Chapter Seven
Toby
After the wolf shifter dragged Harper away, Toby’s desperation surged into a raw, frantic energy that fueled his every move. Each swipe and dodge against the shifters was driven by a mix of fear and resolve, his mind replaying the image of Harper being pulled into the dense underbrush.
Fight! Kill! his coyote bellowed. Hurry! Save mate!
Mateo, powerful in his jaguar form, fought valiantly at Toby’s side.
His muscular frame and swift movements made him a formidable opponent, yet even he struggled under the relentless assault of two and three large wolves at a time.
The wolves, cunning and coordinated, managed to keep Toby and Mateo on the defensive, each attack more aggressive than the last.
Toby’s instincts screamed for him to break through the wolves’ line to chase after Harper.
Several times, he saw an opening when the wolves turned their attention to grappling with Mateo.
He surged forward, hoping to slip past them, but each time they were quick to regroup, snapping and snarling to block his path and engage him once more in the brutal tug of war.
His coyote was getting more and more frantic and was lashing out with wild abandon, but it was in vain.
As the fight wore on, a chilling realization dawned on Toby. The wolves weren’t trying to kill them, not anymore. Their tactics were about delay and distraction. But why?
The question gnawed at him as he blocked another attack, feeling the burn of exhaustion in his muscles.
The skirmish dragged on, each minute stretching out as he and Mateo fought back with diminishing strength.
The wolves’ relentless energy seemed inexhaustible, but suddenly, as if a silent signal had been given, they disengaged.
Take advantage! Attack! Kill!
Toby stood panting, his fur bristled and his sides heaving as he tried desperately to hold his coyote back, too tired to keep on fighting.
He watched warily as the wolves retreated into the forest, their figures disappearing among the trees.
The sudden cessation of violence left the clearing eerily quiet, the only sounds their heavy breathing and the distant calls of jungle birds.
Mateo shifted back to human form, his expression one of wary confusion. “They’re pulling back,” he said, his voice hoarse with fatigue. “But why?”
Despite his exhaustion, Toby shifted back to human form, his animal instincts still on high alert.
“They were stalling us,” he managed to growl out the words. “Keeping us here while they took Harper somewhere. It’s the only reasonable explanation.”
Mateo nodded. “I think you might be right.”
The realization hit them both with a renewed sense of urgency. Despite their exhaustion, the need to find Harper and understand the wolves’ motives spurred Toby back into action. Toby’s body ached and his mind raced with worry.
“We have to try to track them, find out where they’ve taken her, before it’s too late,” Toby said in a rush, pulling a spare set of clothes from his backpack and quickly getting dressed.
Mateo nodded, retrieving his own gear. “We can try, but they’ve got a head start on us, and if Harper stayed on her feet, then any scent of her will probably be long gone by now.”
Toby had had the same thought, but he’d been too afraid to voice it. He had to find his mate. The alternative was unacceptable. He’d seen how the wolf shifters had treated Harper in Fort Worth, but he’d been there then to intervene. Here, they had her at their leisure…
He shook his head as if to clear the thought then he and Mateo set off at a brisk pace, following the path deeper into the rainforest. Every snapped twig and disturbed leaf could be a clue, and Toby’s mind was laser-focused on the task at hand.
He followed the scent of the wolves which veered off the path and seemed to circle around through the trees, but after a short while, Toby realized they were back to their original position where the fight had taken place.
“We’ve come full circle,” Mateo said.
Toby roared out his frustration as fear for his mate’s safety festered inside him like an old wound. Harper’s safety was all that mattered to him, and he would stop at nothing to find her. Toby was exhausted now, but he didn’t care about himself, only Harper.
He started along the path again, but the sun had begun to set so each step along the path grew more and more precarious.
Toby tried to pick up his pace, but the further along the trail they went, the more hopeless he felt.
There was no sign of her, or the shifters.
Not even a scent of them, not anymore. When the sun began to set in earnest, Toby had to face facts. He was fighting a losing battle.
“I can’t continue any further,” Mateo said. “I need to rest.”
Toby opened his mouth to object, but Mateo was right. Toby was nearly dead on his feet, too. If he continued any further, he would be of no use to anyone, let alone Harper.
“We’ll rest for a while.”
Mateo shook his head. “We need backup,” he said. “I have a satellite phone, but I don’t know who to call.”
Toby’s gaze snapped up to meet Mateo’s. “I on the other hand know exactly who to call.”
Mateo retrieved the phone then handed it to Toby who quickly placed the call.
A short while later, after Toby had spoken to his CIA teammate, Max, who had readily agreed to round up the others to fly to Peru and help him search for Harper, he and Mateo found a small open clearing and began gathering logs and dry branches to build a fire.
The dense darkness of the rainforest at night was unsettling, and the fire was essential not only for warmth but also as a deterrent against the nocturnal predators that roamed the jungle: jaguars that prowled silently, snakes that slithered unseen, and spiders lurking in the shadows.
As shifters, both Toby and Mateo would have excellent night vision, but so would all the other predators who called the rainforest home.
“We should sleep in shifts,” Mateo said, arranging the wood into a careful structure. “One watches while the other rests. It’s the only way to stay safe out here.”
Toby nodded in agreement, his hands mechanically moving branches into place, but inside, his thoughts churned with worry.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, not with Harper out there, potentially in danger.
The waiting was agonizing. It would be at least ten hours before his team could arrive, and every minute until then felt like an eternity.
“Thank you for your help today,” Toby said. “Both in searching for Harper, and for fighting at my side. You’ve gone above and beyond. I appreciate it.”
Mateo acknowledged Toby’s gratitude with a sharp nod. “She’s your mate,” he said simply. “What sort of shifter would I be if didn’t help you to protect her and search for her? I’d like to think someone would pay me the same courtesy one day with my future mate.”
As the fire crackled to life, casting flickering shadows across the clearing, Toby tried to settle himself near the warmth.
The sounds of the jungle were both a comfort and a reminder of the dangers lurking just beyond the light of their small camp.
He kept glancing into the darkness, half-expecting to see Harper stumbling into the clearing, or worse, the wolf shifters launching another attack.
To distract himself from the spiraling anxiety, Toby considered the situation logically.
The wolf shifters would be just as exhausted from the day’s encounters.
With any luck, they too would need to rest, which might buy Toby some time.
He clung to the hope that the shifters would wait until the following day to interrogate Harper about Jack’s whereabouts, giving his team enough time to reach them.
Mateo, seeing Toby’s restless vigilance, clapped him on the shoulder. “Try to rest,” he urged softly. “You need to be sharp when your friends arrive. We both do.”
Toby nodded, knowing Mateo was right, but as his companion settled in for the first watch, Toby’s eyes remained wide open, staring into the flames.
Every crackle and pop of the fire was a reminder of the time passing, and with each passing hour, his worry for Harper deepened.
The thought of her alone, scared, and possibly hurt gnawed at him relentlessly.
Despite the physical exhaustion tugging at his limbs, Toby’s mind raced on, fueled by adrenaline and fear.
He rehearsed over and over what he might say to the shifters if he could confront them, how he might negotiate for Harper’s release.
But these thoughts were just shadows, flickers of hope against the vast darkness of the unknown.
All he could do now was wait, watch, and hope that he wasn’t too late.