5. Chapter 5 - Chayce
Chapter 5 - Chayce
“C rispin, we made a report and I will add this to it. These tracks don’t look familiar. It could be something drifted off the game lands, but no animal I know of makes these prints”—pausing to look down to the ground again—“it is really strange that there is no scent.”
“I agree, Sheriff. We will stay on alert. With this approaching storm, it is debatable if the snow is going to help or hurt,” Crispin says as he looks toward the heavy clouds of the approaching snowstorm.
“Yeah, town will be busy with everyone getting supplies before being contained. Just keep me posted if you find anything else,” I tell him as I run a hand across the back of my neck in frustration.
Adyr went with the pack beta, Jorden, going east, while Crispin, the pack alpha, and I walked north. We took pictures along the way, trying to preserve the already distorted evidence.
“If your guards do find something, can you try and have them take pictures?” Crispin opens his mouth to protest my suggestion, but I keep talking. “I understand it’s tough to do in wolf form, but it might give us a comparison or show something we might have missed today.”
“We will figure something out,” he says in response, with a slight nod in agreement.
Once Jorden and Adyr catch up with us we all shake hands before me and Adyr get into my truck and head back toward town.
“How bad do you think this storm is going to be?” Adyr asks me, changing the subject.
Peering at the darkening sky through the windshield, it takes a moment for me to answer.
“There is something in the wind that is making me uneasy. The four of us need to be diligent until this storm passes,” I say off-handedly, hoping my brother doesn’t scent the lie. If Adyr does, he says nothing about it.
Each of us gets lost in our thoughts as we pass first the casino project and then the baseball field. My words interrupt Adyr’s thoughts.
“Message Brady and Deakon for me. You and I will go home to try and grab some sleep.”
Running through my storm list, my thoughts are jumbled and chaotic. “Also, ask them to fill up all four trucks. Make sure we have supplies not only in the office but also the emergency kits.”
Adyr immediately pulls out his phone, fingers flying quickly over the surface.
“That’s done. What else?” he asks, going into protection mode.
“Have them check with the Morrises. If they need anything, we might need to get them help,” I respond, mentally running through my to-do list for storm preparedness. This is the first major snowstorm this season.
The Morris family runs the local garage. They are tiger shifters who helped found our small town.
“We also need to check in with the Hamiltons,” I tell him and then correct myself. “They are probably swamped. This storm is supposed to start around seven tonight.”
Like the Morrises, the Hamiltons are one of the founding families. They own the only grocery store in town. Adyr’s chuckle brings my attention back to him.
“Chayce, relax, brother. Everyone knows the drill,” he says, stating the obvious.
My shoulders sag. “You’re right. I do this to myself every year. Everyone here knows the drill. Worst case, they can defer to their animals.” Pausing for a moment as we approach the sheriff’s office.
Once the truck is parked, I turn to face Adyr before getting out. He pauses as my voice drops to almost a whisper.
“Something about this storm feels different. It is bothering me and I don’t know why.”
He pats my shoulder before placing his hand on the door handle.
“Don’t stress yourself out. All you can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best.” Waving his hand in the air as he climbs out of my truck, he speaks with a chuckle. “I wouldn’t worry too much. Most of the time, the weatherman is wrong. This is probably going to just blow over with a dusting.”
Adyr leaves that statement hang in the air as he slams the door closed before heading to his own truck.
I really hope he didn’t just jinx us.