He noticed Jamie’s face was none too friendly, just as, he suspected, his own was. The room sat in a sort of suspended state as they faced each other. He kept trying to tell himself Finley would not appreciate Tanner destroying the Logans’ house. He knew Finley wouldn’t appreciate him fighting Jamie at all, for that matter.
“My wolf wants me to kick your ass right now,” he managed.
Jamie nodded. “Yup. Mine’s pushing at me too.”
“But Finley wouldn’t—”
“Appreciate us fighting,” Jamie agreed.
“As much as we’d both—”
“Like to. Yeah.”
Tanner hadn’t realized he’d moved across the room until he was standing right in front of Jamie. “The human side owes you thanks, though,” Tanner said softly.
Jamie shook his head. “No, no thanks owed.”
“I don’t agree. You took care of him when I didn’t.”
“Not very well,” Jamie said, frowning, and Tanner saw the first hint of Jamie’s feelings for Finley. “I can’t find him,” he whispered, and Tanner heard the despair in Jamie’s voice.
He found himself oddly feeling sorry for Jamie. He cleared his throat. “As much as it pains me to admit, Finley’s a big boy. It’s on him that he’s gone.”
Jamie actually chuckled. “Yeah, well. He’s still gone.”
Tanner nodded. “Right. So we have bigger problems than wanting to beat each other up.”
Jamie barked out a laugh. “Yeah, I guess so. We’ll save it for later.”
“Deal,” Tanner said, then held out his hand.
Jamie didn’t hide his surprise as he took it. “A week ago, I wouldn’t have said this. Nice to meet you.”
“Same,” Tanner replied as they shook. He turned back to the rest of the room, a little surprised at the expressions he saw. The Logans were both smiling and Alpha Todd’s eyebrows were up in surprise.
“Well, now. Seems the Forbes pack’s gonna have strong, fair leaders for a good long time.”
Tanner found himself blushing. He bowed his head. “Thank you, Alpha.”
“Nothing to thank. So, about your mate….”
“Right, so,” he said, annoyed with himself for getting distracted. “I want to go sniff around first. But before I go….” He turned back to Jamie. “Tell me, exactly, what happened and what he looked like before he shifted.”
Jamie nodded, looking thoughtful. “He’d been smiling when he came out of the shower. When he heard your voice, that smile got even wider. I’d looked at him as I talked to you, and I was just telling you I was his boyfriend—like I said, to get a reaction.” He squirmed briefly. “Sorry about that, by the way.”
Tanner waved it off. “It’s only really important right now because it might clue me in.”
“Right, well, I didn’t really expect the reaction I got. You know, I thought you’d be pissed or outraged or something. I happened to be looking at Fin when you made that sound. His eyes got really wide, his face got… I don’t know, went through, like, shock and then kinda blank, like a lot of us do before we shift. Then, faster than I’d ever seen one of us shift, he went from two legs to four.” He shook his head. “It was almost instant.”
“Stress,” Alpha Todd said, and Tanner turned toward him. “In high stress, our wolves take over. In a case like that, I’d bet that’s what happened. His wolf took over, which meant he shifted immediately.”
“That makes sense. Then what?” Tanner asked, turning back to Jamie.
“Well, he bolted out of his room and down the stairs.”
“I saw him heading for the door, so I opened it. I didn’t realize what was going on,” Grammy said apologetically. “If I’d had any idea….”
“Was it just the screen door?”
She nodded.
Tanner shrugged. “Then he’d probably have gotten it open on his own anyway. Maybe even broken it.”
“That’s when I saw him run off into the woods and started shouting to you to get you back on the phone,” Jamie finished.
“Right.” Tanner sighed.
“If I might offer an opinion,” Alpha Todd said, drawing their attention.
Tanner looked over at him. “Of course, Alpha.”
“I’m guessing his wolf thought you were in pain and went after his mate.”
