Chapter Two

Gray wasn’t in the best mood when he woke the next morning. The interaction with the bobcat had kept him tossing and turning all night. He hadn’t meant to scare her away. He hadn’t meant for anything to happen at all.

But when he had heard a small rustle in the wind and had seen her, his brain had gone and he had been left operating on emotion. It had been so long since he’d been able to run with his Pack. The loneliness had gotten to him and he’d sent his call out to the wild. To find Beth in her other form there when he’d been so low had seemed like fate.

But he’d pressed too hard and too fast. She didn’t even know him and yet he had wanted to cover her with his scent and have hers all over him—to make a claim.

He quickly ran though his routine, not even taking the time to relieve his morning wood. His hand had lost all appeal over the last few months, anyway.

He perked up a little at the wonderful smells from the kitchen once he got to the dining room.

“There you are!” Dorothy greeted him as he entered. She ushered him to the same table by the window. “I saved the best seat in the house for you. You have to see the world wake up from here.”

It was a nice view of the canyon with the sunrise coming up. Dorothy made it even better by already accepting and welcoming him. The older human was a very special treat herself.

“I was worried you would miss the magical moment,” Dorothy told him. She poured a cup of coffee from a tray and set it in front of him.

“Magical?” he enquired politely.

“You just watch. You’ll see,” she promised and patted his shoulder. “I’ll go get your breakfast.”

He opened his mouth to remind her that he hadn’t ordered yet but she was already headed in the direction of the kitchen. Shrugging, he looked back out of the window. Maybe that was how they treated all their guests. Gray wasn’t going to complain when the dinner he’d had previously was something he still couldn’t believe he’d gotten to try. If he was in Coyote Bluff long, he’d have to up his fitness plan.

Unbelievable as it seemed, he was actually enjoying his visit. Maybe Dorothy knew what she was talking about with the whole table-seating thing. Gray found himself smiling as he peered out over the street to the scene beyond. That was when he saw it—the blending of colors as the sun hit the canyon surface. He leaned forward to try to catch every inch possible. Yellows, oranges, reds—all mixed together until the world before him came alive.

A bald eagle flew into sight and dipped low as if greeting the morning.

“It’s pretty amazing, huh?” A deep voice interrupted his admiration.

Gray hated to pull his attention away but turned to greet his company. “It really is,” he agreed.

The striking man in front of him wore a deputy’s uniform. He was also a cat, and an older version of young Julian.

Gray stood and held out a hand. The man seemed shocked for a second but quickly schooled his face.

“Gray Mason,” he introduced.

“Dawson Williams.” They shook and Dawson motioned back to the window. “Not a lot of people get to witness Mother Nature coming alive. You should count yourself lucky.”

Gray understood the underlined meaning of the words. He shouldn’t wear out his welcome. “I do,” he assured him.

“Sheriff Manor told us about your visit yesterday and asked if I would be willing to show you some of the unmarked trails that might be worth investigating. Since I was here, I thought we could enjoy some of Claude’s cooking while we discuss exactly what you’re looking for,” Dawson suggested.

“Well, then, please join me. Dorothy said she was bringing me some food…”

“She saw me come in. I eat here every morning, so she’ll take care of me,” Dawson explained. “But before we get down to business, I would like to get one thing out of the way.”

Gray tried not to tense. After what had happened the night before with Beth, he had no doubt her brother would tell him to stay away. The man had every right to. They didn’t know Gray. From what he’d gathered about the other wolves who’d visited, they had every right to wonder about his intentions. Hell, even he didn’t know what his intentions were.

“I understand you met my son last night.”

Gray nodded cautiously. “Julian.”

Dawson surprised him by sighing. “He’s a good kid. Curious and loves adventure, but I know he can be a little much. I would just appreciate it if he starts to bug you that you tell Dorothy, Claude or my sister Beth. They can keep him out of your hair.”

“Honestly, I wasn’t put out in any way last night. My Alpha has a daughter a few years older than him and, with my being gone so long from the Pack, Julian was actually a very welcome sight. You’re right, though—he is a great kid.”

Dawson seemed to relax. “Thanks, man.”

