Shadow Wolves

Ten

"Lucas!"

With Nathaniel and his beta in custody, the rest of the pack had eventually surrendered to the agents. It was amazing there had been no casualties although there were plenty of horrific injuries on both sides. Medics were busy with working out who needed medical attention urgently while agents worked on processing the prisoners and securing them so they couldn't escape or cause any harm. There was still some chaos but the senior agents were able to regroup and take stock of the situation. Forensic teams had moved in to gather evidence and process everything while soldiers flushed out any fugitives trying to run like rats abandoning a sinking ship.

Lucas was relieved to have Nathaniel off his hands. Never had he met anyone he hated more than that vile and pathetic excuse for a werewolf. It had been a long night but it was far from over and Lucas had no doubt in his mind that it would be a few more long hours before he could even try and sleep.

He had been taking stock of the evening's events when he heard someone calling his name. He glanced up to see Alex Forrester headed his way with a vampire trailing after him. Both Alex and Bobby carried the same concerned looks on their faces and wore the trademark black uniforms of the committee's law enforcement agents. Both had been involved in the raid and had taken on the task of heading up the recovery of the she-wolves trapped around the territory. The seemingly unlikely pair worked well together despite Alex's brooding personality and Bobby's love of all things technology.

"What is it?" Lucas turned to face the pair, not liking their frowns.

"We have teams with the women we found at the ranch as well as the ones being kept in the barn on the edge of the territory." Bobby spoke first, their grey-blue eyes shadowed by their creased brow. "But the girls from the club are not in the basement."

"What do you mean they aren't in the basement?" Lucas frowned, the sudden and urgent need to seek out his mate bubbling inside of me.

"The door was locked from the outside with a complex locking system." Alex explained. "The techs were able to override it but there was no one inside."

"It looks like whatever happened to them, it happened in a rush." Bobby added. "The beds still had some residual heat in them so they haven't been gone long. It's entirely possible that they made a break for it during the raid. Some of the agents securing the perimeter found numerous footprints too small to be a male's heading away from here and into the forest. They have also been able to scent them."

"So they're running." Lucas shook his head. It was understandable given what they had endured but they would survive long out there in the wilderness. "Get a small team of your fastest people together. We need to find those girls before it's too late."

---

The cloud cover had been blown away by the wintry winds exposing the inky black night skies. Stars were scattered through blackness, Sparkling like diamonds on a bed of black velvet. But it was the moon that dominated the sky, her silvery light bathing the frozen wilderness until it looked like a black and white photo was as beautiful as it was haunting.

The moonlight provided enough illumination so that the sixteen she-wolves could see where they were going but traversing the snow-covered landscape not only slowed them down but also exposed their direction to anyone following it. While the moonlight gave them the ability to see, it meant the snow was no longer falling and covering their tracks.

"How much further do you think?" Chloe asked as she followed Katie.

"It can't be far." Katie replied breathlessly. "We just need to get to the track."

The depth of the snow and the rough terrain had them moving no faster than at a fast walk. Determining where there might be a dip in the ground was impossible and several of them had already found themselves stepping into what they thought was fairly shallow snow only to end up waist deep in the stuff. Their shoes weren't designed for this kind of weather and eventually the freezing cold wetness had seeped in leaving them with frozen digits that stung with every step.

"What if Omar lied?" Another girl asked, her eyes connecting with Chloe's before looking at Katie expectantly.

"He didn't lie." Kate replied roughly, her features darkening with annoyance.

"But he worked for the Alpha---"

A feral growl ripped through the frigid air. Katie was on the girl in a split second, towering over her as her rage tainted the air around them. Some of the other girls stopped in their tracks, shrinking back with eyes widened in fright. No one wanted to be caught up in Katie's angry aura or in the drama unfolding against the trunk of a dead tree.

"He. Didn't. Lie." Kate repeated herself, eyes challenging the girl who dared to question her.

"Katie." Chloe was quick to take action, resting a hand on her friend's arm to try and soothe. "It's okay, come on. We are nearly there. Let's not lose focus now."

The anger pulsing off of the taller girl was still there but it lessened and Chloe felt Katie's muscles relax a little as she let go of the girl cowering in her grasp before stepping away. There was still a glacial coolness in her brown eyes as she glared at the girl but she continued to step away, letting Chloe guide her back on track. The small scene had left tension in the air and the rest of the girls hung back, giving Katie a wide berth as they began to walk again.

"Just ignore them." Chloe murmured as they walked. "Everyone is scared. They know deep down Omar didn't lie."

