didn’t have any way to secure the others.”
“Hold onto him while we take care of the other two.” The first officer stepped forward, an animal control pole in hand, and the other followed.
The lab and terrier mutts panicked when the loops were fastened around their necks, but didn’t manage to get away. With a little expert handling, they were eventually wrangled into the truck’s kennels. Ronnie’s charge put up more of a fight, but no one was bitten and eventually the big shepherd was secured in the truck, too.
Ronnie filled the animal control officers in on how the dogs had been startled by Kimberly while trying to get into the garbage.
“Guess we can put an end to all those wolf rumors that’ve been flying around over the past twenty-four hours,” one of the officers said, rolling his eyes.
“Right.” Ronnie nodded, the picture of seriousness. “People will believe anything, won’t they?”
The officer shook his head. “If people spent less time worrying about killer wolves and more time keeping an eye on their pets, we’d have a lot less work to do.”
“I’m gonna head up the mountain and check in on Violet and Clarissa,” Ronnie said, finally picking up his gun when the animal control officers were gone. “Unless anyone here needs anything else?”
Daniel and Noah emerged from the forest, still in their wolf forms, and Jack shook his head. “Thanks for stepping in,” he said. “I’m starting to lose track of how many times you’ve saved my ass over the past year. How was Mandy when you stopped by?”
“All right. I think I woke her up – felt kinda bad. What about the TV crew – anything going on out there that I should know about?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Right now those idiots are traipsing through the woods dripping a trail of bacon grease, trying to attract wolves so they can get them on camera.”
Ronnie’s dark eyes went wide, transforming his typically stoic face. “Seriously? I know they know about the bears out there … the animal ones, I mean.”
Jack shrugged. “If they’re not outta the woods by morning, you might want to send a search party out after them.”
Ronnie made a sound deep in his throat, shifting his gaze toward the tree line.
“I wouldn’t worry about ‘em if I was you,” Jack said. “They’re stubborn as hell, and you know what they say – you can’t fix stupid. If they get eaten by bears, it’s their own fault.”
“Last thing we need around here is for someone to start killer bear rumors,” Ronnie said, grimacing.
After a moment, Jack nodded. “Guess I see your point. I—”
The sound of a snapping twig cut Jack short. To other ears, the noise might have been innocent, but not to a group of shifters who’d been to hell and back more than once. Jack turned toward the tree line, and Michael did the same.
Alex the camera man’s hair shone a coppery shade of red in the moonlight, and Michael’s gut clenched at the sight.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Jack snarled. “This property is—”
Alex extended one hand, pointing. The other remained firmly on the camera he braced against one shoulder.
Michael stared in the direction Alex was indicating with one long finger.
Noah and Daniel stood in the center of the driveway, their dark fur shining in the moonlight.
“There are wolves out here,” Alex said, his voice cracking slightly. “Holy shit!” He gripped his camera in both hands, aiming it at Noah and Daniel like a weapon.
“That thing had better not be rolling.” Jack advanced on Alex, making deliberate strides over the gravel.
A little light on the camera told Michael that it was recording, as did Alex’s expression. “No shit it’s rolling. Back off!” He held his ground for a few seconds before thinking better of it and taking an awkward step backward.
He was too slow. Jack tore the camera from his hands, leering.
“Give that back!”
“Piss off.” Jack bowed his head, examining the
“Hold onto him while we take care of the other two.” The first officer stepped forward, an animal control pole in hand, and the other followed.
The lab and terrier mutts panicked when the loops were fastened around their necks, but didn’t manage to get away. With a little expert handling, they were eventually wrangled into the truck’s kennels. Ronnie’s charge put up more of a fight, but no one was bitten and eventually the big shepherd was secured in the truck, too.
Ronnie filled the animal control officers in on how the dogs had been startled by Kimberly while trying to get into the garbage.
“Guess we can put an end to all those wolf rumors that’ve been flying around over the past twenty-four hours,” one of the officers said, rolling his eyes.
“Right.” Ronnie nodded, the picture of seriousness. “People will believe anything, won’t they?”
The officer shook his head. “If people spent less time worrying about killer wolves and more time keeping an eye on their pets, we’d have a lot less work to do.”
“I’m gonna head up the mountain and check in on Violet and Clarissa,” Ronnie said, finally picking up his gun when the animal control officers were gone. “Unless anyone here needs anything else?”
Daniel and Noah emerged from the forest, still in their wolf forms, and Jack shook his head. “Thanks for stepping in,” he said. “I’m starting to lose track of how many times you’ve saved my ass over the past year. How was Mandy when you stopped by?”
“All right. I think I woke her up – felt kinda bad. What about the TV crew – anything going on out there that I should know about?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Right now those idiots are traipsing through the woods dripping a trail of bacon grease, trying to attract wolves so they can get them on camera.”
Ronnie’s dark eyes went wide, transforming his typically stoic face. “Seriously? I know they know about the bears out there … the animal ones, I mean.”
Jack shrugged. “If they’re not outta the woods by morning, you might want to send a search party out after them.”
Ronnie made a sound deep in his throat, shifting his gaze toward the tree line.
“I wouldn’t worry about ‘em if I was you,” Jack said. “They’re stubborn as hell, and you know what they say – you can’t fix stupid. If they get eaten by bears, it’s their own fault.”
“Last thing we need around here is for someone to start killer bear rumors,” Ronnie said, grimacing.
After a moment, Jack nodded. “Guess I see your point. I—”
The sound of a snapping twig cut Jack short. To other ears, the noise might have been innocent, but not to a group of shifters who’d been to hell and back more than once. Jack turned toward the tree line, and Michael did the same.
Alex the camera man’s hair shone a coppery shade of red in the moonlight, and Michael’s gut clenched at the sight.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Jack snarled. “This property is—”
Alex extended one hand, pointing. The other remained firmly on the camera he braced against one shoulder.
Michael stared in the direction Alex was indicating with one long finger.
Noah and Daniel stood in the center of the driveway, their dark fur shining in the moonlight.
“There are wolves out here,” Alex said, his voice cracking slightly. “Holy shit!” He gripped his camera in both hands, aiming it at Noah and Daniel like a weapon.
“That thing had better not be rolling.” Jack advanced on Alex, making deliberate strides over the gravel.
A little light on the camera told Michael that it was recording, as did Alex’s expression. “No shit it’s rolling. Back off!” He held his ground for a few seconds before thinking better of it and taking an awkward step backward.
He was too slow. Jack tore the camera from his hands, leering.
“Give that back!”
“Piss off.” Jack bowed his head, examining the
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