“The isolated territory? But no one ever goes there except—”
“Humans. Some animals. And sometimes they do need some watching…you know, in case they accidentally set a forest fire or something.” Angelo smiled and stared into the distance, and Nico had a feeling it had happened before. Then the older man cleared his throat. “One thing, though.”
“What?”
“I’m hearing trouble with some humans and attack complaints. It could just be ghost stories, and we haven’t had trouble in our main territory recently, but it’s worth checking out if it’s just humans messing with the lands. It will also keep you preoccupied.”
“I don’t need to be pre—”
“Violence doesn’t solve our problems as a clan,” Angelo interrupted firmly. “But I know you are still angry. And I know you are good at taking that anger out by keeping our territories secure because you are one of our best guards. So, go check things out at North Bear and do what’s necessary. Okay?”
An hour later, he was off, not saying goodbye to anyone and only bringing the essentials. That included his phone, which blew up with messages from Daniella when he ignored the calls.
Nico, come on. Please. I didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t know it was him. He didn’t know it was me.
I was lonely. You didn’t want to come, and he just happened to be there.
Fine, maybe I recognized him, but I was mad at you for putting me off all the time.
You are a selfish asshole. How can you break up with me and not cut him off? If you just gave in, I wouldn’t have looked for it elsewhere.
This was where the difference lay: Michael didn’t know, while Daniella had gone to the party actively looking for someone to be with.
“Ridiculous.”
Nico tucked his phone back into his pocket, refusing to get roped into a reply. There was no need to discuss that he hadn’t been talking to Michael, either, not when it was because of what the man had done to Peachy, as opposed to what the man had done to him. Instead, he kept trekking until he was way outside their territory and into the wilds, where he took caution and opened his senses to catch even the slightest change in the atmosphere. Time passed in a blur until the path had become narrower. Finally, he broke into a smaller forest area overlooking another field and more trees closer to the streets of New York.
North Bear had once been a property of a very wealthy businessman who turned it into a campground, but multiple enemy shifter attacks had forced the owner to close it. Dan Bennett, the old clan leader, bought the property before the man died, then had extended it until they owned a large chunk before it was left unkempt, too. When Angelo had taken over, it was mostly guards sent a few times a month to make sure it was still theirs, confirmed every time it was reported that the only signs of life were regular forest animals and campers passing by to reach the new camping grounds further away.
He slipped into the secret cottage in the deeper part of the forest, then headed out to make an initial round and secure the perimeter. When that was done, Nico climbed the highest tree and tucked himself in between leaves and branches. Then he began his watch.
There was silence. Then there were voices. He zoned in on the boots crunching dead leaves at the edge of the forest, their loud, clumsy steps signaling that these weren’t veterans.
“Are you sure you are reading the map right?” a woman asked, opening her map and scrutinizing it. Then she glanced up. “That doesn’t look like a safe place to use.”
Nico noted the steep path headed up to boulders and jagged rocks and agreed, though it would be easy for him and his kind. The man beside the woman shook his head.
“It says this is the way.”
“But it’s not the only way,” a second woman chimed in, features gleaming. “I know a shortcut.”
The two believed her immediately as she led them to the forest, where they passed under Nico’s tree and used the narrow path where the grass didn’t grow anymore. Still outside their territory, he let it be and watched as they circled to the back and found the side of the steep climb, where they would be able to walk easier until they passed that area.
“One down,” he said to himself.
Two more groups of campers showed up, one headed in the opposite direction and another risking the steep climb as they deemed the forest too dangerous. Curiosity blazed at how each group came about their decision, but it was the fourth group close to sunset that snagged his attention the most. The four women, all wearing neon bright gym clothes and bejeweled sneakers, stopped the longest as they discussed among themselves.
“It’s getting late. Are you sure we should be doing this?”
“We should totally be doing this. You just got a promotion.” The woman pointed. “And you just got out of a toxic relationship.”
“And you just had sex with your brother’s best friend, which is as cliché as it sounds.”
There was laughter, then a groan. “Shouldn’t we be celebrating in a bar?”
“Bars are overrated. This promotes health and peace. Besides, this is fun. An adult sleepover. Why don’t we give it a try and reach the campsite before the sun sets?”
Two women pointed at the sun, and a third cussed out. They discussed some more and pointed here and there before turning in unison and entering the forest. At first, he assumed they would just pass by like the others, but was flabbergasted when they reached a clearing and dropped their bags there. Then they were fumbling with a manual and trying to get a tent up.