Tanner thought that through. “I was wondering that myself. Do we know which way he went?” He looked at Mr. Logan, then at Jamie.
Jamie shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. I couldn’t pin down his scent before I had to come back. It’s all over the woods out there.”
“I was afraid of that. As much as I think that’s what happened, I was sort of hoping it wasn’t. Because it means he’s trying to run to Pennsylvania.”
“Oh shit,” Jamie said, eyes wide. “There’s forest most of the way, but….”
“Yeah, exactly—but. And there are spots he’d have to go around. I don’t know how much his humanity could return before he got there. So if that’s the direction he went, we’ve got to catch him soon.” Tanner rubbed his face. “I need to go out and see if I can pick up his trail. I have an idea, but I need to know if that’s the direction he’s going first. We need to know if he’d head east. Which way is east?” he asked, turning to Alpha Todd.
He pointed toward the city. “That way. He’d have to go north first, to follow the forest.”
“Okay. I think there’s enough human instinct in us, even with the wolf in control that way, to keep him from people,” Tanner said thoughtfully.
Alpha Todd nodded. “Yeah, I think so too.”
“Good. All right.” He sighed and turned to Jamie. “Can you start running north, follow the trees around the valley, and see if you can pick up his trail that direction? Maybe organize a few of the others to help? I’ve got some things to get ready first, but then I can catch up.”
Jamie nodded, tugging his shirt over his head before Tanner even finished speaking. “Done.” He stripped the rest of his clothes quickly, and Tanner couldn’t stop himself from doing a quick once-over of Jamie. He reminded Tanner so much of Finley, it was a little scary.
Tanner could see why Finley would be tempted. He shook the thought off.
“I’ll shift and howl so you know my voice.”
“Good. Thank you.” Tanner met Jamie’s eyes and Jamie nodded.
“Thank me when we find him.”
A moment later, Tanner was looking at a beautiful blond wolf. Jamie lifted a paw and Tanner squatted in front of him, taking it. “You’re almost the exact opposite of him,” Tanner murmured. “Blond to his black.” He rubbed a hand over Jamie’s head. “Find his trail for me, will you? Help me bring… bring our boy back.”
Jamie nodded, nudged Tanner with his nose, then backed up. He lifted his head and let out a mournful howl.
Tanner’s heart thudded at the sound, and he met Jamie’s eyes and nodded. “Got it.”
Grandpaw opened the door for him, and Jamie took off at a dead run. Tanner turned back to the rest. “Someone tell me about cell phone signals out here,” he said as he kicked his shoes off.
TANNER SHOOK himself again, not liking the feel of something around his neck while in wolf form. It’d been his idea, though, so he couldn’t exactly complain about it. Not that he could complain while in this form, anyway.
He leaped up into the passenger seat of the Jeep and let Grammy fasten the seatbelt around him.
She shut the door, leaned in, and patted his head. “Find our boy and bring him home.”
Tanner barked and turned to Grandpaw, who was behind the wheel. He nodded, and Grandpaw waved at Grammy, then started the car. He swung the Jeep in a wide arc and pointed it back toward the road.
It took all he had to sit still for the drive. He’d go faster this way, he knew it, but he didn’t have to like it.
Jamie had finally found Finley’s trail, much farther north than he’d dared go before. He’d been afraid to go too far and not be available to help when Tann
er got there. It followed the southern edge of the forest that rimmed the valley to the north. He’d reported to Alpha Todd’s beta, Henry, who’d communicated to his mate, Maggie, and she’d told Grammy.
Tanner found himself exceedingly grateful for the mate telepathic abilities in that moment.
Jamie confirmed Finley seemed to be running more or less east, while sticking to the trees.
Tanner had intended to take off right behind Jamie, but Grandpaw had suggested driving as far as they could to make up time. Tanner couldn’t argue the wisdom in that. Even if he could run full-out, it would take a lot longer to catch up with Finley that way. So he sat in the passenger seat of Grandpaw’s Jeep and waited not so patiently for them to get as far east as they reasonably could before Tanner took to his paws.
