“This was a good idea.” Tia breathes in the fresh air and tilts her head back so the sun can shine on her face.
I do the same and look up at the clear blue sky; there’s no cloud in sight, making it a wonderful day to take the top off on my Jeep. Even if I wasn’t a wolf, I’d prefer to be outdoors.
“Yes, it is. Glad I thought of it,” I say, squinting against the brightness as I turn to smile at Tia. She has her chocolate-colored hair pulled into a high ponytail and dressed in a pink tank top and shorts. Some might think she’s a normal girl, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Only supernatural creatures would be able to detect what she is. She’s not a wolf like me, but a witch; a mighty powerful one at that. She’s only been with the Great Plains pack for a month, but I love her like a sister.
She opens her door and nods at the mountains. “Come on. That mountain isn’t going to climb itself.”
It was my idea to celebrate graduating college with a hiking trip. Most of my friends I graduated with left for the beaches or tropical islands to celebrate, but I wanted something more laid back. Nothing can beat the mountains.
“Think you can handle it?” I tease.
She shuts her door and glares at me playfully. “Get your butt out of that Jeep, and let’s go.”
We grab our backpacks out of the backseat and walk to the trailhead entrance. Hiking helps with my nerves, and I really need the distraction right now. Last week, I became the first in my family to graduate with a college degree. Initially, I wanted to become a doctor, but things changed when I realized it wasn’t for me; my heart wasn’t entirely in it. So instead, I decided to major in Criminal Justice, a complete turnaround from where I began.
I will always be a part of my family’s legacy, Grayson’s Construction, but it belongs to my brother now. Part of it was offered to me, but it’s not what I want to do with my life. Would it be easy to take the share of the family profit and be set for the rest of my life? Of course, but I never do anything the easy way.
Tia and I reach the trailhead marker, and I smile as the warmth of the sun seeps into my skin. A weekend trip hiking in the Glacier National Park is the perfect way to celebrate one of the most significant milestones of my life.
We choose a difficult trail in hopes there won’t be too many tourists around since it’s still peak season. The national parks can get quite crowded in the summertime. Luckily, there are no other cars in the parking area near our entrance.
Tia bumps me with her elbow. “Are you excited about your graduation party tomorrow night?”
I keep thinking of all the people who are going to be there. We have so many friends among the neighboring packs, and I love seeing them. We’re like one giant family. Plus, I have a feeling something amazing is going to happen.
“I am,” I reply, giving her a smirk.
Her sea-green eyes widen. “Did you have one of your dreams last night?”
I nod and focus back on the trail before I trip and fall over a tree root. Judging by the overgrown plants on the path, it’s clear the route hasn’t been traveled much. “I did. Last night when we ran into Jamie at the store, I touched her arm by accident.”
Tia gasps. “Oh wow. So, I guess she was the one in your dream?”
“Yep. And so was someone else.” I’ve had strange dreams for the past couple of months, mainly of myself and who I assume is my mate, but his face is always blurry, and I can’t make out his voice even though I know he talks to me. It’s like it’s muffled when he speaks. Still, he keeps trying to get me to hear him. I can touch him and feel his arms around me, but something holds me back from seeing who he is. Maybe the Great Luna doesn’t want me to know who he is yet. She works in mysterious ways, and I saw that firsthand with my brother and his mate, Faith. They fell in love before the mating signs even appeared. That’s how I want it to be with me. I want to choose my mate, not be bound to him because a higher power says so. I want to know what we have is real.
Then again, that higher power has given me a gift. When I’m not dreaming about my mate, I dream of other unmated shifters I’ve come into contact with. It always happens after I physically touch them. With me accidentally touching Jamie last night, she was who appeared in my dream. I saw her with another wolf, a man I recognized clearly. It just so happens he’s a member of our pack. I’ve seen them together on several occasions around town, so it makes me happy to know they’ll get their happily ever after.
The path narrows up ahead, and we have to climb up a few boulders to get to the top. Tia falls in behind me, and when I reach the top, I help her up. “Do you know who Jamie’s mate is?” she asks.
I smile. “I do. His name’s Thorin. He’s charming and funny. I’ve seen him and Jamie together in town, always laughing and talking. You can meet him at the party when I accidentally push Jamie into him. Maybe if they touch, it’ll spark their bond.”
Tia shakes her head and laughs. “You’re so bad. Who would’ve thought you’d end up being a wolfy matchmaker?”
“I know. If this is truly a gift I have, it could help so many people.”
