Midnight Wolves

Chapter Twenty Four: Proof

Their packlands were huge, that was for sure. The Shadow Valley pack, now the Cliffwater pack, had land stretching as far as the eye could see. Lined on three sides by mountains, it was easily defensible and refreshingly isolated.

As Callie, Kennedy and Vik hiked up the last of the hills winding towards the Cliffwater pack, Callie's mind couldn't help but wonder. It was Vik's parents that held her interest – and not even what they knew of her parents – but instead what they were like. Did Vik look like his father? Did he have his mother's eyes? She was excited, she realised, to meet them. Nervous.

"Do they know we're coming?" Kennedy asked from the back, slightly out of breath. Their pace had been relentless and Callie knew they'd pushed her too hard. She'd barely had a full meal, she must be exhausted.

"No," Vik said, pulling a leaf from a tree overhead and carefully shredding it into pieces. "But they've sensed us." He jerked his head up towards the mountain that towered over them to the left.

"I hadn't even sensed them," Callie whispered as she used her wolf's sight to pinpoint the three wolves situated at the top.

"Who?" Kenney asked, oblivious to their audience.

"You know them?" Callie asked Vik, who looked uncomfortable under their stares.

Vik grunted in response.

"There's guards, above us, Ken'," she said, answering Kennedy's question.

Vik trailed on ahead and she frowned at his back. This wasn't going to be easy for him.

"Will they meet us at the perimeter?" she called after him.

"Yeh," he said to the road in front of him. Callie didn't push him for more of a response.

Kennedy cast her a look and she shrugged in response.

Sure enough, as they reached the perimeter a line of wolves had appeared, all armed with guns strapped to their waists. "Expecting armed company?" she murmured as she came to a stop beside Vik who was looking at anything but her.

"It's my father's way. Never be unprepared." Vik's voice was bitter.

Callie was reminded of what her uncle had said, that the Magnum pack had been a war pack long ago, it would seem that the Cliffwater pack never stopped. Adding further suspicion to the idea of them being responsible for her parent's murder. Callie bit her lip to stop her from voicing as much to Vik. She wanted to tell him everything, anything – but not this, not now.

The line of wolves parted long enough for another wolf to step forward. He was old, greying and carried an air of authority. But he was not Vik's father. No, his colouring was too pale and he had none of the stillness that identified Vik.

Vik drew in a sharp breath of air, but by the time she'd glanced at him all sign of anger or surprise was gone. In its place was a mask – she knew it was a mask because she didn't recognise anything in his face, there was none of the violent predator or tender wolf she'd come to know.

"Vikas. Why have you come?" the man asked, his voice booming across the clearing between them. White and grey flecked hair ruffled in the wind but his eyes, a dark forest brown, were as hard as knives. There was no pleasantries to be had.

"I'm here to see my parents," Vik announced to a murmur of discontent from the soldiers. Callie's wolf growled in her chest, ready to kill them all but Vik's hand on her arm stopped her.

The stranger's eyes lasered in on that hand, on the simple touch meant to quiet her wolf. Something crossed his face that Callie couldn't quite read, and he abruptly turned and walked away.