Behind her, Astra laughed. The Dragonkin stood with her arms folded, watching them work. Her home, the Eltrathing Tree, stood in the middle of the swamp, and she shook her head at Kesha’s words.

  “Swamps are fine places,” she said. “Perfect for hiding and keeping away unwanted visitors.”

  “Yeah,” Kesha muttered. “I bet it’s all really nice when you have wings and can fly to make sure you don’t get wet feet.”

  James laughed at that and shook his head while he resumed packing.

  He had a big supply of his favorite granola bars — several boxes of them — and he struggled to stuff them all in his hiking bag.

  “James, do you really need that many granola bars?” Corinne teased.

  “Hey, you never know when we’ll need a snack,” James replied with a grin.

  Kesha laughed as she began packing a rope. “And what if all that food you are packing attracts a bear? Are you going to throw a granola bar at it?”

  James rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Very funny, Kesha. I’ve got a survival knife in here, too.”

  “Against a bear?” The fox girl muttered. “That’s very brave!”

  James laughed and gave her a playful nudge. “I know you’ll just be climbing up a tree when we run into trouble,” he said.

  The fox girl pouted her lips in an exaggerated way and crossed her arms. “I’ll have you know I would never leave you all behind,” she said.

  Corinne laughed and nodded at the rope that Kesha had been packing. “Uh-huh,” she said. “You’ll climb up that tree, then toss us that rope, right?”

  Kesha laughed and stuck out her tongue.

  Finally, they had packed everything that they would need for their trip.

  James, Corinne, and Kesha said goodbye to the others. Sara and Astra assured James that they would keep themselves and the cabin safe, in addition to running regular checks on the traps that James and Astra and Sara had set.

  Lucy promised him that she wouldn’t venture into the forest until James was back. Even though they now knew that the red-eyed creature that lingered in the woods was not a threat to them, James still wanted her to be careful — especially since the beautiful thing that had happened between them last night.

  When all words of caution in preparation were spoken, James held each of his women tight and kissed them as he whispered promises of swift return. Then he slung the rifle over his shoulder, took his staff in his hand, and took the lead.

  They began their journey, waving and laughing and full of good spirits as they headed into the woods to search for Hind and learn the truth behind the prophecy of the Wellingtons.

  James, Corinne, and Kesha trudged through the forest, their backpacks slung over their shoulders.

  The sun filtered through the leaves, dappling the forest floor with light. And yet, there was a brisk breeze that had made them wear their sweaters and vests during the morning.

  However, now that the sun was reaching its zenith, it was warm enough to continue in their T-shirts and tank tops.

  They had been traveling for hours, crossing the brook that James and the others bathed in from time to time and venturing deeper into the thicker parts of the forest.

  As they now walked, the sound of a babbling creek grew louder.

  “We should probably follow this creek,” James said, pointing ahead. “It’ll lead us deeper into the woods.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Corinne replied, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

  “Agreed,” Kesha chimed in, her tails swishing behind her and her ears upright as she sniffed the air for a moment.

  They carefully crossed the creek, using stepping stones to avoid getting wet.

  On the other side, the forest thickened, and the path became harder to follow. But James was confident. He felt like he was being led towards something, like a pull in his chest.

  “So, what’s the plan?” Corinne asked as they continued walking.

  “Like I said back at the cabin, I suspect Hind will find us if we venture into the forest,” James replied. “I’ve spotted her in these woods before, and I have a feeling she’s going to show up.”

  “Really?” Corinne asked, her ears perking up. “Do you think she’s drawn to you or something?”

  James shrugged. “I don’t know. But I feel she’s close.”

  Then he glanced at Kesha. “You and I had more than a few chance encounters in the forest as well, didn’t we?” he asked.

  The fox girl nodded. “Yes,” she said. “We did.”

  “Well,” James continued. “It has been the same for me and Hind… For whatever reason, we keep running into each other.”

  He took another moment to study Kesha, registering the contemplative look in her blue-and-green eyes.

  “Do you have any idea why that kept happening?” he asked Kesha. “Why we kept running into each other in the forest?”

  As she walked, Kesha raised a slender finger to her full lips and contemplated his question.

  In the end, she shrugged and looked at him.

  “Honestly,” she said. “I couldn’t tell. Perhaps in some way I was drawn to you — or you to me.”

  “Maybe it was fate,” Corinne said.

  James nodded. The concept of fate hadn’t really rung home with him in the past. But then again, in his previous life, he didn’t think about those things. He was just working his job to pay his bills, trudging along, and hoping for a break.

  But now, out here in the wild, with so many things coming together, it was a lot easier to believe in the hand of fate.

  “Whatever is behind it,” he said. “I believe it will drive Hind to me again. But at the same time, we shouldn’t fully rely on it. That is why we are headed toward the area where Sara mentioned seeing a lot of squirrels. I know that Hind lives close to them and within earshot of the cabin. Hopefully, we will find her there if she doesn’t find us first. ”

  The girls nodded in agreement, and the three of them continued walking, their conversation trailing off as they took in their surroundings and enjoyed the freedom and the crisp air of the surrounding woods.