Tia’s expression shifts and her smile falters. “It could, but it could also become a burden. If everyone found out, you’ll be bombarded with people trying to touch you. Who knows what that’ll do to you?”
I place a hand on her shoulder. “I’m not saying anything to anyone. Only you, Faith, and my brother know about this. I don’t think the gift even works when I touch males.”
If it worked for the men I’ve touched, then I would’ve seen Faith as my brother’s mate long ago. It was only when I touched her I dreamed of seeing her and Tate together. Faith is a royal arctic, the strongest of our kind. Now that she’s mated to my brother, he was given her power and vice versa, making him a royal. The Great Plains pack is stronger than it’s ever been before. Now that I have my gift, I can help the rest in my pack find their true mates.
Tia breathes a sigh of relief. “Good. I know what it’s like being a prisoner because of my magic. I’d hate to see you get used like that.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
Tia was blood bound to a rage-filled alpha named Killian Vilkas until my brother killed him and freed her. She had no choice but to do Killian’s bidding until the bond broke. Luckily for her, he never physically hurt her. Me, on the other hand, I know what it’s like to be a prisoner. There was a time when I was taken by the Yukon pack as leverage and tortured in ways I wish I could forget. Tia’s the first person I’ve talked to about it in years. The good is that all of the Yukons are dead now. That dark part of my life is what inspired me to be what I am today. I train, I fight, and I’m fast. No man or shifter will ever take me down again.
Tia and I continue on the trail, and even though she doesn’t have shifter strength, she keeps up with me pretty easily. “When are you going to find out about the FBI Academy?”
The thought brings a smile to my face. “Hopefully, soon. I was told it could take a couple of weeks.” I sent in my application the same day I graduated. Are there shifters in government agencies? I don’t know, and while it might be risky, it’s my dream.
“I hope you make it. I know it’s a huge difference from being a doctor, but I think you made the right choice. I’m starting to think I should go to college and get a degree to join the FBI too. We could be partners.”
I wink at her. “A wolf and a witch. The bad guys wouldn’t know what hit them.”
She chuckles. “I’ll figure out my place in the world soon. It just feels nice to be free.”
We would make a fantastic team. After everything Tia’s been through, I know her mind is all over the place, wondering what she wants to do in life now that she has her freedom.
The shifter world is dark and brutal. There will always be a pack war somewhere, whether it’s over territories or the greed of seeking a mate that doesn’t belong to them. It’s never-ending. Granted, after I was rescued from the Yukon pack, I killed a couple of the men who hurt me. There’s no way the others could’ve survived the fight against my pack and the Tetons. The anger burning through me that night came from a very dark place. It was the first time in my life I found myself hating my kind. There are times when I think being a human would be so much simpler, but then again, humans are fragile. Maybe that’s the beauty of it all.
I may not be able to take down an alpha male by myself and make the shifter world a better place, but I sure as hell can help the humans. I see it all the time in the news about innocents being killed senselessly. Women raped, children abducted for sex trafficking, and the persons responsible go free because they can’t be caught. That’s where I know I can make a difference. The FBI could use someone like me.
Tia and I climb up another set of rocks to the top, and I’m stunned into silence. The scene before us is breathtaking. There’s a vast lake in the distance, surrounded by thousands of trees, and even from where we are, I can tell the water is as clear as glass. If I close my eyes, I can hear the animals in the forest; each has a distinct sound. Squirrels are fast and scurry around, making rustling noises in the leaves as they run. The deer are graceful and have a melodic sound to their steps as they prance around. Then we have the bears whose heavy-footed paws sound like thumps across the forest floor.
Tia lets out a long-winded sigh. “It’s so peaceful and beautiful here. I wonder if my parents are out there somewhere or if they’re even still alive.”
When only nine years old, Tia was taken from her family to live with the Blue River pack. Only the first-born daughters were connected to the Vilkas line. As soon as Tia came of age, her mother was freed, but the link passed on to Tia. She hasn’t seen them in seventeen years.
I drape an arm over her shoulders. “Is there not a spell you can do to find them?”
When I look over, I see her jaw clenches, and she keeps her gaze out on the horizon. “There is, but it doesn’t work. I can’t seem to get through. It can only mean one thing.”
“Come on. Let’s sit and enjoy the view for a while.” We sit down on the boulders, dangling our legs over the ledge. She hasn’t said it, but I have a feeling she believes her parents are dead. When or if I join the FBI, I plan on doing everything I can to find them. I’ll have the resources to help her.
