After washing my hair, I foamed pine-scented natural body wash over my body and rinsed off. I swear Sascha was trying to make me smell like him.
Dressed in my own clothes, I grabbed the Sudoku book and located a pen in a bedside drawer. Breakfast was still on, but after Mandy’s hostility, I opted to traipse to a bench by the stream instead.
I missed my tribe.
The sun rose higher as I worked through several Sudokus in quick succession.
When did I last get time for this? I couldn’t remember. It had to be back when I worked The Dens.
“Do you mind if I sit?” The wolf looked around thirty to the unknowing eye. My sniffer said otherwise. Like counting rings on a tree stump, I could tell this guy was older than any other Luther I’d scented before.
I swung my legs off the bench. “Of course.”
I searched for his scent but didn’t find one.
Curious.
“I don’t usually have to share my fishing spot.” The ancient wolf sat and busied himself with a tackle box and rod.
Make him go away, Booker snapped.
He glanced at me. “You prefer to be alone?”
“Not me.” A tinge of decay hung in the air. “Not all the time. My wolf does.”
The air cleared.
The man nodded. “Your wolf can leave if she wants. I’m not moving.”
Get that? I asked her.
I’ll make him move.
We both knew that was bullshit. There was a definite difference in power between this wolf and me. My instincts warned that taking him on would be a huge mistake.
Did Luthers gain power as they aged?
“Your mind is busy, young wolf.” He cast off. “You’ll scare the fish away.”
“Sorry,” I said demurely. “I’ll think quieter.”
He shot me a suspicious look, and I jotted a number on my Sudoku.
“Busy week you’ve had,” he said next.
“Weren’t you worried about scaring fish?”
As he grinned, the wolf displayed sharp teeth that my peripherals couldn’t fail to notice. “Here I thought you may be interested in what’s happening. I’ve come from a pack meeting.”
“Keep it to yourself, old wolf.” Who was this guy anyway? Only important Luthers sat in on pack meetings.
His brows climbed. “Old wolf. That might be a first.” The Luther twitched the line. “The tribe came out on top of the Stabattse negotiations.”
My curiosity sharpened despite myself. “How?”
“Sascha made an official complaint about your attack on our marshal. We knew the tribe would come back with the kidnapping and injury of their steward.”
Wade.
“They surprised us with something else.” The wolf reeled in his line and cast again with a flick of his wrist. “The new head steward raised the point that you were bitten in Water resulting in the transformation to a werewolf. She considered this fate synonymous with death.”
Ouch. Apparently, I was dead to Rhona.
“The loss of head stewardship must have hurt.” The wolf changed the bait on his hook.
“Nope. Never wanted it.”
“Truth.”
That surprised him? Cool. “What was the verdict?”
“Daniil’s biting offence occurred outside of Victratum and therefore carried a steeper consequence. The pack earned three penalty points.”
Shit. Hefty. Five penalty points resulted in the loss of a grid. I’d use those points to tribe advantage well and truly.
… But the head team would guide Rhona on that. Jesus, I had to stop agonising over this stuff.
“You’re surprised,” he murmured.
I shrugged a shoulder. “Yes and no.”
“Well,” the wolf cast again, “you may be interested to know the next grid is Sandstone.”
I’d assumed it would be.
“We have an airtight strategy.”
Seriously, what was this guy’s angle? “Better keep it that way then.”
“The tribe inspired it actually. Remember the wires your side shot across the quarry to explode wolfbane balloons over us? We’ll use the wires in a different way.”
My stomach dropped.
The Luthers entered on the ground level. Crap. They’d shoot ropes upward to help them climb.
The major problem the Luthers faced in Sandstone was neutralising our high-ground advantage.
They could win with this strategy. And it wasn’t something the head team could put together.
Dread filled me. Fuck!
The old wolf jerked his line and reeled in earnest. A moderate-sized trout was dragged over the bank, but the wolf unhooked the fish and threw it back. He baited the hook again. “Your human friend is here.”
Wade’s Jeep was winding between the bungalows. Grabbing my Sudoku, I quickly stood. This guy was freaking me out big time.
“Goodbye, young wolf,” he murmured.
“Bye, old wolf.”
I hurried toward Wade.
My friend hopped out of the car, only a smidgen stiffer than usual after his ordeal at Daniil’s hands.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” I hugged him gently.
“Are you kidding? What happened to me was nothing, baby girl. What about you?”
“You must be kidding. You were injured and kidnapped because of me and probably spent an entire day wondering if you’d die. I’m just so relieved you’re safe.”
He turned in a full circle. “As you see, I’m fine. You’re not harbouring some sense of misplaced guilt, are you?”
She is, my wolf said for my ears only.
“He took you to get to me.” I peered up into my friend’s gorgeous grey eyes.
They softened. “The guy was messed up. That had nothing to do with you, so stop being selfish. I’d like my own drama for once. But you know what’s humbling? Training to fight Luthers for ten years and having your ass kicked within seconds.”
Yeah.
Humans were fragile.
Wade opened the boot and pulled out a huge bag.
I eyed it. “Uh, what’s all that?”
“My stuff. Your stuff is in there too.”
My mouth dried. “Why have you got your stuff?”
“I’m moving off tribal lands in protest of how you were treated.”
Fear bolted through me, and I gripped his arm.
His brows shot up.
Shit. “Your entire family is there. You’ve grown up in that community. You can’t do that for me.”
“I can and I will. My family will understand.”
Sliding my phone free, I rattled off a message, sincerely hoping the pack wasn’t watching me.
I need you and Cam on the inside.
He read the text.
They were my last connections with the tribe. Without them, I’d lose touch on what was happening. And if I ever needed to get in touch with the tribe…
I needed Wade to stay put. “I don’t think this is a choice you should make rashly.”
He played along. “I’ve had three days to think about it, Andie.”
“The gesture is appreciated. Really. I just can’t let you do that. Your mum would be so upset. The tribe means more to you than you think.”
“Perhaps you’re right.” He pinned me with a curious look.