Night Caught

by Godiva Glenn

  The laptop had been ditched, but she kept her notes and as much information she thought was necessary on a thumb drive.

  Holding out a larger pack to him, she looked around at the tall trees. “You sure this is the place?”

  “Up the ridge.” He pointed off into the distance as he took his bag. “When we travel, we tend to do it away from the roads. We’ll hit a good spot to start looking in a few hours.”

  “Back where we started,” she mused. “Hiking through the woods.”

  “It’s not too late to turn back and live in the city.” He didn’t bother checking her expression. He knew she had no interest in that life.

  “At least this time we have supplies.”

  He sucked in a deep breath. It seemed like lately, the clean and simple enjoyment that came from fresh air had been tainted. He’d been on the run the last few times he’d been outside. After one final glance at the dirt road they’d driven up, he headed due West, carving a path in the high weeds and loose gravel.

  Sky followed closely behind. Now and then he glimpsed back at her and caught her smiling. He could imagine any number of reasons for her to be doing so, yet had to ask.

  “Is this that much fun?”

  She hopped over a log and peered at him, cheeks red and eyes sparkling. “Actually, yeah.”

  “I wonder how long that’ll last.”

  “Forever, I hope.”

  They broke out of the brush and she joined him at his side. He reached out and brushed a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “I guess you never got to do this for fun.”

  “No. Survival training was my only time outdoors unless I was on a hunt.” She tugged the straps of her backpack. “But that’s not what’s making a difference. Everything smells better. Looks better. Plus, I’m excited to meet a pack.”

  He pursed his lips. Despite her outlook, he wasn’t excited to introduce her to them.

  “I finally have a purpose that doesn’t involve killing,” she added soberly. “That, and you… Everything is brighter.”

  “Don’t be offended if the pack doesn’t welcome us with open arms.”

  “I get it. Humanish being here, I doubt they’ll want anything to do with me at all. But I’d think they’d at least be happy to see you again.”

  He held back a laugh. No one wanted to see him. He held no such delusions. “The important thing will be to keep calm. No silver eyes.” He glanced at her. “Maybe we should work on that, actually. Do you think you can learn to control it?”

  “Theoretically?” She bit her lip and stared forward. “I haven’t thought about it. If it’s like a shifter thing, then I would imagine so.”

  “Has to be from that skinwalker. Vamps don’t have silver eyes.”

  “Yeah.” She elbowed him playfully. “You can teach me, then. How do you learn to go from wolf and back?”

  “Going full wolf is as easy as breathing,” he explained. “The harder part is the partial transformations. Pulling out just claws is the first thing most of us learn since it’s the most likely to be necessary. Self-defense.”

  She arched a brow. “You seem to be an expert at partial transformation.”

  He shrugged.

  “I haven’t forgotten about that trick you pulled. You grew. Inside me.”

  Heat flooded his cheeks. He’d almost forgotten about that. “That was a first for me.”

  “Really? Because it seems like something you’d mastered. I wasn’t complaining, for the record.” She grinned. “You don’t need the boost, but if you’ve got it…”

  “My mind was all over the place that night.” He looked away from her mischievous smile. “I don’t know why I thought it would be a good idea.”

  “It was. I had fun. You had fun. We both got confirmation that I can handle the wonder and awe that is lupine cock,” she teased.

  He scoffed. “That wasn’t the full wonder and awe of it.”

  Sky tripped and his arm shot out to steady her. She regained her balance and looked at him through slanted, suspicious eyes. “Are you serious?”

  “Think about it, Sky. When I’m shifted, I’m about over a foot taller than I am now. Everything grows. Not in direct proportion, but close.”

  Her gaze drifted down his body. “Challenge accepted.”

  “Huh?”

  She laughed, and the sound took him aback. It wasn’t a teasing laugh, but a purely musical release that he couldn’t recall hearing from her before.

  “Sky?”

