Tangled

178

178

178 Lucas: Hunt Him Down

LUCAS

Hundreds of wolves flood the forest in search of the elusive

vampire, filling my blood with the lust of the hunt and pride in my pack.

Ava's at the lodge and safe. I'm on my way. Kellan's mental voice is a welcome interruption.

Ryder scented him near the border of the human dairy farm. Take a team and move south, in case he's fucking with his trail.

Got it, Alpha.

Now that I don't have to worry about her safety, I can focus on this bastard who has the balls to come to our lands during this sacred time.

My wolf snarls, a vicious rumble deep in our shared chest as we race through the shadowed forest.

Moonlight weaves between the trees, illuminating the underbrush in random patterns, brushing against my dark fur as I weave

between ancient trunks.

All around me, howls rise into the night sky. It's an eerie symphony of bloodlust, feral and free, as we rush through the land in pursuit, ready to tear any vampire we catch from limb from limb. The pack's rage pulses through me, mingling with my own, until I can't distinguish where mine ends and theirs Begins.

Good. Let them feel the depth of my wrath, the seething

17:45

Hunt Hen

that demands vengeance and blood in price for the eighteen wolves

the earth and trees, far past the past the warm musk of my wolves racing alongside me. There.

through with the metallic tang of old blood. Death given

Vampire.

vicious growl tears from my throat. My blood surges as I lunge in the direction of that unholy scent. My paws devour the distance, powerful muscles

northwest. Scent leads that

way.

voice sounds more beast than man, roughened by the intensity of my focus. I sense Kellan's acknowledgment, feel him gathering the wolves under his command to pursue the trail. Ryder, swing your group around to flank from the east. Box

invade my territory, dared to threaten and kill my people. And

in a silent snarl. When we do, I'll tear his fucking head from his shoulders and mount it on a pike for all to see. A warning

17:45

that Hen

Ryder cuts in, his mental presence sharp with confusion. But

of unease winds through my gut. South should lead them away from the

again, terse and grim. Miles from the original

pack-link, wolves reporting contact with the same sickly sweet vampire stench in different locations. Scattered throughout our territory like

right.

Fuck.

throat. I should have seen it immediately.

leech is trying to lure us out, divide

a leaden weight

for fools by

in a small clearing, my sides heaving as I cast out with all my senses. Straining for any sign of the vampire's actual location amid the chaos of false trails. But there's nothing. Only the maddening sweetnes pack-link like a whip. We're being loved with. Ryder, Kellan, take a group each and

with ruthless efficiency. I understand. my wolves' frustration, feel it roiling inside me like