  The forest was peaceful, the only sounds coming from the occasional bird call or the rustling of falling autumn leaves. They passed towering trees, and vines hung from the branches overhead like curtains as they skirted swampy lands.

  They walked in silence for a while longer, each lost in their own thoughts.

  Then, a very earthly feeling roused James from his contemplations.

  His stomach rumbled.

  He glanced over his shoulder at Kesha and Corinne, equally lost in their own musings.

  “What do you girls say we take a break?” he said. “I don’t know about you, but I could certainly go for something to eat right now.”

  Kesha’s green-and-blue eyes widened. “That’s a great idea, James!” she said. “I’m hungry!”

  Corinne laughed and nodded. “Me too!”

  James chuckled. “All right,” he said. “Let’s go look for a place where we can take a break.”

  Chapter 22

  After a brief hike, James, Corinne, and Kesha found a suitable place to take a break from their journey through the woods and sit down for a leisurely lunch.

  They spread out a blanket on a grassy clearing, and the girls rummaged through their backpacks to see what food Sara had packed for them back at the cabin.

  As Kesha and Corinne concerned themselves with the food, James took a deep breath of fresh forest air and smiled contentedly.

  Kesha pulled out a bag of sandwiches and said, “Sara always makes the best lunches. There are sandwiches in here, as well as a thermos with hot soup and one with hot water, so we can make coffee or tea.”

  “Dibs on the soup!” Corinne said.

  James chuckled. “Knowing Sara, it’s soup with meatballs.”

  The others laughed at that as they continue to unpack the lunch.

  There were sandwiches with sausage and cheese, lettuce and tomato, and even a few with peanut butter and jelly. Even though Sara was partial to meat — and dairy — she still was considerate enough to pack a few things for those who enjoyed other fare.

  With the food unpacked, they sat down on the blanket and began to eat their sandwiches, chatting and laughing. James took a bite of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich and savored the taste — it had been a while since he had one of those.

  As he ate in peace, he took a moment to appreciate the fact that he was here in the woods with Corinne and Kesha, surrounded by nature. He loved each of his women equally, but it was always nice to get a little time with one or two of them separate.

  “You know,” said Kesha between bites of her sandwich with cheese and sausage, “I always thought this part of the forest was kind of creepy, but now that I’m here, it’s actually really nice.”

  “Creepy?” James said, perking an eyebrow. “How come?”

  She swallowed her bite and looked up at him with her big, green-and-blue eyes.

  “Well,” she began. “The woods are so dense here, and you can see so very little.” She then took a deep whiff of the air. “And the air… Well, it kinda smells like wolves.”

  James nodded softly. “Wolves, huh?” He looked around. “I’m not looking forward to meeting any of those.”

  Kesha chuckled, leaning back on the blanket as she eyed him. “It’s a faint smell,” she said. “I don’t think we need to worry. Anyway, it’s lovelier out here than I would’ve thought. I’m really happy we went out on this trip.”

  James nodded in agreement. “I love the peacefulness of it all,” he said. “It’s like the entire world slows down when you’re out here in the woods.”

  “I know what ya mean,” said Corinne, taking a sip of her water. “There’s just something about being in the middle of nature that makes you feel connected to it all.” She considered it for a moment. “Even if I ain’t a Fae or a mage like you guys.”

  James studied her for a moment. “Well,” he said. “That shouldn’t matter, should it? The fact that you don’t cast spells or are innately connected to magic doesn’t make you any less.”

  Kesha nodded vehemently in agreement. “It shouldn’t!” she agreed.

  Corinne’s shoulders slumped as her green eyes turned to the blanket on which they were sitting.

  “Astra seems to think so,” she said before looking up at James again. “I’m… sorry. I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer here, but what do you see in her, James? She’s kind of uptight.”

  Kesha chuckled, although she hid it behind her hand as her blue-and-green eyes shot over to James.

  James smiled and nodded. “You two haven’t been getting along so far, have you?”

  Corinne grinned and shook her head. “I get the feeling she thinks she’s better’n me.”

  James inclined his head. “I see where you’re coming from, Corinne,” he said, reaching over to place his hand on her knee. “Astra has a few… insecurities of her own. I believe she deals with those by acting haughtier than she actually is.”

  “Well, I ain’t a fan of people who act all high and mighty.”

  Kesha’s eyes flashed back and forth between James and Corinne as she followed the conversation with interest.

  “I understand that,” James said. “And normally, I’m not either. But I have found that once you get to know Astra a bit better, she will warm up to you, and you can actually have a lot of fun with her.”

  Corinne nodded slowly. “Well,” she said. “I will give her another chance for your sake… Even though I’m not normally the type to be patient with people that don’t seem to want to get along.”

  James gave her knee a squeeze. “Thanks,” he said. “I’ll have a talk with her as well. I noticed that she gets a little more reserved when there are more people around. What she really needs is to get to know you all a bit better and feel more comfortable. We will make that happen.”

  Corinne smiled and nodded. “All right,” she said. “That’s sweet of ya, James. Now, let’s eat up. I didn’t mean to spoil the mood.”