  “It’s a thing. A human saying,” she said. “But I stand by my words. I can handle it. After all, I’m not just another woman. I’m sure that if my eyes can change color and I have the senses of a lupine, I have other talents as well. One of them is probably taking massive—”

  He groaned, cutting her off. “I don’t think that is a trait they intentionally bred.” The moment he spoke, he regretted it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it up.”

  She took his hand and gave it a squeeze. “Stop. Don’t beat yourself up. I was bred. I’m a freak.” Her brow wrinkled. “I can handle that, too.”

  “I could take more care when I speak,” he muttered.

  “Why? Even if you never say it, that doesn’t change the facts. I was incubated by agents that existed as a set of numbers. Maybe I should be more sensitive about it, but I’m not.” She ran her free hand through her hair and stared forward into the trees, a look of determination cresting on her face. “I could break down over it, or I can get over it. I choose to get over it. Otherwise, I’ll be sucked into a black hole. Not just over this, but over everything else I’ve done in my life.”

  “Most of your life was out of your control.”

  “I’m smart enough to know that the excuse ‘I was just following orders’ doesn’t forgive my sins. I thought I was a good guy in a fight for all of humanity. Turns out I was a foolish pawn for an evil puppet-master. Turns out we were starting a fight and pointing fingers at packs and nests.”

  He lifted their joined hands. “Then another possibility for the bright side of things?”

  “What?”

  “Maybe you have claws. Worth trying, right?”

  Her eyes narrowed on her hand. “That would be cool.”

  “It would.”

  “Wait, why do you want me to have claws, of all things?”

  “For all that rough sex we’re going to be having, obviously.”

  * * * *

  The scent of the Eclipse pack was harder to pick up than Kalle had anticipated. As a result, after a few days of only faint hints, he’d dropped down to his wolf form and padded beside Sky while she held his things.

  As a wolf, his thoughts were simplified. Though he knew everything that was going on, he didn’t think about it. He didn’t worry about Sky and the complications surrounding their plan and future. The only focus he had was for following the pack.

  His wolf felt a connection to the Eclipse pack even though he didn’t. And even though his wolf was just a part of him, they operated on distinct levels. They had different instincts and desires.

  Funny to recall that a few months back, his wolf was taking over and driving him feral and mad. Now he could rely on it to guide Sky along through the wilderness, and he didn’t worry that he wouldn’t be able to get back to his human self.

  It had to be his relationship with Sky making it possible. Nothing else explained how he could have gone from the brink of feral to the fine balance he had now. Some lupine could manage without a pack, but Kalle couldn’t. Maybe he could have if his first weeks alone hadn’t been filled with grief and concern over his sister.

  Sierra’s face appeared in his thoughts, and a brief sadness pulsed through his wolf. Even if his human consciousness was somewhat in the backseat currently, the bond to family existed throughout his forms.

  Tracking down the Eclipse pack was a reminder of what he’d lost.

  Just as he had that thought, he picked up a familiar trail. He hurried along, nose to the ground and eyes darti
ng back and forth almost in disbelief.

  “Kalle? You found something?” Sky asked.

  He couldn’t answer her in words but paused long enough to give her a small nod. Continuing on, the scent ran through his mind, searching for a match. Unless he was mistaken, this wasn’t just the scent of former Sarka pack. This was the trail of someone from the Edon pack. A distant cousin, in fact.

  When the Eclipse pack split from the Sarka’s, apparently, they didn’t just take the pure bloods of the lines. Kalle hadn’t been around for the divide, but he hadn’t expected that the cocky Mikos Fekete would accept anyone from Kalle’s old pack. They’d been treated like trash, after all.

  It looked like he was wrong, though, and that made him more confident that this was the best pack to approach with information on the Wardens.

  He followed the scent and soon recognized others, including the scent of Mikos, the Eclipse alpha, and Kyra, his mate.

  Kalle stopped and stretched out into his human form. Now that he had their trail, he wouldn’t lose it. “They aren’t that far. Maybe a day? Maybe less.”

