Free Mating Hunt by Bonnie Vanak Page B

of memories sparking like lightning.
    “They loved you very much. They taught you to hunt. Must have, because you had skills when I first started working with you, little pint. Skills someone taught you.” His voice deepened. “Remember the good stuff. The times you were happy.”
    Lulled by his soothing tone, she reached for memories long buried and began pulling them free, like dusty photo albums from an attic trunk.
    “My parents left their pack a few years after I was born. They taught me to track Lupine scents when I was little. Because I’m a pureblood, my senses are more heighted.”
    “Knew it from the moment I started to teach you,” he said quietly. “You’re a damned fine tracker.”
    “They were biologists who wanted to save wild wolves. They left the pack, moved to Montana and formed an organization to rescue wolves, breed and then release them. I played with the pups, even ran with them.”
    Arianna smiled, remembering the pups cavort, the loving way the wild wolves raised their young.
    Kyle muttered a low curse. “Rescue Wolves of Montana. After I’d found you and Aiden started searching for your parents, we checked it out. But it had closed and locals said the owners returned to Alaska with their daughter. Damnit. If I had only known...”
    She leaned against him, needing his support. “I stopped playing with the pack when my dad heard rumors there was a wild wolf girl running with the wolves. And then the operation became too large. They hired a Skin to feed and care for the wolves. Things got bad when Josh started working for us.”
    Arianna stared at the lake. “Josh did things. Mistreated the wolves, teased them. I warned my parents, but they’d already decided to shut down the operation. My dad worried about my first change because blooded Lupines were most vulnerable the first year of shifting. They gave the wolves to another organization to release and let Josh go.”
    A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Losing his job must have really pissed off the Skin.”
    “It should have, but he didn’t seem to care. If only I’d known he was hiding something.”
    “It’s not your fault, Ari,” he said gently. “You were a child. What happened next?”
    “Before we finished packing, I experienced my first shift and came into heat. It was intense and scary. Mom and Dad wanted me to learn to defend myself before we left for Alaska, but needed a place where the Skins couldn’t see me shapeshift.”
    Her voice dropped. “They chose Mitchell Mountain because of its rugged terrain. We hiked and an hour later realized Josh followed us with a shotgun. He, he...”
    Thin wisps of her ragged breaths fogged the air as strobes of memory flashed in her mind. Arianna squeezed her eyes shut, seeing sticky crimson stain pure white fur.
    Kyle threaded his lean, warm fingers through hers. Opening her eyes, she whispered, “I don’t remember. I don’t remember, so stop asking me!”
    “It’s okay,” he soothed. “Deep breaths, Ari. Just breathe.”
    For a few minutes, she gulped down the crisp, cool air. When the shaking stopped, Kyle jerked a thumb at the path.
    “Let’s walk. The kids will be fine.”
    They followed the trail behind the cabin, cutting deep into the thick forest. Silver moonlight dappled deep green pines as moonbeams pooled on the ground.
    After they’d walked a while, she stopped. Kyle squeezed her hand. “You okay now?”
    Arianna nodded.
    “Jessie said the man who wanted to buy them was nearby. Somewhere on this mountain, that sick bastard is waiting to snatch more Lupine young. Where is he hiding? Ari, how would you track him?”
    Just like old times, when Kyle would question her, nudge her into thinking of solutions while they hunted. It was his method of teaching, but later, became their comfortable way of working together.
    She must work with Kyle to hunt the new threat to Lupine young and stop whoever wielded this sinister, dark magick.
    “I remember an underground prison.