9. Emerson
NINE
EMERSON
I crept out of bed and slowly opened the door so as not to disturb Logan.
Though from what I’d witnessed, his shifter hearing was so attuned to me and the wildlife in the forest, he was probably aware I was out of bed.
Maisy had a mat laid out on the grass and was doing yoga, her eyes closed. I tiptoed around her and headed toward the water pump. Blaire jogged around the corner, panting, sweat rings under her arms.
She skidded to a halt and placed her hands on her knees, her chest heaving and droplets of sweat puddling in the dirt beneath her.
They were intent on keeping fit, which, at first glance, was a little unnecessary, considering they lived on a mountain. But they both worked in town and hiked little and, as they weren’t shifters, there was no hunting—at least not the type with teeth, claws, and fur.
“Lots of dreams, huh?” Blair stood up and sat on a log.
“How did you—” Asking was pointless because one look at me probably told her I’d tossed and turned, and my head was full of future might bes . “Yeah.”
I slumped beside her, exhausted from the people trampling through my head during the night. But I held back, not wanting to spill the deets to Blair or Maisy who’d finished twisting her body into various poses and sat on the other side of me. I wrapped my arms around my chest as I shivered in the cool morning mountain air.
“Where are Blaze and J… Alpha?” I wasn’t familiar with shifter protocol and preferred to use Jake’s title. As Alpha’s mate, Blair was the Alpha Omega, but she pooh-poohed us calling her that. She was human, so I wasn’t as concerned about saying the wrong thing as I was with Jake.
Maisy must have identified an urgency in my voice because she and Blair shared a glance. “They’re hunting. Is there something you want to discuss?”
I shuffled my feet in the dirt, and dust sprayed over my flip-flops. Now I regretted not staying in bed with my mate’s arms around me.
“Maybe, yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Logan appeared bare-chested, pulling on a tee. My pajama habit was in the past as we both slept naked. Pj’s were a hindrance when we had sex every night.
I shrugged. I was wary of telling the pack about my dreams because they were more of a hint rather than a prediction. What if I got people worried or upset or worse, had them prepare for battle when it was a big nothing?
Logan kissed my brow before ripping his clothes off and taking off into the bushes as he shifted. Moments later, his beast howled, and I gripped Blair because the guttural howl was a warning. I couldn’t interpret what I’d seen while asleep, but I hoped the shifters could and would allay my fears.
The three original pack members blended in with the woods so well, I didn’t pick them out until they shifted, their human forms a stark contrast to the trees. They dressed and stood before me, Maisy and Blair.
“You want to share what you saw, Emmie?” Jake folded his arms. He was in Alpha mode, and I didn’t dare hold back.
“A bunch…” That wasn’t the correct word. “A group, or maybe a pack.” I wasn’t shifter savvy enough to identify individual wolves grouped together compared to ones linked through spilled blood and a vow to their pack. “Wolves. Maybe five or six. Headed this way.” I couldn’t give specifics regarding the timing or where they originated, but they were seeking our pack.
Jake sniffed the air. “I didn’t detect any strangers when I had my fur.” His head swiveled to Blaze, who gave an almost imperceptible shake. “Whoever they are, they’re not close.”
Maisy scrambled off the log and took Blaze’s arm, her fingers digging into his flesh. She, more than Blair or me, had a reason to be fearful, as she had met her mate when escaping from a creep.
“Are they in wolf form? The Alpha in front, some flanking him, and the others to the rear?” Jake’s even tone betrayed no anxiety, but the others chose him as Alpha because he kept his emotions in check regarding pack business.
Not with Blair, though. He was besotted with his mate and, when they weren’t side by side, his gaze was fixed on her, his lips parted in a playful smile.
“No.” I probably should have given them more information. “They’re in two cars with music blaring.”
Logan snorted and bent over, followed by Blaze’s belly laugh. Jake’s twinkling eyes signaled my worries were overblown.
“Sounds like a party.”
Logan pulled me up, and I slammed into his wide chest. Inhaling his unique scent settled my nerves, as did Jake’s response.
“Now we have that out of the way,” my mate mumbled against my scalp. “Why don’t we return to bed and have a party of our own?”