Wolf Lake Ch. 08

Roland felt himself flush with shame. Nafarius was right; it was a dangerous time to be distracted. Quickly stripping out of his clothes, Roland shifted before headed into the woods for a run. Hoping to clear his head, he headed east.

He'd been running for maybe half an hour when he picked up their scent. Skidding to a stop, Roland lifted his head to the wind; they hadn't yet entered the pack's territory but they were close. Their scent carried traces of their camp, helping Roland to pinpoint their location. Turning back towards home, Roland went to warn Nafarius.

Nafarius was surprised to see Roland entering the clearing at a full gallop. A moment later, Roland, back in human form knelt panting at his feet. Gasping from changing so quickly, he was able to utter one word in between breaths. "Council."

Turning, Nafarius barked orders that sent men scattering into the woods. Patrols were increased while the women and children were brought back inside the den. The Council, while not usually considered a danger, wasn't something to be taken lightly. Nafarius didn't know what to expect so he prepared for everything.

Roland fought the urge to check on Natasha and Payton; instead he focused on keeping the pack safe knowing that by doing so he also protected his mate and child.

Sam stepped out into the clearing, blinking in surprise when Nafarius growled at her. "Get back inside!"

Having caught the panic as pack members came running inside, Sam had gone to find Nafarius. "What is it?"

"Get inside!"

Sam took a step forward and growled; her wolf was close to the surface and restless. She hadn't been able to shift in almost eight months and the tension in her mate wasn't helping. She sensed a danger to her pack but didn't know where it came from; she wasn't going anywhere until she knew what was going on.

Nafarius took a deep breath. Sam's eyes had gone bright; unlike other werewolves, her eyes never changed from emerald green, even in animal form. But they went bright, like now, almost glowing when she was prepared to change. Recognizing that she was answering an unknown danger to her pack, he tried to explain. "Roland sensed the Council, they're here."

Sam shifted questioning eyes to her mate's second. "How far?"

Roland, still naked from his earlier run, stood and said, "Not far; they made camp at the edge of our territory but if I sensed them it was only because they wanted me to. They'll know that we're waiting for them."

Sam turned back to Nafarius, "How long until they get here?"

Nafarius considered a moment before answering. "I would expect them within the hour."

Sam nodded before turning and heading back inside. There wasn't much time and she wanted to make sure that everyone was settled before the Council arrived.

An hour later Nafarius, Sam and Roland watched as three Council members stepped out of the forest and stopped at the edge of the clearing. Nafarius stepped forward to welcome them when his gaze landed on Dresden. Instantly, Nafarius grabbed Sam and shoved her behind him. Roland, responding to the sense of danger from his leader, stepped forward to protect the man's mate. "You brought a Hunter!?" Nafarius growled.

Sam, not understanding, allowed Nafarius to push her out of the way but didn't retreat into their den. From behind her mate, she took in the sight of the odd looking trio. The first to step forward was an elderly gentleman. Amazingly large, age had nevertheless bent his back until he stood hunched over a walking stick. Beside him stood a woman of middle years, her hair so white it was almost silver. Her long neck and limbs made Sam think of a swan; instantly Sam knew that the woman's animal was a bird.

The last member to step from the forest was a young man; as dark as the woman was light, he moved with grace and agility. Watching as he slipped from the forest, Sam couldn't help but think cat.

In truth, the group was made up of a Council Elder, a Healer and a Hunter. Each member was equal among the Council but offered up different skills that were considered necessary for the preservation and protection of all lycan.

Nafarius had addressed his accusation at the Elder but never took his eyes off the Hunter. He'd met Dresden several years ago and was familiar with the man's skills. As a Hunter, he was a full member of the Council but spent most of his time patrolling. It wasn't unheard of for the Council to send Dresden out into hot spots, areas where there was a conflict between lycans or where lycans threatened humans. Hunters were sent only after all diplomatic attempts at peace had failed; they were also known as assassins.

Lillian, the Healer, stepped forward. "Dresden is here for our protection. Yours isn't the only pack in the area; not everyone would recognize us as Council members or afford us the protection that position is supposed to ensure."

At Nafarius' single nod, Sam deemed the danger passed; stepping around her mate, she gestured the group forward. "Welcome, won't you join us?"

