Stolen and Forgiven (Branded Packs #1)(58)

“Soren.”

Soren frowned at his Alpha. “Not now, Holden,” he muttered, trying to step around the male.

“This can’t wait,” Holden warned, planting a hand in the center of Soren’s chest.

For a crazed second, Soren considered shoving his friend aside so he could continue his search for Cora. He didn’t want to deal with political bullshit. Not tonight.

But something in Holden’s tense expression warned him that this was more than just another tedious clash between wolves and cats.

“Trouble?” he demanded.

Holden grimaced, his t-shirt straining across his chest as he planted his fists on his hips.

“I don’t know yet.”

Soren frowned. “What’s going on?”

“Theo was doing a perimeter sweep and caught the scent of six humans who’d come over the fence.”

“Over?” Soren frowned in confusion. Although the compound was technically supposed to belong to the shifters, the humans never hesitated to come in and out whenever they wanted. Like the Indian reservations had been years ago. Just a pretense of independence. “Why wouldn’t they use the front gate?”

Holden looked grim. “That’s the question.”

“Are they still here?”

“I’ve just started my search.”

“What about the sentries?”

Holden shook his head. “I prefer to keep this quiet for now, which is why I could use your help.”

Soren swallowed a frustrated sigh. He would help his Alpha track the humans, then he was going to find his mate. And once he had her back in his bed where she belonged, he was locking the door and neither of them was leaving until she admitted the truth.

“Let’s go,” he muttered.

Together, the two males slid through the darkness, moving through the trees with a silence that no human could hope to match.

A thousand scents drifted through the air. The fallen leaves that carpeted the frosty ground. The hint of pine. The smoke from a nearby campfire. And the potent musk of both wolf and feline shifters.

It wasn’t until they’d reached the high fence that they ran across the acrid scent of humans.

“This is where the intruders came over the fence,” Soren said, bending down to touch the ground where he could see the footprints in the mud.

Even in the darkness he could determine the outline of military boots.

So, these weren’t random trespassers who’d entered the compound because of some ridiculous dare or out of mere curiosity.

Holden glanced at the thick trees that grew next to the fence, hiding it from the view of the nearest pathway.

“They obviously didn’t want to be seen,” the Alpha said.

“But why?” Holden straightened. “It’s not like we’re in a position to deny them access to the compound, no matter how much we might want to.”

Soren’s lips twisted with bitter hatred at the thought of the SAU goons who strolled in and out of their private lands as if they were gods.

Jackasses.

“Could they be spying on us?” he asked.

Holden considered for a long moment. Then he gave a sharp shake of his head.

“They’re stupider than I suspected if they thought we wouldn’t quickly sense their intrusion onto our land,” he said. “Besides, if they want to spy, all they have to do is turn their satellites on us.”

Soren couldn’t argue. They all knew that the government devoted a great deal of money and energy to keeping an electronic watch on them.

“Then they must be searching for something,” Soren said.

“Or someone,” Holden added.

Soren started to nod his head, only to freeze. Looking for someone…

“Shit.”

Fear burned through his blood like acid as he set off at a jog, following the trail of footprints as they led to the center of the thick woods.

Holden was swiftly at his side, darting around the trees with fluid ease.

“Soren, what’s wrong?” he demanded.

Soren’s concentration remained locked on his surroundings, blocking out the stench of humans to pick up the light threads of a female shifter.

“Cora,” he breathed.

“What about her?”

“She would have crossed this area on her way home,” he muttered, leaping over a bush that stood in his path.

“So did you finally get her naked?” Holden drawled, abruptly ducking as Soren halted long enough to aim a punch at his face. “Hey,” he protested. “You poked your nose into my mating with Arial.”

Denied the feeling of his knuckles connecting with his friend’s nose, Soren returned his attention to his hunt.

“Because you were clearly out of your mind,” he snarled, the hair on the back of his neck standing upright as Cora’s scent became more pronounced.

“And you’re not?” Holden drawled. “Just because Cora may have passed through this general area doesn’t-” His words broke off as Soren abruptly shifted into his wolf form. “Soren?”

Howling in fury, Soren was impervious to the pain of the rapid shift that wrenched his muscles and snapped his bones into place. He was even deaf to Holden’s demands for an explanation.

Instead, his mind was filled with a red mist of fury as he caught the unmistakable scent of Cora’s blood.