Greykin Mountain

| 20 | Prove Yourself

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The night's journey concluded by a riverbed. It was the safest place they could find by the time the sunlight began seeping through the treetops.

          Jackson glanced around the group. Damon, Tokala, and the three others they'd taken with them still hadn't returned from their scouting trip and Jackson was beginning to worry—it looked like everyone was concerned. No one was in their wolf form anymore, so it was easy to read the anxious looks on their faces.

          But that didn't seem to be the case for Aysel. She was sitting beside a holly bush, smiling and laughing at whatever Elias was telling her. Remus and Romulus were trying to catch fish with Kajika, and the Etas—the only ones in their wolf forms—were staring into the trees, watching for danger.

          Not a single cadejo had been seen yet, but Jackson wasn't going to let himself believe just yet that there weren't any zombie wolves over here. He'd heard sounds all through the night—rustling, whining, and howling. The fact everyone was on edge had him suspicious that the noise meant something to these wolf walkers, but he hadn't had a chance to ask. The only people he could ask were gone. Of course, he could try to talk to anyone else here now that he was a part of the pack, but he didn't want to come off as intrusive or arouse suspicion. No, he'd just sit there and wait.

          However, sitting there doing absolutely nothing encouraged his guilt to creep back into his head. Thoughts of Eric and the memory-like nightmare that had possessed him moments before he'd turned and killed that wolf.

          He shook his head. No, he didn't want to think about any of that.

          Slowly, he looked around, searching for something to ponder about. But when he set his eyes back on Aysel, Elias was walking away, and Aysel was staring in the same direction as the Eta sitting atop a rock. Moments later, everyone else fell silent and looked into the trees, and when Jackson stared over there, he set his eyes on Damon and his scouting party. They were back.

          Jackson felt relief wash over him; he wanted to get up and go over to Damon so that he could ask him what he'd found, but not only did seeing Aysel run over and kiss him keep him where he was but so did the fact that it wasn't his place. He didn't want to look like a desperate teenage girl fawning over him, especially in front of his mate and kids. Though, he would listen.

          "Did you see anything?" Aysel asked Damon.

          "Any cadejo?" Elias added as he stood beside Tokala, and the rest of the council joined them.

          "A few caribou herds, but no signs of hunters having come through or near here, so it's possible they're actually heading this way," Damon said, a cautious tone in his voice. "We found a small village three klicks that way," he said, nodding over his shoulder.

          "Did you check it out?" Aysel asked.

          "No. There were a lot of people."

          "We need supplies, though," Elias insisted.

          The Alpha shook his head. "We have to assume if there are hunters out here, then the village people are prepared for wolf walkers."

          Disgruntled murmurs came from the council.

          "Too many blind spots, too," Damon said. "We just have to keep moving. We'll rest up here for a little while and then head out."

          The council dispersed.