Jase

Garrett had several other pack members, including his second Tank, and Trey, waiting for Jared and I at the shop. I was relieved to hear that Malcolm and Mort's trail had led back south and away from Krissy's neighbourhood. The pack had followed it all the way past the reservoir, to an empty warehouse next to a water treatment facility in the industrial district. A couple more pack members were staking out the place, waiting on the rest of us.

Begrudgingly, I rode in the jeep with Jared and Garrett. The alpha had his twenty questions about Krissy, questions I didn't have all the answers for. Garrett didn't necessarily like the answers I did have either.

Shifter or not, Krissy certainly wasn't wolf, which, Garrett didn't mind pointing out, meant I shouldn't have been so quick to involve her in pack matters. I was quick to remind the alpha it wasn't intentional, I didn't foresee from that cliff, of all the places I could have landed, it would be her truck. True I had been impulsive in what followed. She'd done more than just patch me up and offer me shelter. Krissy's scent still mingled with mine. Any shifter worth their salt would know I was lying if I tried to deny having sex with her, not that I would.

My gut, or maybe it was my wolf, was telling me two things with certainty. One, Krissy could be trusted, and two, the pair of us coming together wasn't coincidental.

When I said as much to Garrett he went blessedly silent the rest of the drive.

Note to self: play the wolf instincts card more often.

When we joined the wolves watching the warehouse, I understood why the shifters had chosen this place to hide out in. Between the water treatment, the reservoir and all the factories at work around us, getting a clear trace of their scent was next to impossible. Lucky for us, properties were how Garrett built his success and he knew which buildings were currently unoccupied.

And if we couldn't smell them, they couldn't smell us.

Garrett had the rest of the wolves surround the building and close in while he, Tank and myself went through the front door. We rushed in as one from all sides. Only there was no one inside. The SUV they had struck me with sat parked in the center of the space, emptied and abandoned. There was other evidence that the shifters had been using the warehouse for at least a couple of days, but it didn't look like they had any intention of returning anymore.

"There was another vehicle here." Trey called from the corner he was examining. "A Hummer would be my guess."

"No one went in or out while we were watching." One of the sentries assured Garrett.

The alpha nodded, taking his pack member at his word. "They must have cleared out before we found the trail."

"Even in this blind spot, even with a car swap, we should have found a trace of where they went." Jared pointed out.

We all knew this. So where the hell did they go?

When the answer came to me, I whirled back to the front entrance. "They doubled back. Retraced their own path. If they found a way to cross the reservoir they could have taken any direction. It would take us hours to track them again. Give them a chance to…"

My stomach twisted into a knot.

I have to get back to Krissy.

I advanced on Tank, gripped his elbow. "I need to borrow your ride."

"No." Garrett answered for his beta.

I snarled at Garrett, he didn't blink. "I have to make sure she's safe. Pack or not, are you really going to let an innocent get hurt?"

Garrett stood firm. "You could be leading them right to her. Or walking into their trap."

My knuckles were white on my clenched fists. "I know Tank told you about my fuck-up back at the shop. I didn't come here on Emmett's insistence, just to wind up challenging your dominance. I don't want to take over. Never did."

Anger flared in the pack surrounding me at the suggestion. "If you need it, I'll swear the oath and submit to prove it. Right after I declare Dr. Scott as my mate."

This gave everyone around me pause.

"She's already been marked." Tank sounded.

"By a cat that's been dead for over twenty years." I asserted.

With good reason the pack was confused, all but Jared and Garrett, who'd already heard the explanation on the drive here.

"You're forgetting, you need to be sponsored for membership. Old Man Green's suggestion doesn't cut it. He's not alpha here." Trey pointed out. "Got someone else in mind for that?"u

I didn't and wasn't concerned enough about it at the moment. I opened my mouth to say as much to Trey in a colourful manner—

"I'll vouch for him." Jared declared out of the blue.

As half a dozen pairs of eyes turned to him, the dark-haired wolf just shrugged.

I kept my eyes on Garrett's, willing him to grant my excusal. "Give me an hour. If you don't hear from me, consider it carte blanche to come after me and I will accept the consequences."

I lifted my chin, offering my carotid in supplication, and waited.

After an agonizing moment, Garrett nodded at Tank and the beta tossed me the keys to his Harley.

I dipped my head to Garrett in gratitude as the pack pivoted out of my path.

I had fifty-nine minutes left by the time I revved the bike's engine.