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"I'll help any way that I can," Sean assured him. "Do your fellow enforcers have a horse in this race, or will they strive to maintain order?"
"I'm sorry to say that apart from Noah, they have all taken sides, so they will be of no assistance in maintaining order." Eamon shook his head in disgust. "Let's head back to my place and have a few beers in the peace and quiet of my deck away from these rabble-rousers."
"That's a good idea." Sean finished his drink and followed Eamon out the back door to where they'd parked. As soon as they were outside, the noise lessened, and once they were in Eamon's truck, quiet took over.
"What a relief," Sean stated.
"It's only going to get worse and more widespread the longer it takes for the wise ones to make a decision," Eamon grumbled, irritated by the lack of foresight of his Alpha and the elder pack members. "None of this should have been allowed to happen."
“Your Alpha’s death was a surprise.” Sean reminded.
“He was a leader without an heir.” Eamon explained. “Packs, covens, kindreds they always have a replacement or two waiting in the wings. We were caught with our pants down and now we may tear ourselves apart as we try to pull ourselves back together.” That was very true, unfortunate, but true.
"All you can hope for is a candidate that is strong enough to lead and who the majority will follow." Sean gave his opinion, although it sounded bleak even to his own ears.
“I fear that will be a very tall order.” Eamon pulled into the narrow drive that led to his home several miles deep into the woods. It was ideally situated with no neighbors for miles and on the edge of a beautiful lake. If it weren’t for the political upheaval, the area would be idyllic.
“I have to ask.” Sean led with a taunting grin. “Who are you pulling for Murphy or Jaron?”
“I’ll support whoever wins the challenge but neither man strikes me as the type to be able to unite this pack. I will never say that to anyone but you.” He glanced over at Sean with a look that was weary. “I just want it over and the rebuilding to begin.”
"I'll stay as long as you need me," Sean promised.
“Thanks, Sean.”
CHAPTER TWO
Lowell lay in his tent listening to John and Patrick continue to snipe at one another until finally they fell asleep. They often fought, but this was a new level of not letting things go. The girlfriend was definitely a sore spot and the likely cause of the trouble, but neither would admit that. They were going to fight about the fishing gear the entire weekend.
He'd rather go home and sit on his sofa and watch tv than spend the next two days listening to their bickering. It was just after two in the morning when he first heard it, and it woke him from the restless sleep he'd finally been able to achieve. He sat straight up and focused listening for it again and nothing. The night was still, and the air was silent. Something had awakened him something out of place something concerning.
The hair on the back of his neck stood up and his intuition told him to prepare. He grabbed the flashlight and the bear spray and carefully stepped out of his tent. “Patrick, John, wake up.” He called to them. They did not respond so he called out again while shining his light across the edge of the forest. Finally, they came awake and started complaining.
“Shut up and listen.” He barked at them, which was unusual, so they became still.
"What is it?" John asked as he got out of his tent and came to stand next to Lowell. Patrick joined them, and he brought another flashlight and more bear spray.
"I don't know, but it feels like something is circling us." They stood still and listened to the night. John and Patrick didn't hear anything, but they trusted Lowell's instincts, so they were alert and on guard. They moved to stand in a circle with their backs to each other so that whatever it was, it wouldn't sneak up on them. They kept moving in a clockwise direction keeping their ears tuned and their sight focused and then it happened.
A wolf the size of a small horse came out of the woods its head down and its teeth bared. The growl was distinct and signaled its intent. The three of them prepared for the attack and then another wolf appeared and then another four in total and all were bearing down on them.
“Want to go for a run?” Eamon suggested. “The woods are perfect for a late-night run.”
"I could use to burn off a little energy. My wolf is aching to explore the area." Sean got up and started stripping, as did Eamon.
“You’re going to love it.” Eamon boasted and quickly shifted and took off. Sean was right behind him as they tore off into the forest. The scents and sounds filled his mind and satisfied his wolf. Eamon was right, the territory was impressive. It was clear why people were fighting over the chance to rule this land.
He followed Eamon through the woods for miles, and then they made their way back to the lake, racing around the shore. Sean took a dip in the lake to cool off and then caught up with Eamon, who was moving toward what appeared to be a public area. Sean slowed down and took his time through this stretch of land, just as Eamon did.
Humans were wearisome, frustrating, and unpredictable. They didn't want to inadvertently run into one or two. Humans would be fearful of their size and could start shooting, and nobody wanted to deal with that.
They were about to change directions and head back toward Eamon's place when they heard the ruckus coming from the public camping area. Men were shouting and wolves were growling; they had to intervene and hopefully not get shot for their efforts.
Lowell hit the first wolf with the bear spray driving it backward but the other three rushed them. John used the air horn he’d brought but it had no effect whatsoever and it became clear that they needed a weapon. John grabbed a piece of firewood that was long and thick and began swinging it hitting them but not stopping them.
The four wolves suddenly stopped and just stared at them like they had a collective consciousness or were communicating somehow. They were playing with them charging nipping and then backing off only to repeat.
They were wearing them down rather than just ending it. The wolves had the ability to finish them but instead wanted to draw it out for some reason. This wasn't going to end well. The feeling in the air told Lowell that these wolves intended to kill them but wanted to do it slowly. It was the weirdest thing to watch them watching them and recognizing that they were orchestrating an attack and knowing they were enjoying every minute of it. These wolves weren’t hungry. They were angry. They had a score to settle.
