Destiny of the Wolf

Chapter 17

NORMALLY, LELANDI COULD SEE IN THE DARK. BUT THE blowing snow was blinding her. She trudged in the direction in which she smelled smoke from a chimney. More than half of the time, she stumbled knee deep in snow- drifts, and although she tried to keep her bare hands in her pockets, she constantly had to brace herself to keep from taking a nosedive. She was certain she’d been at it for over an hour, and she wasn’t sure if she was getting any closer to finding the town. Autumn definitely was her time of year. Winter was for the Arctic wolves and polar bears. Sheesh.

A blood-curdling scream pierced the frigid air. A girl’s.

Lelandi’s insides froze. “Hello?” she shouted.

The scream had seemed ethereal, everywhere and nowhere at the same time. She stood still and listened. The wind howled through the spruce, haunting her, but she was certain the scream came from a girl.

“Hello!” Leiandi called out.

“Here!” a girl screamed. “Oh god, help us!”

Tears sprang to Lelandi’s eyes, and she ploughed through the thick, wet snow, hoping she’d reach the girl and whoever else was in trouble in time. “What’s happened?”

“It wasn’t my fault!” a boy said. “How did I know the storm was going to worsen?”

“Oh, our parents are going to kill us,” the girl said tearfully.

They didn’t sound very young, probably teenaged. Lelandi opened her mouth to speak, but another boy said, “If you hadn’t talked us into this...”

Jeez, how many were there?

“Hello? Lelandi hollered again, sure she was getting closer to the sounds of their voices.

“She’s coming!” a different girl said.

“A woman. Just great. Like she could help us,” the first boy said.

“Listen, Cody, anybody would be welcome. Even Darien. Although he’s going to be pissed. Maybe the woman’s got a cell phone,” the other boy said.

Darien. They were probably lupus garou teens. A cell phone. Wish she’d had one, but hers was still back at her house in Wildhaven, and she hadn’t had time to grab it when she made her escape. Although she wasn’t sure where she was. Or where the teens were. So calling for help might not have brought anyone to their location anyway.

“Hello?” all of the kids shouted.

Sounded like four of them, their voices muffled in the snow and wind. But she was sure she was nearing their location.

A branch snapped several feet away, and she whipped around, but saw nothing in the white bleakness except trees laden with snow, their heavy branches dipping toward the drifts, making them look like weary old men.

A deer might have made the sound. Her wolf instincts remained on high alert.

“Hello!” the kids shouted again, but Lelandi didn’t budge. A shiver shook her but it wasn’t only the cold that created it.

She moved cautiously forward, listening for any other sound that might indicate someone was tracking or hunting her. The wind howled and the blowing snow blurred visibility down to a couple of feet, but even so she watched and strained to see or hear anything else.

“I think she’s not coming,” one of the girls said, her voice frightened.

“Over here!” a boy shouted.

I’m coming. I’m coming. But if someone was following her, Lelandi didn’t want him to know where she was. She wrapped her frigid fingers around the pistol grip, and the knowledge she had it, helped.

Then something raced in her direction. A Iupus garou in wolf form? It charged at her and she aimed her gun. But as soon as it emerged from the blanket of white, she exhaled a tentative sigh. A buck. As soon as he saw her, he dodged off and disappeared into the woods.

A second passed before she realized something must have startled it in her direction.

“She’s lost,” one of the girls said.

Lelandi moved more quickly now, although she couldn’t shake loose of the feeling a predator had spooked the deer. But if she could reach the kids in time, if someone was stalking her, he would have too many witnesses, and he would most likely stay clear of them.

“I think I hear her!” Cody shouted.

“Hello! What’s happened?” Lelandi shouted back, keeping her gun at the ready.

If worse came to worse, the kids could turn wolf if they were lupus garou now that the moon was out again. As long as the teens had an adult chaperone it would be acceptable. Their wolf coats would protect them from the cold, they could run faster, and find their way to town more easily.

“We’re here,” one of the girls shouted. “She’s getting closer!

Nearly there, her legs weary from the trek and her body trembling with cold, Lelandi waded through the last of the drifting snow.

“We’re here!” one of the four teens responded again.

“But don’t come much closer or you’ll be down here with us,” the boy named Cody warned.

Lelandi froze in place. “Is anyone hurt?”

