Chapter 17

This is perfect, Lia thought, as she turned onto the little narrow dirt road. She'd searched the entire area around Calderwood on Google Earth and discovered hundreds of acres of forested land at the edge of an area of older homes. How lucky was she the town had a nice little park right at the outskirts. Perfect for her needs, especially this late when no one would be around. She could park here, deep among the trees in a place where it looked like no one was ever around and there was no chance of being discovered or disturbed.

She took her time opening the driver's door, scanning the area just in case, but there didn't seem to be anything moving except the animals and birds that made this their natural habitat. The night was cool but pleasantly so, a perfect night to shift and run. Quickly and efficiently, she stripped off her clothes, folded them, and placed them on the car seat. Clipping her car keys to a lanyard, she slipped it around her neck. Obviously in her wolf form, she had no pockets to carry it.

Sniffing the air, she let the combined scents of the oak and maple trees tease at her senses, the whisper of wind stroke her skin like the caress of a hand, the sounds of the woods wash over her like a symphony. She took in a deep breath, let it out slowly, and began the process of shifting. As her body began to change, her blood sizzled in her veins and every nerve ending snapped and popped. The air around her swirled with the expenditure of energy, exciting her even more. Then her body settled, hands and feet replaced by four paws on the ground, her skin covered with luxurious white fur, her head proudly lupine as she scented the air. Exultation and freedom shot through her.

She took another moment to acclimate herself. Then she was off, racing through the darkness, guided only by the intermittent silvery light of the half-moon as it hung in a sky as black as velvet. Way off beyond one side of the area, she saw additional woods and the winking lights, like fireflies, of the houses bordering the forestation. How nice, she thought, to live so close to a place where you could shift and run any time you wanted to.

Her legs ate up the ground as she ran unfettered, weaving in and out among the trees, feeling the kiss of the wind on her fur. Overhead, she heard the songs of the many varieties of night birds that made their homes in this wonderful place nature provided. She noticed the small animals inhabiting the place - raccoons, porcupines, even armadillos gave her a wide berth. She wanted to tell them she meant them no harm but fear of the wolf was in their genes. Since she'd left home three days ago, she hadn't been able to shift. She'd been too focused on getting to Calderwood, finding a place to stay, and connecting with Jamie Volka. Plus, you couldn't exactly shift and run at your usual motel stops.

Oh, and hadn't she made a terrible mess of meeting Jamie. Talk about not thinking things through. She hoped when she was spending time at the library she could repair that situation. In the meantime, she lifted her snout to the air, inhaling its freshness, and gloried in the way her legs ate up the ground.

Finally, the adrenaline coursing through her began to ebb, and she slackened her pace. Time to get dressed again and return to the bed and breakfast. She loped easily through the trees, but then something caught her eye, bringing her up short. About two hundred yards from her, nearly indistinguishable among the trees, was a black shape at once familiar and frightening.

Wolf!

Her first thought was yes, absolutely, there were shifters here. Her second, that this might be an enemy rather than a friend. Was it possible that in her search she might have stumbled into the territory of those who would destroy what remained of her pack? Had she unwittingly put herself at risk? Could she have identified this beforehand and avoided it?

Not likely, but it did warn her to be more cautious from now on.

Bunica had warned her that the warrior pack would be on the same trail she was. That they would be after the same book she wanted. For her, it was a journey to reunite as many of her pack as she could find. For the others, it was a hunt to destroy those few members of her pack still alive. She had come here looking for her ancestry, hoping that the others were still far off the trail.

Lia knew he saw her. How could he not? Her white fur would reflect the moonlight. She hesitated to move deeper into the trees, seeking cover, for fear her movement would spark a dangerous response in the other wolf. They stood there, both of them, for a moment that stretched so long, Lia thought her heart would stop beating. She didn't feel a sense of danger, not the kind she expected, more of warning, and what was that all about? She wondered who he was and if he had followed her here. Had he been trailing her for whatever reason and she hadn't been alert enough to notice?

Better sharpen up, girl. You can't afford to miss things.

Who is this? Who is this?

Lia waited, motionless, all her senses on alert. At last, the other wolf loped off, but it turned every so often to see if she was still there before speeding up and heading toward the residential area. Even then, she stayed in place until she was sure the black wolf was completely gone from the area. When the wind no longer carried his scent to her, she finally took off back toward where she had left the car, still moving as stealthily as possible. There could be others in the area, hiding in the trees, maybe part of the black wolf's pack, if indeed there was one here.

More things to investigate.

When she reached her car, she took a moment to gather herself and wait for her heart rate to settle down. She needed every bit of her concentration to change back to human shape. Finally, when she was sure she was ready, she pulled herself together, centered herself, and began the process of shifting back to her human shape.

Naked now, she realized the air had cooled. She hurried to unlock her car and pull on her clothes, constantly scanning the area to make sure she was alone. The black wolf could live in one of those houses she'd seen, or he could be a marauder who came here to run just as she did. A frightening thought stabbed at her. Perhaps there were several of these wolves, maybe as many as four or five, who had come here to establish a base from which to operate. Any one of those homes would be an ideal location, providing them a perfect place to shift and run when they needed to while giving them a chance to blend in with the town. Maybe she could find out if anyone had rented one of those houses recently?

Take it easy, she cautioned herself, turning the ignition key. Don't panic. She'd do her research, search for the book. Find a way to speak to Jamie Volka honestly and hope the woman would answer her questions.