  Sky handed him his bag so he could grab his clothing and get dressed. “That’s close.”

  “Yeah. The recent rain has done a number on my nose, I guess, but it’s definitely them.”

  A puzzled expression crossed her face as she sniffed the air. “Huh. I think I smell them, too. They smell almost like you.”

  He tugged a grey t-shirt on over his head. “I suppose we should’ve assumed you could.”

  “Yeah. It’s just strange. Every day I’m reminded of how I was going through life stunted. Now it’s like I’m using my nose for the first time.”

  “I’d keep that to yourself, of course.”

  “I know,” she groaned.

  They’d gone over it at least a hundred times. Sky wanted to be open with the packs, but Kalle refused to agree. Her hybrid status would remain their secret and theirs alone. He didn’t see anyone ever earning the level of trust needed to reveal it.

  He stepped into his pants and boots then pulled her into an embrace. “There is no clever way to explain that you were designed to be the perfect lupine and vamp killing machine.”

  “I’m not actually perfect at it, though.”

  “Doesn’t matter.” He kissed the top of her head then held her at arm’s length to stare into her eyes. “I can’t function if I’m thinking about anyone trying to use you or harm you for being who you are.”

  She broke out of his hold and spun away. “I can take care of myself, but I’m not arguing. Let’s go. I want to see how the wolves live.”

  “You’ve been entirely too excited about this,” he murmured.

  “I’m part lupine. Never knew it before. Now I’m curious to see how it feels to be near more than just you. It’s my heritage, in a way.”

  Strangely, he’d never looked at her situation that way. “Fair point.”

  “A day… well, you better get back to work. Teach me all the lupine rules. We don’t want to step on any feet.”

  He forced a smile to match hers. He was a banished wolf. The pack they were tracking was full of lupine that likely hated his guts. They were going to do more than step on feet.

  * * * *

  The breeze kept swirling through Sky’s hair before reaching Kalle’s lungs, and it distracted him to no end.

  At least, that’s what he told himself to excuse being caught off-guard by two lupine who now circled he and Sky with menacing glares.

  “I didn’t know the boundaries of your territory,” he insisted to the two males.

  “We were looking for the Eclipse pack,” Sky added.

  Her statement wasn’t as helpful as she likely intended it to be, coming from her human—as far as they knew—mouth.

  They had to be of the pack, yet they didn’t look all that familiar to Kalle. When he’d been with the Sarka pack, he’d kept to himself, and it was now kicking him.

  The taller of the two males, a scowling mass of black hair and brown eyes, considered Kalle closely. “You’re the Lowe brother.”

  “Not possible,” the other male said.

  “I am,” Kalle admitted.

  “You were banished. Marked and disgraced,” the first male said.

  “I was but—”

  “That was Ian.” The second male crossed his flannel-covered arms. “We don’t support the action, nor do we observe the implications. I heard that you were offered a place in our pack.”

  Sky glanced between them as they spoke but remained quiet.

  “Your alpha’s mate extended an invitation, months back,” Kalle said.

  The two males stood together and exchanged a look. Finally, the less surly of the two lifted his chin toward Kalle. “Why are you here? It’s certainly not to join.”

  “Why certainly?” Sky asked.

  Kalle kept his eyes on the two. “We have something to discuss with Mikos, and if he sees fit, the elders.”

  “What business could you possibly have with our alpha, if you’ve already rejected our pack?” The scowling lupine asked. “And why would you show up with your human pet in tow? One who seems to know more about us than she should?”

  Sky stepped forward but Kalle quickly hauled her back behind him. He gave her an admonishing stare and shook his head. Back to the others, he said, “It’s private. I’m just seeking a word with him. I don’t aim to trespass further into your land. My human and I respect your claim.”

  The males spoke to each other in muted tones, even if it was pointless since everyone present could hear even whispers.

  “We should ask Kyra, first.”

  “I’m not undermining our alpha,” the taller lupine insisted.