“I think Caitlin might have fractured her leg,” the other girl said, her voice breaking.

Lelandi tucked the gun inside the jacket pocket, then got down on her hands and knees and tried reaching out for solid ground, hoping to god that no one would sneak up behind her and shove her off the cliff. Her hands were so chilled, she couldn’t feel anything.

“The snow was banked up against the trees, and then the whole side of the mountain gave way,” Cody said. ‘Anthony’s sprained his wrist. But Minx and I are okay.”

If they were lupus garous, it wouldn’t help the injured kids to shapeshift. Not if one of them had a sprained wrist and the other a broken leg.

“I’m coming to you, but I’m not sure where the drop-off is yet.”

“You’re getting close,” Anthony said.

“We lost two of our sleds down the mountainside, but there are another two up there somewhere.” Cody said.

Winded, Lelandi took another deep breath, the frigid air burning her lungs. “We can use one to take Caitlin out of here.”

“It’s awfully steep and I’m not sure either my brother or Caitlin can climb.” Cody said. “I can’t either without a rope.”

“But we can’t leave anybody behind!” Minx sounded on the verge of hysteria.

Lelandi drew closer and felt the land give way. Her heart thundered as snow cascaded down the cliff and the girls screamed.

“Back up!” Cody shouted.

As if she wasn’t already! Scrambling backward, she moved away from the edge. “Everyone okay?”

“Yeah!” the teens shouted.

The two sleds were wedged up against a tree, both wooden, both had long ropes attached. “We’re not leaving anyone behind. I’ve found the sleds.”

For a minute, she surveyed the forest, looking to see if anyone watched her, took a deep breath, and tried to smell anyone. Nothing, but the fresh, frigid air.

Fighting the numbness in her fingers. she managed to slip one of the sled’s ropes around a sturdy oak near the edge of the drop-off and tied a knot. “Okay. I’ll slide the sled over the edge. Let me know if it reaches you.”

“The rope’s too short by about ten feet,” Cody shouted.

Lelandi dragged the sled back up and again studied the forest. Still nothing.

For several painfully excruciating minutes, her frozen fingers worked on untying the rope from the other sled, then she fastened it to the rope from the first.

“Are you still there?” Anthony hollered.

“Combining ropes from the two sIeds,” she said. “Okay, here the sled conies again.”

“It’s long enough!” Mlnx shouted after a few minutes.

“But you couldn’t pull any of us up,” Cody said. “You’re Just a woman.”

She rolled her eyes. Male teen lupus garou for sure. “First, everyone take off their belts and anything else that you might be able to use as ties, scarves, whatever. Then tie Caitlin onto the sled. Can you make secure knots?”

“Boy Scouts.” Anthony and Cody yelled.

Unless the lupus garou had their own Boy Scout troop. she feared they were human kids. Which could be bad news for Caitlin’s injuries and the frostbite they may have suffered.

“Once she’s secure, I’ll need you, Cody, to use the rope. I’ve tied it securely to the tree. Once you’re here, we can ease Caitlin up together.”

“Okay, I’m coming.”

Her body shivering endlessly, Lelandi waited, her hands shoved in her pockets, her right hand gripping the gun just in case. When Cody’s rainbow-colored jester hat crested the top, she got on her belly, reached down, and helped him climb the last few feet. She took a deep breath, then smelling his scent, she was relieved in part. At least the boys were lupus garou.

“Man, that was awesome.”

“Let’s get Caitlin out. Then you climb down and tie Anthony on the sled. With his bad hand, he won’t be able to climb or tie secure knots.”

“That’ll leave Minx by herself.”

“I’ll survive,” Minx shouted. “Just get my sister out!”

Leiandi and Cody pulled while she prayed the teens had tied Caitlin securely to the sled. Every few inches Caitlin groaned or cried out, but they finally got her to the top, and Lelandi and Cody hurried to untie her. Lupus garou, too, thank god. She recognized her as one of the twins staying at the Hastings Bed and Breakfast, the one who’d come to check on her in the loft when she’d been crying over Larissa’s letter.

With care, they transferred the girl to the bigger sled, too cumbersome to lift up the mountain with a body tied to it. “Now, take these belts and scarves back down and tie Anthony securely.”

