Page 112 of The Last Sanctuary

He whined softly, as if in reassurance.

The howling settled into silence. Slowly, one by one, the red wolves drifted back into the tree line. One by one, they disappeared into the night.

Shadow stayed.

Another piece of her shattered heart fit back together.

Chapter Forty-Nine

Raven trudged through the trees, her thighs burning, breathing hard. Breaking from the tree line, she found herself at the summit of a wooded hill overlooking a small town.

The sky glowered a miserable gunmetal gray. The chilly morning air reddened her cheeks. She exhaled white puffs as she stood staring down at the small crisscrossed streets and buildings. They seemed like toys from this distance.

Her heart thumped against her ribcage. A mix of dread and excitement surged in her veins. A town meant supplies. A town meant people.

Instinctively wary, Shadow hung back. He gave an urgent, plaintive whine, as if he knew exactly what Raven was thinking and wanted her to know he disapproved.

Since the altercation with the wild wolves two nights ago, Shadow had stayed close by. His presence was a balm to her broken heart.

“What do you think? Should we check it out?”

Raven couldn’t tear her gaze from the town. She hadn’t set foot in a real town since the altercation at the pharmacy in Forsyth. That felt like years ago.

She was in desperate need of a physical map to figure out where she was and how to navigate the perilous terrain to get where she needed to go. She also needed a winter coat, better gloves, and a knit hat. It was downright frigid at night. Winter would be here soon.

Some canned or packaged food items, especially fruits and vegetables, would be excellent. And some new socks to replace her tattered ones. Band-Aids for her blisters. Toothpaste and a toothbrush for her fuzzy teeth. Shampoo for her itchy scalp.

She needed supplies to survive.

From her vantage point, everything appeared quiet and peaceful. That didn’t mean it was. Worry gnawed at her.

“Not all people are bad,” she said as much to reassure herself as the wolf.

Shadow laid his ears back against his skull as if in disagreement.

“I know last time didn’t work out so well. It’s dangerous, I get it. But also, I could freeze to death tonight. Winter is coming.”

She had no idea what day of the week it was, or even if it was still October. Judging by the chilly weather, the frost on the grass in the mornings, and the barren trees, it was probably well into November by now.

“Five minutes,” she said. “I’ll be careful.”

Shadow whined his reservations.

“I said I’ll be careful.”

She couldn’t just stride into town and announce her presence to anyone who might be still alive, lurking about with ill intentions. She closed her eyes and thought of Dekker and Vaughn and Rex. Those types would be the norm now, not the exception.

Her father had taught her to be vigilant and cautious. Though her stomach was growling so loud even Shadow could hear it, she made herself wait.

Raven found a spot on the hill that gave her the best view, rummaged in the pack until she found the binoculars, and settled down to do some surveillance. With a long-suffering huff, the wolf sank to his haunches beside her.

Through the binoculars, Raven studied the town. The side roads were clustered with ranch houses. Several stores lined the main street, along with a gas station, a barber shop, a couple of mom-and-pop restaurants, and a Victorian-style bed and breakfast with a sign that read, “Shady Dale Retreat”.

It was eerily quiet. There was no movement, no life.

An hour passed. Then another. Still no signs of life. After scanning the streets for another thirty minutes, her hunger and need got the best of her. It was late afternoon, though she couldn’t see the sun through the dour gray clouds. She didn’t want to be caught anywhere near dangerous humans after dark.

She rose to her feet. “Come on, slowpoke. Let’s go. We’ll be quick, I promise.”