Dorothy came back with two plates of food and a cup of coffee for Dawson. Once she’d refilled Gray’s cup and was on her way to help someone else, Gray took in the food. Eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy and hash browns covered every inch of the large plate. And the smell… He could have died and gone to heaven.

“Luckily they’re used to serving shifters so every plate is always packed full to fill us up,” Dawson told him with amusement.

“I’ve got to tell you, I don’t eat this good at home,” Gray shared.

The two men dug into their breakfasts. A comfortable silence settled over the table. Dorothy topped off the coffee as she walked by but never interrupted.

Once he’d stuffed his face and had mopped up the last of the gravy with a bit of biscuit, Gray patted his stomach and leaned back. “Damn, so good. I probably shouldn’t have eaten all that if we’re going hiking.”

Dawson grinned over his own empty plate. “Now you know why I’m here every morning. We’ll burn off the calories, though.”

Gray smiled back and picked up his cup. He already liked Dawson. With Dawson’s help, maybe he would finally be able to make some headway into the investigation. Dawson seemed like the kind of man Gray would enjoy working with, too. He got the feeling that Dawson was a straight shooter who protected his family and his community.

“So, Joe—the sheriff—said you had reason to believe that whoever took the Prince may have traveled through here, or might even still be here?”

“Yeah, there hasn’t been enough evidence to really point out who they are, but we’ve come across a couple of their hideouts. We always seem to be missing them by a week or less, so some of the Alphas are worried we have a leak warning them before we get there.”

Dawson nodded for him to continue.

“This last time, we tried to keep it as quiet as possible. But somehow they must have been tipped off, because they were gone when we got to the camp in Oklahoma. They’d only been gone a couple of hours and while they’d tried to burn all of their papers and stuff, they didn’t get to it all before they took off. We were able to dig out some half-burned sheets and they were maps. One of the locations is the canyon.”

“And the others?” Dawson asked.

“Some caves in New Mexico and a site down in the swamp near New Orleans. We split up and I came here. It might be nothing, but we have to check it out.”

“Let me ask you this,” Dawson said, lowering his voice. “Why do you care? What do the wolf Packs have to gain in finding him?”

It was a fair question and Gray would have been surprised not to have been asked. “That’s tricky. Yes, the Prince had agreed to meet with our wolf representative to discuss him joining some of our Packs who will be going public. Just to meet—he hadn’t said one way or the other if he would consider joining. That’s tied into my motivation to help. By all accounts, the Prince was taken because he’d even agreed to meet. If we caused him to be taken because of that, it is our responsibility to help get him back.”

“It wasn’t your fault, though. Not the Packs’ fault.”

“Maybe not, but I still think that if we have to the resources to help find the Prince, then we need to step up,” Gray said.

“And this is all because our Prince agreed to meet with one man?” Dawson pressed.

“I understand your doubt, but I’ve found that the question of going public or not hits a lot of people’s hot buttons. Families, couples and friends are arguing about the issue. I think whoever took your Prince is trying to keep the felines out of the discussions.”

Dawson shook his head. “I guess I’m just having a hard time understanding.”

Gray paused and glanced back out of the window. “This is nice. The town, this community you all have here, protecting one another. It’s like a Pack. But not everyone has that. We have several rogue wolves who don’t have Packs, cats who are solitary and live alone, even other shifters who have no family at all. Little by little, they’re being hunted down like their lives mean nothing. There’s no one to protect those shifters. By becoming known to the world, we’ll be able to bring awareness to those who would hunt us.”

“You have strong feelings about this,” Dawson noted.

“The natural wolves that share my breed are almost extinct. And while they are trying to reintroduce some into these parts, it’ll never be the same. I also lost a good friend of mine about ten years ago. He was a gray wolf and was out hunting in protected lands. Two hunters killed him. They were busted and all they got was a slap on the wrist. They killed a man. Yes, he was a shifter, but he should have been safe there.”

“I understand, but, without hunting, some animals will take over,” Dawson argued.

“Yes, but if we have protected land to run in and the penalties are stiffer, then it’s a start,” Gray volleyed.

Dawson sat back and held up his hands. “I agree with you, man. And I think it’s a good idea, but I wonder how it will work. What would keep people from kidnapping a shifter to try to become one themselves? We know that can’t happen. You can’t be bitten by a wolf or scratched by a cat and become a shifter. How do we prove that?”

