things other packs don’t.”

“Things like vampires?”

“Things like whatever needs dealing with.”

I studied her. “You’re not going to give me a straight answer about anything, are you?”

She carried the wood deep into the cave, where we would be hidden from sight. I followed her, dropped to the ground and settled against the wall. Gravity was getting the better of me. She built the fire beyond anything a boy scout could have done and blew the flames to life from a twisting branch. My wolf marveled.

She looked up from the freshly built fire, meeting my eyes for the first time since we’d started this conversation. “Would you believe me if I did?”

That hit harder than it should have. Because after the rejection, the lies, the mindfucks, and the games, I honestly didn’t know what I’d believe from her. And yet a part of me wanted to.

“Try me.”

She was quiet for so long I thought she wouldn’t answer. Then she said, “The Southern Council called an emergency session. All pack leaders have seventy-two hours to show up.”

My blood chilled. “When did this happen?”

“Summons arrived yesterday, just before I headed out. So that gives us about sixty hours left.”

Fuck.Logan would need me back before then. Showing up at a council meeting without his beta would signal weakness to every alpha there.

“Why didn’t you mention this sooner?”

“Because you were bleeding out when I found you.” She poked at the fire. “Priorities.”

“What’s the session about?”

“Officially? Supernatural disturbances threatening regional stability.” She looked up, and her expression made my stomach drop. “Unofficially? Someone’s planning something. The timing’s too convenient.”

“What kind of something?”

“Something that happens when all the alphas are locked in meeting rooms and can’t watch their territories.”

Understanding hit me. “Raids.”