Pack Community (Were Chronicles) (4 page)

“So, Jim—the sheriff—said you had reason to believe that the ones who took the Prince may have travelled through here, or might even still be here?”

“Yeah, there hasn’t been enough evidence to really point out who they are, but we’ve come up on a couple of their hideouts. We always seem to be missing them by a week or less, so some of the Alphas are worried we have a leak warning them before we get there.”

Dawson nodded for him to continue.

“This last time we tried to keep it as quiet as possible. But somehow they must have been tipped off because they were gone when we got to the camp in Oklahoma. They had only been gone a couple of hours, and while they’d tried to burn all of their papers and stuff, they didn’t get to it all before they took off. We were able to dig out some half-burned papers and there were maps. One of the locations was the canyon.”

“And the others?” Dawson asked.

“Some caves in New Mexico, and a location down in the swamp near New Orleans. We split up and I came here. It might be nothing but we have to check it out.”

“Let me ask you this,” Dawson said, lowering his voice. “Why do you care? What do the wolf Packs have to gain in finding him?”

It was a fair question and Gray would have been surprised not to have been asked. “That’s tricky. Yes, the Prince had agreed to meet with our wolf representative to discuss him joining some of our Packs who will be going public. Just to meet—he had not said one way or the other if he would consider joining. That’s tied into my motivation to help. By all accounts, the Prince was taken because he’d even agreed to meet. If we caused him to be taken because of that, it is our responsibility to help get him back.”

Gray paused and glanced back out of the window. “This is nice. The town, this community you all have here, protecting one another. It’s like a Pack. But not everyone has that. We have several rogue wolves that don’t have Packs, cats that are solitary and live alone, even other shifters that have no family at all. Little by little, they’re being hunted down like their lives mean nothing. There is no one to protect those shifters. By becoming known to the world, we will be able to bring awareness to those who would hunt us.”

“You have strong feelings about this,” Dawson noted.

“The natural wolves that share my breed are almost extinct. And, while they are trying to reintroduce some into these parts, it will never be the same. I also lost a good friend of mine about ten years ago. He was a grey wolf and was out hunting in protected lands. Two hunters killed him. They were busted and all they got was a slap on the wrist. They killed a
man
. Yes, he was a shifter, but he should have been protected there.”

“I understand, but, without hunting, some animals will take over,” Dawson argued.

“Yes, but if we have protected land to run in and the penalties are stiffer, then it’s a start,” Gray volleyed back.

Dawson sat back and held up his hands. “I agree with you, man. And I think it’s a good idea but I wonder how it will work. What would keep people from kidnapping a shifter to try to become one themselves? We know that can’t happen. You can’t be bitten by a wolf or scratched by a cat and become a shifter. How do we prove that?”

Gray shook his head. “I don’t know. Tony, the wolf who is the representative for the shifters and the government, says it’s all about education. The government, or a select group of them, knows about us. Hell, some
are
us. He says that once we come out everyone will be surprised by how high the support goes.”

“Huh. Well, we aren’t going to figure it out today. I brought an extra pack for you, so if you’re about ready to head out, we can get started. Leaving this early, at least it isn’t a hundred degrees.”

Gray stood along with him. “I’m ready.” He had dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, his hiking boots were old and worn in, and his ball cap was stuffed in his back pocket.

The two headed for the door.

“I pulled my SUV in front this morning—” Dawson started.

“Daddy! Wolf!” Toby ran to the two men and threw himself into his father’s arms.

“Toby, his name is Gray, not Wolf,” Dawson gently corrected the youngster.

“Sorry, Daddy. Hi, Gray!” Toby greeted, waving his arms frantically.

“Hey there, little man,” he told the boy, patting his head, and Dawson put him down. He turned to the woman hovering in the back ground. “Good morning, ma’am.”

Beth smiled and blushed a little, but thankfully seemed okay with him. “Good morning, Gray.”

She was just as stunning as yesterday. Every feeling of rightness he’d had being in her presence returned. He stepped closer to her and was thrilled when she did the same. That was when he caught what the other two members of her family were talking about.

“Not today, son—Gray and I have to work. But we will be home for dinner. Why don’t the four of us have dinner here tonight?”

“Really? Cool!” Toby was already excited.

Dawson glanced at Gray and he nodded. He wouldn’t mind spending some time with the family. He really wanted to talk with Beth, too.

“All right, then we better get going and you go have breakfast,” Dawson told his son.

“Maybe after dinner you wouldn’t mind taking a walk with me?” Gray asked Beth softly.

She darted a look at her brother but nodded. “I think I would like that.”

Elated, Gray grinned.

“See you later, Toby,” he told the boy, walking past him.

“Bye, wolf Gray! See you tonight!” he hollered back happily.

Beth hushed him as she led him back the way they had come, and the two men headed outside. The heat was already starting to rise as they reached the patrol vehicle.

Gray pulled on his cap and sunglasses from where they’d been hanging on his shirt, and climbed in.

“There’s an old ranger station about a half mile down an old road. If they didn’t want to come through town or the public entrance, that would be the best bet. It’s overgrown but, if they were determined enough, they could get into the canyon that way.”

As they drove, Gray got the first look at the town in daylight. Cute cobblestone streets covered the downtown area, with old-style black lamp posts on the corners and no traffic lights.

“Up ahead is the station. There is the sheriff, Jim Manor, and two deputies—me and a human named Stan Davis.”

“Human?” Gray asked, surprised.

“Most of the town is either shifters or their families. All know about us so it’s safe. Stan’s brother is a mechanic. He’s married to Tammie, who runs a hair salon named Foxy Ladies. She’s a fox shifter.”