While Cody climbed down and he and Minx secured Anthony to the sled, Lelandi rubbed Caitlin’s arms. Her ups were as blue as her hand-knit beanie. “Hold on, honey. We’ll get you help soon.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I’m... I’m pregnant.”

In stunned silence, Lelandi stared at her. No one mated an underage lupus garou without facing severe consequences. “One of the boys?” She motioned to the cliff, dreading Caitlin’s response.

Caitlin shook her head.

“Who?”

She wouldn’t say.

“How far along are you?”

“Five months.”

“Are... are you feeling any pains in your abdomen?”

“Just my leg.”

Thank god. “All right, honey. We’ll get you to the doctor as soon as we can. He knows about this, right?”

Fat tears rolled down Caitlin’s cheeks. “No,” she whispered.

Lelandi frowned. “Do your parents know?”

Caitlin closed her blurry eyes.

“Caitlin, they have to be told.”

She sobbed. “They know.”

Lelandi imagined they were pretty upset with her. Shamed. Was that the reason they’d left their pack and moved here? She had a sneaking suspicion Darien didn’t know.

“Ready!” Cody said. “I’m coming up.”

Lelandi squeezed Caitlin’s hand. “I’ll be back after we get Anthony up.” She returned to the edge to watch for Cody.

When he finally reached the top, he was huffing and puffing, trying to catch his breath. He didn’t say anything about it being awesome this time, but when Lelandi gave him a worried look, he grinned. “Let’s bring my brother up so we can fetch Minx.”

Because of Anthony’s heavier weight, the rope cut into Lelandi’s hands, and she gritted her teeth against the pain of the burning cuts.

“Hey, brother! Next time eat fewer eggs and sausages for breakfast and only one ham sandwich for lunch instead of three, okay?”

Anthony laughed. “Good thing you ate so much. You’ve probably burned it all off by now.”

“Two hours ago, I’m sure.”

When they got Anthony to the top, they hurried to untie him.

Lelandi peered over the edge. “We have a choice, Minx. Either you can climb up using the rope, or we can tie you to the sled.”

Anthony looked at Lelandi’s bloodied hands. “You can’t do any more. Let me.” He handed her his ski gloves.

“You can help with your good hand. But I’ll use Caitlin’s gloves.”

“I don’t know which way to come up,” Minx said, her voice desperate.

“I’ll tie her to the sled,” Cody said. “I don’t think she can make that climb. It’s pretty icy and the hand and foot holds are a long reach for someone who’s smaller.”

Before Lelandi could say a word, he disappeared over the edge.

Anthony gave a worried chuckle. “He’s the adventuresome one. Always gets me into trouble.”

“I heard that!” Cody shouted. This time it took him longer to secure her. But then he tugged on the rope. “I’m coming up. Hope the rope isn’t fraying.”

Lelandi leaned over the edge and watched Cody’s Jester hat shaking, the bells jingling on the four tassels.

Cody collapsed next to them and Anthony, sounding frustrated that he hadn’t helped more, urged, “Come on, let’s get Minx.”

“Let me catch my breath, will you?” Cody gave him an annoyed look. “Okay, let’s do it.”

With all three of them pulling, and because of her slight weight, they had Minx up in half the time it took to bring up Anthony. “She must not eat nearly as much as you, Anthony, thank Odin.” Cody said, hurrying to untie her. “We were headed for a cabin not far from here. Do you know where it is?”

Lelandi shook her head. “No, I’m new here.”

Cody stared at her for a minute, then took a whiff of the cold air. “Oh, oh, you’re the red who got the town all shot up. The one Darien wants.”

Caitlin moaned and Lelandi hurried over to her. “You’ll tell Darien, won’t you, since you’re going to be his mate?”

“No, I won’t tell him, but he needs to know.”

“We were going sledding, but the truck got stuck in the ditch. The boys still wanted to sled, but the snow got too bad.” Minx wrapped her arms around Lelandi and gave her a big hug. “Thanks so much for rescuing us.”

Lelandi shuddered to think the kids could have been stuck on the rocky ledge for hours if she hadn’t found them.

“Let’s get to the cabin.” Cody said. “Who needs a ride?”

“Let’s take the other sled, but we’ll pull Caitlin for now. If anyone else gets worn out, we’ll use the other sled.” Lelandi tried to give Caitlin’s gloves back to her, but she shook her head.

