10. Kaylee
10
Kaylee
Turning onto a hidden gravel path, I follow behind David’s trailer as we hit the final stretch of our ten-day journey. Lace decided she wanted to ride with her family when we left the diner, and I was thankful for that. The three hours of alone time helped me to get my thoughts sorted and prepare me for any trials the alpha of Silver Paw may throw my way. Once I am accepted into Silver Paw, I will lock myself in my little cottage and let out the pain I have kept in these last ten days.
Rolling my windows down to allow fresh air into the cabin of my truck, my nose twitches as I scent smoke and blood on the wind. Sensing something wrong, I immediately dial David’s number, the music I had playing through Bluetooth being replaced by the dial tone.
“Kay—”
“David, something is wrong!” I state, cutting his words off.
“I rolled down the windows and now I smell blood and smoke,” I continue. David curses, his brake lights turning on, signaling me to stop.
“Amelia will stay with the pups. Lock your truck and hand her your keys. We need to investigate,” David orders. I make a sound of understanding before hanging up and turning my truck off, before climbing out. I pad carefully over to Miss Amelia’s side door and hand her my keys. The pups are in the backseat, Henry and Lace looking scared, but Adam looks curiously out the window, his blood humming with the power of an alpha.
“Keep the doors locked, and mind link me if something happens,” David cautions his mate. Miss Amelia nods, and as soon as David closes the door, she locks their truck. With a nod to one another, we shift into wolf form—our clothes tearing in the process—and silently make our way to the forest edge away from the gravel road, to stick close to the tree line.
As we grow closer to where Silver Paw is settled, the stench of smoke and blood grows stronger. Shouts and sobbing can be heard, each sound growing louder until we find ourselves at the edge of the pack. Spread out before us are burning buildings and wolves who are either injured, dying, or dead. The stench of blood is so strong that I have to back away and bury my nose into my tail for a moment to breathe. The sound of someone shifting catches my attention, and I turn to see David in human form.
“Let’s go see what is going on,” he whispers, running his fingers through my fur before he stands. The two of us exit the safety of the trees, David taking the lead while I stay slightly behind him to the right.
“Hello?” he calls out, catching the attention of a few wolves. Men and women in both human and wolf form quickly surround us, and I slowly lie on my stomach, doing my best to appear as non-threatening as possible. These people have definitely been through a lot, by the state of their pack. The last thing they need is two rogues on their territory.
“What do you want, Rogue?” a male asks, his gaze hard as he glares at us.
“We were actually here to meet with your alpha. I am David Saint, and my family and I were supposed to join the pack sometime this week,” David answers this wolf with his hands in the air. I nod in agreement, my tail thumping gently on the ground as I rest my head on my paws.
“Do you have proof?” this man continues to ask, his disrespect towards David starting to piss me off.
“I do, but my phone is in my truck. We smelled blood and smoke on the wind, and came to investigate.” The wolf that is questioning us sizes David up, his eyes dulling, and I realize he is mind-linking someone.
“I will follow the both of you to your vehicles. Three of the warriors will join us,” the man states, as his eyes return to normal. David looks at me with a raised brow and I stand, sticking close to his side.
“Is she going to shift?” the man asks as three others step forward, all males with wounds littering their bodies from whatever—or whoever—attacked them.
“My niece prefers to stay in wolf form,” David answers. Warmth spreads inside me as he calls me his niece, and I let out a light yip of agreement. With our group of two growing to a group of five, David and I lead them back down the gravel road to where we left our trucks. The man who questioned us introduces himself as Marco Giovanni. He informs us that a rival pack by the name of Shadow Moon attacked Silver Paw over a land dispute, killing many of their wolves. My hackles rise as I think back to the scene we left behind us. How the stench of blood and death took over the pack, and how many looked at us with fear and anger. I understand now why Silver Paw was left in the state we found it in.
We reach our trucks quickly, Miss Amelia and the pups waiting outside the vehicles for us and I realize David must have linked her that we were coming with some guests. She hands David some clothes and he thanks her, quickly dressing as he introduces his family to Marco. Lace tugs at my ear playfully, the little girl asking me if I can give her a piggyback ride, but her mother chides her into standing still before telling me she left my driver-side door open, with a dress on the seat for me to throw on. I rub against Miss Amelia’s leg in thanks, before running towards the driver's side of my truck and shifting back to my human form. I find a blue sun dress waiting on my seat, and I quickly throw it on, as well as a pair of flats that I usually keep on the passenger side before I return to the group.
“Looks like everything is in order,” I catch Marco saying with a sigh of relief. He hands David back his phone, the wolf looking at his packmates before turning to David, Miss Amelia, and me.
“I won’t sugarcoat what happened. Our alpha, Luna, and their pups were killed in the attack, and our pack is on the verge of turning rogue without a leader. We can’t offer much right now, but if you could help us with our current predicament, that would be amazing.” He is no longer hostile towards us, and instead, Marco looks sad and defeated, like the life and energy inside him has vanished. My heart breaks at the sound of sadness in his voice, and I turn to look at Miss Amelia who has the same sympathy in her eyes that I feel.
“We are outsiders right now, so I am not sure how Silver Paw will react. But we will do our best to help,” Miss Amelia calmly replies, placing a hand on Marco’s shoulder. He flinches for a moment before relaxing, his body feeling the calming touch of an alpha-blooded wolf and accepting it.
“Thank you. These three are going to return to helping the pack, but I can lead you the back way so the pups don’t see the mess we are in.” David nods, telling his kids to ride in my truck with me, as he and Miss Amelia will take Marco in theirs. With everything settled, the three Silver Paw warriors shift and disappear into the forest to return to their packmates, while we climb into our respective vehicles. I follow closely behind David’s truck, and true to Marco’s words, we take a left turn at a fork in the road and drive in the opposite direction of the massacre we witnessed.
After twenty minutes of driving, we pull up in front of a large two-story house, the one I recognize as David and Amelia’s new home. Marco promises to show me the cottage I will live in tomorrow when the pups and I join them on the porch.
“Right now, the pack needs me. I am the head warrior, and the strongest wolf in the pack. The Wi-Fi is already connected with the password on the fridge, and there is some food in the pantry,” he explains as he begins to walk away.
“Wait. Adam can watch his siblings. David, Kaylee, and I will come with you to help,” Miss Amelia calls out. David and I look at one another before I nod. What Silver Paw has gone through is horrendous. These wolves need all the help they can get.
“Are you sure?” Marco asks in disbelief.
“Yes, they are,” Adam answers without hesitation.
“Don’t worry, Mom and Dad, I will get Henry and Lace settled in. You go help our new packmates,” he reassures his parents with a smile on his face. I feel pride at seeing how leaving Oak Fur has changed Adam for the better. His alpha blood is able to flourish now, without Ramos’ influence over him.
After telling the three pups to stay inside, Miss Amelia, David, and I follow Marco towards the pack house of Silver Paw to help them sort out the aftermath Shadow Moon left them in.