“Those instincts are hard to tamp down as a newly shifted wolf. I bet we will find her somewhere in no man’s land avoiding marked territory.” Max lifted his arm in a wide circle towards the woods.

  “You forget those instincts are driven by the human memory. The woods do not hold where she would go to ground. Her fear permeated my entire living room. She would go some place where she felt safe,” Diana shot back.

  “Or someone.” Rema laid her hand on Amari’s shoulder. “Where do you think your scent is the strongest besides your home?”

  “Probably the hospital. Even in my time off, I have been there for my other responsibilities.” Hope filled her voice. Amari looked around the back yard, each sibling displayed the effects of their efforts. Dirt and debris and heavy breathing. “Though I have a near identical route I run between here and home.”

  They had reconvened when the initial search came up blank. The two scents they followed disappeared. Ms. Roberta promised to call and keep her safe if Nova returned. Nothing turned up at the festival or Amari’s house. Worry stirred dark images.

  “Then that is the next step, you and I will head to the hospital and the rest of you take a wider loop and spread out. Hopefully one of us will catch her scent. Be careful. Orion has come up empty with the other territories’ leadership to see if anyone recognizes the wolf. Packless mutares may be passing through our territory and got mixed up in this.” Rema dismissed the rest with a nod of her head. Branches snapped back into place covering the familiar sound of shifting.

  “Ya seem to not be able to get enough of this place.” A dry chuckle filled John’s voice.

  “Perhaps I just miss seeing you, you old dodger.” Amari forced a lightness to her tone as she slipped behind the desk.

  “What do ya need?” Knowing eyes darted between Amari and Rema.

  “Any teen Jane Does?”

  “Not tonight.” John tilted his head back. “The girl from the MVA?”

  “How’d you guess that?” Rema stepped closer, eyes narrowing.

  “Bored nurses have a lot to say. Grapevine knows Amari here has something to do with her…?”

  “Rema, Amari’s older, wiser sister.”

  “Nice to meet ya. John, Amari’s older, grouchy coworker.” John reached out his hand, clasping hers in a solid shake. “Trust me when I say, everyone here knows yer sister and knows that girl is important. We would have called ya.”

  “Keep an ear out?” Amari's smile pulled wide.

  “I know yer worried, but from what I hear the Spesys have this community around their finger. One of us’ll find her.”

  “Thanks John.” Amari tapped the desk lightly with her fist. Guilt poured regrets into her mind. Why hadn’t she asked more questions? With little to go on, they were at a loss for where Nova would run to in the chaos of the first transformation. She had run to lookout rock, her favorite place to literally and figuratively climb above the storms of her life. That world shattering teen drama felt leagues away.

  “Hey.” Benjamin caught her as she bounced off him. “Careful now.”

  “What are you doing here?” Amari stepped out of his grip, glancing at Rema. “Actually I don’t care. Have you seen Nova?”

  “Not since Diana’s.” Benjamin looked between the sisters. “I have a meeting to run to, would you walk out with me and give me some details so I can help.”

  “Sure.” Amari locked eyes with Rema, begging her to play nice. “Thanks John, I will see you next shift.”

  Squinting, Amari raised her hand to shield her eyes. Waves off the asphalt made her vision wobble. An uncharacteristically hot day for the season.

  “I am used to Rema’s glare, what has your face doing this?” Benjamin laid his briefcase on the hood of his SUV.

  “Nova transformed.”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Benjamin squinted and shook his head.

  “Yes. Do you recognize this wolf?” Amari unfolded the image next to his briefcase.

  “Ah, no.” Benjamin brought the image closer. Eyes darted to Rema, his words slowly smoothed out. “It is close to Isaac’s but he has a strip of grey. We have had reports of packless mutares near our border, but not near yours.”

  “Where?”

  The quick explosion of the word, startled Benjamin. A few taps to his phone, her phone trilled. “That is the report the patrols gave my parents.”

  Amari turned and bolted a few steps. Reason caught up with her. “May we check it out?”

  “You are always welcome in Morningstar territory. I will text the patrols just to be safe. You should be clear in twenty.” Benjamin saluted his phone.

  “Thank you.” Amari smiled, jogging backwards until Rema caught up to her.