"I know." Katie replied quietly, her frown of annoyance slipping away to reveal worry. "I'm just scared that he didn't make it out. We are screwed without him."

"He is fine." Chloe assured her. "Come on, we can't be far off. In fact I think I can see an incline."

Sure enough, the treeline gave way to an embankment that sloped upwards some fifteen feet. There were no lights but even from here Chloe could smell the distinctive scent of asphalt. The small glimmer of hope inside of her grew just a little more. The remaining girls came to a stop along with them, everyone looking up at the mound of mud and rocks wondering if they had the strength and ability to climb to the top.

There was only one way to find out.

Chloe stepped forward first, pushing herself upwards. It was certainly steeper than it looked but they were lucky in that this side had been sheltered from most of the snow so she was able to make out the small clumps of grass she could use as hand and foot holds. It didn't mean it was easy though, the ground was frozen solid making it difficult to get any traction but Chloe's efforts were enough to inspire others to try and until finally all sixteen girls were fighting their way up to the top. In minutes Chloe felt the rough and hard feel of asphalt under her freezing fingers and she felt her eyes burn with tears of relief.

"I can't believe it!" Katie cried as they pushed themselves to their feet. "We made it!"

Chloe couldn't help but laugh as she hugged Katie, their breath fogging into the winter air. The air amongst the girls changed from fear and worry to relief with hope building like the warmth of the summer sun. They still had to find the cabin and they weren't safe yet.

"We just need to find the cabin." Katie breathed, looking around. "Omar said he left orange ribbons tied to trees that led in the direction of the cabin. We just need to find them."

For now it seemed the tension from earlier was forgotten and the girls worked together again, spreading out along the track to hunt down the little breadcrumbs their helper had left for them. They needed to move quickly as well, even as werewolves they would eventually start succumbing to the stresses of the freezing cold air and they were already starting to tire from their arduous trek through the Wyoming wilderness. Being low-born shifters, they weren't blessed with wolven forms so couldn't rely on a thick pelt to protect them.

"I found something!" One of the girls to Chloe's right called from further down the track.

"Me too!" Another girl further along called.

"We should check to see if there are anymore that way." Katie spoke up. "If there are then that's the direction we need to head in. Remove the ribbons so no one else finds them."

The ribbon was more like the fluorescent tape used to mark a tree for felling. It could have easily been mistaken for that as well, which Chloe figured was the point as they all headed in the direction the clues had been found. Soon they found a third then a fourth until they were confident they were going in the direction they needed to be headed. It was hard going too. The snow was starting to freeze on top of the small road meaning each step was much more slippery than the last. At least their footsteps no longer left a print but everyone was now feeling the freezing temperatures in their fingers and toes. Lips were turning purple and blue while most of the girls had red noses and cheeks from the bitter wind.

Their secret trail eventually led them away from the road and down a small track almost hidden by snow ladened bushes. Back amongst the trees Chloe felt a little more comfortable. Being on the road had left them exposed and they had no clue if Nathaniel's men would come looking for them or if whoever had attacked the pack would try to find them as well.

"There!" Katie gasped, pointing through the trees.

It took Chloe a moment to figure out what she was seeing but eventually spotted the small clearing with an A-frame shaped structure sitting to one side. Even from here it was possible to see that there was no one inside but it wasn't until they passed through the tree line and were standing in the clearing that Chloe could see no one had been living here for a while. It was an impressive sized cabin but even with sixteen females it would be crowded. The whole thing was made of wood with three small steps leading up onto a patch that was protected by the room and was the length of the front of the building.

The group threw caution to the wind then. Desperate for shelter and warmth, they hurried out from under the trees, Katie only pausing to push an old garden gnome over and collect a key. The inside of the cabin was cold and dark but they sheltered from the wind. Evidence that someone, Chloe assumed Omar, had been here recently was all around them. There were sleeping bags, pillows, blankets and what appeared to be plastic bags filled with second-hand clothes and clean underwear. A cursory look in the cupboards in the kitchenette showed they had been stocked with canned and dried food. There was no fridge or freezer but there was cutlery, bowls, plates, pots, pans, a cooker and a kettle.

"Omar told me this place runs off of LPG canisters. There isn't any electricity but there are candles and battery powered lights." Katie explained as she hunted around for the thermostat and turned it up. "Hot water takes a while to heat up as well."

"How did he find this place?" Chloe asked.

"No idea but hopefully we won't be here for long." Katie replied. "As soon as Omar turns up, we can figure out a plan to get the hell away from here."