On the Edge (Adirondack Pack Book 3)

by K. C. Stewart

  “Would you like to join us in a lesson on tracking?” Something she obviously had not been doing when she came across them. They were not trying to be quiet, so anyone should have heard them had they been paying any kind of attention to their surroundings.

  Her eyes lifted to his and her tail wagged slowly back and forth. She looked to be considering his offer and didn’t that just shock the hell out of him.

  Lee took a few steps over and then stopped. Her eyes catching something to his left. Behind him, he saw Sadie sitting on her haunches watching. She wasn’t threatening in any way, just sitting there letting Lee do what she needed to. But Lee didn’t see it that way. She looked back to Vince, shame in her eyes, and let her tail drop between her legs.

  “You don’t have to go,” he said when she turned to leave. “Stay. Hunt. Play. No one will harm you.” Not with him around. She was safe from fists, claws and words in his presence. “You are safe with me, Lee.”

  Her eyes were wide and glossy, the shattered part of her unable to stay hidden any longer. Lee shook her head. With another glance at Sadie, she darted into the night.

  “Damn.”

  He had been so close.

  Sadie brushed against his thigh and he looked down at her. A soft wine let him know what she was thinking. “Not your fault,” he told her. “I heard what happened today. I’m surprised she even came.” What was done was done and they still had a job to do. “Come on, we have pups to wrangle in and train.”

  Together they turned and got everyone back on track. When one of the pups perked up and started yipping, Vince knew he was in for an interesting few hours because the trail they had found was not the pack, but a skunk.

  *****

  “Anyone seen Lee?” Owen asked the wolves that surrounded him back at the pack house. Tonight had been a good run, a great run in fact. The weather was perfect, the treats were plentiful and everyone enjoyed themselves. Now all he had to do was find Lee so he could set things right with her, publicly. Maybe then she would come out of the hole she had buried herself in.

  Not everyone was changed back yet. Many stayed in their fur, planning to go out again after he released them. The only ones missing that he could see were Vince, the pups and Lee. Maybe she ran with them? He dismissed the idea. Sadie was with Vince, she wouldn’t voluntarily run with them. The fact that he hadn’t seen her running alongside him was a weight in his gut. Every day that went by like this was damaging what little hope he had at getting her back. He feared she was going to do something stupid, like leave to the outskirts of the pack lands or worse, leave the pack for another. Owen needed to nip this in the bud now if he planned on making it right at all.

  He just had to find her first.

  It was a little after midnight and people were ready to get going. Tracking must not have gone as well as hoped. The small group of newly turned wolves never met up with the pack. That was to be expected the first few times. They’d get a handle on their senses soon enough.

  “Megan! What in the world?” someone yelled.

  Looked like the pups were back and…had met a skunk? Owen laughed as each of the new wolves came into the clearing smelling more foul than the last. Most laughed, even the parents of the offending wolves had a chuckle as they resigned themselves to clearing out all the tomato products from Turner’s Market. It was the look on Vince’s face that stopped his laughter. Soon everyone was noticing more than just the scent. They saw the fear.

  “What happened?”

  “Body. They found it,” he said motioning to the pups who had been surrounded by their parents. “They all seem to be fine but we need to tell their parents what happened.”

  God dammit. “Who was it?”

  Vince shook his head. “No idea. Some hiker. Human.”

  Not the announcement he had been hoping to make. Lee would, unfortunately, have to wait. “Folks, listen up. Seems like the young ones found more than a skunk tonight. I’m going back with Vince to check it out. Miles, I’ll need you too. Everyone else should get home. Take care of the pups. If anyone prefers to spend the night here, you know what to do. I’ll tell you more when I know more. Runners, I’ll need a moment before you go.”

