Chapter 24

Later that evening they began to worry about the boys.It was only late July,so the nights were light and warm,but there was a new,large pack of real wolves in the forest,and it worried Zoya and Lark especially.

“What time did anyone see them last?”Sean asked all the adults,who had gathered in the yard to form a strategy.

“Before you guys went swimming with the kids,”Lark said,nodding at Mikael.

“Before two in the afternoon,then,”Maxim said,clearly counting the hours the boys had been gone.

“Only eight hours.”Sean nodded.It wasn’t that unusual of the boys to lose track of time and wander too far in the summertime.

Everyone turned to look at Zoya.It was her word above all,because Jude was her firstborn child.

“If they aren’t back tomorrow morning,we’ll go look.”Her tone was filled with quiet determination.

“Okay,after breakfast we’ll meet here.Seven?”Mikael asked,and everyone nodded.