Around his neck, he had a handkerchief with his cell phone tied up inside. As soon as he caught up to Finley, he’d turn on the GPS and start for civilization. He was sure it’d take a while to get there, but he’d feel a lot better knowing, at least, that he was with Finley by then.
Grandpaw sped over the open roads of the valley, taking the turns faster than Tanner would have expected him to. He was grateful for the seat belt, but he couldn’t complain because he found them covering ground a lot faster than he could have on his paws.
He had no idea how long they drove, but they turned off what passed for a highway onto a dirt lane proclaiming itself a “road.” Still, Grandpaw only slowed marginally as he took the curves and turns that followed the base of the steep hills.
“Henry says Fin’s following the edge of the trees just like you thought,” Maggie said from the back seat. Tanner had forgotten she was back there.
Tanner barked, leaning his head out the window, trying to catch the tiniest trace of his mate’s scent.
“Tell him thanks and they can go back,” Grandpaw said, and Tanner turned to him. He nodded. “We’ll find him from here. They can’t do anymore from there, anyway.”
Tanner nodded and turned back to the window. He kept his senses open, and when Grandpaw made a sudden turn in the road, Tanner found it. He barked, and Grandpaw looked over.
“You got the scent?”
Tanner nodded and whined, pulling at the seatbelt.
“Hold your paws. I can get you a little closer. Besides, not much cover here,” Grandpaw said, waving around.
Tanner had to admit he had a point. There were very few trees where they were, and he had a panicked minute where he was afraid Finley might have been seen. But he forced himself to calm down and wait.
A few moments later, they turned onto an even smaller, narrower dirt track, and Tanner saw a line of trees again that looked to be lining a stream. He realized that was where Grandpaw was heading. As soon as the Jeep stopped, Tanner fidgeted, but Grandpaw wasted no time unhooking the seatbelt.
“Don’t forget to text as soon as you can. We’ll find the local pack if there is one. If not, we’ll come pick you up soon.”
Tanner barked again, and as soon as the door was open, shot out of the Jeep and straight for the trees. He paused, turned to look at Grandpaw, and howled once before taking off again.
It only took him a few hundred yards before he got the first hint of Finley’s scent again. Grateful for the dark, he took off after it, racing across a field and through another tree line. He followed the group of trees, not wishing to take the risk of losing Finley’s scent yet. He knew he was damned lucky it was still there at all. Much longer and it would be gone entirely.
Within a short distance, Tanner found a pattern to Finley’s movements. He’d stayed in the line of trees, but every time he was forced north, he seemed to turn east as soon as possible. If he went south for a while, he still kept moving east wherever possible.
Tanner paused at the crest of a hill and saw an unmistakable forest in the distance. He could see the tree line he’d been following bob and weave north and northeast before it met up with the forest’s edge, almost due east of where he sat. His instinct urged him to forget the trees and run across the open field. He decided to take a chance and follow instinct, since it was dark and unlikely anyone would see him.
Decision made, Tanner took off again, forgetting the line of trees and running straight for the forest ahead. As he crossed the open field, moon shining down on him, he prayed to every god he could possibly think of—and begged any others that might listen—that he was right and would find Finley soon.
And find him alive.
Chapter Eleven
TANNER’S INSTINCTS served him well. He picked up his mate’s trail just inside the trees. He wanted to balance speed with watching his direction and keeping track of Finley’s scent, but he was too afraid he’d lose Finley if he did. So he took a few more chances than he probably should have, but he couldn’t let himself worry too much.
By his figuring, he’d only gained a few hours on Finley. He was sure Finley would have to rest, but that didn’t guarantee he’d stop for hours at a time, much less an entire night. He suspected Finley would only stop when his body forced him to, and then only until he could manage to get up again.
