New Age Werewolf Series Book 2: Hunter's Daughter, Alpha's Mate

Part 8: The Hunt Begins

I couldn't believe it--and yet, I could:

They split up and they planned it. Here I was thinking they wouldn't dare to, but I guess they were more desperate than I thought. We came in one huge SUV, and that meant we could only pick one to try to follow by car. We had to negotiate past a pack of wolves only to find that they walked us to the house on a specific route. I didn't want us to change, so we complied. But what they did was slow our arrival. Their loyalty was clearly with the Martins. Realizing too late, we split up in the house, thinking they'd make a stand here, we'd subdue and drag them, but escape was their plan the whole time. I should have known! Regular wolves are like dogs, and I wish I'd sensed their domestication by the family sooner.

"Alpha?"

I turned to my beta, Gordon. "Find anything?"

"All power is shut off. Plumbing is on. Destroyed their cells. They used this generator--" he kicked it across the room like a football. "For anything they needed."

"Seems they were only here a little while," I frowned, looking around. Not even a dish had been used from the looks of things. It looked like no one even disturbed the couch cushions. "No real signs of settling in."

"Alpha!"

I turned to see my friend Quinn coming down the steps. "Yeah?"

"Books missing from the library."

"Doesn't help if we don't know which ones."

"The library is all about the supernatural."

"We're taking all of it," I told him. "Not leaving anything they can use. Checked the girls' room?"

"Yeah, just the regular stuff," Quinn informed. "I think you're right. I think she didn't know."

"What about the human?" I asked. "I know I smelled one."

"No idea, sorry."

"The girls escaped together through the bedroom window. My guess is they were either relatives or close friends." I thought aloud. I walked up the steps to the bedroom. I sat on the bed and looked around. "Smells like honey." I reached for a pillow. "She smells like honey.

There had to be something. I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly, deeply. I went to the bathroom. Honey almond, milk and honey, honey jasmine...I couldn't help but laugh a little. If she sticks with honey, she'll be easier to track....and delicious to devour.

I crawled out of the window and looked up to see Max on the roof. "Anything?"

"They took off in different directions, that's for sure," Max growled, sniffing the air. "But I think they meant to confuse us. There is a scent everywhere, female."

"Smell the honey?" I asked.

"What?"

Why was I picking up traces of honey? "Forget it." I climbed on the roof and closed my eyes, breathing deeply. I still could smell the honey in two directions. It was time to go home and research the Martin family. Maybe some locations would turn up.

Suddenly my cell rang. I didn't bother looking at the caller ID as I clicked on. "Yes, Father."

"So, I take it you were not successful."

I could hear the tone of disapproval in his growl. "Sorry, Father--"

"How could they--"

"They weren't hiding here to stay," I said quickly. "They came here to rondevouz and split up."

"Have you tracked their phones?"

"We found them all here, and destroyed." I answered, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. I laid on the bed, enveloped in the smell of honey and almonds and...paint fumes, turpentine? I turned. They'd been busy. "but I'm still picking up clues here and there." I walked into the bathroom. "Let me call you back."

I looked in the tub. She showered here. I looked in the sink. Light blue paint, flecks of it, on the rim of the drain. What did they paint?

Whatever was painted is probably the one the quarterblood is in. I went down the steps quickly. "Gordon!"

"Yeah!"

"What's outside?"

"Well, the vehicles from what I can tell, are a jeep, a truck, and maybe an SUV or truck," Gordon said. "the third one seems a little heavy."

"Heavy?"

"The tire tracks."

"Quinn?"

Quinn ran out and did a quick nod of the head. "Yes, Alpha?"

"Any properties owned by the Martins?"

"Yeah, a few."

"Need a list."