  The dozen or so wolves who did daily perimeter checks separated from their families and friends. By the looks on their faces, each of them knew what he was going to ask. “I want to double up on patrol.” When no one complained, he continued. “Someone got onto our lands with a body. Go slow. If you can catch the trail maybe we can find their entry and exit points.” He knew these wolves and knew they had mostly been looking for things that weren’t right. Owen needed them to branch out and use the senses that Fenrir gave them. “Figure out a schedule and let me know what it is.” He walked away and left them to it.

  The mood, which had been so high just moments earlier, had plummeted. Finding bodies in the woods was, unfortunately, becoming a normal thing around here. “Where’s Sadie?” he asked Vince, who had been waiting for him.

  Vince stretched out his shoulders. “With Tyson and the body. He was following us and came out when we found it. They agreed to stay behind while I brought everyone back.”

  Tyson rarely joined the pack in runs but never let Sadie alone during them either. “And Lee?”

  Something flashed across Vince’s face. “Haven’t seen her for a while.”

  “But you did see her?”

  He nodded. “Early on. She ran into us. Looked to me like she was leaving the run and heading home, we just happened to be in the way of her exit. I invited her along but she saw Sadie and left.”

  Dammit. This was getting ridiculous. It’s like she didn’t want his forgiveness or friendship. It was the latter that killed him. That and the look she gave him every time he saw her. It was like she was mortally wounded and just waiting for him to give the killing strike.

  “I was going to apologize to her tonight. Here. In front of all of them. I had hoped…Fuck. She is stubborn. I always knew it but never had I been on this end of it.”

  Vince chuckled. “Yeah, she is. When she doesn’t want to talk to someone she knows how to avoid them.”

  Interesting. Owen looked carefully at Vince. He knew the man gave the occasional once over to Lee but it sounded like was there something more to it. “You sound like you speak from experience?”

  Vince shook his head. “Oh no. Not going there. Not with you.”

  “Why not?” He was not only his Alpha but also his friend. If he liked Lee…

  “Because there is nothing between Lee and I. She’d have to be nice to me or at the very least, speak to me in order for that to happen.”

  Owen snorted. He caught Miles waiting by the tree line, the Enforcer waited stone still but the impatience was there in his eyes. They needed to get going. “See here’s the thing about Lee, when it comes to liking men, she has the mindset of an elementary student. The meaner she is the more she likes you.”

  Vince opened his mouth but nothing came out. Good. It would give him something to chew over.

  “Come on, let’s go take care of this body.”

  *****

  “Well, he’s really dead,” Miles said when they found Sadie, Tyson and the body a few minutes later. There wasn’t much to say beyond that. The man was killed in typical Canidae fashion, throat torn out, and was left on their land. The second one that week. Somehow they had kept all this from local officials but Owen knew their luck was running out.

  Miles disappeared into the darkness around them. He’d work on where they came from and where they went while Owen took care of the body. This wasn’t their first rodeo. They wouldn’t get anything off this body that they didn’t get off of the last five. It was the same two scents, two wolves against one unaware human. He’d have bites and scratches on his legs where they chased him, played with him. Dirt on his knees and palms from where he fell. Then a chunk of his throat missing. His shoulders would have postmortem bite marks from where they drug him to wherever they planned on dropping h
im. Finally, and this was the part that pissed Owen off more than anything else, they would urinate on his dead body before leaving.

  Every time, it was the same. Different person, different spot, same killing strike and disrespect.

  The only difference he could see was how close the killings were getting. It started out as one every few months, then weeks, now they are down to days. Nothing changed. They never messed up.

  “Fudging cowards.”

  Owen had been going through the man’s day pack but looked up at Sadie’s irate voice. She had a long night and really shouldn’t be here. Tyson looked to be thinking the same thing.

  “Why don’t you head back Babe?”

  She sneered at him. “No. I will not. This man was killed for no other reason than he was born a human. It’s racism. And these Canidae pricks are too coward to face us head on that they have to pick off lone hikers in order to make any kind of an impact.” Tyson rubbed a hand on her back and she stepped closer to him. “He deserves someone to mourn over him, someone to stand for him.”

