The Hunter

The Calls

The phone ringing disrupted Philip’s focus, but he kept his gaze on the giant map in front of him. When no one moved to answer it, he spun around and stomped towards it. Some of his pack members sat up straighter in their chairs as he walked past them. After grabbing the receiver, he took a deep breath and loosened his hold on it. Breaking the receiver would do him no good.

“Hello?” His voice came out a bit angrier than he expected.

“Philip? That you?” He wracked his brain to try and remember where he’d heard the voice before to no avail.

“Yeah, who’s calling?”

“Brandon. Alpha of the Beaverhead pack.” No wonder Philip had trouble recognizing the voice—he’d only spoken to the man probably twice. “Look, I have some news for you.”

“Go on.”

“A couple of days ago, we got the scent of a rogue she-wolf near our territory.” Philip’s breath caught at the mention of a lone she-wolf—it couldn’t be. “The weird thing was we caught the scent of a hunter with her, which, of course, alarmed us. Some of my trackers followed her up into the mountains.

“After a bit they came across a cave with her blood in it and a dead mountain lion shifter. His throat had been ripped out, but the she-wolf was nowhere to be found. They didn’t want to risk following her at that point and reported back to me. I’ve never heard of a rogue wolf taking out a mountain lion on their own before and I’m concerned. We already know most of the rogues formed what they call a pack, and if they have fighters like this one, they’ll be able to take out smaller real packs like mine.”

Philip tried to regulate his breathing, before he interrupted Brandon. “So you want help?”

“As much as it pains me to admit, I wouldn’t mind some help, but that’s not why I called.” Brandon sighed. “I’m trying to give you a heads up.”

In other words, if the rogues attack Brandon’s pack, he wants the bigger packs, like Philip’s, to rush to his aid. The Yellowstone pack was one of the largest packs in the country, after all, but right now, Philip had bigger concerns, such as an impending war with the Redwood pack. Not that Philip wanted war, but Cameron wasn’t giving him much of a choice.

“Thanks, I’ll remember your kindness.” Philip rolled his eyes as he spoke.

“Anytime.” Brandon’s voice didn’t hide his joy at Philip’s words. “I’m going to make a few more calls, but I’ll be in touch if we find anything more.”

“Good. I’ll send along any news I hear as well. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Philip had barely rested the phone on the receiver when his beta, Charles, was in front of him. “Do you want me to send out the trackers to bring her home?”

“You know me too well. Send Bridgett with them. You know what’s at stake—we have to find her before they do.” After a nod of his head, Charles turned on his heel and marched out of the room with the other pack members trailing him. Philip sighed and rubbed his forehead before turning to his son. “Do you think Belle is alright?”

“I hope so. She’s survived for three years on her own, so I’d say the odds are in her favor.” His son, Geoffrey, fidgeted with his brow furrowed in concern. “Why wouldn’t she stop to visit on her way by?”

“Too risky. She knows we wouldn’t let her leave. Why do you think she has a hunter with her?”

“Knowing Mira, he was probably lost and hungry.” Geoff chuckled and shook his head, before slumping into a chair in front of Philip’s desk. “I miss her, Dad.”

“I know, son. I do, too.” Philip returned to his map, but this time he stared at the spot where Belle had been just a few days ago.

It made him feel closer to her somehow, and he needed to feel her close to him. He needed to make her feel protected from Cameron, which he’d failed to do so miserably three years ago. His only hope now was that his trackers would be faster than Cameron’s, because if he knew anything, he knew Cameron would already have his men tracking her down.

~~~@~~~

The phone slipped out of Cameron’s fingers to rest on the cradle. With a wicked smirk on his face, Cameron turned to his beta, Anthony. “Did you hear?”

“Yes, sir.” Anthony stood at attention with his eyes downcast, which of course is what Cameron insisted upon. “What are you orders?”

Cameron laughed. “What do you think? I know it’s Mirabelle. It has to be. Bring me Trevor.”

With a bow, Anthony left. After three long years of hard word, he’d finally have her. She belonged to him, even if she refused to believe it. A part of him enjoyed the thrill of chasing her, but on the brink of war, he needed her on his side. Although, he doubted she’d ever be completely on his side, which quite honestly excited him. Too many did everything for him out of fear, but not his little she-wolf.

A pair of footsteps came towards his door—one remarkably quieter than the other and rightfully so. Trevor was his head tracker and if he couldn’t move silently, well, Cameron would have already ripped out his throat.

“Come in.” Cameron spoke before they could even knock; he enjoyed messing with them and few things brought him joy these days.

“Sir,” Trevor said as he walked in and stood at attention.

“Mirabelle was smelled in the mountains by the Beaverhead pack. Tell me.” Cameron put both of his feet on his desk and crossed his ankles before putting his arms behind his head. “Why did they find her when you and your wolves couldn’t?”

A flare of indignation sparked Trevor’s eyes and he clenched his jaw, but his eyes stayed down the entire time. “I have no idea, sir.”

Trevor hated to fail at his job, which is why Cameron baited him. Now, Trevor would stop at nothing to bring her to Cameron, just to prove his worth. “What do you suppose I should do about it?”

“Let us handle it, sir.” Trevor’s voice shook with anger, and Cameron had half a mind to let him loose on the Beaverhead pack, but thought better of it. He didn’t need issues with any other packs right then. “We’ll bring her to you.”

“You better.” Cameron swung his feet to the ground and put his elbows on his desk. “If you don’t, I’d find a new pack if I were you. You’ve failed me enough as it is.”

“I understand, sir.” With a stiff nod and clenched muscles, Trevor turned to exit.

Right when Trevor’s hand was above the doorknob, Cameron stopped him. “Oh, and she better come back to me alive. If she doesn’t, I’ll tear you to shreds myself, am I understood?”

The shiver that went through Trevor’s spine at the sound of Cameron’s deathly calm voice made Cameron smile. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now go.” Once Trevor left, Cameron turned to Anthony. “So do you think Philip’s pack will get there first?”

“They are closer, Sir, but.” Anthony fidgeted before smiling and chuckling. “You did light quite a fire under Trevor’s tail. If he lets anyone get to her before him, well, I pity the poor bastard. Trevor is on a war path now.”

“Good.” Cameron laughed. “I’m almost sad I won’t get to see it. It’s always fun watching Trevor work.”

“That it is, Sir, that it is.” Anthony paused for a second. “You didn’t tell him what to do with the hunter.”

 “I know. I figure Trevor will need an outlet for his anger after our little talk. Like I said, I’m sad I won’t get to watch.”