Tawny pulled out her phone and typed in the first number Ariel had entered. It was Alex’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Alex. It’s Tawny Granger. I run the rescue—“
He chuckled. “I know who you are.”
He did? Of course he did. Alex had been the one to check up on her. “I have a strange favor to ask.”
“Sure. Shoot.”
She inhaled. “My brother, who is the forest ranger here, hasn’t returned any of my calls in three days. I heard he was on a rescue mission, but he should have been back two days ago.”
“I’m sorry. Have I met your brother?”
Alex and Liam had only attempted to train Mason, but after one session, her brother decided he’d rather take pictures of people than fight them. “I don’t believe so. His name is Zach, and he kind of keeps to himself.”
“How can I help?”
“I wanted to hike into the High Ridge mountains and look for him. We have a family cabin up there, so I thought he might have decided to stay there.” Though that didn’t have a high probability. "I don't want to go alone, so I’m wondering if you and Liam wouldn't mind tagging along?"
“The weather is rather fickle this time of year.”
“I know, which is why I fear something bad might have happened to him.”
Alex didn’t answer for a moment. “When would you like to go?”
Her knees weakened with relief. “Tomorrow? I’d like to be on the road by eight to have as much daylight as possible.”
“That works for me. Liam and I only have a session with Benson tomorrow, but I’m sure he’d be happy to postpone it a few days.”
She chuckled. “I imagine he would.” Her cousin was more a lover than a fighter, though he had held his own against the Franklin Clan.
“How about we meet you at your rescue center and head out from there?”
“Are you sure it isn’t too much of an inconvenience?”
“Not at all. See you then.” He disconnected quickly, acting as if he feared she’d change her mind if they kept talking. Only she wouldn’t.
After pocketing her phone, Tawny found Ariel again. “It’s a go!”
“Great. I hope you’re taking a change of clothes in case you decide to stay in the cabin for the night—assuming Zach’s not there.”
She hadn’t thought about what she needed to pack, but she liked being prepared. Too bad women couldn’t shift, or Tawny wouldn’t have to worry about a lot of things—like being cold. “I can do that. I’ll definitely pack some food and take plenty of water.”
“Not to be a downer, but pack a first aid kit. Yes, I know werewolves can heal quickly, but one never knows.”
Tawny placed a hand on Ariel’s arm. “I will. Thank you. I’ll be leaving here at eight tomorrow morning. If you or Trent could show up a little before then, I’ll let you in. If it’s Trent, I will need to show him around. Alan but not Brett is scheduled to work, which is why I need someone to help with the animals. Julia will be here though, and she knows how to run things.”
“Sounds good.”
“If by some chance, I do spend the night, the clinic is closed on Sunday. In that case, I’ll need someone to come in and feed the animals.”
Ariel held up her hand. “Don’t worry about a thing. Between Trent and myself, we’ll make sure everything goes smoothly.”
Tawny gave Ariel a quick hug. “Thank you. I owe you.”
“Just find that brother of yours.”