We sit in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the view when the wind shifts direction. I breathe in the air, and I detect the smell of blood and rotting flesh. “Oh, dear God.”
My head jerks in the direction of the scent. The blood is somewhat fresh, maybe only a day or so old. I’ve been around my fair share of death and violence, so I know what a dead body smells like.
I jump to my feet, and Tia does the same. “Kami, what’s wrong?”
She’s not a wolf, so I know she can’t smell it. “There’s a dead body close by. It’s human.”
She gasps. “Oh, no. You don’t think it’s that hiker who went missing, do you?”
For the past week, we’ve watched the news about a twenty-eight-year-old woman named Samantha Teller who took off for Glacier National Park to hike and never returned home. Judging by the scent, the body’s not that far away considering I have supernatural speed. Unfortunately, I can’t tell if it’s male or female. Turning to Tia, I slide my backpack off and grab my phone before handing her the bag. “It could be her. Stay here. I won’t be gone long. Have your phone ready to call for help when I get back. I don’t exactly know what I’m going to see.” The number of human casualties every year in the national parks is insane. Then again, if I were human, I wouldn’t let that stop me from being adventurous either.
Tia nods and fetches her cell out of the side pocket of her backpack. “Got it. Go.”
I run over to the other side of the rocky ledge and peer down at the ground below. All I see are bushes and trees. The stench of the body is too far away for it to be someone who tumbled over the edge. Not unless the hiker fell and lived, only to die from their wounds later.
Glancing over my shoulder, I take one last look at Tia and hold up my phone. “I’ll call if something happens.” I slide it into my pocket, hoping like hell it doesn’t break when I jump down to the bottom. We’re not that high up as far as shifter standards, but for a human, they’d most likely die from impact or injuries. I leap off the ledge, falling through the leaves, thankful that I don’t hit any branches until I reach the ground with a loud, thunderous thud.
“You good?” Tia shouts.
She can’t see me, so I yell. “Yep! Be right back!”
I take a look around, but there’s no trace of blood at the bottom of the mountain indicating the person had fallen. They could’ve easily been attacked by a bear, judging by the pungent smell. Once I’ve picked up on the scent, I run off into the woods. There are no marked trails, so it makes me wonder why someone would venture this far into the unknown. I understand the excitement of exploring, but it’s dangerous for humans, especially if hungry animals are lurking about. If I were to come across a bear, they’d turn tail and run.
As I wander deeper into the forest, it makes no sense why someone would stray so far away, not unless they were lost. The smell of death grows stronger, and the feeling in my gut tightens; I dread what I’m about to see. I’m about a mile away from Tia, which is a considerable distance in this kind of terrain. Up ahead, the trees open up, and I can hear the rushing water of a nearby river. However, underneath a Mountain Ash tree, slightly hidden by a bush, is the body, only something doesn’t seem right. As I inch closer, I can see it’s a female, her naked skin covered in blood and dirt. Her wrists and ankles are raw as if she’d been tied up, and I can see bruises all over her skin. I stop for a second and close my eyes as dread settles into the pit of my stomach. It wasn’t that long ago when I had the same marks on my wrists. Visions of the Yukon wolves touching and biting me as I sat tied up in the chair flashes through my mind. I had never felt so helpless in my life.
When I open my eyes, I can feel the rage burning through my skin. Someone else was here. I can smell his scent all over her body and see what he did to her. If she were alive, I could only imagine the fear she had felt. It fuels my anger even more.
I have yet to see the victim’s face because it’s hidden by the bush, but I slowly close the distance. When I get a look at her face, at her unseeing faded blue eyes and matted brown hair, I recognize her as the missing hiker from the news, Samantha Teller. My heart breaks for her, especially knowing what she endured. As I study her body, it’s not hard to figure out what the bastard did. His scent isn’t just on her skin; there’s a trail leading north through the woods.
Grabbing my phone out of my pocket, I call Tia once I figure out my coordinates. “Hey,” she answers. “Did you find anything?”
Clenching my teeth, I look down at Samantha, wishing I had a blanket to give her the decency she deserves. “She’s dead. I need you to call 911.” I give her the coordinates.
She sighs, and I can hear the sadness in her tone. “I hate that. Do you know what happened?”
I can’t even bring myself to say the words out loud. “Samantha was murdered, Tia. Animals aren’t the only dangers hidden in the forest.” My eyes lock in the direction of the murderer’s scent.
“Oh, my God. You might need to be the one to call then. They’ll want you to answer questions.”