Gray shook his head. “I don’t know. Tony, the wolf who’s the representative for the shifters and the government, says it’s all about education. The government, or a select group of them, knows about us. Hell, some are us. He says that once we come out, everyone will be surprised by how high the support goes.”

“Huh. Well, we aren’t going to figure it out today. I brought an extra pack for you, so if you’re about ready to head out, we can get started. Leaving this early, at least it isn’t a hundred degrees.”

Gray stood along with him. “I’m ready.” He had dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, his old and worn-in hiking boots and had his ball cap stuffed into his back pocket.

The two headed for the door.

“I pulled my SUV in front this morning—” Dawson started.

“Daddy! Wolf!” Julian ran to the two men and threw himself into his father’s arms.

“Julian, his name is Gray, not Wolf,” Dawson gently corrected the youngster.

“Sorry, Daddy. Hi, Gray!” Julian greeted, waving his arms frantically.

“Hey there, little man,” he told the boy, patting his head, and Dawson put him down. He turned to the woman hovering in the background. “Good morning, ma’am.”

Beth smiled and blushed a little, but thankfully seemed okay with him. “Good morning, Gray.”

She was just as stunning as yesterday. Every feeling of rightness he’d had being in her presence returned. He stepped closer to her and was thrilled when she did the same. That was when he caught what the other two members of her family were talking about.

“Not today, son—Gray and I have to work. But we will be home for dinner. Why don’t the four of us have dinner here tonight?”

“Really? Cool!” Julian was already excited.

Dawson glanced at Gray and he nodded. He wouldn’t mind spending some time with the family. He really wanted to talk with Beth too.

“All right, then we better get going and you go have breakfast,” Dawson told his son.

“Maybe after dinner you wouldn’t mind taking a walk with me?” Gray asked Beth softly.

She darted a glance at her brother but nodded. “I think I would like that.”

Elated, Gray grinned. He was taking a big chance, but he had to know if the attraction between them was a fluke or if Beth would even be interested in something with him. Not that he’d worked out exactly how that would happen. He was there to do a job, not find a date. Plus he wasn’t actually going to be around long. That was going to be a worry for later, though. He and Dawson did need to get out to the canyons before it got too hot.

“See you later, Julian,” he told the boy, walking past him.

“Bye, wolf Gray! See you tonight!” Julian hollered back happily.

Beth hushed him as she led him back the way they had come and the two men headed outside. The heat was already starting to rise as they reached the patrol vehicle.

Gray pulled on his cap, and his sunglasses from where they’d been hanging on his shirt, and climbed in.

“There’s an old ranger station about a half mile down a back road. If these guys didn’t want to come through town or the public entrance, that would be the best bet. It’s overgrown but, if they were determined enough, they could get into the canyon that way.”

As they drove, Gray got the first look at the town in daylight. Cute cobblestone streets covered the downtown area, with old-style black lamp posts on the corners and no traffic lights.

“Up ahead is the station. There we have the sheriff, Joe Manor, and two deputies—a human named Stan Davis, and me.”

“Human?” Gray asked, surprised.

“Most of the town is either shifters or their families. All know about us so it’s safe. Stan’s brother is a mechanic. He’s married to Tammie, who runs a hair salon named Foxy Ladies. She’s a fox shifter.”

“A fox?” Gray leaned closer to the side window as they passed first the station then, three buildings later, the salon. “I have to be honest—other than wolves and a few felines, I have never met any other shifters.”

“I don’t imagine you have. Most wolves stay within their territory and with their own kind.”

Gray was about to defend his species, but Dawson cut him off. “And there is nothing wrong with that. Wolves stay together. It’s one of the traits I admire most. The only family I have besides Julian is my sister. Everyone else has taken off to be on their own. Even Julian’s mom left after a year.”

“Oh man, I’m sorry to hear that,” Gray replied honestly. If he were lucky enough to have kids, he couldn’t see himself ever leaving them.

“It’s our way. I can’t fault them, but I also don’t agree. We are human also—I like to think more human than animal. So leaving your child, your family… I just don’t…”

Gray let him trail off without pushing. The comfort he felt with the bobcat family was unusual. It also felt instinctual and he would just have to trust it. His Alpha had taught him to be aware of other shifters’ thinking. Tyler was a big supporter of letting a shifter live the life they thought was best, but Gray had to agree with Dawson. Family was supposed to be forever. One shouldn’t walk away from that bond for any reason. That felines lived solitary was one reason he didn’t understand the species.

