Chapter 8 Nathan
Nathan
My phone buzzed with an incoming text from Gavin.
Need you to call an emergency pack meeting at the house ASAP. Ask everyone who can to come right away.
I frowned at the message, unease swirling in my gut. Gavin wasn't one for theatrics. If he was calling an emergency meeting, something had to be very wrong. I quickly sent out a mass text to the pack group chat. It was only used in emergencies or for official pack business.
Emergency pack meeting at the pack house. Please come immediately if you are able. - Alpha Nathan
I pocketed my phone and hurried out the door, not bothering to grab a jacket despite the chill in the evening air. My wolf didn’t need a jacket, and shifting with one on would only shred it. When I arrived at the pack house, Gavin was already there, his brow furrowed as he paced on the front steps.
"What's going on?" I took the steps two at a time and grabbed some clothes from the porch.
Before Gavin could answer, the low rumble of vehicles sounded as pack members began pulling up the long gravel drive, and others loped in on four paws.
I turned to watch them arrive, counting heads, making sure everyone was accounted for.
The tension was palpable as they gathered, trading wary glances and hushed whispers.
My wolf stirred restlessly under my skin. He sensed the unease, the potential threat to our pack. I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the building pressure. We protected our own, always. Whatever this was, we would handle it.
As if summoned by my thoughts, a familiar scent wafted on the breeze. Rissa. Unbidden, my gaze sought her out in the crowd. She stood near the back, arms crossed, her dark eyes reflecting the same apprehension as the others. For a moment, our gazes locked, and something unspoken passed between us.
I wrenched my focus back to the task at hand, pushing thoughts of Rissa aside. Later. I would sort through whatever this was later. Right now, my pack needed me.
"All right, let's get started," I called over the chatter. Silence fell as all eyes turned to me.
Gavin stepped up beside me, his arms crossed and brow furrowed. "You with me?" he asked under his breath.
I cleared my throat, nodding. "Yeah. What's the update?"
Gavin sighed heavily. "Ula lost the trail, and my human police force is turning up nada. If this woman is still out there, we need fresh scents tracking through town."
I absorbed that information, already strategizing. We had to find this missing tourist, and fast.
I shifted into alpha mode, squaring my shoulders as I addressed the pack. "All right, listen up. We're running discreet patrols. No drawing attention to ourselves. We need to find any trace of this woman."
Gavin held up the evidence bag containing the missing tourist's shirt, the plastic crinkling. "One at a time, take in the scent. Ula will direct where you start."
Nearly every pack member stepped forward, ready and willing to do their part. Pride surged through me at their dedication, their loyalty. We were a team, a family. We looked out for each other and our town.
As the wolves filed past to sniff the shirt, my gaze drifted to Rissa once more. She hung back, arms still folded, a pensive expression on her face. Our eyes met briefly, and my stomach clenched. Questions burned on my tongue. Was she okay? Did she need anything?
The cool night air caressed my fur as I shifted, my bones and muscles rearranging into the powerful form of my wolf.
They approached the evidence bag one by one, committing the missing woman's scent to memory. Ula, who had not yet shifted, directed them to different areas of town, ensuring we covered as much ground as possible.
As the wolves dispersed, a flash of black caught my eye. Rissa in her wolf form. She moved with a grace that made my heart stutter, her sleek ebony coat shimmering under the moonlight. I froze, instinct roaring to the surface, demanding I go to her, claim her, make her mine.
I dug my claws into the dirt, fighting for control. This wasn't the time. We had a mission, a purpose. I couldn't let my desires, my wolf's desires, distract me.
Rissa didn't seem to notice my internal struggle. She took one last sniff of the shirt, then sprinted toward the woods, her lithe form quickly swallowed by the shadows.
Before I could stop myself, my paws followed her path. I told myself it was just a coincidence, that our routes simply aligned. But deep down, I knew the truth.
I wanted to be near her to ensure she was safe. My wolf wouldn't have it any other way.
I moved closer, catching up to her. I circled her, testing her reaction. A low growl rumbled in Rissa's throat as she bared her teeth in warning. My wolf responded with a deep, instinctive growl of his own, pushing forward, demanding submission.
I lunged suddenly, forcing her to react. She spun, snapping at me, her teeth grazing my fur. Our bodies brushed, and an electric charge surged between us, undeniable and intense.
My wolf wanted to dominate her, to see her submit. But Rissa held her ground, her big, expressive eyes flashing with defiance. A thrill ran through me. No, I didn't want a submissive mate. I wanted her, fierce and wild and unbreakable.
I pushed her back toward a tree, my chest heaving. She snarled, but she didn't back down.
The tension between us grew, thick and heavy, until it was too much to bear. At the same time, we shifted back into human form, our wolves receding beneath our skin.
Rissa stood before me, naked and breathing heavily. I couldn't stop my gaze from roaming over her, taking in every curve, every inch of smooth, tanned skin. Normally, being naked around my wolves was no big deal. We were naked around each other all the time. It was normal.
Not this time. My heart pounded in my chest, urging me to close the distance between us, to claim what my wolf so desperately wanted.
I needed to leave. I needed to look away. But Rissa stepped closer, her chin lifting defiantly. "If you're not going to do anything, stop looking at me like that."
Her words shattered the last of my self-control. I reached for her, ready to yank her to me, my hands aching to touch, to explore. But before I could make contact, a twig snapped nearby, followed by the sound of approaching voices.
Other pack members. Reality crashed down around me, and I stepped back, forcing myself to look at the ground, to not reach for her again.
Without another word, we both shifted, darting off in opposite directions. As I ran, I tried to clear my mind and focus on the hunt. But Rissa's scent lingered, and the memory of her naked form danced before my eyes.
I shook my head, pushing the thoughts away. I had a job to do, a pack to protect. I couldn't let myself get distracted, no matter how much my wolf howled in protest.
We would find this missing woman, and then I would deal with the rest.
I pushed through the underbrush, my paws pounding against the soft ground as I tracked the scent. There. I caught a hint of it. It was faint, but there, leading me deeper into the woods.
As I ran, my mind cleared, instinct taking over. The world narrowed to the scent, the trail, the mission. Find the woman. Protect the pack.
The scent grew stronger as I neared an abandoned hunting cabin. I slowed, my hackles rising. Something was wrong. The woman's scent was there, but something else lingered beneath it. Something foul, something off.
I crept closer, straining for any sound. Nothing. Just the whisper of the wind through the trees and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures.
A torn piece of fabric caught my eye, snagged on a bush near the cabin's edge. I nosed at it; the scent was fresher here. She had been here. But there was no body, no sign of a struggle. Just nothing.
My wolf bristled. Something wasn't adding up. The pieces were there, but they didn't fit, like a puzzle with no clear picture.
I lifted my head to the sky and let out a sharp howl, the sound echoing through the night. A warning. A call to arms.
I prowled around the perimeter of the cabin, my nose to the ground, trying to pick up any other scents. The missing woman's scent was strongest near the door, but it was muddled, mixed with something else I couldn't quite place.
I pushed the door open with my snout, the hinges creaking in protest. The cabin was dark, the air stale and thick with dust. I shifted back to my human form, my eyes adjusting to the gloom.
The single room was bare, save for a few pieces of broken furniture. No sign of habitation, recent or otherwise. But the scent was even stronger in here, almost overwhelming.
I moved further into the room, my steps cautious. There, in the corner, was a small pile of clothes. I crouched down, picking up a shirt. It was similar to the one we'd used to track her scent.
But why was it here? And where was she?