Grace of a Wolf (by Lenaleia) novel Chapter 243

Chapter 243: Caine: Moonbane

CAINE

I stand in the middle of the main lodge, keeping my expression neutral while Blue Mountain wolves exchange glances and wrinkle their noses. Dylan’s covered from head to toe in dried mud and slime, smelling of swamp and death rot. If it weren’t for the pack bond between us, I’d doubt his identity.

But it’s him, gripping an equally muddy Sadie’s collar with a death grip and dangling a grumpy-looking, once-white cat in his other arm. Whatever adventure the animals went through was very obviously torture for Dylan, who’s gone without sleep to relentlessly track them since they bolted.

"High Alpha," Dylan says through clenched teeth, his dignity barely intact as Sadie’s tail swishes slowly across the floor to smear more muck across the polished floor. "I’ve returned with your... pets."

The inane greeting is necessary because of basic hierarchical obligations, but also to give the animals status in the eyes of the Blue Mountain Pack. Which is why I’ve welcomed him here, in the main lodge, instead of in Brax’s—now Alpha Raphael’s—office.

But it’s hard to find a proper response when looking at this bedraggled trio.

"Your effort is... commendable," I finally say.

My focus shifts to the small square, presumably a box, clamped between Sadie’s jaws. It’s roughly the size of a human fist, details indistinguishable thanks to the grime and mud coating it. The dog’s posture changes when I eye it—her tail stops wagging, her hackles rising.

Interesting.

"What’s with the box?" I nod toward Sadie, keeping my voice calm.

My subordinate lets out a low growl. "She won’t release it. I attempted twice. Got this for my trouble." He shifts his weight to reveal a tear in his pants—not deep enough to break skin, but a warning nonetheless. Whatever scratch Sadie’s claws may have caused has already healed over.

"From her?" The surprise is real. The golden retriever, though obviously not a mere dog, has shown no signs of aggression to this point.

That thing runs when I look at her sideways, Fenris agrees.

"Yes, sir."

Two Blue Mountain wolves hover nearby, cleaning supplies in hand and hostility radiating from their gazes. Not at Dylan, of course, but at Sadie. Even with their status as my pets, it would be strange to expect any wolf shifter to look at a mere dog with respect.

I wave everyone out of the room, not wanting them to bear witness to the details. Once they’ve left, I raise a single brow. "Report."

Dylan’s face settles into a blank mask, probably to hide the annoyance wafting off him. Lycans may be loyal, but he’s definitely holding a grudge over this one.

"They ran for an abandoned hunter’s cabin, sir. A human one, nothing the pack would use. It was approximately two miles from the edge of their territory to the south. They made a direct line for it with no deviation, hesitation, or rest, almost as if..."

He hesitates, which is understandable. Even for a battle-hardened veteran of the Lycan Pack, it’s strange to think a random dog and cat would act in this way.

"As if they knew exactly where they were going," I finish for him.

"Yes, High Alpha. The basement was partially flooded, the water scummy. Shit was growing down there, despite being indoors. Other than that, nothing strange about the place. Except the fact the basement existed at all."

Hunter’s cabins don’t generally have basements. They aren’t homes; just rest areas for, as the name suggests, hunters.

So his suspicion over its origins is eminently reasonable. I’m curious about it, too.

"What did they do there?"

"They ran all over the place sniffing, and Sadie ended up digging through the water until she got this out." He glances askance at the now-growling retriever, who jerks her head away with a faint snarl when he does. "I tried to take it from her, but..."

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