Back on the sandy bank, she felt awake and invigorated for the first time in days. She unwrapped one of her six remaining food bars and nibbled small pieces off the end, chewing slowly until there was barely anything left to swallow. She worked her way down half the bar then forced herself to stop, even though she could have eaten two whole bars. Her stomach growled in protest as she carefully wrapped the bar back up and stuffed it inside the smaller front pocket of her pack.
Afterward, she got to work building a small fire on the sandy bank. Once she had enough kindling stacked up to last the rest of the day and night, she put on a pair of black underwear and a blue sports bra and stood beside the blazing fire, turning her body every so often as though roasting meat.
When her undergarments were dry, Sparrow selected a short-sleeved shirt and held it in front of the fire, turning it around every so often. Once dry, she pulled the shirt over her head and repeated the process with a pair of jeans.
She left the rest of her clothes to finish air-drying.
A small fish jumped from the water then disappeared. Sparrow stared at the place where it had surfaced, her stomach twisting with hunger. If only she had a net of some kind—or rope to make one.
She put her shoes on, dug her knife out of her pack, and stepped up to the forest floor, keeping close to her campsite as she searched for the perfect stick to turn into a spear. After a careful search, she found a solid, straight stick about four feet long that fit beautifully in her fist.
She smiled at her find and carried it proudly to her campsite beside the river where she whittled the end into a sharp, pointed tip. Holding the spear at her side, Sparrow felt more like a jungle queen and less like a pathetic runaway.
“Now all I need is a deerskin bikini.”
She lifted her chest and grinned, but the other voice didn’t answer.
Guess it really is just me now, she thought to herself.
There was a rustle in the shrubs.
Or not.
Ever so quietly, Sparrow kneeled beside her pack and pulled out her gun. She always kept it fully loaded and her bag open when she stopped anywhere. Animals, large and small, were constantly making noises in the forest, and she’d learned to keep calm. If she panicked at every swish in the treetops and rustle in the bushes, she’d make herself crazy, and run out of ammo.
But she also had to be cautious—all the time.
Sparrow straightened, gun held at her side, and stared intently into the woods. The bushes continued to shake. This animal sounded quite large—no squirrel or rabbit, that much was clear. Nor was it big enough to be seen above the shrubs.
Keep cool, Sparrow.
She took long, even breaths, hoping they’d turn down the volume of her heart inside her ears.
Maybe it was a wolf. Perhaps she’d finally found Wolfrik’s pack. But what emerged from the brush was no wolf or animal she’d ever seen.
It slunk toward the river on long, black, hairy legs like spiders. Nails resembling talons dug into the earth with each step. The midnight-black head was shaped like a mountain lion, but the rest of its body was skinny.
Sparrow held her breath. The creature hadn’t seen her yet. If she lifted her gun, it might notice the motion, so she waited. As she did, a second, identical creature joined the first. Then a third, fourth, and fifth.
Sparrow’s heart beat up her throat, and her hands shook.
No need to panic. She had fifteen rounds in her magazine clip. Three bullets per beast.
But there are FIVE of them and one of me!
She could do it. She’d shot down rows of cans before—one after another. Same concept. These targets were bigger and therefore easier—except for the fact that they moved.
The leader’s head jerked up, and it made a horrific screeching sound as its eyes locked onto her. Its companions took up the screech. Sparrow’s shoulders hunched as she winced. She lifted the gun and shot into the dark, hairy group. One of the nightmare beasts screamed and fell. The remaining four ran at her.
Sparrow fired shot after shot. There came another scream, and another. Two more of the creatures fell. The remaining two darted into the woods.
She heard screeching in the distance, too far away to be the two who had taken cover in the brush.
Shit! How many of these things are there? What are they?
She wasn’t going to stick around to find out.
As Sparrow leaned down and reached to grab her backpack, the two creatures shot out of the woods. One leaped at her. She shrieked and fired into the air as she scrambled backward. Sparrow sprang to her feet as the creatures screeched at her. One of the foul things had knocked her clothes into the sand. The other stood between her and her backpack.
