As we ran back toward the den I contemplated our relationship. Joel seemed lost in his own thoughts. It was comfortable silence between us.
Suddenly Joel came to a screeching halt. I followed suit and watched him. He was eyeing the ground around us suspiciously. His ears and tail were up in warning. I watched as he bared his fangs and a low growl rose in his chest.
I tried to understand what was upsetting him. It was just us in the middle of an empty clearing. I had to stop thinking with my human mind and allow the wolf lead. I was missing something crucial.
Letting my animal instincts flow, I concentrated on the area around us. I started to see what Joel was seeing, a group had been here. There were fresh tracks in the ground, some were human others weren't. They seemed to lead into th
