“I’m always a last resort for you,” I acidly replied.
“I deserve that, and I’m sorry, but right now I can’t talk about that. Right now, you and I need to go out and search for Jonah and Ethan.”
“What?” I said, my adrenaline spiking. “Why?”
“Because they took their bows to hunt and their rifles to protect and I just heard their rifles discharge.”
“Oh my God,” I said, already sliding my boots on.
I zipped my jacket up and grabbed my own rifle.
“Come on,” I told her. “Where did you hear the shots?”
“In that direction,” she said, pointing southwest.
“All right,” I said, walking.
“Jonah!” I yelled and waited for a response.
“Ethan!” she yelled.
We traded back and forth that way for a good five minutes before we heard two shots. We stopped dead in our tracks before sprinting their direction, yelling their names at the tops of our lungs.
Finally, Jonah yelled back, “Spencer?!”
“Where are you!”
“This way,” he said, blowing his air horn.
We found them and Eugie, their rifles cocked and ready and staring farther southwest from us.
“What happened?” Cricket asked, out of breath.
Ethan looked at her. “Are you okay?” he asked, concern in his eyes.
“I’m fine,” she said, forcing a smile.
“Wolves,” he answered.
“Oh no. Eugie!” she said, calling him to her side. She held his belled collar in her hand. “Stay here, boy.”
“They ran off that way,” Jonah explained.
“Good,” Cricket said, “let’s get back to the campsite.”
He nodded but looked unsure.
We were halfway back to the site when Eugie began growling.
“Eugie?” Cricket said, uneasy.
All three of us cocked our rifles and lifted them.
“Where are they?” I whispered.
“They’re circling us,” Jonah answered.
“Quiet,” Ethan said, scanning the woods around us.