Before I’m racing to save Rory from a suicide mission that’s entirely my own fault.
So many things they should have told me. So many things that would have made this all so much easier.
I stretch my hands out on the steering wheel. I’ve been gripping it so tightly that I’ve lost all feelings in the tips of my fingers and I try to focus on the task at hand.
I remember the boys talking about what an excellent tracker Vivian is. All the wolf shifters have enhanced senses and can track someone from literally miles away, but they said that even amongst other shifters, Vivian is still unique.
Marlowe had once said that she could track someone who was standing motionless and holding their breath from miles away, which sounded impossible to me. But even with her renowned tracking skills, she seems to be having a really hard time finding and catching up with Rory.
“What’s the matter?” I ask when I see her face crinkle in concentration in the passenger seat next to me. She holds her hand up as if to quiet me for a moment while she’s focusing. She tilts her head toward the open window and breathes. Her eyes are astutely widened, and her tongue is just slightly poking out between her partially open mouth as if she is tasting the air.
“Ugh,” she says as she pulls her head back toward me. The look on her face makes me worry even more. “He must be moving too fast. I’m having trouble tracking him.”
“But if he’s headed to Remus’ territory, don’t we just go there?”
If only Remus’ pack had stayed close to the river. Then we would have found them already.
But then again, it might have already been too late.
Maybe we’re actually lucky they moved.
“No, we need to head Rory off before he reaches Remus or none of this will matter. Remus will kill him on site as soon as he sets a paw on his ground … and us with him if we’re there.”
“Then what do we do?” I ask in a panic.
“Try again,” Vivian says as she sticks her face back toward the window. I know better than to interrupt her a second time. Rory’s life depends on her being able to find him in time.
Finally, after what seems like I’ve been driving along the same road forever, Vivian throws her hand in the air at me.
“Stop!” she says. “He’s here.”
I slam on the breaks and pull the car over to the side of the road. Even as it’s still coming to a screeching halt, Vivian jumps out of the car and faces the tree-line of the woods. She whips her head back to glance at me quickly and for a minute, it looks as if she’s going to shift.
Her eyes turn gold and the muscles of her shoulders ripple. But if she had been thinking about shifting just then, she changes her mind when she looks at me.
“You can’t keep up with me on those two legs,” she says with frustration. “We’ll run together as humans. Follow me!”
I push off my feet and run as fast as I can to keep up alongside her. Even on two legs, Vivian is a fair bit faster than I am, and much more agile. She weaves in and out between the trees effortlessly without ever losing pace. I try to match her, but I stumble over the thick tree roots springing from the ground and my hoodie snags on the outstretched branches of crowded trees.
“Come on!” she shouts at me.
I’m trying my hardest but am once again reminded of my inferiority as a human.
I would give anything to be able to sprint onto four legs right now and not feel like my lungs are about to pop like an over-inflated balloon. Just when I think I am finally doing a good job at staying with her, Vivian comes to an abrupt stop that makes me crash into the back of her.
I fall backward onto my tailbone against the ground. I look up quickly to see why we’ve stopped and just ahead of us I can see a blur of dark fur shooting across the leaves.
“Rory, stop!” Vivian screams.
The blur of fur and teeth doesn’t slow even a little bit.
“Rory, Sabrina is here with me. Stop!” she screams again. This time the dark streak skids to a halt on its paws with a grace that makes it look as though it’s a finely executed ballet move.
The wolf turns and looks at us, at me. He’s not more than a few yards away.
“Oh no, no, no,” Vivian says in a panic-stricken and hushed voice.
“What is it?” I whisper to her as I get to my feet.