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Theo
Did Tristan and I just discuss what I think we did? Really? We are going to buck generations of tradition and do something that even in the human world is frowned upon? I shake my head as I run, looking for Jenny’s scent.
I’m surprised at how readily my wolf agreed to what Tristan suggested, though I think he did it more because he was afraid of losing the girl and his best friend than any real desire to share. Wolves do not share. Well, normally we don’t.
My wolf rips control away and we run for the pure joy while still following the trail that Jennika left. The trees whip by, branches rip at my fur and release, not stopping my momentum at all. I love the freedom that there is in the Reserve. Of all the Reserves across the country, this is by far my favorite. I love the hills, the rocks, the dense forest.
Finally, I slow down and walk into a clearing. There Jennika lies sunbathing in the nude. I quickly look away; no guy wants to see his sister naked. I bark lightly to let her know I am there.
“Tell Mr. Stick Up His Ass that I’m not going home. I’m going with everyone else,” Jennika mumbles.
Growling, I paw the ground, knowing that she can hear even that small nose.
“Forget it! I know that you won’t dare to open those virgin eyes and see your sister naked, let alone make me go back.”
Growling again, I turn away as she laughs. I’m reminded that I hate not being able to talk when one of us is not in our wolf form. She has me nailed down though. I am not touching this with a ten-foot pole. James can try his luck.
Quickly I make my way back to James, knowing he will be irritated at the delay. But when I skid into the fire circle, he isn’t there. I shift back into my human form and slip my jeans on as Tristan walks back from the truck.
“She played the naked card on you again, didn’t she?” Tristan laughs as he grabs his pants and puts them on. We try to keep things around the fire pit and main house close to how humans behave, just in case they happen to turn in by accident.
“Every damn time. She knows I won’t look or touch her. If she was any other shifter it wouldn’t be an issue. But she is my little sister.” I can feel my face scrunching up in disgust and no matter what, I can’t stop it.
“Dude, you got to get over it and treat her like all the others.” Tristan leans against a tree, looking at his nails as if his life depends on it.
“I don’t see you treating Molly like the other shifters.” I smile at him. “Bet you would be running into trees, trying not to see her.”
“Eww, no! No brother wants to see their sister like that.” Tristan’s look of disgust makes me laugh. It is only within the past three months that his little sister has been allowed to start shifting with the rest of the tribe, something that most don’t do until they are sixteen. So far he has been able to avoid being near her when she shifts, and she has been shy enough to hide when it is time.
“Exactly.” I start walking towards Arlin’s house. “Let’s find brother dearest and give him the bad news that his baby sister is being a brat, again.”
“You do know why he sends you after her, right?” Tristan asks, as we step onto the porch of the small cabin.
“Yeah, he doesn’t want to see her naked either.” I pull the door open. “James?”
The cabin is a mess. The setup is one big open room that serves as the kitchen, dining and living space. Not one cushion remains on the couch, and the floor looks as if someone used the cushions as chew toys in a game of tug-of-war. Tables were turned over, laps broken, books shredded.
We carefully walked into the room, not wanting to step on any shards of glass from the lightbulbs, lamps or other paraphernalia. The kitchen looks worse than the living area. Cereal boxes ripped open and dumped out, drawers ripped out or dangling halfway from the openings, cupboard doors hanging as if someone had not known their strength when they ripped them open.
“James!” I call again, looking around the room in horror. “What happen here?”
“No clue, but whatever it was, it was bad.” Tristan points to a smear of blood that is streaked across the floor. It leads from the dining area into the kitchen, and out the back door.
“JAMES! Arlin!” I yell again, but no response. “You check upstairs, I’ll check the bedroom.” I run into the bedroom; it looks worse than the main room, if that is possible. Here, it is impossible to not see that an animal went on the attack. Long claw marks run the length of the mattress that is thrown against a wall. Feathers liberally coat the floor and clothes are shredded.
Returning to the main room, I see Tristan coming downstairs. “Anything?”
“No. It looks like a war zone, though.”
“What happen here? Where are James and Arlin?” I turn in a circle, looking at the devastation.
“Did Arlin have a car here? I can’t remember ever seeing it,” Tristan asks.
I shake my head. “No, he had a bike. It was kept out back...” where the blood trail leads. I didn’t say the last bit, unable to take that step.