Nafarius growled low in his throat as Sam stepped around him. He hadn't wanted her out here in the first place. It was only after she argued that the Council was here for information, not to attack, that he agreed. He'd allowed her to convince him that the Council would not have let their presence be known if they meant any harm but that was before he'd seen Dresden.

Sam stepped forward to meet each Council member. The Elder introduced himself as Jonas. Up close, Sam realized that he was as grizzly as his animal with dark eyes, a wide nose and a five o'clock shadow that she doubted any amount of shaving could cure.

Lillian radiated warmth and light; Sam had a hard time resisting the urge to reach out and touch her. There was something immensely comforting about the woman and she could only hope that there might be time to talk later about the upcoming birth of the twins.

Turning towards Dresden, Sam ignored Nafarius' growl of warning. His animal was strong and pulled at her. Sam fought the desire to get close to him; unlike the comfort that drew her to Lillian, Dresden called to a different part of her. She sensed the hunter in him, the panther that prowled beneath the surface. Something shifted inside of Sam; her animal, always before a wolf, stretched and purred.

Dresden lifted his head and sniffed, his eyes snapping to Sam's face. "You don't smell like a wolf."

Sam shook herself and stepped back; she had just turned to Nafarius when her sensitive hearing caught a distinct 'pop, pop' from near by. Nothing in nature made that kind of sound. Sam, already facing the right direction, took off into the woods.

"Sam!" Nafarius swore and went after his mate; a moment later a blur shot past him. Roland, back in animal form, would catch up to her faster. Nafarius wouldn't risk changing, not while the Council was present and Sam was unable to defend herself.

Sam skidded to a stop; reaching out, she grabbed Roland as he tried to shoot past her, his momentum carrying them both forward for another few feet. Sam shook Roland sharply when he nipped at her to let him go. "Do you smell that?" she asked.

Nafarius joined them and answered, "Gun powder."

"And lycan," Sam said and started forward slowly.

Nafarius reached forward and grabbed her, none too gently. "You are not going out there to investigate."

Sam would have protested but one look at Nafarius' face warned her it would be useless. She'd pushed him today, defying his attempts to keep her safe and he was pissed. This latest threat was one that he wouldn't risk exposing her to. At her nod, Nafarius sent Roland around to the south while he headed north. Eventually, they would both circled around until they found the spot where the shots had come from.

Nafarius hadn't come across any indications that the lycan had headed north but he was careful. Whoever fired those shots could still be nearby. Roland found a trail leading away from where the shots came but didn't bother to follow it. Whoever it was had headed south, away from where they were now and away from the pack. There would be time to investigate later; turning north, he went to find Nafarius.

Nafarius stood in a small clearing staring down at the crumpled body of a young pack member. Michael was one of the young men he'd sent out when word of the Council's approach had come. He'd been shot once in the heart and once in the head; the wounds were fatal, no matter what type of bullets. Carefully lifting the young man into his arms, Nafarius turned and carried him towards home.

Sam saw him coming; even from where she stood she could see the pain and anger in Nafarius' eyes. Together they walked back to the pack. Confused, wondering what was happening, a number of pack members milled around the clearing waiting for Sam and Nafarius to return. Standing off to one side, the Council members clearly stood apart from the rest of those gathered. Nafarius didn't spare them a glance; instead he headed inside to deliver Michael's body to his parents. Within moments, the sound of grieving could be heard outside in the clearing.

Sam remained outside; she knew Nafarius would be back to question the Council. Quietly, Nafarius ordered the patrols to pair up; no one was to walk in the woods alone. Roland was sent with four others to investigate the area around where Michael's body had been found. Turning to the Council, he asked, "Who else did you bring with you?"

Jonas stood up as tall as his back would allow. "No one; this was not our doing. We would never sanction the unjustified killing of an innocent."

"Maybe not," Nafarius said, "but this followed you here. Who else knew you were coming?"

"Only the Council members," Jonas said, "we told no one else." Looking from Nafarius to Sam, he added, "When we first learned of your mates...abilities...we collected and sealed all of the records. The Council met in closed chambers to discuss the matter and we decided it was best to send a small group instead of requesting your presence before the full Council."

