order. Asher spared enough magic to encircle his wolf
body. That way he would be protected from the men spotting him and
the weather as well. He needed his muscles limber if fighting was
required. He hoped fighting would be required.
His eyes scanned over the dismounting men and
two women looking for signs of confidence or power which to him
would indicate leadership. And then he noticed him, a wide
shouldered man wearing an ankle length leather coat with the hood
pulled up over his head. He climbed off his snowmobile, stretched,
yawned loudly, and pushed people out of his way as he walked.
Asher remembered the wide frame, the arrogant
swagger to his stride, the power he tried to instill to those he
felt insignificant. The man was his father—the one responsible for
his birth, and his name was Zareth Ross. The same DNA flowed
through his veins and yet he felt nothing. Asher had never truly
known him, only of him, until the day he showed up at the
healers.
His eyes lifted to the bird circling above
the cabin. He was supposed to take position next to the chimney
stack where the smoke escaping onto the night air would cover his
scent. He was supposed to keep watch but instead, the falcon veered
in the opposite direction and headed for a large pine. Ross headed
for the cabin door while the others hung back in intimidation like
cowering puppies under the authority of a dominant litter mate.
Hind quarters up, head lowered, Asher began creeping quietly
forward.
He, on the other hand was far from being
afraid.
***
Ari’s dog ears pricked up as he
listened to a phone conversation between the lead fowler and an
unknown individual. After several minutes he soon realized the hold
up. The fowlers were waiting for someone to arrive.
He had assumed that they had abducted him
with the purpose of drawing Asher away from the sanctity of the
manor, but the more Ari listened, the more he became convinced that
something else was about to go down. And if that were true, Asher
was out there with the others, and Ari feared for them.
Tuning in to a new sound, Ari knew this one
well. Just a week prior he had woken in the middle of the night to
the same grinding noise to realize that the twins, after being
banished to their rooms by Asher, were tunneling through the wall
in effort to reach him. The twins had never liked thunderstorms
much.
Looking high and low, Ari sought them out. He
spotted Cade’s pink nose peeking out from behind a wood box and was
both shocked and angry to see him. There was no grating, nothing
but black ash on the brick floor, and it was there that he
eventually spotted Casin. With her big brown eyes intensely
focused, she appeared to be watching the men in the other room. Ari
knew it wouldn’t take long for the fowlers to catch the twin’s
scent, since they were natural prey to most birds. Shifting, Ari
tugged at the rope around his neck but to no avail.
Soon they would see that he was back in man
form and would come to bind his hands again. He had to work fast.
One behind the other, the rats raced across the room leaving tiny
black sooty paw prints behind on the wood floor. Ari rubbed them
away with his leg the best he could. Reaching down he stroked
Cade’s back first, and then his sister’s. He saw both concern and
fear in their eyes, especially Casin as she nuzzled against his
hand.
“I’m all right,” he mouthed. “I’ll take care
of you.” Hearing the arrival of the snowmobiles Ari leaned over so
Cade could climb up his arm and chew the rope around his neck. The
knot was far too tight for Ari to manage with his cold numb
fingers. While Cade chewed, Casin took cover between his back and
the wall, playing lookout. She was good at this, covering for her
mischief making brother.
Ari felt the rope loosen considerably, but
the voices outside were drawing nearer. He couldn’t risk them being
caught. “Get out of here. Go now before they catch you,” he
instructed the rats.
Chattering to his
body. That way he would be protected from the men spotting him and
the weather as well. He needed his muscles limber if fighting was
required. He hoped fighting would be required.
His eyes scanned over the dismounting men and
two women looking for signs of confidence or power which to him
would indicate leadership. And then he noticed him, a wide
shouldered man wearing an ankle length leather coat with the hood
pulled up over his head. He climbed off his snowmobile, stretched,
yawned loudly, and pushed people out of his way as he walked.
Asher remembered the wide frame, the arrogant
swagger to his stride, the power he tried to instill to those he
felt insignificant. The man was his father—the one responsible for
his birth, and his name was Zareth Ross. The same DNA flowed
through his veins and yet he felt nothing. Asher had never truly
known him, only of him, until the day he showed up at the
healers.
His eyes lifted to the bird circling above
the cabin. He was supposed to take position next to the chimney
stack where the smoke escaping onto the night air would cover his
scent. He was supposed to keep watch but instead, the falcon veered
in the opposite direction and headed for a large pine. Ross headed
for the cabin door while the others hung back in intimidation like
cowering puppies under the authority of a dominant litter mate.
Hind quarters up, head lowered, Asher began creeping quietly
forward.
He, on the other hand was far from being
afraid.
***
Ari’s dog ears pricked up as he
listened to a phone conversation between the lead fowler and an
unknown individual. After several minutes he soon realized the hold
up. The fowlers were waiting for someone to arrive.
He had assumed that they had abducted him
with the purpose of drawing Asher away from the sanctity of the
manor, but the more Ari listened, the more he became convinced that
something else was about to go down. And if that were true, Asher
was out there with the others, and Ari feared for them.
Tuning in to a new sound, Ari knew this one
well. Just a week prior he had woken in the middle of the night to
the same grinding noise to realize that the twins, after being
banished to their rooms by Asher, were tunneling through the wall
in effort to reach him. The twins had never liked thunderstorms
much.
Looking high and low, Ari sought them out. He
spotted Cade’s pink nose peeking out from behind a wood box and was
both shocked and angry to see him. There was no grating, nothing
but black ash on the brick floor, and it was there that he
eventually spotted Casin. With her big brown eyes intensely
focused, she appeared to be watching the men in the other room. Ari
knew it wouldn’t take long for the fowlers to catch the twin’s
scent, since they were natural prey to most birds. Shifting, Ari
tugged at the rope around his neck but to no avail.
Soon they would see that he was back in man
form and would come to bind his hands again. He had to work fast.
One behind the other, the rats raced across the room leaving tiny
black sooty paw prints behind on the wood floor. Ari rubbed them
away with his leg the best he could. Reaching down he stroked
Cade’s back first, and then his sister’s. He saw both concern and
fear in their eyes, especially Casin as she nuzzled against his
hand.
“I’m all right,” he mouthed. “I’ll take care
of you.” Hearing the arrival of the snowmobiles Ari leaned over so
Cade could climb up his arm and chew the rope around his neck. The
knot was far too tight for Ari to manage with his cold numb
fingers. While Cade chewed, Casin took cover between his back and
the wall, playing lookout. She was good at this, covering for her
mischief making brother.
Ari felt the rope loosen considerably, but
the voices outside were drawing nearer. He couldn’t risk them being
caught. “Get out of here. Go now before they catch you,” he
instructed the rats.
Chattering to his
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