  James shook his head. “Oh,” he said. “You did no such thing. I think it’s good that we had this talk.”

  Kesha nodded vigorously. “I kinda agree with Corinne,” she said. “I mean, Astra is nice enough to me, but she also scares me.”

  James laughed and nodded. “All right, all right,” he said. “I hear you girls. It’s time for me and Astra to have a little talk about attitude.”

  With that, they turned to lighter matters. They continued eating their sandwiches and chatting, each enjoying the company of the others.

  Corinne and Kesha seemed to get along very well, and James felt a warm glow in his heart as he saw the two girls talk and exchange banter, laughing and listening to each other. They were two very important people in his life, and he was thankful to have them by his side.

  Soon enough, they finished their sandwiches, and each of them was refreshed and ready for the second leg of their journey.

  They packed up their stuff and continued their journey deeper into the woods, hoping to run into Hind sooner rather than later.

  James, Corinne, and Kesha continued their way through the dense forest, admiring the rustling leaves and towering trees, engaging in soft conversation from time to time.

  One thing was certainly true — there were a lot more squirrels around here.

  “It wouldn’t surprise me if Sara hunted here from time to time,” James said.

  Kesha nodded; her big eyes followed a squirrel as it darted up a tree.

  “These are good grounds,” she said, her ears falling back a little as the huntress instinct awakened in the fox girl.

  Corinne chuckled. “I…”

  “Help!”

  They all froze as the cry rang out, bouncing between the mighty tree trunks of the forest.

  And even though the cry came from afar and was distorted by the echoes in the forest, James recognized the voice well enough.

  Hind…

  Without a second thought, James took the lead and began sprinting in the direction of the voice.

  “This way!” he called back to his lovers, as they quickly followed behind him.

  As they ran through the forest, James’s heartbeat quickened with the urgency of the situation. The cries for help echoed among the trees, growing louder with each passing moment.

  They were drawing closer.

  But the next cry seemed to come from a different direction.

  James skidded to a stop, eyes darting left and right as he tried to find the deer girl.

  Kesha, with her keen senses, tilted up her head to sniff the air, raising one arm as she did so, the hand hanging limply in a fox-like manner.

  “She’s close,” Kesha announced. “She smells like deer.”

  Then she looked to her left. “This way!”

  The forest was a blur as James ran after Kesha, dodging branches and leaping over fallen trees as he followed that familiar silhouette down the forest.

  Corinne was just a few steps behind him. They stumbled through the underbrush, James’s breaths coming in short gasps as he pushed himself to the limits.

  Suddenly, the cries for help grew louder, and James and Corinne came to a stop in a small clearing right behind Kesha.

  The fox girl had stopped, her eyes wide in fear as she looked around.

  “What is it?” James asked.

  A moment later, the sound of barking and howling filled the air.

  Wolves, James thought.

  “Oh no, oh no, oh no,” Kesha mumbled, looking left and right now that she was confronted with the sounds of her kind’s enemies.

  “What do we do?” Corinne asked, her bright green eyes darting around the clearing.

  “I want you girls behind me,” James said, shrugging the Winchester 1894 lever-action rifle from a shoulder.

  As the girls fell in behind him, he checked the rifle. It was one of the older models — without the cross bolt or top tang safety that had been added later. And so, all James had to do to get it ready was work the lever action.

  The metallic click-clack of the action loading a cartridge into the chamber was reassuring to him.

  The sounds of the wolves howling and barking less so…

  “Stay behind me at all times,” James said. “If anything goes wrong, I want you girls to back away slowly — don’t panic. Try to climb up a tree if you can.”

  Corinne nodded, the blood having flushed from her freckled face, but her body was coiled like a spring, ready to jump into action when necessary.

  It was the same for Kesha — despite her fear, she was ready to do as he said.

  The wolves were silent now, and James raised his rifle in a low ready position, the stock snug into the pocket of his shoulder.

  “Do you smell them?” he asked Kesha.

  Kesha’s nose twitched as she sniffed the air, searching for any scent that might lead them to the source of the cries.

  James and Corinne kept their eyes peeled, scanning the surrounding trees for any sign of movement.

  For a moment, there was silence. And then the cries for help started up again, coming from deep within the forest.

  Furious barking followed.

  “This way!” James cried, leading the charge once again as they raced towards the source of the cries.

  Chapter 23

  James, Corinne, and Kesha followed the cries deeper into the forest, and they grew louder with every passing moment.

  At last, they burst into a clearing.

  James skidded to a stop at once. What he saw made his heart rage in his chest.

  A pack of five wolves, their fur a mottled mix of gray and black, surrounded a single tree. On a low branch, clinging desperately to the trunk, sat Hind.

  The deer girl was dressed in her usual straps of leather and fur, and although she looked quite skilled at climbing trees, her hazel eyes were wide with fear as she regarded the pack of five wolves below her.

  The alpha wolf, a massive beast with ragged fur and scars on its snout, stood beneath her snarling, its teeth bared.

  The other wolves were circling the base of the tree, growling and snapping at each other as they jostled for their positions. Their eyes gleamed in the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves above, and their teeth were bared as they anticipated their next meal.

 

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