“No,” I growl, feeling my wolf just underneath the surface. She wants to hunt, and that’s precisely what I’m going to do.
Tia gasps. “Kami, I don’t like the way you sound. What’s going on?”
Taking in a deep breath, I focus on the killer’s scent. “I’m going to find him. He needs to pay for what he did.”
“Kami, no! You’re not an FBI agent yet. You can’t just go after humans like that.”
My body trembles with rage. “He should’ve thought about that before he murdered an innocent woman.” I hang up and stare down at Samantha one last time. “I’ll find him for you,” I whisper. “He won’t get away with what he did.”
I rush off further into the woods, and there’s only one thing on my mind … vengeance.
I’m on the hunt, running through the woods, and it doesn’t take long for the killer’s scent to strengthen. He’s close. I can even smell Samantha’s blood. Slowing my pace, I look around, and that’s when I see what looks to be the size of a one-room rundown shack in the distance. It’s shoddily built as if it was constructed in a day. There are no windows, and the door isn’t even hinged. It’s just propped up crookedly. I can hear movement inside, like someone frantically rushing around. Heart pounding, I take a step closer and another. It takes all the energy I have to keep from shifting and tearing the disgusting piece of shit apart.
Through a crack in the rotted wood, I can see the man inside, wearing a pair of gloves as he shoves a pile of clothes into a backpack. He looks to be in his early forties with a scraggly beard and wearing dirty clothes. It smells as if he hasn’t taken a shower in weeks, but there is one scent on him I do recognize … Samantha’s blood. There are slivers of rope on the floor, all stained red with it. All I see is red as my anger consumes me. I can’t take anymore.
I storm over to the door and kick it so hard that when it flies across the room, it breaks through the wall and the boom of it echoes through the trees. The man drops to the floor and covers his head.
“Scared?” I snap, feeling my fangs lengthen. I want to shift and rip him limb from limb, to make him suffer, but I can’t.
He sucks in a breath and jumps to his feet. “Where the hell did you come from?”
My eyes glow like my wolf, and my claws lengthen. He stumbles back into the wall, the fear seeping through his pores. I want him to be afraid. “I just found Samantha Teller’s body,” I growl, stalking toward him. “I saw what you did to her, you pathetic piece of shit.”
He holds up his hands. “Wh … What are you?”
I grab him by the neck and lift him in the air as if he weighs nothing. He holds onto my wrists and tries to jerk away, but he’s no match for me, even if he is a few inches taller. We never show our wolf side to humans, but he needs to feel the fear, to know that his life is about to end. His eyes widen, and the smell of urine permeates the air.
“You want to know what I am?” I hiss, squeezing his neck tighter. “I’m the one who’s going to enjoy watching those soulless eyes of yours never see the light of day again. I’d give anything to tear off your dick and make you choke on it. You deserve a lot worse after what you did to that poor girl.” I’m not an expert on forensics since it’s not the field I wanted to study, but anyone could see from Samantha’s body she was violated more than once.
The man breaks into sobs. “I didn’t mean to hurt her.”
He may be crying, but there’s no remorse in his dark eyes. It’s as if there’s nothing left inside of him but evil. I’m so close to digging my claws into his neck, but instead, I retract them back and grip him even harder. All it’ll take is one jerk of my wrist to snap his neck. He gasps for air, his face turning blue. He kicks his legs, trying to knock me down, but all I do is smile, relishing in his fear.
“Enjoy Hell.” In one quick movement, I break his neck and let his limp body fall to the floor. When I walk out of the shack, I close my eyes and blow out a relieved sigh. I’ve never killed a human before, and I know there will be consequences. It was my choice to do it, and I don’t regret a single second of it. My phone vibrates and I slide it out of my pocket. It’s Tia.
“Hey,” I say.
“Where are you? Help is on the way.”
I leave the rundown shack to head back toward Samantha’s body. “I found him, Tia.”
She sighs. “Did you kill him?”
“Yes. And I’d do it all over again if I had to.”
“What do you think will happen now?”
“I don’t know, but I’ll guess we’ll find out.”
The justice system for humans is a joke. They let rapists, child molesters, and murderers go free all the time. I don’t understand how it’s even possible. The shifters who tortured me and held me captive sealed their fate the second they abducted me. It was my right to kill them. Humans don’t get that luxury.
I believe in an eye for an eye.
When I get back to Samantha’s body, I kneel beside her. I know she’s gone from this world, but I don’t want to leave her alone. “It’s done,” I murmur. “He’ll never hurt anyone ever again.”