45. Mason

Chapter forty-five

Mason

M y eyes scanned the forest terrain constantly, searching for any sign of Tristan or his Pack. I could sense Derek and Sam flanking me, their movements as familiar to me as my own after years of working together. The sound of AJ's footsteps brought up the rear, while Milly's almost silent tread put her just ahead of him.

Ronnie's call from that morning replayed in my mind. His tip about a possible campsite in this area had been our first solid lead, even though he had given it to the Bridgetown Pack as well. I had finished the call to find Waylen in front of me, holding a piece of paper, the triumphant look on his face falling. The language he used about Ronnie beating him to the location by two minutes was enough to make even Derek blush.

"Anything?" Derek's low voice broke into my thoughts.

I shook my head. "Not yet, but we're close."

It was another half hour before we reached the clearing. It was roughly circular, about thirty feet in diameter, surrounded by towering pines and thick underbrush. In the center, a makeshift fire pit had been made using a ring of stones, probably gathered from the nearby creek, which I could hear gurgling softly in the distance.

Around the fire pit, the ground was bare and compacted, evidence of recent activity. Distinct areas were flattened where tents had stood, the grass still bent and struggling to right itself. Scattered around these areas were small personal items left behind—a dirty sock, a broken comb, an empty water bottle.

To one side of the clearing, a crude lean-to had been constructed using fallen branches and what looked like a tarp.

I breathed in deeply, logging the lingering scents of unwashed bodies, fresh animal kills, cooked food, and the acrid smell of cigarette smoke. Overlaying it all was the unmistakable musk of werewolf—a Pack had definitely been here.

Sam crouched down near the fire pit, holding his hand above it. "The embers are still warm."

We were on the right track, thanks to Ronnie, but we had just missed them.

I nodded, my eyes still scanning the area. Near the edge of the clearing, I spotted several sets of footprints leading off into the forest. They were fresh, the edges still sharp in the soft earth.

"They left in a hurry," Milly observed. "You think they got a tip-off we were coming?"

Before I could answer, AJ called from inside the forest. "Over here. I've got tracks leading north."

I headed toward him as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to see the screen lit up with Waylen's name.

"Mason," Waylen's voice crackled through the speaker, urgency clear in his tone. "We've got movement at the camp where they were holding Shya."

I put the call on speaker so the others could hear. "What kind of movement?"

"As ordered, we've been keeping tabs on that campsite ever since you found Shya. I set up some motion sensor cameras, real discreet-like, and I send a high-level drone over it every day. I got pings on all my cameras about twenty minutes ago. We can't get a visual of who's inside yet, but there's definite activity. Carlito is on his way to see if he can verify who's there."

"It could be Tristan," Milly said.

"Or it could be a trap," Sam countered, his tone grim.

I rolled a squash ball between my fingers, weighing our options. The fresh trail from this campsite beckoned, luring me with the possibility that it would lead us to Tristan. But the activity at the other camp couldn't be ignored. If Waylen was right, they were probably there to pick up anything they left behind or scout if it was being watched. They wouldn't stay long, especially if they found any of Waylen's cameras.

"What's our move, Mason?" Derek asked.

I took a deep breath, knowing that whatever decision I made could change everything.

"We head to the other camp. We might get lucky, and Tristan will be with them. If not, we might be able to capture one of them, see what they have to say."

I took one last lingering look north at the trail left by the people who had been here, then turned south. As I did, though, a scent caught my attention. I held up a hand, halting the group, and tilted my head slightly, focusing my senses.

"We're not alone," I whispered, my eyes scanning the treeline.

Derek and Sam immediately tensed, ready for action. AJ's massive frame shifted slightly, positioning himself to protect the others. Milly's eyes narrowed as she scanned our surroundings.

I twirled my forefinger in a circle, indicating we should spread out and encircle the area. We moved with practiced stealth, each of us taking a different approach. Derek and Sam flanked left and right while AJ and Milly covered the rear. I took point, then caught a fleeting glimpse of movement behind a large oak tree. I signaled the others, then crept forward slowly. The scent grew stronger—definitely a werewolf and female.

Suddenly, a twig snapped under AJ's foot. He froze. Fucking bear Shifters, they could never get the hang of being stealthy. Almost immediately, a blur of motion erupted from behind the tree as our target made a run for it.

"There!" I shouted, abandoning stealth for speed.

The chase was on. The werewolf, in human form, was fast, weaving between trees and leaping over fallen logs with grace. But I was faster. I could hear the others spreading out, trying to cut off her escape routes.

I was closing the gap when she suddenly pivoted, using a tree trunk as leverage to change direction.

"Milly! Left!" I yelled.

Milly appeared from between the trees, forcing our prey to veer right—straight into Derek's path. The female werewolf skidded to a halt, realizing she was surrounded.

Her eyes darted around, searching for an escape. Then, with a snarl, she lunged at Milly, clearly seeing her as the weakest link. It was a mistake.

Milly side-stepped her attack and drove her elbow into the back of our target, using her momentum to throw her off balance. I seized the opportunity, tackling her mid-stumble. We hit the ground hard, rolling through the underbrush.

