The Wolf's Song

A Rescue Hunt

Michael

I should call Diana. I’ve been saying this all day, but after telling me her father is actually a shifter she asked for some space. I knew bringing up sending her back then wasn’t the best time for that conversation, but he could be the reason for these new foundlings.

Everything is open for grabs on what is causing this surge of shifter activity in my area. I growl, screw this. I throw my legs over the sofa and grab my phone from the charger, I just find her name when it starts buzzing, Andrew’s name filling the screen. I exhale my annoyance and pick up.

“Andrew, what’s going on?” I ask.

“It’s Diana, she’s gone,” he says, his panic reaching me.

“Where is she?” I bark into the phone.

“Her message is cryptic, something about no longer beating a dead horse. Hold on, it reads in full. ‘Tired of beating a dead horse, getting my own answers, run to Michael, he’ll know where I am.’ And that’s it. I’ve called you first, but already have her location in the GPS.” He finishes and I can hear him speeding down the road, but I am already up heading for the door, my next question begging for release. I don’t need to ask, but I need to make sure.

“Where does the GPS stop?” I ask. The hesitation on the other end answers enough and I toss my phone and shift, heading for Damien’s place.

“Francis, we’re heading to Damien’s, Diana is there,” I call for him. Robert is resting for the day, the full moon still affecting him more than us, but I don’t need him. If today is the beginning of the war, I will need him at a hundred later on.

“Of course, heading out now,” Francis says. My mind races as I try to figure out why she would be stupid enough to go to him. Surely, she didn’t think she could reason with him. There is no reasoning with Damien, I had done it for at least seven decades. He won’t see reason and he won’t stop until I’ve felt his pain. This is my fault. If only I had been more honest about the depth of his hatred, she wouldn’t have tried this, or better yet, if I had sent her away as soon as the thought came into my head.

My feelings softened after learning about her father, but until I find out more, I wouldn’t believe it fully. Would it explain my deep attraction to her? Maybe. Even that first day, I can still recall how I felt looking upon her, the desire to protect her overwhelm my senses even then. It could have been my wolf reaching out to hers.

Damien doesn’t live far from me, at least not in wolf form, but still it feels like a lifetime before the edges of Bamberg give way and the thickest part of the forest greets me. Sniffing, I can tell Francis has caught up with me. He falls in line beside me, and we ran at full speed in perfect unison.

“He’s taken her? How? What happened to Andrew?” he asked.

“She gave Andrew the slip and sought Damien out on her own,” I growl.

“Is she mad?” Francis asks. I can’t help but agree with him. This woman knows the difference between right and wrong, safe and unsafe, and yet she chooses whatever fits her in the moment.

“She’s reckless,” I say back.

“Seems she’s pulling a page out of your book, Michael. Stubborn to a fault. So, what is the plan?” he asks and I can hear the excitement at the prospect of my command to do what must be done. I know a plan is necessary, to wait and assess the situation before going in fangs blazing. Still, my panic is clouding my judgment.

“If he’s harmed her in any way, I will take it as a declaration of war,” I say, rational thought be damned.

He grunts his approval, and we race on. We are near Damien’s, and I can smell her. Her scent isn’t masked with fear as I was expecting, but I don’t slow down. To get to his place, we have to clear the forest, exposing ourselves completely. It just so happens that he owns the plains around his home, but it always makes me uneasy running out in the open like this. Nothing could be done about it now though, not with Diana’s life up in the air.

“Is that her?” Francis’s voice cuts through and I pivot as I finally spot her. From the quick scan I manage before shifting down I don’t see any outward wounds, and she appears to be walking fine. In fact, she and Clarissa for some reason are nearly trotting, but it’s their smiles that throw me.

“I can’t believe that worked,” Clarissa laughs and takes her arm, holding tight to her.

“Me? You were amazing, he’ll be feeling that for a few days. It was very impressive and perfect timing as well,” Diana chuckles.

Clarissa shrugs and then as if on cue they both look up and spot me, they freeze, their smiles dropping instantly.

“Michael,” Diana calls my name, surprised by my presence clearly. “I will explain, and I will admit that you are right about Damien. He really hates you.”

She tries to appeal to my vanity, but I have rid myself of that human trait years ago. Before I start in on her, I look to Clarissa, knowing she can handle my wrath.

“What are you doing here? Did you bring her here? If anything happened to her...” I snap.

She detaches from her and brazenly comes to stand in front of me. As a free wolf, she isn’t forced to answer me, nor could she sense my mixture of fear and anger.

“Relax, Michael, your lover is safe. Thanks to me. As I said, I’ve hit a snag in my project and that led me here. At first, I thought I smelled you, but soon realized it was her. Damien is strong, he is an Alpha, but I might have to rest a few days,” she twists her body, trying to work out her aches, but I don’t care for her callous response.

“What happened? How did you manage to escape? Where the hell is Damien?” I hiss, not satisfied with her answer.

“You’re asking the wrong wolf, or girl as she is human,” she stops and glances back at Diana. “Maybe.” She finishes and my curiosity is peaked.

What had Diana done that would have her assume she is anything but human? Clarissa brushes past me and starts teasing Francis, while I turn to Diana. I want to scold her, my rage warranted, but I have to make sure she is okay first.

“Are you okay?” I ask through tight lips.

She swallows and nods. “It was my fault, so please don’t blame Clarissa or Andrew for this. I knew what I was doing and only I am to blame,” she rushes out.

I shake my head at her and pull her into my arms. This woman is too good--foolish and stubborn--but still very good. Even now, my reasons for loving her blind me.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again,” I sigh over her head.

She wraps her arms around me and squeezes me tight. “It will go on my to-do list,” she teases, but I can feel her shaking nonetheless and hold her tighter.

That only angers me more. She can’t be this reckless--not around shifters.

A car pulls up the gravel and Andrew skids to a stop then hops out, two weapons swinging from his body.

I cut my eyes at Adrian, trying not to blame him, but my fury returns in an instant.

“Let me get you out of here, but be ready for questions as I have many,” I warn her.

She grimaces but resigns to the facts. She doesn’t detach from me, keeping one arm around my waist and we head to the car.

I stare over her head to find Damien standing in his doorway. He lifts his head at me, letting me know he’s seen me. He knows this is only the beginning.