"How many members are on the Counsel?" Sam asked.

"Seven," Lillian answered. Turning to Jonas, she reminded him, "Not all of the Council members were in residence when we learned about Samantha. It is possible that information got out when we sent for the others."

Jonas nodded. "It's possible."

A moment later Dresden slipped back into the clearing. Sam hadn't realized he'd been gone. Dresden caught her watching him and gave a slight nod. Turning to Nafarius, he said, "Whoever it was is gone. They headed south before following a logging road back into town. Based on how their trail ends, they didn't leave on foot."

Nafarius nodded; a moment later Roland returned and reported the same findings. Nafarius paced the clearing, the sounds of grieving from within the cave an accusation in his ears. Death was a part of pack life, he knew that better then anyone having lost both his father and brother to the violence of power. This was different.

"Nafarius?" Roland and the others were waiting. "Do we retaliate?"

"Against who?" Nafarius asked, not expecting an answer. "This wasn't an attack by one of the other packs in the area; they wouldn't have headed into town and certainly not by car."

Roland nodded. "They also wouldn't have used bullets."

"Not wolf," Sam said. "I smelled cat." Suddenly, she had everyone's attention.

"You smelled cat?" Jonas asked, his voice carefully neutral, "Any idea what kind?"

Sam shrugged. "More like sensed it, one of the big breeds," she said looking at Dresden, "not panther."

Jonas nodded but didn't say anything else. No one had mentioned Dresden's animal was a panther. It was possible that Nafarius had shared that information with his mate but Jonas doubted it.

"Warrick's animal is a lion," Nafarius said, naming one of the Council members. As pack leader, he knew the names and animals of all seven Council members. He had met with all of them at one time or another; he wouldn't have thought any of them capable of this kind of attack.

Lillian echoed Nafarius' thought aloud. "Warrick would never do something like this."

"The Council wouldn't do something like this," Jonas stressed.

"Not the Council," Dresden said. "Storm."

"Who or what is Storm?" Sam asked.

"Storm heads a paranormal, paramilitary force that was organized to prove the existence of supernatural creatures," Dresden answered.

"Well, he obviously knows of the existence of lycans; why kill Michael?" Sam asked.

Dresden looked from the Council to Nafarius before answering. "Once Storm proved that supernatural creatures existed he convinced his backers to...expand...their mandate. He's helped them to build a quasi-private, semi-governmental group that seeks to study supernatural creatures in hopes of using that knowledge to enhance the military."

His face dark, Dresden continued. "Their methods are...unpleasant, at best. As for your pack member, I doubt he was the target. I suspect Storm sent someone in to observe you and the two inadvertently crossed paths."

"How do you know so much about them?" Roland asked.

Dresden met Roland's gaze unflinchingly, "I spent some time with Storm."

Roland didn't press; Sam got the distinct impression that Dresden hadn't been a willing guest.

"They're coming for Sam," Nafarius said.

"It looks like it," Jonas agreed.

Nafarius turned to Sam. "You can't stay here."

Sam sighed; she'd known this was coming but that didn't make it any easier. "We'll talk later, right now we need to get the Council members settled and tend to the pack."

She was right; as much as he wanted to pack her up and send her out of harms way, he knew there were things to be done and she was needed here. "Fine, but we're talking about this tonight."

The next several hours were spent getting the Council members settled. Understandably, they were disinclined to stay within the pack's den, nor were they welcome. However, Nafarius did order their camp moved closer to the clearing.

"Are you sure you want them that close?" Roland asked.

"I want them where I can watch them," Nafarius answered before turning to go.

A short time later, Jonas sought Nafarius out for a private word. "What can I do for you?" Nafarius asked.

"I understand that you have your pack to care for and tomorrow will be a hard day for everyone." Michael's funeral was to be held the next morning. "However, I would like to speak with a couple of your pack members."

"Anyone in particular?" Nafarius asked.

"Roland's mate Natasha and the woman Gertrude," Jonas said.

Nafarius resisted the urge to curse; those were the two women that had been on the receiving end of Sam's ability to control another's animal. He wasn't surprised but had hoped that the Council remained unaware of the details regarding Sam's use of her ability. He didn't worry about Natasha, she was loyal to Sam, but Gertrude could be a problem. Unfortunately, any effort on his part to interfere would only hurt Sam's case before the Council. "What does the Council intend?"