“Anyway, we moved here so Julian could grow up with other shifters and never have to worry about being picked on for being a small cat. The bigger species can be brutal about that.”

There was a story there, but Gray let that pass as well.

“I don’t know why I am telling you all this. I just really want you to understand how important this town is to me. This is a safe haven. Your comment about it being like a Pack was dead-on. If the people you are after are here, I want to help you catch them. Help you get the Prince back. But I don’t want anything to hurt the town or its residents. My friends.”

Gray glanced over at Dawson. Every emotion showed on his face. “I promise to do my best to protect the town and everyone in it. I’ve been on the road for three months now. This is the first time I wanted to stop and just rest without pushing twenty-four hours a day. There’s simply something about this place, or maybe the people, that seems to calm me.”

Dawson laughed, tossing his head back. “Careful, man—we might just keep you.”

Gray smiled but was somewhat troubled. That was starting to worry him—the settled feelings that had been with him since he’d arrived. Back at home, things had changed. The Pack was growing. Some of the wolves in Colorado were moving around as his Alpha had decided to go public, while another Alpha—Austin, the mate of a good friend—had chosen to stay hidden.

Austin had made the best decision for his Pack and his family, and Tyler, Gray’s Alpha, had made the best for his. But with Austin and Kiley mating and her moving away, Tyler’s daughter Jesse growing up and himself getting older, Gray had started to feel life passing him by. He enjoyed working as a detective and with his Pack. But there was more to an existence than work. He just needed to finish his current mission before he could decide on the rest of his life.

“The ranger station is just up ahead,” Dawson told him.

Gray found himself disappointed that they’d reached the spot so soon. He rather liked talking to Dawson and he still hadn’t worked up the nerve to bring up anything about Beth.

The fact that Beth was still there with her brother and nephew was a good sign, but he didn’t know anything about her except for the strong attraction between the two of them.

Dawson had commented that Beth had stuck around and was the only family he had besides Julian, but did that mean she’d never considered leaving?

He was putting too much pressure on himself about a woman he’d just met. Gray knew that but it didn’t stop him from wondering and worrying. The entire trip had knocked him off-balance.

The old ranger station was indeed rundown, with overgrown foliage covering the building and drive. As Dawson parked, Gray peered out of the window, trying to see if anything had been disturbed.

“It’s been about a week since the last rain,” Dawson informed him as they exited the vehicle. “Tracks should be pretty easy to spot.”

“We’re only about three days behind them, so if they came through here, there might be some trail.” Gray shared his hope.

“The building still seems secure,” Dawson observed. “But let’s check it out.”

As they searched around the outside, Gray tried to breathe in and remember every scent for future use. Most of the smells were old, but a few—three separate ones—were stronger than the others and seemed to be newer.

“They didn’t get inside, but I can smell strangers. Maybe up to five days old? Not sure, but I don’t recognize them.”

Gray nodded. Back behind the building was some broken and stomped-down vegetation. “You see that?” he asked, tilting his head.

Dawson followed his line of sight, backing away from the window he’d been trying to look through. “Let’s go.”

Slowly and soundlessly, they started the search. It wasn’t a clear path—whoever had been through had been careful—but they were still able to get a mile from the station before they had to make a decision on which way to go. It helped that Dawson knew the area well.

“If it was me, I would head east to the caves. If they go too far west, they could run into tourists and the rangers. They might be able to blend in there, so it’s still a possibility, but I just don’t think they would risk it if they were trying to hide someone,” Dawson offered his opinion.

“I trust your instincts. Let’s head east, then,” Gray agreed.

The trek up the canyon and closer to the caves was hard-going. They stopped after an hour and thirty minutes at the first of a series of caves to grab a drink and eat energy bars while they discussed a game plan.

“What do you think about shifting when we get closer? It would be easier to search. We can cover more ground and use our animal instincts to see if anyone has been through,” Dawson suggested.

Gray took a swig from his water bottle. “That’ll work for me.”

