Page 54 of Wulf’s Pack

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

I take Ben, Isabella, and Easton with me to scout Lapeer, leaving Bree to stay back and watch over the rest of the pack.

We’ll need everyone to fight the upcoming battle, but we don’t want to alert Victor that we’re close by, bringing everyone into the city all at once.

We don’t know what we’re walking into yet.

I called Nora before we left, asking what the FUA knew about the underworld scene in Lapeer, but she didn’t have any data.

They had no contacts, and there were no packs or clans registered in the area.

This isn’t uncommon for smaller cities, but the odds of there being no underworlders are pretty slim.

I’m not sure where to start. Abby said it was rural. She mentioned trees and a lake. But there are half a dozen lakes nearby, all of which are surrounded by trees. With no real plan, I head for downtown and park on Main Street. It’s a sort of touristy shopping area that has a historical feel.

We pile out of the car and huddle on the sidewalk, scanning the area.

There are quite a few people out enjoying the shopping and dining.

A human woman passes the four of us without so much as a curious glance.

Which means either she’s not from around here, or Lapeer is big enough that people don’t notice strangers rolling into town.

In fact, with it being a touristy area, they probably expect it.

That’s not necessarily good news for us.

It means we probably won’t get any info from locals that could help us find Victor’s pack.

Easton frowns at the retreating woman, probably coming to the same conclusion as me. “What’s the plan, boss?”

I resist a sigh. Coming up with plans is not my strong suit.

I eye all the shops with a grimace. “Not really sure. I figured we could canvas the area. Hopefully we’ll pick up a scent or find an underworlder who may have seen or heard something.

This is a busy enough tourist spot that the humans will probably be oblivious, but there can’t be that many underworlders in town.

Two dozen strange alpha wolves aren’t likely to go completely unnoticed. ”

The three of them all nod in agreement. Ben looks up and down the street with pursed lips and a crease in his brow. “If we’re lucky, we might even come across some of Victor’s men. If I were him, I would probably leave a couple here as lookouts in case we or the FUA show up.”

He has a point. “That would definitely be helpful. Let’s split up. Easton and I will go north.” I point up the street in one direction.

Ben and Isabella glance the other direction. “South it is,” Ben says.

“Start with Main Street, then work your way west on the other main roads. We’ll go east. Stick to the places with the most shopping. Restaurants, grocery stores. Walmart, Target… Everyone’s got to eat, and they couldn’t have been prepared when they fled Vail. They probably needed supplies.”

That doesn’t sound like a completely useless plan, right? I hope not, anyway, because I’ve got nothing else. If we can’t find anything here, that means we’ll have to go to each lake in the area and just start running around them. That could take forever.

“Stay on alert, and if you run into any of Victor’s pack, try not to kill them. We need to question them.”

With one last confirmation, we split up.

Easton and I head north up the sidewalk.

We don’t talk much, too focused on our surroundings.

We let our wolves rise to the surface a little and concentrate on our hearing and sense of smell, and just that feeling of something other you get when you’re close to another underworlder.

We’re almost to the end of the main shopping strip when I get the faintest hint of shifter.

It’s so weak I’m worried I’m imagining it.

I stop and pull in a deep breath, closing my eyes to concentrate all my attention on the smells around me.

Car exhaust, perfume from a woman who just passed us.

Various scents waft from a candle and soap shop.

Across the street, the smell of pastrami and baked bread distracts me momentarily, reminding me that it’s dinnertime.

I’m tempted to suggest we get a couple of sandwiches when I catch it again. Mixed in with the salty meat and grilled onions and peppers is the distinct scent of a shifter.

Easton follows my lead, and after another deep inhale, he says, “Bear?”

“Bear,” I agree. “I think it’s coming from the deli.”

We cross the street and approach the deli slowly, keeping our wolves close and our senses sharp. The closer we get, the stronger the bear’s scent becomes, but it’s old. “Not here anymore,” Easton says, voicing my thoughts.

I open the door to the deli just in case, but there is no shifter inside. “Must have just come for dinner.”

I scan the area and pick up a faint trail. “This way.”

Easton and I follow the scent to the end of the street and around the corner.

