Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega #1)(69)

Boots on, coat on, Anna rolled out of their sleeping place and onto her feet. She didn't bother with the snowshoes-it was still early night. She glanced at the waxing moon; only a few more days until full moon. For the first time that didn't make her sick with anxiety. With Walter in wolf form at her heel she trekked across the bench where Charles and Asil waited.

It was a bad sign, she thought, that neither Charles nor Asil seemed to hear her approach.

"Could she be tapping the Marrok for power, like Leah does?" Anna asked.

Both men turned to stare at Walter and her, Charles clearly unhappy that he hadn't noticed their approach. Asil, the legs of his jeans soaking wet, seemed more concerned with Walter, who had his ears pinned back and was showing his teeth.

Anna put her hand on Walter's neck as she performed the introductions. "Asil, this is Walter. Walter, this is Asil-the wolf we told you about."

Asil frowned at the black wolf, who stared right back and lifted his lips to display his fangs.

"Stop that," she told Walter, hoping he would listen to her. What they didn't need right now was a dominance fight. It always took a while for a new wolf to establish his place in the pack. Interesting that Walter didn't immediately assume Asil was higher-ranked. "We need everyone in fighting shape."

"Walter rescued someone from the witch's wolf and ended up Changed," Charles said. "He's agreed to help us."

He could have phrased that a lot differently, Anna thought. Her hand touched the top of Walter's head protectively. Instead of dismissing the new wolf, Charles had made it clear that the wolf was under his protection and was a valuable participant in their attempt to foil the witch.

Pleased as she was, she didn't want Charles and Asil to fight, so she said again, "Could Mary...Mariposa be drawing on the Marrok's power through the pack bond?"

Charles quit frowning at Asil, and said, "It certainly felt like my father's power. But my father cannot hold me like that."

Asil looked grim. "A strong enough witch can control any werewolf who doesn't have a pack to protect him. It is forbidden by witch law, but it is possible. One of the problems Sarai and I had with Mariposa was that she was making people do things-like kill family pets. And she has had time to grow even more powerful. I think that because she is, through me, a de facto member of the pack-she might have managed to combine your father's powers with her own."

Anna wasn't certain of the implications, but Charles was obviously very unhappy.

"Are we still going down to talk to the Marrok?" Anna asked. "Even if he can't come here, shouldn't we warn him?"

Charles went very still.

"What do you think your father would do if we told him the whole of it?" Asil asked.

Charles didn't answer.

"Yes," Asil agreed. "That's what I think, too. He'd be out here-after he forced all of us to go home. No matter that it would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. He protects his own and has as much confidence in his reputation of invulnerability as everyone else does. Killing Doc Wallace left him hurting-and he won't risk losing anyone else for a long time. Certainly not his son."

"No witch could control my father," Charles said. But Anna could hear the doubt in his voice. Maybe he did, too, because he turned his head, and said, more softly, "We'll have to go after them ourselves."

Asil suddenly raised his face to the wind and closed his eyes. Then he became very still.

Charles whirled toward their campsite-Anna turned to look as well, but she didn't see anything. Not at first.

She seemed to coalesce from the wind and snow. Her fur glistened silver, gold, and shadow. They all froze, staring at her as she stared at Asil. After a few seconds, the wolf hopped off the log and walked slowly forward, whining. Her tail wagged, just a little.

Asil started to move toward the wolf, but Charles grabbed him, holding him back.

"Sarai?" Asil said hoarsely, limp in Charles's grip.

The wolf lowered her head and dropped her tail in a classic submissive pose. She whined again. Beside Anna, Walter growled and placed himself between her and the other wolf. But the witch's werewolf had eyes only for Asil.

The wolf made a pleading, grieving sound. Then she turned and ran. Anna was watching her, so she didn't see what Asil did, only that he was suddenly free from Charles's hold and running after the wolf who wore his mate's semblance.

Charles didn't give chase. He just watched as the pair of them disappeared into the darkness.

"That's not good, is it?" Anna murmured.

"No." Charles's voice was grim.

"So what are we going to do? Should we track them?"

"No." Charles looked at Walter. "But I don't think we need to, do we? The witch is still staying at that old forest-service cabin."

Walter yipped a soft agreement.

"We're not going to tell the Marrok?" The wind picked up again, and Anna shivered. "Are you sure that's wise? Does your father have a witch in his pay who could help? My old pack shared one with the other Chicago pack."

"Asil's witch has found a way to control a werewolf who has the protection of a pack," Charles said. "I've never heard of anything like that-so I don't think she's been spreading the word. Thankfully, witches are so jealous of each other. But if she's the only witch who knows how-we need to keep it that way. We can't bring a witch into this."