Under A Latent Moon (A Werewolf Tale)

Chapter 11

Will had been gone a week with no response. It worried Harley. As she went through her days, anxious thoughts peppered her mind. What could really be happening two states over? A rogue clean up can't take this long. Not with the other hunters this Alpha called in. The whole situation made her uneasy. When she had asked about it, Alpha Mark gave her no response. "Will will share his information when it is necessary. Just know he's alive and okay." Alpha Mark had said.

He might have well said, Let the adults handle it. Which, in a way, she understood. Harley was not a shifter wolf. She was not a high ranking pack member. She was no one, and that meant she would never be important enough to be in the loop.

And so, whenever she wasn't desperately trying to keep her worried mind off of Will by falling into book worlds, she threw herself deep into training.

Cam took over instructor duty. He did a great job...but he wasn't Will. He stuck to the same exercises Will had, and added a few more when he realized her body had adjusted to the work load and she needed more of a push. Surprisingly, as a trainer, Cam barely spoke a word. Will, on the other hand, was loud. During warm ups or just general exercises, Will had a tendency to yell, "Come on, Harley," or, "This is where you get the most benefit, Harley."

From Cam...nothing. No shouting. No clapping. No smack talk. She didn't know how much she valued Will pushing her to do better and better until it was gone.

She'd finished her last lap and fell rather than sat on the dry ground when Cam ambled over. "Good job today, Harley."

"Thanks, Cam." Harley peered up at him, squinting against the bright morning sun. She began her stretches, slowly, as Will always urged her to be careful. According to Will stretching was important, but she could easily pull a muscle if she stretched too far.

The gentle rush of wind through the trees filled the silence. Cam rested against a nearby tree while she finished up. "You're quiet." Cam spoke.

I could say the same. Upon first meeting Cam, she got an impression of an easygoing, hard-working wolf who was generous with his humor. The Cam she'd dealt with over the past couple of days had been subdued and serious.

At least Harley was known for being reserved. Cam had stepped into a whole other skin. Definitely one less flexible.

She shrugged and pulled one leg in while reaching for the other in a hamstring stretch. "I don't have anything to say."

"And normally I'm okay with that--you're naturally a quiet person. But I can see the bags under your eyes. When was the last time you got a full night's sleep?"

Harley snorted. Cam was right on the money--she hadn't been able to sleep at all the past couple of nights. Her dreams were so vivid she could hear the deep, rumbling growls of wolves fighting, and feel the sharp, stab of claws digging into her stomach. Helpless as the pull of those razor claws yanked her insides from her body, feel the chill as all her blood seeped into the brisk, unforgiving ground.

"Harley."

She blinked. In the distance, birds chirped and twittered, still welcoming in the morning. The late May sun had done a nice job warming up the meadow. She wasn't cold. With one swipe of her hand she could tell her stomach hadn't been gouged out. "Does a rogue hunt usually take this long?"

Cam ran long fingers through his dark blond hair. "Sometimes. If the wolf is tricky enough."

"Does...does it ever get any easier?"

He stared at her then, weighing something in his mind. His green eyes were striking, in the way that they matched the small patches of grass popping up throughout the meadow. She didn't know too many people with green eyes like that. "No. It doesn't. Wolves will always have enemies--humans who know too much and are afraid, so they strike out, or other wolves who greedily fight for power and control, or even wolves who lose all power and control and are so lost in the cage of their mind that they go feral." Cam took a breath and looked at the sky, resignation draping over his features. "There will always be an issue for Will to deal with. Always something ready to tear him to shreds."