“A fox?” Gray leaned closer to the side window as they passed first the station then three buildings later the salon. “I have to be honest—other than wolves and a few felines, I have never met any other shifters.”

“I don’t imagine you have. Most wolves stay within their territory and with their own kind.”

Gray was about to defend his species but Dawson cut him off. “And there is nothing wrong with that. Wolves stay together. It’s one of the traits I admire most. The only family I have besides Toby is my sister. Everyone else has taken off to be on their own. Even Toby’s mom left after a year.”

“Oh man, I’m sorry to hear that,” Gray replied honestly. If he were lucky enough to have kids, he couldn’t see himself ever leaving them.

“It’s our way. I can’t fault them, but I also don’t agree. We are human also—I like to think more human than animal. So leaving your child, your family… I just don’t…”

Gray let him trail off without pushing. The comfort he felt with the bobcat family was unusual. It also felt instinctual and he would just have to trust it.

“Anyway, we moved here so Toby could grow up with other shifters and never have to worry about being picked on for being a small cat. The bigger species can be brutal about that.”

There was a story there but Gray let that pass also.

“I don’t know why I am telling you all this. I just really want you to understand how important this town is to me. This is a safe haven. Your comment about it being like a Pack was dead on. If the people you are after are here, I want to help you catch them. Help you get the Prince back. But I don’t want anything to hurt the town or its residents. My friends.”

Gray glanced over at the other man. Every emotion showed on his face. “I promise to do my best to protect the town and everyone in it. I’ve been on the road for three months now. This is the first time I wanted to stop and just rest without pushing twenty-four hours. There is just something about this place, or maybe the people, that just calms me.”

Dawson laughed, tossing his head back. “Careful, man, we might just keep you.”

Gray smiled but was somewhat troubled. That was what was starting to worry him—the settled feelings that had been with him since he’d arrived.

Back at home, things had changed. The Pack was growing. Some of the wolves in Colorado were moving around, as his Alpha had decided to go public, while another Alpha—Austin, the mate of a good friend—had chosen to stay hidden.

Austin had made the best decision for his Pack and his family, and Tyler, Gray’s Alpha, the best for them. But with Austin and Kiley mating and her moving away, Tyler’s daughter Jessie growing up, and himself getting older, Gray had started to feel like life was passing him by.

He enjoyed working as a detective and with his Pack. But there was more to an existence than work.

He just needed to finish his current mission before he could decide on the rest of his.

Chapter Four

The old ranger station was indeed run-down, with overgrown foliage covering the building and drive. As Dawson parked, Gray looked out of the window, trying to see if anything had been disturbed.

“It’s been about a week since the last rain,” Dawson informed him as they exited the vehicle.

“We’re only about three days behind them, so if they came through here, there might be some trail.” Gray shared his hope.

“The building still looks secure,” Dawson observed. “But let’s check it out.”

As they searched around the outside, Gray tried to breathe in and remember every scent for future use. Most of the smells were old, but a few—three separate ones—were stronger than the others and seemed to be newer.

“They didn’t get inside, but I can smell strangers. Maybe up to five days old? Not sure, but I don’t recognise them.”

Gray nodded. Back behind the building was some broken and stomped-down vegetation. “You see that?” he asked, tilting his head.

Dawson followed his line of sight, backing away from the window he’d been trying to look in. “Let’s go.”

Slowly and soundlessly, they started the search. It wasn’t a clear path—whoever had been through had been careful—but they were still able to get a mile from the station before they had to make a decision on which way to go. It helped that Dawson knew the area well.

“If it was me, I would head east to the caves. If they go too far west, they could run into tourists and the rangers. They might be able to blend in there, so it’s still a possibility, but I just don’t think they would risk it if they were trying to hide someone,” Dawson offered his opinion.

“I trust your instincts. Let’s head west then,” Gray agreed.

The trek up the canyon and closer to the caves was hard-going. They stopped after an hour and thirty minutes at the first of a series of caves to grab a drink and eat energy bars while they discussed a game plan.

“What do you think about shifting when we get closer? It would be easier to search, we can cover more ground, and use our animal instincts to see if anyone has been through,” Dawson enquired.

Gray took a swig from his water bottle. “That will work for me.”

“I, uh… I have shifted with others from town so I don’t think my cat will have any issues, but will your wolf…?” Dawson asked, finishing with a wave from his hand.

Gray remembered the night before and smiled. “I think it will be okay.”

“Good.” Dawson stood from where he had been sitting against a rock. “Let’s get back to it then.”

They gathered the wrappers and bottles and stuffed them in their packs. They climbed for another fifteen minutes before they came to a small group of trees with cover to hide their things.

“Let’s start at the first cave and go from there. Once we get to where the paths intercept, we should get an idea if anyone has been through.”

Gray nodded in agreement and they started to strip. Gray ran often with his Pack so he had no problem stripping in front of the other man. They separated a little when it came time to shift.

Only minutes later, he waited in his bigger wolf form for the bobcat.

Dawson jumped onto one of the large rocks and stretched. Gray shook his body, feeling the muscles move and pull. He loved his other form. Enjoyed the freedom.

Dawson vaulted down and joined him and the two of them took off in a slow run. They didn’t want to use up energy they might need later. They’d had to leave the radio Dawson had carried with their clothes. No cell phone reception, so that wouldn’t be able to help, either.

The day was more for recon than anything else. If they came up on anyone, they would have to handle it with just the two of them. With enough time, if the Prince wasn’t in immediate danger, or they had too big of an area, they could call in backup.

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