Chasing Shadows

Chapter 6 The Pack

~ Dante ~

Maddie disappeared into the darkness and I chuckled softly, feeling my cell phone vibrate as the howls of my kin filled the night all but to bursting. There were sure to be stories at the bars tonight.

“Hey” I barked into the phone, gaze still on the horizon, feeling the urge to chase her into the brush even though i knew i didn’t need to. It was dumb luck that Diana and Maddie were here, I and some of the other young guys were here on a hunting trip, looking at properties for the pack to purchase and enjoying a weekend away from the compound. It was simply chance that had pulled them together, entangling their fates once more.

“you called.” A jovial voice teased across the line. It was Mark, one of the only guys besides my brother I could trust with my life, with a moral compass that pointed true north and a streak of loyalty that could not be broken, I was privileged to call him friend.

“I did. Diana and Madeline are here.” I said remembering at the last moment to list Diana before Maddie even though I could still see those dark green eyes of hers, framed in dark lashes looking up at me. I shook my head listening as mark spoke.

“Diana, well s**t, might be a productive trip after all.” Mark remarked laugher in his voice as he spoke. “I’ll get the others and meet you at the hotel” he said before the line went dead.

A smirk lingered on my lips as I slipped the cell back into my pocket and wondered back into the lobby, again hit by her scent and felt it roll over me like a physical thing. My skin itched and I felt the wolf stretched, trying to assert himself even as I shoved the wild impulse away. Instead I inhaled deeply as if needing to refresh my memory, it was an excuse, I wouldn’t forget her scent until the day I died.

I lingered there, under the bright fluorescent lighting when Mark turned up with Silver and Aden in tow. Mark was the golden child to my dark brooding. He was 6’2 and a bit bulky around the shoulder and arms, long wavy blond hair with light blue eyes and an easy infectious smile he looked like a typical surfer dressed in shorts, sandals and a worn band t that stretched around his thick biceps.

Silver was right behind him, the the youngest among us today, he was built more like a climber then a footballer like Mark. He had short black hair and silver grey eyes that shifted with his mood, sharp, aquiline features and a cool disposition but it was the way he carried himself, the way he seemed to see right though you that made him unsettling for many to be around but with them he was quick witted and relaxed, a deep thinker who often saw things from a novel perspective. He was dressed rather typically in jeans and a button up with the sleeves rolled to the elbow revealing thick tattoos blazed across his pale skin. Bringing up the back was Aden a whip thin dirty blond with a smile that could light up a room. He had warm brown eyes and was the most average looking one among them though he boasted the most charm, handsome by any standard but not intimidating the way the other three men could be, Aden was a charmer able to make friends anywhere he went.

Voices overlapped each other as each guy called out a greeting

“Hey” said Mark

“Dante” was Silvers dry greeting, though he seemed pretty distracted in that moment.

And Aden smiled brightly coming up and slinging an arm around my shoulder, “why are we in this dump dude?” He asked without preamble looking towards Mark with a c****d brow.

“Care to share Dante?” Mark asked sniffing the air a curious light in his blue eyes.

“I found Diana.” I said feeling a touch of pride at the idea of bringing the fugitive home when the best hunters and trackers couldn’t find her.

Silver’s eerie grey eyes locked on mine then and I felt the weight of his gaze, “seems like you found Madeline.” He said inhaling pointedly and I glowered in response.

“She won’t be far from the pup.” I remarked gruffly feeling a bit miffed with being called out.

Sensing the tension Mark cut in with a laugh, “Pups practically in heat, she’ll be easy to follow and then we can catch Diana. Your dad will be thrilled.” He remarked directing the last bit at me making me press my lips into a tight line at the reminder as to why Diana had been banished. “Did you get a look at the girl before she took off?” He asked, and I shook my head nodding.

“Sure, pretty little thing, dark red curls and her dads green eyes. Ran off almost as soon as she saw me.” I remark laughing gruffly, downplaying how attractive I found her.

“A woman of good sense.” Silver remarked with a smirk causing Mark to jostle him in a brotherly manner as I glowered at him feeling a rush of jealousy at the thought of Silver next to her. My wolf growled low in my chest and I moved away from Aden and paced, needing to move.

“She took off into the creek that weaves through town around 20 minutes ago. I think two of us should shift and track her, hopefully back to Diana, and two stay with the truck, ready to scoop us up at a moment notice.” I say locking eyes with Mark, “run with me brother?” I ask a warm smile curling my lips.

“Always brother.” He remarked with an easy nod.

“Sure, take all the fun for yourselves.” Aden pouted but it was a playful act as he moved to lean an arm around Silver’s slender shoulders. “Looks like it’s you and me buddy.”

“Oh joy.” Silver remarked dryly moving out from under Aden’s arm and walking strait out the door to sit in the car.

“He ok?” I asked nodding my head towards the young man’s slender retreating back.

Mark dropped the grin then looking a bit sober, “He’s been on edge since you called. I think he used to run around with Di’s kid. What was her name?”

“Madeline.” I said flatly

“Yeah,” mark responded nodding, causing his golden hair to dance around his shoulders, “Maddie, I think they were friends or something. He’s been a real ray of sunshine since you called.”

I pressed my lips together and nodded, eyes falling on Aden, “don’t let him do anything stupid.” I said, wondering if I shouldn’t take the same advise. I glanced up then to see Mark looking at me with a bemused looked that seemed very much like he might be thinking the same.

Aden though was oblivious and just nodded, “No sweat, we’ll drive the town, shadow the creek, call for a pick up” he said with a jaunty wave before getting into the lifted black extended cab truck and beeped the horn once before peeling out of the gravel lot, leaving a cloud of dust hanging in the air behind them.

“That going to be a problem?” Mark asked nodding in the directions of the fading tail lights. I shook my head wishing not for the first time Mark wasn’t able to read me so well.

“Not if he keeps his hands to himself.” I remarked causing a look of amused surprise to flicker across the other mans face, “Come on let’s go.” I said gruffly leading the direction Maddie had run off.