Sparrow aimed at the one closest, but as her finger squeezed the trigger, the creature leaped aside in time to avoid the bullet. Its companion got onto two legs and bellowed, reminding her of the stories Hawk’s men had told of grizzly bears.
She took a step back then turned and ran into the river, not stopping until she’d reached the deepest part of the water. The two creatures screeched from the shoreline but didn’t come in after her. Sparrow kept the barrel of her gun trained on them, waiting to see if they’d wade in. As long as they stayed away from her, she wouldn’t shoot. She needed to reserve her bullets, especially since the animals had gotten between her and her pack with the ammo inside.
While Sparrow stood in the water, one of the creatures began rooting around in her backpack. It pulled out an energy bar and began chewing through the wrapper.
“Oh, hell no!”
With her left hand, Sparrow grabbed a rock from the riverbed and chucked it at the beast. She missed by several feet. Groaning with frustration, Sparrow switched the gun from her right hand to her left and grabbed another rock, this time getting closer to hitting the creature when she used her good hand. The animal stopped chewing long enough to hiss.
Sparrow hissed back. “Get away from my pack!”
Her words rolled right off the creatures.
There was screeching from the brush as three more of the black-haired animals arrived. They ran cursory glances over Sparrow before joining their friends at her pack.
She heard a rip as they tore her bag open, spilling the contents over the sand.
“Shit,” Sparrow said, anger bringing tears to her eyes.
It would be stupid to shoot at them. She didn’t know how many bullets she had left, and even a full magazine would have been better used defending herself. At the moment, she was perfectly safe. The river flowed just above her waist. The jeans she’d just gotten dry were now soaked again. Her spare clothes were strewn across the sandy bank, torn up beneath the sharp talon-like tips of the creature’s nails.
“Shit,” she said again. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”
Now would be the time to get away—while they were distracted, busy devouring her food.
My food! Mine. Damn animals. They can hunt down their own food.
“Like human meat?” There was a snort inside her head. The voice was back.
“So, now you’re talking to me again?”
“Sparrow—”
“What?”
“Time to go.”
Sparrow cast one last forlorn look at her backpack and clothes before wading across the river.
chapter eight
Kallie awoke to the echoing clang of the gong ricocheting from the glade through the forest. She rubbed her eyes with her fists then stretched inside her shelter. The night had been long and filled with ceaseless tossing and turning. At one point she’d reached for Wolfrik’s shirt before remembering she’d returned it. She’d only had it for one night, but that night she hadn’t felt so alone.
At least she’d gotten a chance to speak to Tabor about lessons in healing. He couldn’t teach her magic, but he could show her his recipes for
salves. All of his knowledge of herbs came from his mother, Lucinda, and he was much more amenable to taking time to teach Kallie these skills since she’d befriended his half sister.
After stretching, she pulled on her dress and crawled out to find Elsie standing with a big smile on her face.
“Good morning,” she chirped as cheerfully as a bird.
“Morning,” Kallie answered with a chuckle. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Not long.” Elsie rubbed her hands together. “What sort of fun should we get into today?”
“This isn’t Balmar Heights,” Francine snapped from the right. “We don’t gallivant around as we please. There’s work to be done.” She swooped over and shot Elsie a glare before turning her attention to Kallie. “The glade needs vegetables for tonight’s stew.”
Guilt washed over Kallie. She lowered her head. Despite her injury, she still longed to serve her pack. Yesterday she’d run off to play as though she were a pup and not a full-grown shifter.
“I’ll see what’s ready to harvest and bring it to the glade,” Kallie said.
Francine nodded. “You can take it to Maureen. She’s head of meals this moon cycle.”
“I’ll help you,” Elsie said, sounding just as excited to dig in the dirt as she had moments before when suggesting a day of fun.
Francine scowled, and Kallie had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. Nothing got Elsie down.
The petite shifter looped her arm through Kallie’s and tugged her away from Francine’s prickly glare.