  Tyson kissed her head and pulled her into his chest. “We stand for him.” He looked over her head to Owen. “All of us.”

  *****

  Glilee Lunamaul: Hey stranger.

  Valek Firemourn: You’re up late.

  Glilee Lunamaul: Couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d farm a bit.

  Valek Firemourn: Find anything good?

  Glilee Lunamaul: Some dye but that’s about it. Need any green?

  Valek Firemourn: No. But if you come across any blue…

  Glilee Lunamaul: You got it, V. Why are you on so late? This is usually the point you throw in the towel and puss out.

  Valek Firemourn: Just got in.

  Glilee Lunamaul: It’s 3am.

  Valek Firemourn: I’m aware.

  Glilee Lunamaul: I’m just not used to seeing you on this late.

  Valek Firemourn: I needed to unwind.

  Valek Firemourn: Is that a problem?

  Glilee Lunamaul: Not going there with the pissy mood you’re sporting.

  Glilee Lunamaul: I’ll see ya around.

  Valek Firemourn: Wait.

  Valek Firemourn: Glilee

  Valek Firemourn: Sorry. It’s been a hell of a night.

  Valek Firemourn: I don’t mean to take it out on you.

  Glilee Lunamaul: Anything you want to talk about?

  Glilee Lunamaul: V?

  Valek Firemourn: There is something.

  Valek Firemourn: Why don’t you want me to know who you are?

  Glilee Lunamaul: Why do you need to know so badly?

  Valek Firemourn: Are you trying to be funny?

  Valek Firemourn: Is this just some joke to you?

  Glilee Lunamaul: I really don’t want to do this.

  Glilee Lunamaul: Not again. I can’t fight with you tonight.

  Glilee Lunamaul: Goodnight V.

  Valek Firemourn: Goddammit. Why are you always running away?

  Valek Firemourn: Your name. That’s all I want.

  Valek Firemourn: Just a fucking name.

  Valek Firemourn: Glilee?

  Glilee Lunamaul: Please don’t push this. Not today. Not after…just not today. You’re the only one who…you’re just the only one I have right now.

  Valek Firemourn: I’m getting tired of asking.

  Glilee Lunamaul: Then stop asking, V.

  Valek Firemourn: I might just do that.

  Valek Firemourn signed off.

  Chapter Four

  It was a slow day at the clinic, which most days were. Until they weren’t. It was like that saying “when it rains it pours,” and today they were in a drought. Lee could have done with some rain today. A busy day would have busied her mind. Instead, she got to sit and play solitaire while thinking about everything wrong in her life.

  She had one thing, one person that had unknowingly been holding her together. And last night she had managed to push even fantasy Vince away. It wasn’t fair to him since he had no idea the job she had given him and the emptiness she felt at his absence. Lee knew if she gave him what he wanted, her name, he would feel obligated to help. But she didn’t want obligations. She wanted a friend. Why couldn’t he understand that if she told him who she was then that would consequently pop the bubble they had around their friendship. Then again, she might have done that last night anyway. When she had seen him in the woods the prior night, he had seemed so welcoming, like he really did want her along for the run. Hours later online he was frustrated and angry at something. Something he took out on her.

  It was probably for the best. Get him out now before he could get hurt. Lee always hurt those she loved, always.

  The front door opened and for a brief second, Lee perked up. When it was only Sam, she sunk back down into her chair. He was perfectly healthy and didn’t that just suck for her.

  “Hello Doll,” he said with a grin. Sam was about as all American as they came. Sun lightened brown hair was sculpted up into a soft tangle on top of his head. Cheekbones and a chin that any man or woman could try to resist but would secretly lick if they could. He had been the quarterback in high school, ten years later and he still had the body. Even with a horde of young wolves to compete with, Sam managed to snag the top spot on the team. These days he was an electrician and a damn good one.

