Kelley Armstrong - Frostbitten

"It's not the same."

His hand tightened around mine. "I know."

We walked some more. Checked again. Still nothing.

"You're allowed to have a soft spot, Elena."

"I'd rather not."

"I know."

More quiet walking. More futile checking.

"How far did you get before you lost the signal?" I asked.

"No idea. Clay had driven in as far as his rental truck would go, and we met him there. At that point, we had radio but no cell. After we split up, there wasn't any reason to call each other, so we didn't think to check."

"Any idea whether we're heading in the right direction?" I caught his look. "Okay, dumb question. But I know the highway is west, and the sun is coming up behind us, so we're at least heading into a cell phone area. I hope. Now let's just hope they-"

The howl of a wolf brought me up short. I followed the sound, then shook my head. It wasn't Clay or Antonio.

"Could be Reese," Nick said. "Maybe I'm not the only werewolf who gets lost in the woods."

A chorus of howls answered the question.

"Wild wolves?" he said.

I nodded. "But I'm sure even they get lost now and then… when they've taken a hard blow to the head."

He jostled me, threatening to send one of those hard blows my way. We goofed for a few steps, trading shoves and trying to trip each other, then we slowed to listen as the wolves broke out in full song.

"Something's got them going," I said.

"Those Shifter things?"

"Could be. I-"

The radio in my hand chirped, the sound so loud and unexpected I almost dropped it.

"Goddamn it, Nick," Clay's voice hissed. "Where the hell are you? I don't have time to be chasing you all over the fucking Alaskan wilderness. If you freeze to death-"

I pressed the button. "Nick's with me. We're okay."

Silence, then. "Who-? Is someone there?"

"It's a two-way radio," Nick said. "If you interrupt him, he can't hear you."

"Nick's with me," I repeated. "And we're fine."

More silence and I thought I'd screwed up the transmission again, then, faintly, "Elena?"

"Yes, unless Nick found a woman in the forest, which I suppose wouldn't be too surprising."

"Where are you? Stay right there. You said you're fine? How fine? Are you hurt? What're you wearing? Tell Nick to give you his-"

"I'm battered, but fine," I said. "And if I needed a coat, Nick would have already given me his."

"What?"

"You can't interrupt him," Nick murmured. "As tempting as it might be. Tell him we're at… "

I glanced over to see him operating another handheld device.

"At least this has a signal," he said. "Too bad the screen isn't made for a hundred below. Give me a sec to clear the condensation and I'll have our coordinates."

"You got lost… with a GPS?"

"Elena?" Clay's voice crackled through the radio. "Are you there? What's going on? Talk to-"

I hit the call button, hoping that would cut him off, then said, "I'm still here. Nick's getting you our coordinates. He's having trouble reading-Oh, wait."

Nick passed over the unit. I squinted at the foggy display, then read off the numbers.

"How close is that to you?" I asked.

Silence.

I asked again. Still nothing. We tried the call button, but there was no answer.

"Lost him," I muttered. "And the question is: did it happen before or after he got the coordinates?"

The wolves howled again. They were closer now, on the move. A distant one answered.

"Now that's foolproof communication," Nick said. "Maybe if we Change and howl… "

"Possible. Though but we might also alert the Teslers. But that does give me an idea."

I whistled. Then whistled again.

"I'm not sure Clay will be close enough to hear that," Nick said.

"No, but I'm hoping the wolves will. I want to talk to one."

"Um, okay." Nick studied my face for signs of hypothermic dementia. "I don't think wolves come when you whistle."

"This one might."

We stepped off the path to wait, getting behind a windbreak and hunkering down. Sure enough, the dark red mutt showed up. He didn't exactly come bounding over the snow. He drew close, then circled, as if making sure it was me before he answered… or maybe trying to decide whether he wanted to bother.

When I caught a whiff of him on the breeze, I slipped into his path.

"I need your help," I said.

He sighed, as if this was what he'd feared, and his gaze slid to the side, gauging the escape routes.

"Yes, I know, helping us probably isn't at the top of your priority list, but if you answered my whistle, you're at least curious to hear what I want. And don't worry, there's something in it for you… including getting us out of these woods and off your territory."

That made him look my way. Nick edged closer, sizing him up. The werewolf did the same.

"We're not the only trespassers you and your pack would like gone," I said. "In fact, I suspect we're the least of your worries right now. Heading the list is a group of thugs who think this 'unclaimed wilderness' is the perfect spot to set up illegal operations, while killing locals."

His green eyes shifted to the side again, just enough to tell me something.

"Ah, so you do know they aren't the ones who killed those men."

A growling grunt.

"Except the first, yes. I guess you know that. And you know who was responsible for the rest-the Shifters, who I'm going to assume haven't given you or the wolves much trouble until recently. That's another problem I can fix for you."

Another grunt, this one saying "yes, yes, now get on with it." I did. I told him that we planned to kill the Teslers, and that would quiet down the Shifters and end the killings. I'd also let the Shifter Alpha know that Eli had been playing "roust the wolves" with him and the pack.

"That'll put an end to his antics," I said. "But before I go after the Teslers, I'll need backup. And don't worry, I don't mean you. My mate is out here, along with two other werewolves from my Pack looking for me. But I suspect you already know that, which is what has your pack nervous and what made you come running when I whistled."

A soft chuff of agreement.

"Find them and lead them to us. We'll be here for a bit, but then we're moving on. If you get them as far as our trail, they can take it from there. Deal?"

Another chuff and he loped off.

"That was interesting," Nick said.

"Out here, that's only the start of 'interesting.' "

WE'D BEEN WAITING five minutes when the buzz of an engine made my head jerk up.

"Snowmobiles," I said.

"Think Clay liberated one from a cottage?"

I shook my head. "Between the noise and the smell, it would be useless for tracking." The whine was getting louder. "And if it's not them… "

"We'd better get farther from the road."

We ducked behind a thick stand of bushes. As the first snowmobile approached, I peeked out. I saw only a figure and a shadowy face, but it was enough to start my heart pounding.

"That's him, isn't it?" Nick whispered. "Tesler Senior."

I nodded and pulled back as it passed. Then a second headlight crested a dip in the road.

"And Tesler Junior, I presume."

I nodded.

"Should we wait until that mutt finds Clay and my dad?"

I shook my head.

"That's what I thought."

YES, WE SHOULD wait . But we couldn't, because if we did, we'd be combing these woods for days trying to find the Teslers' cabin again. And it would only be a few hours until they realized I must have made it to safety, and took off before I came back for vengeance… with my Pack in tow.

I needed to find that cabin, hide someplace safe, then hope the mutt brought Clay to me. The Shifters had told me where to find the cabin. I'd taken mental notes, but even at the time, I'd known it wouldn't help. Their idea of directions went something like this: take the road that crosses the river, then turn onto the one that heads toward sunrise, follow it past the fallen oak, turn toward the city, cut over the hill with the abandoned shack…