Chapter 44

They shifted as soon as they were out of the house, with Ariel keeping an eye on the vehicles. Each hunter town clearly had their way of doing things, but a part of her knew this was happening because of what she did. The hunters clearly thought this pack had saved the kids, which she could understand. The kids were here, after all, and a wolf had killed their men. She just could not help but wonder why they even did any of this. The wolves always seemed to keep to themselves. It was confusing to her, until she remembered the rogue wolves that attacked her. Everything clicked into place and she felt sick, pausing in her stride for just a moment.

Cole bumped into her, breaking her from her thoughts and urging her forward. They slunk their way to the far edge of town, and that, Ariel knew, is where their target was. Three vehicals were parked close, with a lot of hunters mingling around. A large canvas tent was set up, generators roaring loudly somewhere behind it. The lights inside the tent were bright and painful, and the smell was of gas, sweat, and blood. This was the place.

There were hunters mingling about, talking as they leaned against the cars or sat on metal cases. Ariel lead them in a wide arch around the small base and to the back of the tent. They listened there for a few moments, but at not hearing anyone inside, Ariel shifted and slipped under the edge of the tent.

Thick black tarps covered the ground inside the tent, metal shelves and a cold steel table were the only other things in there aside from the nearly blinding light. She carefully picked her way across the tarps, doing her best to move as slowly as possible, avoiding wrinkling the tarps and stepping in the pools of blood.

Hearing movement, Ariel spun around to see Cole, still as a wolf, slip into the tent with her. She put a finger to her lips and motioned for him to hold still. He seemed to listen, u till his eyes found the table, and the body on it.

While Ariel didn't know the now dead wolf there, she knew Cole would. He was transfixed and the growing inferno in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.

With as much speed as she dared, she quickly placed herself between him and the table, his eyes now on her face.

"Not yet." She whispered to him. The pain in his eyes made her chest hurt, and she had to fight the urge to hug him.

"Save it." She told him, and at first he looked confused. She turned her head and looked toward the door, then back to him.

"We have a job to do. Save it. You will avenge them." She whispered, her hands on the sides of his massive head, her fingers sunk deep into his fur.

When it was clear he had clamed down, she moved away and back to the shelves. She searched quickly, first moving across one side, then the other. The files were stacked neatly on the top of one of the waist high shelving units. She flipped through them, keeping herself detached from the photos of what they were doing to the wolves. She couldn't think about it or she would lose her drive. She had to keep everything separate from herself. It had to be distant. That was the only way she'd been able to keep going.

She found what she was looking for. A brief glimpse into the file told her what she needed to know. The names of all of the children, or names given to them if they were too young, and locations of every hunter town in the country. There were more than four dozen. It was eye opening in multiply ways. First, there were so many. Second, they knew where the kids were. She spun and made her way back over to Cole, who'd remained rooted to the spot after Ariel spoke to him. Together they slipped back out under the tent and off into the forest.

Once they were in the clear, Ariel turned to him. "We have everything we need. We know where all of the kids are. There is also a list of every hunter town. With any luck, we can get this list out to all of the wolf packs." Shentold him, a co fused look being his response.

"If every pack is informed of where to find the hunter towns, not only can all of the taken wolf children be found, but we could wipe out all of the hunters. We could hit their towns, taking away their supply lines. We could cripple their entire network and prevent them from taking any more kids." She explained. Cole looked doubtful. He was only looking to help his pack. She closed the file and held it close, her eyes on the ground. Whatever small amount of trust they had built suddenly felt every thin. She was just a means to an end, and she had to remember that. She was still a rogue.

"We should head back." She shifted, holding the file carefully in her jaws and they sprinted back to the prison.

Even helping this pack, she was an outsider. The kindest Cole had shown must have been because she could be useful. She mentally slapped herself for thinking she was viewed as anything other than a fool. She was a prisoner with a useful skill, nothing more. Her knowledge of the hunters made her an asset, but also a potential liability. They had know way of knowing if she was actually with them, or just helping until she could escape. She felt so isolated, so alone surrounded by all of them. So close yet so far from any kind of meaningful connection. Her heart ached for her lost friends, her found pack as she began to explaine what they had found to the wolves who had returned.

The Alpha was gone, as was his wife. Their son was alive, but badly wounded. Ariel had to make her case to him, explaining everything she knew in great detail, and showing the file. The looks she got bore into her as if they were drills. It almost physically hurt to feel the judgement.