24. Micah

Zac, the alpha of the Nightshade pack, was standing on the dais at the pack meeting hall. Micah, Sean, Ian, Conner, and two other pack members sat in the chairs positioned in front of the dais. Micah noticed that only the strongest members of the pack were there.

"We have a problem," Zac said. "There are at least ten coyote shifters out there that broke away from that Arizona pack. They've been killing other shifters, mundane animals, and even some mundane humans as they traveled from there to here. Now, they are in our territory. They chased down a family who was camping on the mountain and killed the father. Marvin and another dragon shifter just happened to be in the area and stopped them from hurting the rest of the family too badly. Instead of chasing down the coyotes, the dragons helped the mother and two kids back to their vehicle and then called the rangers."

"That must have been a shock," Ian said. "To be attacked by coyotes, have a couple of dragons swoop in to save them, and then see the dragons turn into humans."

"They're likely going to need therapy for a long time," Conner agreed. "But at least they are alive to need it."

"True enough," Zac said. "We have to stop the coyote shifters. We have an idea as to where they are, so we need to get there before they leave our territory and move on to hurt people and animals in other areas. We leave now."

Zac pulled Micah aside and said, "If you need to stay, I understand, although we could certainly use your help."

"Lucy is doing well and the babies are fine," Micah said. "I'm in. I'll just give her a quick call."

Zac nodded and walked over to the other men and women in the group. They all had pulled out their phones to let their loved ones know that they were going to be gone for a while.

"Hey, Lucy. How are you feeling?"

"I'm good," Lucy said. "The babies are moving, Vera is keeping me fed, and I'm working on my book."

"Excellent. Listen, there is an emergency going on in our territory. Some coyote shifters are hunting other shifters, mundane animals, and mundane humans. They killed someone this morning. We need to take care of the problem before anyone else gets hurt."

"Go. You have to help protect the pack and everyone else. That's who you are," Lucy said. "Be safe."

"I promise," Micah said. "See you soon."

He wanted to say the words back to her, but it was so hard. Micah could admit to himself that he loved her, but to actually say those words to her was a completely different matter.

I'll sort it all out when I get back,he promised himself. I've got time. Right now, I need to put all of my focus on this hunt.

Everyone finished their phone calls, loaded up in a couple of trucks, and headed up the mountain. They hurried to the space where everyone shifted, undressed, put their clothes and truck keys in the bags, and carefully hid them in the trees. Then, they shifted.

"Let's break into teams," Zac said telepathically. "Conner and Micah will go northwest. Ian, Sean, and Sadie will go due north. Kayla and I will go northeast. Call out as soon as you see them. Don't engage if you can help it because there are at least ten against two or three."

The teams trotted off. After three hours, Micah started to get tired. "Do you think they are in this direction?"

A few seconds later, they picked up the scent. This particular band of coyote shifters reeked of old blood. Micah and Conner stopped in their tracks and listened intently. They were talking about what had happened that morning.

"Did you see the look on their faces?" one of them asked.

"They were priceless," another said.

"Those fucking dragons had to interrupt our fun," a third one said.

The coyotes were talking telepathically, but Micah and Conner could hear them loud and clear.

Conner sent a telepathic message to Zac and Ian, letting them know where the shifters were.

"Who do we have here?" a voice growled from behind them.

Micah and Conner whirled around and stared at the four coyotes standing behind them.

"Do you want to join our little pack?" one of them asked.

"Not hardly," Conner said.

"They're wolves. Of course, they wouldn't join us. They're too good for that," another said.

"Then whatever shall we do with them?" a third coyote asked, trying to sound a little snotty.

"Why, sir, I think we shall kill them."

"Zac, Ian, you'd better hurry," Conner yelled telepathically.

Micah and Conner got into position, nose to tail just as six of the coyotes jumped on them. The rest of their makeshift pack was calling out bets as to which of the wolves was going to go down first.

One of the coyotes jumped on Micah's back and tried to take a bite out of his neck. Micah slammed the coyote into a tree just as a second leaped for Micah's throat. The coyote on his back yelped and the other nipped the side of Micah's neck.

The two coyotes yipped and leaped again. One of them managed to take a huge bite of flesh out of Micah's side while the other raked Micah's face with his claws. Micah jumped toward Conner because he was trying to fight three coyotes and one had a firm grip on Conner's throat.

Micah rushed the coyote, ducked, and managed to slash deep gashes into his belly. Meanwhile, the two Micah was fighting continued to claw and fight. Just then, the rest of the wolves leaped from the bushes.

All ten of the coyotes jumped into the fight. Teeth gnashed and claws slashed. Sadie bit the throat of one of the coyotes Micah was fighting and ripped it out. The coyote lay dead on the ground.

Micah whirled around and managed to get his other attacker on the ground. This time, he stayed down.

After several minutes, all of the coyotes were either dead, dying, or badly injured. Micah collapsed on the ground. He and Conner were badly hurt.

"I don't think we have time to get them back down the mountain," Zac said. "Kayla, can you and Ian ask Helga, the witch who lives up there by the top, if she will help?"

The two wolves ran off.

"Everyone, shift," Zac ordered. "Helga will help. Let's grab these two and haul them up to her cottage."

Although everyone had suffered various injuries, Conner and Micah were severely hurt because they had fought several coyotes before the others had arrived.

It seemed to take forever as they trudged up the mountain. Helga was waiting for them with herbal tea for the pain and other herbs for their wounds.

She treated Conner and Micah first. "You two are going to stay here for a few days. You can't go back down that mountain. You won't survive it."

"I have to get back to Lucy," Micah said.

"I'll talk to Lucy and let her know you were injured in the battle and will be home in a week or so," Zac said.

"I don't know where you think you're going, young man," Helga said. "At least until I take care of you."

Helga dished out tea brewed from wild lettuce that had the same pain-killing effects as opioids. She put poultices on several scratches and bites.

"Lucky for you, I just made a big pot of rabbit stew. I caught two in my garden this morning. Keylala told me that I would be having a lot of company for dinner tonight," Helga said.

There was barely enough room for the eight of them, plus the Keylala, Helga's familiar, but they managed to squeeze in and get some rest. The next morning, after more stew, Zac told Micah and Conner, "We're all going back. I'll let Lucy know you're okay."

Micah nodded. "I'm an idiot. I should have told her how I felt before I went on the hunt. She told me she loved me."

"What did you say?" Conner asked.

"That we would talk about it when she got out of the hospital. Then, I didn't tell her that I loved her when I left to come on this hunt."

"You are an idiot, boy." Helga cackled. "But you'll have a chance to tell her after you find each other again."

"What does that mean?" Micah asked, panicked.

"It means exactly what it means. Now, lay down and heal," Helga said.

Micah was frustrated the three days he and Conner were stuck in the cottage. At one point, Helga had threatened to cast a spell that would prevent them from shifting into wolves if they didn't lay down and obey her.

Finally, just when Micah felt as though he was going to lose his mind, Helga said they could leave.

"What can I do for you?" Micah asked before they left.

"Bacon," Helga said.

"I can catch squirrels and rabbits, but I do love me some bacon, and I haven't had any in a while."

"You've got it," Micah promised.

Micah and Conner had just left the clearing of the witch's cottage when Zac rushed up.

"How are you?" Zac asked them.

"Okay," Micah answered.

"I'm good," Conner said.

"We need to hurry. Lucy's missing."

Micah's heart dropped. "What do you mean, missing?"

"She's not at the hospital. Michelle and Vera said that Lucy had called and said that she was being released, but when Michelle went to pick her up, she wasn't there. It seems that Lucy has disappeared into thin air."