Home -- Wolv book 3

Home at last

"Ha! And how would we do that? Gnaw on tree trunks until they fall over and then build a beaver's dam? I think opposable thumbs are needed for construction!"

"I know. Machk offered to shift. So did Sarah, I might add."

I paused, and cocked my head. "Really? They offered to do that?"

"Yup. They say their shifts aren't painful like ours are. Plus Jess could probably help out, too--she is already human, after all. Ish."

"They'd need tools. And I don't think they'll be getting any from Minikwakunis Lake anytime soon. Elizabeth would probably have them shot if they tried to take anything!"

Daanis nodded again, looking away. "There is another place. You won't like it, though. The utility shed up at Gyles Lake never burned down. Between that, the two airplanes and whatever else has been abandoned up there, I'm sure there are some tools be be found."

I shuddered. "Ugh. Wow. You're right, but...man. Going back to Gyles Lake isn't something I'm too keen about. I can't imagine Machk would be looking forward to that, either."

"No, I can't imagine anyone is," Daanis whispered quietly. She turned away, padding back towards the den. "Tell your mate to hurry it up."

Nadie finally pulled herself out of the den, yawning and cracking her back. "Okay, I'm up now."

"About time, it would seem!"

"Woof."

The two of us skipped across the creek, stepping on boulders and tip-toeing across the shallow waters. It would have been easier to wade across to the handful of waiting Omegas on the other side, but it was far too early to be jumping into ice cold water.

Daanis was sitting hunched over next to the creek, waiting for us to sit down. Tara and Mingan were sitting across from her, looking perky and attentive and absolutely ready to run until their paws fell off in stark contrast to the exhausted-looking Alpha. Jess sat cross-legged next to Mingan; unsurprisingly, she looked completely disinterested--or was her face simply blank? I couldn't honestly read the girl, no matter how many times I'd tried. She just simply, yet very, very bluntly, existed.

"Ha, ha! It's about time the horn dogs made an appearance!" Tara chirped, grinning wickedly. "You're late! What a surprise!"

Nadie flashed her teeth at the red Omega. "Bite me."

"Oooh, 'bite me,' she says!" Tara poked at Mingan. "Sorry, but biting isn't really my department, Mingan. You want to have a go at 'em? You seem to know what your doing."

Mingan's ears flattened. "Very funny. Can we go now?"

Daanis stomped her paw on the ground in annoyance. "No. Humfrey and Nadie, could you please get your tails over here already? I'd wanted to be going half an hour ago!"

For reasons I couldn't quite comprehend, Nadie plunked herself down next to Tara, who was  simmering with mischievous glee.

"Hey, Tara."

"Hey, hey! So why were you two late? Did you get...stuck...in an awkward situation?"

"No, we--"

"Did you knot remember to get up on time?"

"Tara, I am going to kill you."

Despite the threats, Tara wasn't done quite yet. "Maybe you two forgot to shower and had to take a romp  through the creek? Eh? Eh? Ha!" Her nose twitched, and she frowned. "Huh. You don't smell at all."

"That's because nothin' happened. I just slept in, that's all," Nadie grumbled. "Can we not talk about this anymore? Please?"

"I couldn't agree more," Daanis boomed. "Now, are we done? Good. So here's what's going to happen. Everyone here except Jess had patrol runs back in Atikaki. Same rules apply--scout out your territory, leave plenty of scent markers, and watch for anything or anyone who doesn't belong. Remember, Elizabeth is still prowling around somewhere. Let's leave plenty of scents out there to let her know that this is our territory now."