  “They think alike, and this way if she says to get rid of them, we won’t have bothered him.”

  “Not how it works, and you know it. Do you even remember the Lowes?”

  “I remember Sierra.”

  “Exactly. Whatever went down, let’s keep Kyra out of it. Mikos would want to handle this personally.”

  “One of us should keep an eye on them.”

  “I can. Just don’t take all day.”

  The flannel-wearing lupine dashed off and the remaining male shoved his hands into his pockets.

  “Get comfortable,” he said.

  Kalle pulled Sky a fair distance away and stood with her. “This is good, I guess.”

  She slapped his arm. “I’m not allowed to talk?”

  “You’re a human and you’re trying to get involved in pack business, so no, you shouldn’t talk just yet.”

  “I’m more than—”

  He pressed his thumb over her mouth before she finished speaking. “I’m sorry,” he hissed. “You’re more than a simple-minded human, I know.”

  She glared in response.

  “Don’t make me the enemy. I told you how pack structure worked.”

  She rolled her eyes, pouting. “I didn’t think we’d be treated like criminals.”

  “Yeah, well.” He glanced sidelong at the pacing lupine keeping watch over them. “I sort of am a criminal.”

  “Since when? And why?”

  He took her by the hand, and they walked a little further away for a false sense of privacy. “Since always. You heard them. Banished and marked.”

  “I heard them. But what did they mean?”

  “Didn’t you wonder why I was out on my own?” he asked.

  She glanced at their guard. “Yeah, but I didn’t think twice about it. I just figured I was lucky. Lone wolf.”

  He chuckled dryly. Yeah, because she wanted to catch a wolf, so it helped that he was flying solo. “Well, we don’t usually exist like that by choice. I got kicked out of the Sarka pack. And though the Eclipse pack did offer me a second chance, I didn’t take it. Largely because of what got me kicked out of the Sarka pack.”

  “Which was?”

  Memories flooded him, but he shook them away with a heavy sigh. “Long story short? I took the blame for someone
else. My sister made a mistake and I took her punishment.”

  “What mistake would get you kicked out?”

  “Attempted murder,” he mumbled.

  “What?” Sky’s voice was shrill.

  “It’s complicated, and only other lupine would understand it, but trust me, she’s not a bad wolf. She got in over her head and…” He trailed off, uncertain if right now was the best time to be defending his hapless baby sister.

  Sky yanked on his shirt, pulling him down a few inches to stare into his eyes. “And marked?”

  “The scars on my back.”

  “I asked about those. You always just joked about rough sex.”

  He smirked. “Trust me. It was the worst fucking over I’ve ever gotten.”

  “Kalle.”

  “When lupine act up and need to be tossed out, the pack’s alpha has to make a choice. Either to send the miscreant off in peace or send them off in pieces. My former alpha chose to ignore peace and shred my back. The scars are the highest form of shame a wolf can carry.”

  “And possibly a death sentence,” their watcher added for Sky’s benefit.

  Her eyes narrowed on Kalle. “Is that true?”

  “Marked lupine are shunned by any packs they encounter. And yeah, since some packs cling to the old, old fucking ways, it’s considered reasonable to kill anyone bearing these marks for the safety of the pack.”

  “That’s barbaric,” she said stunned.

  “That’s life.”

  “Why didn’t you ever say something?”

  It seemed obvious to him. When they’d first met, she’d assumed that all lupine were beasts. He’d worked hard to prove the opposite, yet the marks on his skin and the reasons for his banishment didn’t work in his favor. “You have more to learn about lupine life than I could hope to explain in days or weeks, possibly years. There are good things and bad things. My old pack was a mess. I don’t regret leaving, even if this was the result. But that doesn’t mean all lupine are like that.”

  She searched his eyes and his unspoken words seemed to click. “No, I know they aren’t.”

  “You’re my pack now,” he whispered. “You’re all I need.”

  She pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes. “If we weren’t being babysat, I’d kiss you.”