Driving to the outskirts of town turned up nothing. Every time I saw a flash of long dark hair or black clothing my heart would race, but it was never Yuki. There was no sign of Yuki anywhere. All of her usual haunts had been checked, now I was just clutching at smoke in a windstorm.
I turned west at Shaw’s Creek, truck bouncing as I drove across the old covered bridge. As soon as I crossed to the opposite embankment, my arm started itching like fire ants marched beneath the skin.
For the first time since Emma’s phone call, I smiled. Yuki and I had matching tattoos, hers was on her ankle, but my tattoo was on my arm—right where the itching and tingling had begun. Our tattoos were more than a symbol of our love. They were evidence of the bond between werewolf mates.
The fact that Yuki wasn’t a werewolf was unusual, but it didn’t weaken our bond. Spirit ink, blended during a full moon, contained the essence of werewolf ancestors who chose to aid the chosen couple. Those spirits came to me now, causing the itching beneath the skin, strengthening my link to my mate.
Yuki must be nearby.
I used the first designated pull over, an empty picnic spot, to move my truck off the narrow road. I stopped scratching at my arm and closed my eyes, reaching out with my wolf spirit. Setting my hands on my thighs, palms facing upward, I breathed in deeply through my nose and out through my mouth.
My wolf spirit seemed eager to heed my call, and with a nod in my mind’s eye, leapt to meet my request. In spirit form my wolf has no physical substance and could run, literally, through the forest, unimpeded by trees and tangled undergrowth.
Just as I began to worry how far my wolf spirit could travel from my body, it stopped in its tracks.
There.
It was faint, but I could sense Yuki’s presence to the North West. That was strange, even for Yuki. There’s not much out in that direction and, without a car, it was a long hike from town.
I growled as a flash of panic ran down through our bond. Yuki was in trouble.
I jumped out of the truck and stashed the keys beneath the wheel-well. Listening for approaching vehicles, I took one last look around the picnic area. With no humans in sight, I ran for the woods.
I needed to reach Yuki, and the fastest way to do that was to track her while in my wolf form. I hoped that we were close enough to Yuki’s location. Now that my wolf had identified Yuki through our spirit link, I should be able to pick up her scent. But I was still learning my wolf skills. Hopefully the lessons Simon had given me would pay off.
Quickly removing my clothes, I wound them into a tight roll and tied them around my waist. If I had to travel far, they wouldn’t emerge unscathed, but bringing my clothing with me could save time if I had to change back to human form. My sneakers and phone I left behind. They would be too cumbersome tied against my body and I wasn’t going to carry them in my mouth.
With my clothing secured, I started to run.
I began shifting into wolf form, branches hit my face as I ran. The transformation wasn’t painful, but once my arms and legs began to shift, I had to stop running. Crouching on matted leaves and pine spills, I felt my awareness expand. The forest suddenly seemed so alive—squirrels chattering, birds singing, rodents burrowing—that I felt dizzy. I shook my head against the overwhelming cacophony of sounds.
My teeth lengthened, becoming fangs, and fingers rapidly transformed into claws. I blinked as the forest, so deafening mere seconds before, went quiet. The birds had gone silent in their trees and animals seeking refuge hid beneath the ground or stood frozen in place, waiting for the predator to pass.
My transformation was complete.
I tilted my head, sniffing loudly and tasting the air with my tongue. Yuki hadn’t come this way, but she was close.
I turned and took a step forward. There. It was faint, but the trail led deeper into the woods.
I ran.
More panic ran through the bond and I struggled not to howl. I didn’t want to give up my position until I knew what dangers Yuki faced. If keeping my presence secret would give the girl I loved an advantage, then I would become one with the lengthening shadows that filled the forest.
I would become one with the night.