  “Stop. We are waiting for the others.” Rema pushed a little command into her voice.

  Amari bit the inside of her cheek. Everything in her screamed to charge ahead, but was held firm by the tether of a leader of her pack. Her shift held firm under her skin, creating a persistent itch.

  Ignoring the war within, her eyes darted around the clearing before them. Wrappers and cans littered the ground. Small whiffs of smoke puffed from a ring of stones. Annoyance pushed her wolf closer to the surface. Not sure if packless mutares or humans being responsible for this blatant disregard for nature would piss her off more. Two dirty, wellworn tents, bright red camp chairs scattered, a small collapsible table. Remnants of burnt meat and the sour of old beer mixed with the slight smell of swamp drenched dog.

  “Don’t give me that look. I smell them too. But that could have been last night and these could be humans. Or you know as well as I some packless pair up with humans and keep the secret.” Rema tossed her the refined mother look. “Max will be here, he has authority to inspect the site. The rest of us will set up around the perimeter. If she is in there we will get her.”

  Amari rolled her neck. It was a solid plan but waiting felt like a gamble. If she wasn’t here they wasted precious time not searching. If she was, each moment gave an opportunity for them to slip through their fingers.

  “Control yourself.” Rema bit out.

  Every inch the Beta she was, keeping her head when others would run in half cocked. Amari breathed deeply, pulling strength from her sister’s calm. Shifting will give away their location and they were not prepared to stop them.

  “Look.”

  Amari gently drew a branch down, opening a small clear window. Two well dressed men walked confidently into the camp stopping with their backs to them. Neither had any pack identifiers on. Her confusion was mirrored on Rema’s face. She mouthed. “Can you hear them?”

  A subtle shake of her head was the only response.

  Man-bun raised his arm, twisting his watch free. Neck tattoo shrugged in response. Man-bun flashed an open hand. Amari barely breathed, heart pounding in her chest. Man-bun’s shoulders dropped, beckoning Neck-tattoo to follow as he turned to leave.

  “Hey there!” Max walked up in full park ranger uniform. ”This your campsite?”

  “No sir. I think we are a bit turned around, we were looking for Pine Grove?” Man-bun stood straighter.

  “You sure are turned around, that is on the other side of the park and is a pavilion.” Max let the unspoken question hang in the air.

  “We texted our friends throwing the party, once they got here we were going to follow them.” Man-bun tipped his phone.

  “Ah. Well our campsites are private, how about I walk you to your car and you wait there.” Max turned sideways to let them pass.

  “Yes, sir. No problem.” Man-bun tossed a look at Neck-tattoo as they walked off.

  The moment they went out of sight, bushes rustled across the clearing. Amari ducked back down as two wolves mid shift tumbled out. Her nose wrinkled as the wind brushed back her hair. Something small, sweeter hung beneath the unkempt odor. Her head snapped to Rema for confirmation she wasn’t crazy.

  “Nova.” Rema mouthed. She signed to wait with a nod toward the path.

  “Ah. Hello campers.” Max trudged back up the path.

  The newly transformed woman tripped over a bucket and collapsed a chair.

  “Didn’t mean to startle. Just checking in.” His tone was light and casual, but his eyes astutely surveyed every corner. “There’s been some unsavory folk messing with nice campers. I found two gentlemen hanging about here.”

  “We asked some friends to come by.” A man with short greasy hair, steadied the girl on her feet.

  “A man with long hair, the other with a neck tattoo?” Max wiggled his finger up and down by the left side of his neck.

  “Yep them’s the ones.” The man smiled. “If ye can just direct them back here that’d be great.”

  “Can I see your permits?” Max smiled back.

  The woman nodded and turned towards her bag. Her fingers wrapped around the strap and she bolted. The man launched a chair at Max and rabbitted in the other direction. Max was off in a flash and the accompanying crashing, Amari bet one of her other siblings joined. Rema cut across a corner of the clearing shifting mid leap over the brush. Her marbled grey joined by a smaller dark grey.

  Amari released her wolf and her shift was swift and hard. Nose in the air, she galloped across the clearing. The pungent odor clung to the plants. Back and forth she moved following the highest concentration as her human mind tried not to gag.