Jonas tried to reassure the pack leader. "We mean you and your mate no harm; but you can understand why the Council would be...curious...about her abilities. At this point, we simply want to talk to those involved and get all of the information. After that, we'll see."

"And Dresden?" Nafarius hadn't forgotten the Hunter.

"It is as Lillian said; he's here for our protection. There are not many lycans that would venture into the territory of a pack of werewolves."

Nafarius nodded in understanding. "Alright, I'll make sure that both women are available tomorrow."

"Thank you," Jonas said.

Nafarius watched as the Elder slipped into the woods; for such a large man he managed to pass through the dense forest quietly. After checking with Roland and ensuring that the patrols were in place, Nafarius went to find his mate. He had a few choice words for her.

The next morning Dresden slipped out of camp and into the surrounding forest while Jonas and Lillian went to see Nafarius. Turning away from the pack's den, he went in search of an area free from the scent of wolves.

At about the same time, Judaea, 'Jude' to those that wanted to live, slipped away from the den. She told herself that she wasn't looking for anyone in particular; her only reason for being out here was to get away from the tension hovering over the pack.

Carefully, she circled around until she picked up the trail leading to the Council's camp. Even from a distance she could see that it was empty. Another quick loop around and she was able to pick up Dresden's scent. Seeing that it led away from the pack's den, Jude hesitated briefly before following the trail.

A few minutes later and Jude stopped. Scenting the wind, she noted that she wasn't the only wolf in the area; nor was she the only one following Dresden's trail.

Dresden stared down at the two wolves circling like sharks. One had already changed and paced the small clearing with his nose pressed to the ground. The other remained in human form occasionally calling, "Here kitty, kitty."

Dresden snorted but remained hidden. Obviously, these wolves weren't too bright, it never occurring to them to look up. If they had, they may have seen Dresden perched in one of the large tree branches high up in the air. Not a native to this area, his black coat nevertheless blended nicely with the dark green of the evergreen trees. It would take someone with a keen eye to spot him, and an idea of where to look.

"I'm telling you, he didn't go this way." The young man was talking to his friend. "Either that or he's too scared to come out."

Dresden decided it was time to show these dogs that this cat had claws. With a loud roar, Dresden dropped from the tree and landed in between the two werewolves.

Jude heard Dresden's roar and took off running towards where the sound had come from. By no means an expert, she knew enough about panthers to know that a roar like that didn't bode well for anyone near by.

Dresden met the wolf nearly nose to nose. He wasn't worried about the young man behind him. Still in human form, it would take him time to change and until then he posed no threat. The werewolf, on the other hand, was nearly his equal in size and had a powerful set of jaws. The two circled each other, the wolf with his tail low but not tucked while Dresden's own tail twitched in the air. Truthfully, he wasn't worried and only thought to teach these two young pups a lesson.

Jude nearly ran right into Brian as she broke through the trees. Shoving him out of the way, she turned her attention to where Will and Dresden stood circling each other. "Will, you idiot! Don't you know that he could crack your skull with his paw?"

Careful not to get between them, Jude circled around until she was close enough to grab Will by the scruff of the neck. Pulling him back, she tossed him like a frustrated mother with a pup. "I suggest both of you get back to the den before he gives you a set of stripes to remember him by."

Satisfied that both boys would keep their mouths shut for fear of getting into trouble, Jude watched as they slipped back into the forest. This time, Will's tail was tucked firmly between his legs.

Turning, Jude nearly jumped out of her skin at finding herself face to face with a very large, very agitated black panther. Hoping he couldn't hear her heart pounding, she said, "I'm sorry about them; they're both young and full of courage. Unfortunately, their brains haven't yet caught up with their brawn."

Dresden considered the young woman standing in front of him. Long, brown hair and light hazel eyes seemed unimpressive until you put them together with the sensual curve of her lips and high cheekbones. Unlike most of the other pack women he'd seen, she didn't wear a sundress. Instead, she seemed to favor low riding jeans and a t-shirt. Ironically, the thing that gave him pause was the sight of her bare feet with bright, red nail polish.