  Sam was also gay. He was a man who knew who he was even at the tender age of eight when he came home and told him mom that he got married on the playground to Brandon Andes.

  “Is Paddy around?” he asked, his green eyes lighting up. Sam’s new flame was also the lab guy where she worked.

  “He’s doing some labs. I’ll buzz him for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  Paddy was just finishing up with some blood work and had about five minutes left to go. Lee really liked Sam, she’d known him all of her life as did anyone else who was born and raised in Andora. The problem with Sam, at least in that moment, was that he was Vince’s cousin. Sam was completely human, which helped. It meant that he didn’t hold the prejudices that the pack males did. However, there were moments when the two men looked alike. Always brief, just a flash in his eye or a curve of a smile. At the moment, Lee really didn't need any reminders of Vince.

  “So did you hear about the body?”

  Which one, she wanted to ask but kept her mouth shut. Her kind and dead bodies were synonymous these days. Lee shook her head, Sam would tell her the details regardless if she knew about it or not.

  “Apparently it was found out by Purcell’s place. Riley had gotten a tip last night about it.”

  She had left the run early but someone must have sniffed it out later on. “Does Riley think Owen did it?”

  Sam shook his head. “Nah, it was a dump. Some hiker from Jersey. Poor bastard had been torn apart by animals.”

  Not just animals, wolves, Canidae.

  “Riley’s looking into it but so far it’s looking to be an animal attack.”

  And thank god for that. The pack would break down if Owen was arrested for one of these. Although this is the only one in quite a while that the police had heard about. Lee might not be in the loop anymore but she knew the extent they went to hide the pack, including disposing of Canidae’s messes.

  The door swung open and Paddy walked out, a messenger bag on his shoulder. “Hey, Babe.” When they kissed, Lee had to hold back the “aww” that wanted to surface.

  “See ya later, Lee.”

  She waved as they left. Once more she was alone and bored. Her shift was almost over, which was a small favor. Once Doctor Kline got in, then she could leave.

  And go where?

  Yesterday she had quit her job at the Wick. Usually, she would have started her shift right after clinic duty but that was then, this was now. Chuck had called her twice already today warning that if she didn’t come into work then she was fired. It made her smile. He hadn’t taken her declaration yesterday seriously. There was nothing casual about her leaving. It may have been spur of the m
oment but she had meant it when she handed in her apron. But now, after she had time to consider, she really didn’t want to leave.

  As she stared out the front windows, there was a familiar fuzziness around the edges of her vision. Lee rubbed her eyes. Any other time, she would fight it. She would find her strength and out bitch the bitch inside of her. But today, she just didn’t have the energy. Her wolf often tested her, pushed here and there. She had to push right back, which was usually an easy thing. Lately, Lee found the exertion depleted her.

  For the first time, Lee didn’t push back, didn’t even try. Her field of vision shrunk until all she saw was darkness.

  Her wolf took control.

  There was no reason for the fear that she felt. Her wolf had been fighting her more often. It was something they all felt from time to time. Their wolves liked to test them, just like any animal did. It was their job to put the wolf back in its place. Lee’s wolf sensed the change in her. The nudges for control happened daily now.

  The fear, she realized as her mind gave way and her body surrendered, was not from the lack of control, but because she didn’t mind giving up the control. She didn’t mind surrendering to the wolf. But slipping away, as she was doing, was a quick trip, slip and fall into a feral life.

  She wasn’t scared of going feral but the lack of fear is what scared her.

  *****

  “Lee? Aw hell, girl.”

  Chuck’s raspy voice had her scowling. Kline had called him? Because Chuck’s tough love was so what she needed right now.

  Well, at least her sarcasm was back.

  It could be worse, she thought. Kline could have called absolutely anyone else. Chuck was the lesser of all evils.

  Lee opened her eyes. She was in one of the beds in the clinic. Kline had picked her up and moved her there when he came in and found her passed out on the floor. She must have bumped her head pretty hard because a large lump was already pounding away at her skull.