“We’re allowed to eat breakfast in the glade first, right?” Elsie whispered.
“Yeah.” Kallie laughed.
“Good, ’cause I’m starving.”
There were already about twenty shifters milling around the glade with bowls of porridge they ate while sitting on logs or standing in small groups. There were only two shifters in line, which meant Kallie and Elsie didn’t have to wait long for their servings.
Maureen stood at the cauldron with a welcoming smile, dishing everyone up even though that wasn’t one of the required meal duties. Her smooth brunette locks fell to her collarbones, and unlike most female shifters, Maureen took the trouble to cut a thick layer of bangs that made her look extra sweet. She, Lacy, and Jolene were the kindest single females in Wolf Hollow, and they were all friends.
“Here you go,” Maureen said, dropping a heaping scoop of cooked grains into Kallie’s bowl.
“Thanks,” she said. “And I’ll have some fresh vegetables for you this afternoon for tonight’s supper.”
Maureen smiled. “That’s great, Kallie. A full basket should be plenty. Dylan or I can come over and get it from you later.”
“That’s okay. I can bring it.”
Maureen smiled brightly. “Okay, that’s really nice of you. Thanks.”
“There’s Tabor.” Excitement rose in Elsie’s voice. She bumped her shoulder into Kallie’s. “Want to go eat with him?”
What Kallie wanted was to train with him, but she wouldn’t bother Tabor during his meals.
“You go ahead,” she said to Elsie. “We can walk back to the den together after breakfast.”
“See you then.” Elsie hurried to the log where her half brother and Sasha sat.
Kallie took a closer look around the glade, but she didn’t see Wolfrik. He was good at hiding in the shadows, but it was almost as though Kallie could sense he wasn’t there.
Clutching her bowl, Kallie limped over to a log where Camilla, Rosalie, and Olivia sat.
Rosalie whistled. “Nice dress, Kallie.”
“How come you got a new dress?” Camilla looked her over with a pout.
Olivia patted the empty spot beside her. Kallie smiled at her gratefully and bent carefully to take a seat.
Once settled, Kallie looked over Olivia’s and Rosalie’s laps to answer Camilla, who sat on the opposite end.
“Mine ripped.”
Rosalie’s eyes lit up, and she gave a squeal. “Who ripped it off? We want all the dirty details.”
Kallie rolled her eyes. “I ripped it—accidently.”
“Oh, that’s boring,” Rosalie said, leaning back with a huff. “You’re all bumming me out lately.”
Camilla glared at her. “Excuse me for having a broken heart.”
“You’re only making it worse by swearing off all males,” Rosalie said. “One good hump will put you back in the spirit. Aden’s got a big cock. I’d give him a ride if he weren’t so reserved. Where is he, anyway?”
“With Wolfrik. Jager paired them up,” Camilla said in a bored voice.
Kallie dropped her spoon back in her bowl. “Wolfrik agreed to patrol?” she asked a little too eagerly.
Rosalie’s lips curved in delight as she gave Kallie an assessing look. With half-glazed eyes, Camilla stared into the glade dully.
“Jager thinks it’s a positive step forward, but my father has his doubts.”
Rosalie wet her lips and grinned wickedly. “Speaking of big cocks, Wolfrik’s hung like a wild stallion. Now that Sasha’s mated, it’s only a matter of time before he looks for someone new to stick it in.”
“Oh my god, Rosalie, are dicks the only thing you ever think about?” Camilla huffed and rolled her eyes upward.
“Oh my god, Camilla, they used to be the only thing you thought about,” Rosalie replied in a mocking tone.
While Camilla and Rosalie bickered, Kallie returned to eating her porridge, considering what it meant that Wolfrik had agreed to patrol. Her heart fluttered with hope that the wild wolf would reintegrate himself into the pack in other ways.