It’s a solid trail. I’m guessing the shifter walked this route less than half an hour ago.

Hope pricks my chest. I really need this.

My wolf is growing more and more desperate the longer this takes.

I close my eyes and focus on my mate bond.

It’s still stifled. More so than it was before.

Panic explodes in me, and I stumble to a stop.

“Alpha? What is it?”

Easton’s voice is tense, but I barely register it.

All I can focus on is that connection to my mate.

Something is off with it. It’s weaker. I sink into the bond, desperately searching for answers.

I push my worry and confusion toward Skylar.

I’m not sure how much she can feel through the suppression collar, but I need to feel her respond.

My wolf is starting to unravel. Skylar! Baby, please.

Can you feel me? Are you there? What’s wrong?

Just when I’m about to lose my mind, I feel the tiniest nudge in my heart.

It’s a feeling of reassurance and comfort.

When it comes through, I realize why the connection was weaker.

Skylar, herself, was blocking it. I can feel her trying to hide something from me.

But now that she’s opened the link, her feelings are sneaking past her.

Pain. So much pain. And fear. My mate is terrified and hurting.

This is the final straw. I let out a roar, and my wolf explodes out of me.

“Alpha!” Easton is worried now.

I let out a sorrowful howl and take off at a sprint, following the path that leads to the bear shifter. Easton falls in behind me, hard-pressed to keep up, but I don’t slow down. I can’t. I’m not in control. My wolf is driving, and he’s one hint of pain away from going feral.

Half a block down the road, the bear’s scent disappears into an auto repair shop.

There are three bays with the doors up and cars on lifts inside.

Several humans in greasy overalls are wandering around, working on this or that, but I don’t see the bear.

I let out a sharp bark to make my presence known, but as hard as I try, I can’t shift back. My wolf is too distraught.

The humans come out of the garage and stop when they see me.

They eye me warily, and I smell both alarm and anger coming from them.

But it’s not the fear of an ignorant human coming face-to-face with a dangerous wild animal.

I’m pretty sure they realize I’m a shifter, and I’d be willing to bet that means the bear works here and has let his coworkers in on his underworld status. But what’s with the hostility?

Shift. I order my wolf. We need to talk to them.

All I get is a growl in response. He’s losing it. He’s going to go feral.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

We can’t help Skylar if we don’t talk to these people.

Run , he responds. Lake. Trees. Find mate!

Let’s talk to the bear first. It could be faster.

He snarls at me again, but lets the suggestion sink in. Find bear.

Yes.

Before I can demand we shift again, he sniffs the air and surges forward, heading into the open garage.

Workers shout at me, but they scramble to get out of my way.

The bear’s scent is stronger in here. I track it to a closed door that must lead into the shop’s front lobby.

I push at the door, and when it doesn’t budge, I growl and scratch at it with my paw.

The pounding of feet run up behind me, and I immediately recognize Easton’s scent.

He’s slightly out of breath and still wearing clothes, so he didn’t shift and sprinted here as fast as he could on two feet.

I turn to him and whine while scratching at the door again.

“Alpha,” he says calmly, “I don’t know what happened, but you need to shift back. ”

I whine again, and Easton takes a step closer, his hands raised. “You can’t fall apart, sir. Luna Skylar needs you.”

For a moment my wolf seems to listen, but then a heavy growl reverberates through the garage.

My hackles raise, and I snarl at the bear standing behind Easton.

Easton had been so concerned about me that he didn’t notice the shifter sneaking up on him.

I hadn’t noticed either, but that’s because I was too busy fighting with my out-of-control wolf.

Easton whirls around and quickly backs up, putting his back to the wall so that he’s facing both the bear and me.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he says. His hands are still raised in a defensive gesture, but there’s a little more urgency in his voice now.

“Everybody, stay calm.” He turns to the bear shifter.

“I apologize for us showing up in your territory like this. We mean no harm. My alpha is in a lot of distress at the moment. His mate was abducted by a rival pack. We’ve tracked them here, but can’t pinpoint an exact location.

We’re only looking for answers, asking around to see if anyone has seen or heard anything. ”