"Son, we can't protect you if you leave the confines of Cloud Chief without an adult. You know that," Aedan snapped and left the room so swiftly Ashe almost didn't see it.
"The older ones get to go all the time," Ashe mumbled.
"Ashe, don't force me to add another week to your grounding," Adele stood nearby, staring angrily at her son. "Those creatures aren't hunting the other children from Cloud Chief. They're hunting you."
"Mom?"
"What, son?" Adele's voice was clipped.
"Ask Sali if that man smelled human or not."
* * *
Marcus called Sali into the kitchen so Aedan could question him about the scent. "I was talking to Ashe when we were in the checkout line, but I think I'd notice if somebody didn't smell human," Sali muttered. He'd gotten the same treatment from his parents that Ashe had received; he was grounded for two weeks. Aedan listened carefully to Sali's words—he'd gone to the DeLuca home after getting a call from Adele on his cell phone. Ashe had thought to ask a good question.
Marcus sent Sali back to his room immediately and then followed Aedan as he walked out of the house. "I don't know, Aedan," Marcus sighed. "The boy was likely distracted, so I can't say for sure that he remembers with any certainty. It was a good thought, though. I hope those two agents can track this one down and prove he had nothing to do with any of this." Thunder rumbled overhead and a few drops fell on both their heads as Marcus gazed up at a heavily overcast sky. Lightning briefly lit heavy clouds to the west.
"Rain moving in," Aedan observed, sniffing the air. The community was still shy around thunderstorms since the tornado the previous year. He and Nathan would be patrolling Cloud Chief in a storm.
"I've got an extra slicker if you need it," Marcus offered.
"I can get home for mine before it gets too wet," Aedan replied. "Thank you for the offer, though."
"No trouble. Call if you need any help—I think I can send out a wolf or two."
"Shouldn't need it, but we'll let you know." Aedan nodded at the Cloud Chief Packmaster and disappeared in a blur.
"Wish I could move that fast," Marcus sighed and walked inside his home.
* * *
"Dad, do you think we might see a tornado?" Edward stood at the front door of their mobile home, watching as the rain began to fall amid thunder and lightning.
"Son, I hope we don't; this house will fold up like a wet cardboard box," Steven Pendley replied. "And we'd better be in a storm shelter if that happens."
"Can we go look at the storm shelter? We haven't seen it yet," Edward bounced on his toes in excitement.
"How heavy is the rain?" Steven asked.
"It's making puddles in the field outside."
"Then let's wait. I hope we won't need to get in it tonight. Come away from the door, son. That lightning is getting closer."
"Dad, I know that Director Jennings said we'd probably move away at the end of summer, but what do you think our chances would be of staying here?" Edward closed the front door reluctantly—he'd enjoyed watching the lightning and the rain, unobstructed by rows of houses or city blocks filled with tall buildings. The Oklahoma prairie was a new and welcome experience for him. He had no care for shopping or the need to be surrounded by crowds of people. The quiet appealed to him very much.
He also wanted to get to know Ashe and Sali better—they shared a friendship that he envied. If he could become good friends with them, who knew what the future might hold? In all his life, Edward had no close friendships. He knew his father was trying to protect him, but pointed ears didn't seem to be a concern to the citizens of Cloud Chief. In fact, Luanne had told him that one of the residents became a white buffalo. Edward wanted to see someone who could turn into a buffalo. And Sali's wolf? That was amazing.
"I don't know that they'd allow it—this is a hidden refuge for these people," Steven replied. "Want cocoa?" Edward's father pulled a box of instant out of the pantry.
* * *
"My Queen, I would not have offered this to our previous monarch," Diamond lifted the sleeve of his silk shirt, revealing the single, square gold talisman beneath. It shone brightly in the torchlight surrounding Friesianna, marked with runes denoting power in an ancient language none remembered.
Friesianna's crown was grasped in her left hand as she reached out for Diamond's talisman with her right. The Bright crown held power over the talismans and all four medallions could be called forth if there was great need. Diamond failed to see six children as great need, but his Queen asked, therefore he answered. His brothers Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby waited behind him, ready to offer up their talismans as well. Hilbah stood nearby, a triumphant gleam in his eyes as he watched the first of four gold power charms peel away from Diamond's flesh and float toward Friesianna's hand. The Call would go out within days.
* * *
"Wildrif is worth his weight in gold," Obediah Tanner chuckled, causing the scar running from the old werewolf's left eye down to his chin to pucker. Gray peppered Obediah's thick brown hair and he sported a rather large and bushy moustache that hid most of his mouth. Smoking a cigar and having a glass of whiskey, Obediah grinned at Lester, his second-in-command.
Obediah wasn't an officially recognized Packmaster, so Lester had to settle for being an unofficial Second. The Grand Master considered Obediah an outlaw; he just hadn't been able to pin any wrongdoing on the old wolf. All thanks to Wildrif, who was something of a clairvoyant. Wildrif always knew when someone was coming for a surprise inspection of Tanner's Wild Game Preserve, located near Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. Obediah was able to hide any contraband and the rare, endangered or exotic animals used to lure wealthy hunters to his land; Wildrif warned him days in advance in order to give his employer plenty of time to conceal everything.
"How much this time?" Lester raised a glass of whiskey to his boss.
"Three hundred thousand. I think we could get more if we turn those kids over," Obediah grinned. "A lot more."
"Are we still getting information regularly?"
"Yeah. Josiah won't say who his spy is, and I really don't care as long as we keep getting what we need on that community. Wildrif has trouble seeing past their boundary, but he sure knows what the Bright Ones are up to. No idea where the Dark Ones get the money to pay, but we don't care about that, do we?" Obediah sipped his whiskey.
"Nope. Boss, that's the easiest money we've ever made. No animals or contraband to smuggle, no politicians to pay to keep quiet—it's all information and simple to get."