So he knew the trail wouldn’t last much longer. He was a little desperate to cover as much distance as he possibly could before it did. Once he was in the forest again, Finley had followed an almost perfectly straight eastern line. Tanner hoped he stuck to that, which would make things a lot easier. For now, it meant he could pick up even more speed, stopping only occasionally to make sure he was going the right direction. His instinct kept pulling him east, and he followed it, grateful that it kept him going the right way.
He didn’t stop, didn’t even pause except to drink a bit of water when he absolutely had to. Instead, he kept moving, putting every bit of speed he had into his run.
He was forced to halt when he came across a paved two-lane road—as opposed to the dirt tracks he’d seen so far—in the middle of the forest. He wasn’t fool enough to barrel across without watching for traffic. To his annoyance, when he got to the other side, he found a fence. He could jump it, and did, but he had to actually back up and get a running start. The delay pissed him off, but he got back underway quickly, despite it.
A short while later, he found himself at the edge of the forest again. As he rose to the crest of the hill, he paused to look around. Ahead of him lay an open grassland stretching several miles across. The trees curved around to the northeast on his left, and he could just make out where they turned east again.
Tanner hesitated, unsure which way to go. Finley’s scent followed the trees to the left. But something—Tanner thought it was his instinct again—pulled him across the grasslands, going due east. If he was right about Finley’s intention—to run to him, and thus far, the direction Finley’s scent led him had been supporting that—then he could make up time by crossing the prairie, rather than sticking to the trees.
He looked up at the sky, but the moon hadn’t even risen very high yet. He had plenty of time to cross the open plain without having to worry about being seen by humans. He just didn’t want to possibly miss Finley’s trail, and if he didn’t come across it on the other side, he could possibly lose time, trying to pick up the scent again.
He looked north again, then back across the prairie. He whined to himself as he tried to figure out which was the best way to go, but he knew he had to take the chance. He huffed and took off, following the instinct that pulled him and bounding down the side of the hill.
The grasses in some places were taller than he was, but it didn’t deter him. He kept track of the moon, rather than any kind of landmarks, anyway. He smelled horses, heard more than one owl, and passed more than one building with lights on. He ignored all of these, the need to get to his mate pulling him harder than any other instinct. He focused on keeping to an easterly path and was grateful to see that while the moon had risen a little higher, it hadn’t gone far by the time he came to the steep valleys on the eastern end of the prairie.
Here again, he was forced to p
ause. He’d run slightly northeast instead of due east across the grasses, forced that way by a few of the houses and hills. Now he had another decision. To the south and southeast, many of those steep valleys filled with sharp peaks stretched as far as he could see. Just to the north and northeast, he could see the land was a lot gentler. Despite going slightly farther north, the even terrain could help him pick up a little more time. But Finley’s scent went into the valley to the east. He was afraid, though, if he tried to take all those hills, he’d have a very difficult time catching up.
He closed his eyes to see if his instinct told him anything. East, it said, which was singularly unhelpful in that moment. If he stuck with Finley’s scent, though, he would go the same direction his instinct was pulling him in. He decided that was best. He could stick with Finley’s scent and follow the pull, thus lessening the chance that he’d stray too far and never find it again. So he turned east and hurried down into the valleys.
WHEN FINLEY woke, he stood and stretched, shaking himself hard. He looked up to see the moon had risen, though it hadn’t passed its zenith. He yawned, still tired, but too anxious to get going. He huffed at the delay, annoyed he’d slept as long as he had, and hurried out of the cave.
Thirst demanded he stop at the edge of the river to drink. When he had his fill, he raised his nose and sniffed. He didn’t want to waste the time, but his body demanded to be fed. And despite the desperate need to continue moving, if he was going to be able to keep going, he needed food.
After finding the trail of a rabbit, he hunted it down swiftly. He didn’t take time to savor as he usually did, but instead took care of his hunger quickly. As soon as he finished, he turned and checked the moon. He was grateful to see he hadn’t lost too much time.
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