“I intend to.”
* * *
Tawny spent the night packing, unpacking, and repacking her backpack. Normally, she hiked in the summer, and winter hiking required different equipment. However, in the end, she believed she had what she needed.
Tawny arrived at the center a half an hour early to make sure that the animals were all set. At quarter to eight, Trent showed up. He was clean shaven wearing a nice flannel shirt, jeans, and new-looking boots.
“Hey, Trent. Thanks for doing this.” Even though she would be paying him.
“No problem. I owe my sister a lot.”
She smiled. “I understand.” For the next ten minutes Tawny showed him around. “If anyone stops by, Julia will handle things. Help Alan with whatever he needs to have done.”
“Sure.”
Once Trent was set, she stood by the front door waiting for Liam and Alex. They arrived right on time. Liam jumped out of his truck and rushed up to her door. Before he reached it, Tawny stepped outside, only to have the cold, damp wind slap her in the face. This was not the weather she wanted to hike in, but she had little choice. Zach might need help.
Liam reached around her to lift off her pack, but if they were too nice to her, she’d focus on them and not enough on finding Zach. “I’m good.”
“Suit yourself, but you won’t be comfortable wearing that on the ride up the mountain.”
Damn. He was right, but she was too stubborn to take it off until she reached their vehicle.
Alex was there to take it when she slipped it off. “I’ll put it in the back next to our gear.”
“Thanks.”
He then hopped into the back seat. It would appear rude if Tawny said she wanted to sit by herself. What was it about these men that distracted her so much? Was one of them really her mate? Or both?
“What’s your plan on how to locate Zach?” Liam asked as soon as he started the engine.
“I don’t have an exact plan. The last anyone heard from Zach, he was heading out to help an injured climber on East River Rock.”
“Do you know where that is? Alex and I haven’t explored a lot of the mountains around here.”
“Yes. I grew up in these hills.”
“Great.”
It took about twenty minutes to reach the High Ridge mountain’s park entrance. She looked at the almost empty parking lot for Zach’s truck, but it wasn’t there. “This is where he usually parks, though he could be at the ranger station.”
“What do you want to do? Hike or check the ranger station?” Liam asked as he pulled in at the far end, near the path’s entrance.
She’d called the station on the way over, but no one had answered. “Let’s worry about his truck once we find Zach. He’ll know where he parked.”
“Sounds good.” Liam cut the engine, and the three of them piled out.
After putting on their packs, Alex suggested that Tawny lead since she knew the trails.
“Let’s head to the climbing site first. It’s possible the hiker couldn’t be moved without a gurney, and Zach had to go for help,” she said.
“It’s possible he never made it back with the help.” Liam pressed his lips together.
Wasn’t he the cheery one? “That’s not likely.” Or so she wanted to believe.
“If Zach say, fell and broke his leg, would he chance shifting so he could heal faster?” Alex asked.
She stopped and faced them. “If it came to dying or shifting, he would shift. Hunting is illegal around here, but that doesn’t mean people don’t do it. Real wolves can be pests in the mountains, as can be the bears. The problem is that the humans don’t realize that guns usually won’t stop the bears.”