She fought like a wildcat, clawing and biting. Her elbow caught me in the ribs, forcing out a grunt of pain. I managed to keep my grip, using my greater strength to pin her arms. Then AJ's massive hands appeared, helping to secure her flailing legs. Even then, she continued to struggle, her eyes blazing with defiance.

As we pulled her to her feet, I got my first good look at our captive. She was petite, with long, dark hair, now disheveled from the struggle, cascading down her back in loose waves.

Her delicate features were contorted in anger.

"Let me the fuck go!"

"What's your name?" I replied calmly.

She lifted her chin, a sneer curling those full lips. "Lena. And you're making a big mistake."

"Really? I think you'll find the mistake is yours, Lena," Milly retorted, stepping forward. "You allowed yourself to get caught."

Lena's eyes flickered to Milly and widened. "You! You're a fucking traitor, Milly! I should kill you where you stand."

"Do try to be a bit original, Lena. I heard that from the whole Pack. You still running with Tristan?"

Lena glared at Milly, and her lip curled in disgust. "Of course I am! I'm not scum like you. I don't abandon my Pack."

Milly took a step forward, her face a mix of disbelief and frustration.

"Abandoned? I escaped, Lena. I thought you, of all people, would have seen through Tristan's lies by now."

"The only liar here is you," Lena snarled. "You turned your back on everything we stand for. Everything Tristan taught us."

"Fuck Tristan! Fuck him and his lies!" Milly countered, her voice rising. "Can't you see through the bullshit he spouts? The way he treats women, the things he makes us do—"

Lena's eyes blazed. "I do what he wants, what he needs, willingly, Milly! I'm finally part of something bigger than myself. We're going to change the future for all Shifters, so what does it matter who does what? We all have our roles to play. None of you fuckers will ever understand that. You can't stop Tristan or his movement. There's a change coming, and I'm going to be at the forefront of it."

"A change?" I interjected, trying to keep her talking.

"A revolution," Lena declared. "We're going to take back control, and afterward, the world will be better; werewolves will finally be where we belong."

Milly scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "You mean with male werewolves on top? That's part of Tristan's vision, too, isn't it? The males don't want to share that top spot with females."

"Maybe that's for the best. You ever think of that? I feel sorry for you, Milly. Always trying to be something you're not instead of embracing the good you can do if you just accept your place. Females weren't built for the same things as the males. We should be proud of that fact. Our job is to support our males, do whatever it takes to make sure they come out on top."

"Listen to yourself," Milly pleaded, her voice softer now. "This isn't you, Lena. This can't be what you dreamed of when you were younger."

Lena's face hardened. "You know fuck all about my life. You're the scum that left, remember? I don't see anyone else lining up to take care of me. Tristan and his Pack do. They're my family, and we're going to achieve something amazing."

"Yeah? And where are they now?" I asked. "It looks to me like they abandoned you here."

Her eyes swung to mine, and she raised her chin. "I was sent to watch. To make sure the last of us to leave weren't going to be followed."

"Followed?" Sam asked, his brow furrowed. He was probably wondering the same thing Milly had earlier: had they received a tip-off we were coming, or were these just their usual precautions?

"You think we're not one step ahead of you at all times? We know what you're going to do before you even do it! Tristan will reward me. I did my job; I distracted you. Hell, I still am distracting you." Lena laughed, her joy in doing good for Tristan all over her face. "They'll be long gone by now."

I eyed AJ and Milly. Ronnie had tipped both us and the Bridgetown Pack off about this site. If Lena was telling the truth, one of us had a mole.

"What were you all doing here, Lena?" I pressed, hoping she might reveal more. "What's Tristan's endgame?"

Lena's eyes glittered with pride and defiance. "You think I'd tell you anything that could harm our cause?"

"Your cause?" Derek scoffed. "You mean Tristan's cause? He must be laughing his ass off; you know that, right? He's got you so brainwashed, he's got you believing that you're not worth the ground he walks on. That all females are worthless. He's using you; can't you see that?"

"No," Lena snarled. "You're the ones who can't see. Tristan has a vision for our future. Just because my part is different, doesn't make it any less important. We're all working toward a future where werewolves no longer hide in the shadows."

I could feel we were getting close to something important. "And how does he plan to achieve this vision?"

Lena's face twisted into a cruel smile. "By any means necessary. The humans will fall, and the strong will rise. That's the natural order of things."

"Natural order?" Sam interjected, disgust evident in his voice. "There's nothing natural about what Tristan's planning."

"You're all so blind. Reality has a way of punching you in the face, doesn't it? And I can't wait for when it hits you. The reality is that Tristan's vision is the only way forward for our kind."

"Forward to what?" I demanded. "What exactly is Tristan planning?"

A smug smile played across Lena's lips. "You'll see soon enough. You'll be too late to stop it, as usual. When everyone is distracted, Tristan will strike. He'll take the mate the Goddess saved for him and kill them all, every last one. And from the ashes of the old order, we'll build a new world."

When everyone was distracted.

The mating ceremony.

Fuck!

And Tristan wasn't just planning to disrupt the ceremony—he was planning a massacre.