“I, uh… I have shifted with others from town so I don’t think my cat will have any issues, but will your wolf…?” Dawson asked, finishing with a wave from his hand.

Gray remembered the night before and smiled. “I think it’ll be okay.”

“Good.” Dawson stood from where he had been sitting against a rock. “Let’s get back to it then.”

They gathered the wrappers and bottles and stuffed them into their packs. They climbed for another fifteen minutes before they came to a small group of trees with cover to hide their things.

“Let’s start at the first cave and go from there. Once we get to where the paths intersect, we should get an idea if anyone has been through.”

Gray nodded and he and Dawson started to strip. Gray ran often with his Pack so he had no problem getting naked in front of him. They separated a little when it came time to shift.

Only minutes later, he waited in his bigger wolf form for the bobcat.

Dawson jumped onto one of the large rocks and stretched. Gray shook his body, feeling the muscles move and pull. He loved his other form. He enjoyed the freedom of being able to shift into a wolf. It made him feel so powerful.

So many people in the world didn’t get to share the same experience as him.

Dawson’s earlier observation about humans wanting to experiment on a shifter to try to become like them was a valid concern. It was also the biggest reason shifters had remained hidden for so long. Times were changing, though, and he and his fellow shifters needed to adjust to the world around them.

Dawson vaulted down and joined him and the two of them took off at a slow run. They didn’t want to use up energy they might need later. They’d had to leave the radio Dawson had carried with their clothes. No cell phone reception, so that wouldn’t be able to help either.

The day was more for recon than anything else. If they came upon anyone, they would have to handle it with just the two of them. With enough time, if the Prince wasn’t in immediate danger, or they had too big an area to cover, they could call in for backup.

They reached the first cave and Dawson went ahead. While he nosed around the opening, Gray watched his back, keeping every one of his senses open for any danger around them. Dawson glanced over at him and Gray nudged him to go on. He didn’t smell any others around, so it should be pretty safe.

Gray stayed outside while Dawson searched the cave. After the bobcat came out and shook himself, they moved along to the next one.

It was another hour of searching, the two of them growing more and more frustrated, before they picked up a scent that should not have been there.

Gray smelled another wolf.

He lowered himself to the ground and growled low in the back of his throat. Dawson turned to him and followed his direction.

This was what they’d been searching for—a sign that someone had been up there. It could have just been a lone wolf, but Gray didn’t want to take a chance.

Gray stood watch as Dawson moved farther up the canyon, which was becoming steeper until even Dawson had a little trouble with his footing. Gray stayed close, though, giving Dawson room but still offering the security he would need to concentrate on any scents.

The two of them followed the faint trail for another half an hour before Dawson stopped and rested. Gray sat close by, on watch. When he felt a nudge and Dawson dipped his head, he understood the message—to change back to human.

Once both men had gone from animal to human, they shared a troubled look.

“Wolf and feline,” Gray shared.

“Yes, the farther up we go, it gets stronger.” Dawson shook his head. “The beginning of the trail was a lot harder to find. Now that we’re getting closer, it’s like they’re waving around their scents. I don’t know whether they got careless or if they don’t care if we find them.”

“A trap, then?” Gray asked, as he’d had the same thought.

“I don’t know,” Dawson admitted. “But I have a bad feeling.”

Gray nodded. “So do we turn around and get help or should we go farther?”

They stood thinking for several minutes before Dawson spoke again. “There’s something else. One of the scents. I know it.”

“From town?”

“No…” Dawson started but was interrupted by a low menacing growl.

Gray moved without even having to think about it. He jumped in front of Dawson, shifted and blocked him from the wolf slowly approaching from a ledge just overhead.

The dark wolf was bigger than Gray, but he had no doubt he could handle him. That was until another growl reached him from behind. He felt the disturbance in the wind as Dawson shifted into his feline form and the two of them backed up against each other.

Gray watched as they were stalked. The muscles in his legs flexed as he prepared to defend. He was less than ten feet from the wolf. He couldn’t tell how close the other one was, but the stiffness from Dawson’s body told him it wasn’t far.