“I’ll keep my hands in my pockets. You’ll need the gloves to make it through the snowdrifts.” Caitlin bit her lip as if another shard of pain sliced through her leg.

Lelandi nodded and brushed snowflakes off the girl’s cheeks.

“Let’s get moving. Standing here, we’ll be frozen statues before long,” Anthony said.

“What were you doing out here?” Minx asked Lelandi.

Lelandi wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to get warm. “Trying to get to town. I had an accident.”

“Oh, that’s why you have a gash on your head. Do you know the way?”

“Before I heard your voices, I smelled chimney smoke from that direction.” Lelandi motioned into the stark, white bleakness.

“There’s the cottage!” Cody pointed in a different direction, and stumbled toward the blurred outline of a log cabin that seemed to appear out of nowhere like a lake mirage on a desert island.

Part of the roof was gone, and the icy wind whipped through the dilapidated building with a vengeance. Lelandi had hoped it would have been a safe haven, walls and a roof to keep the wind and snow out, a place to build a fire. No such luck.

“We can’t stay here.” Minx rubbed her arms. “It’s too cold and our dad will skin us alive when he learns we’re missing. We’ve got to get Caitlin to the doctor.”

Caitlin shook her head. “We’re going to get grounded for sure.”

“Hope Darien doesn’t make us do anything like he already did,” Cody said.

‘What did he make you do?” Lelandi peered into the snow, trying to get her bearings, smelling the air.

“Paint the school, because we wrote on the walls. Nothing bad. Just that our parents shouldn’t have to pay school taxes when we can’t go to them.”

‘Were they paying school taxes?” Lelandi tied Caitlin more securely to the sled.

“No. It was all Cody’s fault. He’s always getting us into a mess.”

Cody grinned, not in the least remorseful.

Minx asked Lelandi, “Will you get in trouble for the car wreck?”

Lelandi offered her a small smile. Most likely.

“She’s the pack leader’s chosen mate. Dad said. She won’t get in trouble,” Anthony said.

“Oh yes she will. Dad said someone was supposed to guard her at all times because somebody tried to kill her.” Cody banged his gloved hands together, shaking off some of the snow. “She shouldn’t be out here by herself so that means Darien’s going to be pissed.”

“So why are you out here alone?” Mlnx asked. “You weren’t running away, were you?”

“Oh, she couldn’t do that. She belongs to Darien and the pack now.” Cody said, matter-of-factly. “Dad said.”

“I was taking a drive into town, but I hadn’t realized the snow was so bad. And Cody’s right. I’m Darien’s mate and I’m not going anywhere.” Except to the hospital, if she could make it.

“I suggested we could turn wolf,” Cody said.

Minx frowned at him. “Our parents would kill us if an adult wasn’t chaperoning us.”

Cody pulled his gloved hand out of his parka pocket and waved at Lelandi. “We have a chaperone.”

“Minx and Cody, go ahead and shapeshift. With his good hand, Anthony can pull the sled carrying our clothes. As a wolf, Cody can pull Caitlin. Minx will stay with the rest of you while I scout ahead. Stick close together so we don’t lose anyone. If you sense anything that will help us find the town, just holler or howl.”

Lelandi didn’t think any of them could trek for miles in this snow as humans. If the situation became too dire, she’d have Anthony and Caitlin shapeshift and they’d huddle together until the storm let up.

Lelandi helped bury Caitlin under Minx’s and her own coat, while Minx and Cody quickly shapeshifted. Then she helped tie Cody’s coat over Anthony’s shoulders to give him some extra warmth. Afterward, she tied Cody to Caitlin’s sled, while Anthony gathered the rope for the sled carrying their clothes.

Lelandi stripped off her clothes, tossing them on the other garments. Man, was it cold. Her face and body began to shift, but it wasn’t until the fur began to cover her body before she quit shivering.

Everyone watched her, waiting for her to make the first move. She considered Caitlin and Anthony, who appeared bundled up enough. She listened, smelled the air, then headed south. At least Caitlin and Anthony were dressed in ski bibs, snow boots, parkas, hats and gloves—much more prepared than Lelandi had been.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Caitlin asked for the hundredth time.

Lelandi was quite a distance from the teens when she spied the glint of amber eyes watching her from deeper in the woods. Crap.

