Shelter Me From Darkness

Chapter 4

Dean

The Whispering Forest hummed with life around me. Crickets chirped, and the sounds of nocturnal Fae creatures filtered through the trees.

The forest stretched for miles north and east of Stonehill, long past our territory and further into the Otherworld. Routinely we patrolled the forest on the west bank of the Serpent River that curved around Stonehill. Stopping short the closer we moved towards the town and the thin veil that crossed over to Earthside.

Tonight was different from a routine patrol. I had the scent of my prey, an intruder in the Pack's territory, and I was leading the hunting party after it. Eyes narrowed as a rabbit darted across the path ahead before it scurried away quickly. The sight of four large werewolves was enough to scare most of the prey animals into hiding.

Not that we were hunting for pleasure tonight.

"Fan out. Follow the trail and keep your eyes peeled for anything." I ordered through the pack bonds.

The wolves with me followed the order, spreading out to cover more ground, keeping the pace I'd set. It felt good running, I couldn't remember the last time I'd let myself run free as a wolf.

Muscles strained as my speed picked up. Paws barely touching the ground before they were off again. The only sound marking our passage was the occasional crack of branches on the floor or the rustle of leaves as we pushed through the undergrowth of the forest. The silver moon above shinning patches of light through the trees, painting the forest in a sea of shadows and silver pockets of lights.

My heart thudded hard against my chest, I was panting. The scent I couldn't quite place had been popping up all over Stonehill. When it did, bad things happened to the Pack.

Vandalism. Kidnappings. Murders. It was impossible to ignore the connection, though we'd yet to find the person or creature it belonged to.

That was unacceptable and not something the Iron Wolves MC could allow to continue. Not only for our Pack's sake but also for our position in the town.

Old oaths and ancient magic tied us to Stonehill and had allowed the Pack to grow for centuries. We were bound to protect Stonehill and the veil separating the Otherworld from Earth.

It was my responsibility as Pack Heir and the Vice President of the Iron Wolves MC to ensure we found the son of a bitch as quickly as possible. They owed us a blood price, and I intended to ensure that they paid that debt. That the lives lost would have the justice they deserved.

The rumble of Perrin's voice cut through my thoughts.

"We're close to the veil. The scent appears to cross over to Earthside."

I growled in response. We didn't want the fucking bastard to end up on Earthside. The veil only thinned on one stretch of road in Stonehill, leaving some of the town on Earth, and we were fast approaching where trees and road met.

"They picked this way intentionally."

"It would appear so."

Our territory ended at the town's edge on Earth. Beyond that and they were entering a different Pack's territory. A Pack that followed different laws to us. Conclave laws. I had no intention of causing an incident that would have the Conclave showing even more interest in Stonehill than they already did.

I hated dealing with the politics of Earth and the Conclave, especially as they didn't hold any say this side of the veil. But that small fraction of Stonehill that was on Earth thanks to the veil meant we had to deal with them more than I would like. The curse of living in a border town.