Gray took a deep breath. The other wolf watched him and, just as Gray prepared to jump, the larger wolf launched itself off the ledge. Gray caught the wolf in midair and they went down hard. The wolf could fight, that was for sure. Gray kept in good shape from being a cop and as protection for his Alpha, but the wolf he fought was good—very good. They nipped and bit as they rolled around. He couldn’t take his eyes off his opponent but he hoped the commotion from the side was Dawson faring better than him. Gray just managed to stop himself from being pinned by teeth around his neck. He pushed off the other wolf, dragging his claws against the underbelly of the enemy. The black wolf snarled at him and had just gone for him again when a bobcat knocked into the wolf.

Dawson had come to his aid. Gray rose from the ground as Dawson backed the wolf up. Gray was just ducking in for another attack when he stopped at the loud and vicious roar of a cat.

They froze and glanced up at the feline above them. A bobcat, similar to Dawson but just a little bigger, was within striking distance.

The cat roared again before he started to shift. Gray wasn’t about to let his attention waver from the threat around him but he had a real bad feeling about what he and Dawson had stumbled on.

His pressed against Dawson’s side, silently letting the bobcat know that Gray had his back. He lifted his lip and snarled at the large wolf when he stepped closer to him.

“Stop!” the now naked man ordered. “Shift.”

Gray glanced at Dawson, but he was staring up at the stranger frozen. He nudged his partner, asking what they should do. Did Dawson know the other shifters? He nudged Dawson harder and finally Dawson shook himself and nodded. They stepped back together to get more distance from the strangers before they started their shifts.

This was always a tricky position to be in. Shifters were vulnerable in the small amount of time the change was taking place. Gray allowed Dawson to complete his transformation before he began his.

Sweat covered his body and Gray had to fight the shakiness in his limbs from back-to-back transformations. He’d been in worse situations before, but Gray hated any sort of weakness.

The two shifters they had fought were back to human just as Gray and Dawson finished. Gray glanced over the others, warily pleased they didn’t seem in much better shape. The wolf he’d fought was a big guy—huge and muscular with tattoos down both arms, his chest and abdomen. The big Semper Fi tat over his heart was testament to where he had received his training. The one who Dawson had taken on was about Gray’s size, clean-cut, with the appearance of a typical soldier. Then he took in the guy still on the ledge above them. He was tall but thinner than his partners, though still muscular, and his demeanor screamed leader.

“Dawson,” the man greeted and jumped down, landing gracefully on his feet.

Dawson had once again gone tense beside Gray. “Casey.”

Gray watched the interaction. Casey moved slowly toward them and Gray didn’t like the way Dawson started to shake. Gray shuffled his feet and tried to make himself bigger to block Dawson.

The man heading for them put up his hands. “Dawson…”

Gray was unprepared for Dawson coming around him then punching the guy. The stranger’s head snapped back. Before he recovered, Dawson hit him again. Gray grabbed Dawson’s arms and pulled him back as the other two men started forward. But the guy he’d assaulted held up a hand.

“It’s okay.”

Dawson didn’t even try to break free of Gray’s hold. Instead he stood there, breathing hard and glaring daggers at the other man.

“I know what you must think…”

“Save it, Case,” Dawson snapped. “I’m all right, Gray. You can let go.”

Gray still wasn’t sure but he dropped his hold anyway. Dawson did seem to be in control even if he was shaking with anger.

Dawson straightened. “You all have just assaulted an officer of this county and his consultant. I would like an explanation before I haul all your asses in to jail.”

The two wolves bristled before they were waved off. “RJ, Mike—please meet my brother, Dawson.” Then he walked toward Gray and held out a hand. “Casey Williams.”

Gray cut his eyes to Dawson, who barely nodded his confirmation. Gray shook hands, noticing the power of the cat close to the surface. “Gray Mason.”

“Ah, the Wolf Council’s representative,” Casey said with a smile. “Didn’t think you’d get here so quick.”

Gray stiffened, but Casey just grinned.

“Follow us. I think we have some explaining to do,” Casey stated. He strolled off before Gray could anything else.

A big part of Gray wanted to refuse just to be difficult, but Dawson sighed and followed his brother. With a shake of his head, Gray walked behind Dawson. Was this some sort of family drama or was Casey somehow involved in Gray’s investigation?

Gray really hoped he wouldn’t have to arrest Beth’s oldest brother, but Casey’s words had been suspicious.