Austin looked out the window. “Where is he?”
“Down by the creek,” Reno confirmed, rubbing at a patch of mud on his jaw. “Maybe I still got issues with the fact that Ben hasn’t given us an apology in all these years, but I don’t have anything against his wolf. My wolf forced me to shift back, so I don’t think we fought. His wolf tackled me in the mud and licked my face before I had a chance to stand up. I have to say… I’ve missed the son of a bitch.”
“Reno Cole!” April exclaimed from the top of the stairs.
Wheeler got up and strolled toward the window, peering through the lace curtains.
“April, I think you need to take your man out of here before my mother sees what he’s done to her fan,” I suggested.
Reno stopped at the foot of the stairs and fanned his face. “Yeah, princess. I think I need someone to clean me up. Why don’t you run the shower? I like it hot.”
Her cheeks bloomed red, and she bit her lip, turning away as if flustered, but invisible sparks were flying between those two.
While Reno ascended the stairs, I stole the space next to Austin and played with the edge of the sheer curtain. “Why do you think Ben’s wolf is here?”
He looked at Wheeler, who turned away from the window. “He must have heard something about the pack war. Whether he knows it or not, his wolf is here to protect his family. Men have too much pride, ego, and all that bullshit that stands in the way from things getting said. Wolves just live on instinct, and we’ll always be family to him.”
“Think he’ll stay long?”
Austin shook his head. “I guess we’ll find out. Why don’t you shift and go join him, Wheeler?”
“That ain’t happening.”
“You don’t think your wolf misses his brother?”
“The way I’m feeling about it, I think my wolf might kill him. Make sure he’s not on the property when it’s my turn to guard. ’Preciate ya.”
After Wheeler hiked up the stairs, Prince and Lorenzo emerged from the back room with a cleaned-up version of our prisoner. They’d also given him some baggy clothes. He walked between them with a vacant look in his beady eyes.
“It’s done,” Prince confirmed, heading out front.
Austin shut the door behind Lorenzo and put on his coat. “I’ll be back in a bit. Make sure everyone knows about Ben’s wolf on the property. If he wants to guard, then I’m all for that. I trust his wolf more than I do him.”
“What are you going to do with the prisoner?”
“Drop him off at a bar up the road.”
The door swung open, and Lorenzo’s dark eyes were blazing.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He nodded toward the field by the house where Prince was standing. “The spineless leech of a man shifted. His wolf was confused and took off like a bullet.”
Austin cursed beneath his breath. “In which direction?”
“Toward the creek.”
Chapter 13
I followed behind Austin when he went to search for the rogue who’d escaped. We found his lifeless body lying near the creek.
Ben’s wolf had bravely defended our territory and left us the corpse of our enemy. He’d also fled the scene. Since the pack had just returned from laser tag, it would be impossible to get them out of the house without raising suspicion, so we were left deliberating how to dispose of the corpse.
“Why can’t we just bury him on the property?” I asked.
Austin kicked a stone into the water and scanned the woods nearby. “They’ll pick up his scent. Unless we have an airtight bag, which we don’t, a decomposing body doesn’t go unnoticed by a pack of wolves. We’re not ready to take on seventy rogues without knowing a damn thing about them.”
“Doesn’t Reno have a bazooka?”
Austin chuckled and stepped closer to Prince. “It’s getting dark, and I need to get this wolf off my land. Any ideas?”
Prince tucked his hands in the pockets of his wool coat. His face tightened when a blast of cold wind hit him. “I wouldn’t recommend using one of your cars. If they send a tracker after him, they’ll pick up his scent in the trunk. It’s better if we do this clean so they’ll assume he’s either a deserter or he defected.”
I made an exasperated sound. “I can’t believe this is my life. I’m standing around trying to figure out what to do with a dead Shifter. I don’t remember signing up for this.”
Lorenzo got on his phone and walked out of earshot. I was worrying about the children, the pack, my mother, and my baby.
“Problem solved in ten minutes, Cole,” Lorenzo said with a haughty lift of his chin. His long hair blew forward before settling across his shoulders. “Lakota is on his way.”
My jaw slackened. “You’re having Ivy’s son help out with hiding a body?”
“Aside from my mate, I trust no one more.”
“What about Caleb, your second-in-command?”
Lorenzo nudged the dead wolf with his foot. “He’s motivated by money. He’ll work me over to upgrade his car for helping out. He won’t get a new car, but I have no desire to listen to him braying like a donkey for the next four weeks.”