“Do you want me to run it out there?” Julian offered. He had a carefully constructed poker face, as if he were resisting the sneer that came naturally to him.
I shook my head. “No. But, thank you. I appreciate the offer. I'll do it. Maybe if she catches my scent she'll know it's legit. A strange male scent could scare her off.”
“Alright,” Julian nodded and shifted in his seat. “So what if we do come across this Dylan guy? What then? Beat his ass?”
“That would be ideal, but it could also be a bad move. I don't know much about this guy. I do know that he's an Alpha, and he's likely super pissed after finding out I took out one of his wolves.” I fell silent, my mind turning over several possible scenarios. None of them was appealing.
Ky disappeared into the kitchen. I could hear her rummaging around in a drawer. She returned with a pen and paper. “Hopefully it doesn't snow too hard or anything before she comes across it. If she even does. Sorry, I don't have anything waterproof on hand.”
I scrawled a fast note with nothing more than Zoey's name, a brief note stating I needed to speak with her immediately and then my own name. It was a total shot in the dark.
“If either of you see Dylan or his buddy, don't take them on,” I said. “I don't trust them. They'll be ruthless and hell bent on getting what they came here for. Call Shaz or me immediately, and get out of the situation if possible. I don't want anyone getting hurt.”
“Except me, right?” It was Julian's attempt at a joke.
Forced to think about it, the idea really didn't sit well with me. “Actually, as appealing as it may sound to hurt you myself, I really don't like the idea of anyone else getting their hands on any of my wolves. Even you.”
I stared at the note in my hand. The thought of trotting along through the forest beyond Ky's backyard with the paper clutched in my muzzle like Lassie didn't impress me. Ten minutes later, I was disrobing on her patio to do just that.
Kylarai slid the glass patio door shut to give us some privacy. Julian remained right where we'd left him, in front of the television. She tucked a lock of brown hair behind one ear and fixed me with a look I knew well.
“Are you going to tell me what's up, Lex? You have this strange tension that I don't think has anything to do with these wolves. Am I wrong?”
Our little pack mother always seemed to know when we needed that parental push. It was sweet. It was also impossible to lie or withhold the truth when she was looking at me like that.
“No, you're not wrong.” I sighed and handed her the note to hold until I was in wolf form. “It's Arys. I went to see Harley last night, and he was waiting for me when I came out. It wasn't a pleasant experience. We went our separate ways, and he hasn't been home since.”
Kylarai looked confused as she processed my words. “But what about sunrise? He just never came back in time?”
“I'm not sure where he ended up. I do know that he never came home, and that he's blocked me from reaching him telepathically. So, I guess that's that.”
“What do you mean? You're just going to let him shut you out without an explanation?”
“No. I don't know what to do. If I can't speak with him, my hands are kind of tied.”
I glanced back into the house to make sure Julian was still in the living room before slipping out of the last of my clothes. I handed those to Ky, who never stopped frowning.
“You're bound to him, of course you can find him. Either way, he should know that shutting you out for now has no effect on your link to one another in the long run. He can't avoid you forever.”
I nodded, forcing back the wave of emotion that threatened me. I didn't want to feel or think about anything right now other than reaching out to Zoey.
“I know, Ky. We'll sort it out. Eventually.”
The snow and ice was cold against the bottom of my bare feet as I descended the patio steps to the snow covered lawn below. Ky followed, pausing on the bottom step.
Embracing the change, it washed over me, a warm wave of pure, wolf energy. By the time my hands touched the ground, they were paws. The change happened fast, smoother every time. It had once been painful, but it no longer burned as my body re-knit itself. It felt like a blissful release.
Kylarai held the note so that I could take it in my mouth and off I went through the open back gate. I felt beyond silly trotting along across the farmer's field to the forest beyond. At least nobody could see me but Ky.
It didn't take long to reach the edge of the forest. I wound my way in amongst the trees, scenting the air for any sign of Zoey. Nothing. Most of the forest's inhabitants were hidden in their burrows or tree top homes, secure and slumbering for the night. My nocturnal counterparts consisted mainly of rodents and owls. The scurry of tiny feet could be heard as the field mice detected my approach.