Beside her, Olivia remained uncharacteristically quiet, a soft frown over her lips, and a vacant stare, looking as though her thoughts had flown far away. The four of them used to spend most of their time laughing and talking about males, exchanging details whenever they hooked up with anyone. Now only Rosalie sounded like her old self. Kallie didn’t want to go back to the way she’d been—overly flirty to fit in with her friends.
But she would have liked her foot back to the way it was.
“What’s with your sister and Gina? Are they in love or something?” Rosalie asked, abruptly changing topics.
Kallie followed Rosalie’s stare to a log where Emerson and Gina sat holding hands, heads bent talking as though no one else existed in the world besides each other.
Camilla scowled at them. “Emerson’s not capable of love. As usual, she’s just trying to get attention, and as usual it’s working. She’s got half the males gaping at her, probably fantasizing about a threesome.”
Taking a closer look at Emerson and Gina, Kallie wasn’t convinced it was an act. They made a gorgeous pair with Emerson’s long, sunny blond locks and Gina’s fiery red hair, but the real light and heat lay in the way they stared at one another.
Rosalie snorted. “Clever minx. Not a bad idea. Put your arm around me, Camilla.”
“No.”
Undeterred, Rosalie turned to Olivia, who pulled her frowning gaze away from the blond and redheaded females.
“Come on, Olivia. Give me a smooch.” Rosalie puckered her lips.
Olivia glared at her. “Stop joking around.”
Rosalie’s pucker turned into a pout. “Seriously, what’s wrong with all of you? We used to have fun.”
“That was before my heart was broken,” Camilla ground out, stressing each word.
Olivia nodded, still staring at Emerson and Gina.
Rosalie pursed her lips. “Fine, sit here wallowing in your misery, but don’t expect me to stick around.”
As she got up, Camilla scoffed. “Catch you later, fair-weather friend.”
“See you later, sore loser,” Rosalie answered with a gleaming smile.
“Moon above, she can be a real bitch,” Camilla muttered after Rosalie walked
away.
Kallie finished the last of her porridge then got up, her foot groaning as she did.
“See ya,” she said to Camilla and Olivia.
As Kallie limped her way to the basket of dirty bowls, Maureen intercepted her and held out a hand.
“I can take that, Kallie.”
“Thanks,” Kallie said, handing over her bowl and spoon.
What a relief that Francine had stopped overseeing meals in the glade after giving birth to Franny. Hopefully she stayed in the den from here forward.
Glancing around, Kallie saw Elsie was still eating with Tabor and Sasha. Not wishing to interrupt or leave without Elsie, she moved steadily to the nearest tree and leaned against it. Sometimes sitting and standing felt like too much work. It’s funny the little things she’d taken for granted before her injury.
“There you are!” Rosalie poked her head from around the trunk, sending Kallie’s heart crashing against her rib cage.
“Roz! You startled me,” she said breathlessly.
Rosalie circled around the tree and placed a hand on her curvaceous hip. Dimples formed at the corners of her lips, and her cheeks puffed out. “Hey, was I just imagining things, or did you perk up when you heard Wolfrik’s name?”
Kallie gaped at Rosalie and groaned silently. Her friend was mostly clueless, except when it came to observing budding romantic interests between shifters. She could spot a sexual attraction the way an owl locked onto a mouse in the dark.
“I don’t understand why you’re being so secretive,” Rosalie said. “He’s a sexy beast and a pureblood, no less.” She slapped Kallie on the back, nearly pitching her forward. “Nice choice.” Rosalie winked then looped her arm around Kallie and pulled her close. “Okay, so here’s what we’re going to do—”
“I’m not making out with you,” Kallie interrupted, pulling her arm away.
Rosalie laughed and kept her grip on Kallie’s arm. “That’s not where I was going. Jeez, let me finish. I want Aden, and you want Wolfrik, and they both happen to be patrol partners. How perfect, right?” She lowered her voice, growing serious. “This might be the greatest challenge either of us has ever faced. It’s not like those guys have ever gone out of their way for a good time, but we’ll teach them.” She glanced in Camilla and Olivia’s direction. “And we won’t let those two spoilsports ruin our fun.”
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