As a red female, she’d never be able to fight a male gray and as big as he was, he was male. Her only hope was getting back to the kids because she was certain he wouldn’t want witnesses, or to have to kill them, too. She was the target.

He growled low and the hair on her back rose. Tail straight, she whipped around and raced back to the sleds, prepared to fight the gray if she had to.

“What’s wrong?” Anthony asked, as soon as she drew close enough.

“What’s the matter?” Caitlin asked, unable to see from the sled.

A cow mooed in the distance. Their salvation. She hoped.

Anthony waved his arm. “It’s got to be Doc Mitchell’s ranch. He’s the vet. He can set Caitlin’s leg until we get into town.”

Great. Doc Mitchell would not let Lelandi out of his sight once he saw her. Just like when he guarded her in the tavern during the fair. She stuck close to the sled, but made them stop as soon as she spied the house’s snowy silhouette. Hating to shapeshift in the blizzard again, she didn’t have much choice. As quickly as she could, she changed and then hurried to dress.

“Doc Mitchell will get you warmed up and notify your parents. I’ve got to go back to the SUV and wait for Darien.”

“But it’s way too cold out here,” Caitlin said. “And you might get lost.”

Anthony frowned at her. “You should come with us and get warm, too. Doc Mitchell will call Darien for you also.”

Lelandi gave them each a hug. “I’ll be fine. Hurry to the house. And, Caitlin, honey, your parents need to talk to Darien.”

She nodded, although she didn’t seem happy. “Keep my gloves, all right?”

“Thanks. I’ll return them first chance I get. Take care. I’ll see you later.”

When they wouldn’t leave her, Lelandi motioned for them to go. “Hurry.”

“If you’re not going to come with us, take Cody’s coat. It’s warmer than yours.”

She looked at Cody and he bowed his head in acknowledgement.

“All right, thanks.” Cody’s white parka would blend in better with the snow and it would be much warmer. Lelandi threw Darien’s jacket on the sled and yanked on Cody’s coat, figuring Darien would be pissed about this, too. If Cody realized he was wearing the pack leader’s leather jacket, he was sure to tell all his friends, and he’d be the hit of the day.

The teens disappeared in the snow in the direction of the house, and Lelandi headed for the freshly plowed road. The wind hadn’t let up any when she saw a sign declaring it was Silver Town and another posting the speed limit.

But it wasn’t long before she sensed the wolf following her, hidden in the woods. Running wasn’t an option. He’d chase her down and kill her. She turned and stood her ground, although she knew she didn’t stand a chance. But there wasn’t anything else she could do. And wolf to wolf was a better end than human to wolf. She yanked off Caitlin’s gloves and shoved them in Cody’s coat pocket.

The wolf’s fur bristled, his ears erect, staring her down, angry. She wished she could smell him, know who he was, before he attacked, before the end. His lips curled back, showcasing his killer canines, and he snarled. She fumbled with the buttons on the coat. He was waiting, allowing her the chance to change, a contest between wolves. Some contest. Bastard.

Suddenly, his tail straightened out, parallel to the ground, signaling danger. She felt the road tremble with an approaching pickup headed toward town, its headlights a warning. Her heart racing, she threw on the gloves and ran, waving at the truck to stop, hoping he’d see her in the white coat in the blinding snow. Despite being thankful her rescue was imminent. If it was one of Darien’s men, she was sunk.

That’s when she heard the wolf growl and knew the bastard risked killing her in front of a witness, closing in on her fast. The pickup sped up and veered off to the side of her, its brakes squealing, the tires spitting snow. She dodged away from the truck and fell into a snow bank.

The wolf yelped and darted out of the truck’s path in the opposite direction.

“Hey, little lady, get in! Hell, that was close. Looks like you had an accident. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

She took a deep breath. Human. She managed a frozen smile and murmured a thanks.

“I’ve never seen a wolf attack a human in these parts. I’ll have to contact the police and let them know. Might be rabid.”

She stared out the window, keeping an eye out for him, wishing she knew who the lupus garou was who had attacked her.

The grizzled old man kept talking, but all she could think of was the teens telling Doc Mitchell she’d been with them, he’d alert Darien, and they’d know her last whereabouts soon. Which meant she hadn’t much time.