Running with the Pack - 39. Chapter 39

“Aiden, we’ve tried every variation of that code. It didn’t work. I think he was having fun with us. The computer’s encryption’s pretty damn good, but the tech guys will eventually crack it.”

“It isn’t a code to unlock it, Alpha. It’s a location.”

The pack leader stared at Aiden. “Okay, talk me through what you’re thinking. Those numbers don’t work as map coordinates. We tried that.”

“I may not understand this guy, but we’ve developed a rapport. There’s something important to find, but he isn’t going to make it easy. Best I can figure is he wants to make sure I’m smart enough to figure out the puzzle. To prove I deserve the prize. If I am, I think I’ll be holding a royal flush to win the main game and force the others to fold and run.”

“You’ve been playing poker with your friends lately, haven’t you?” John chuckled. “It still doesn’t change the fact those are not map coordinates.”

Aiden placed a printout on the alpha’s desk with a map showing forty-seven north two minutes twenty seconds by eighty-four west zero minutes. At the center was a red circle.

The alpha looked at the paper, the coordinates, and the name of the location highlighted. “How in the hell did you come up with this?”

“I broke the code down. The second half seemed easy. If you assume theta represents a numeric value, “T” is the twentieth letter in the alphabet. I know it’s a stretch, but the last four give a possible full latitude. When I looked at it on a map, it passed through Quebec. He mentioned going several times, so I kept working on it.” Aiden took a breath as the alpha nodded for him to continue. “The first half of the code was more of a challenge. But figuring it had to be someplace in Canada helped. It’s partially reversed with the center numbers in the sequence being the longitude. Subtracting the one from eighty-five west moves it from over water onto dry land. I’d say where Wolfe Lake Road intersects Lunar, Ontario sounds like a good place to look. I think we’ll find what we’re supposed to in the one house there.”

“This is a huge stretch, Aiden.” He almost laughed at the annoyed look he received. “But I’d have to agree it’s worth checking out. My concern’s this is some type of trap. Aiden, he has an unusual fascination with you. It could be a ploy to recapture you. Returning your badge might be true admiration or part of an elaborate setup. People like him tend to run the long game.”

“I’ve considered that too. Giving back my badge makes me think he has another motive and it’s a good will gesture on his part. Though I won’t discount any possibility regarding him. I’ll ask forensics to check it over along with the note. I still don’t know if he’s playing me and won’t unless we check it out.”

“Another problem if you were to head up there this time of year is the weather. It’s going to be miserable in that area. And those are not paved or plowed roads.”

“It’s about a 650 mile drive to Harmony Beach, Ontario and from there an eight-mile run to Lunar. A run through a snowy forest shouldn’t be much different than here.”

“Let me think about this before I agree to let you go. I don’t doubt your judgment, but I want to try and ensure your safety. If he calls again, don’t let him know you might have figured it out. See if he drops any hints. In the meantime, draw up a mission plan.”

“Yes, Alpha. I’ll need passport cards for Ethan, the guys, and myself.”

“It takes about six weeks to get those unless we expedite them.” John looked over everything he had been presented again. “Aiden, I’m proud of you. Good work.”

“Thank you, Alpha.”

******

The full moon was quickly approaching. To Aiden and many in the pack, the first one of the year was extra special. With great pride and respect for their history, he told Ethan the tale. “The story we’re always told this time of year is that in January, amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, wolf packs would howl hungrily outside of Native American villages. As a result, the villagers began calling the month’s full moon, the Wolf Moon.” He pulled his mate into his arms as they cuddled in front of the fireplace. “Some of our kind in the tribes would sometimes take food to their starving cousins, to help them through the winter. That charity was something many packs adopted. With the holidays over, we try to help both wolf and human who are hungry this time of year.”

The celebration would not be a small family and friends thing like most lunar events. Instead, it was much larger groups running. The night culminated with them arriving in fur at one location for the big party.

Aiden glanced at the clock and called out to his mate. “You ready to go yet, Pup?”

“Yeah, I’ll be down in a second.”

“All you’re going to do is strip and shift. It shouldn’t take so long.” He had to snicker as Ethan finally joined him all bundled up.

“Laugh it up, Big Bad. I want to stay warm before I shift. Few things are as embarrassing as shrinkage when you strip. Not that you shrink even if packed in snow.”

“Come on. Let’s grab Casey and Cody, so we can head out to the new apartments. They’re all looking forward to running with you tonight.”

******

Rafe and his household, along with Nathan, Alex, and several of the other non-wolf shifters, met before heading to the alpha’s home for a run with the senior pack leadership. As had become custom, Darius was staying with Zach and several of his friends for an evening of movies, popcorn, and hearing stories of their ancestors.

There were still quite a few wolves at the medical clinic, being treated for PTSD. With a good portion of them being lunis, they would have to change into their lunar form. The mental health doctors thought it would be good for them to get out and enjoy time as wolves. A major run might not work well yet, so they were all driven to a spot where they could shift outdoors and meet the others to enjoy the full moon as all lycan should. Several pack members including Eli stayed with them for support.

******

In a snow covered field near the almost completed apartments, people gathered to await the rise of the Wolf Moon into the night sky. In contrast to the lunis, for the lupus this was a voluntary transformation, even if they did feel the lunar pull. As the glowing orb rose above the trees and shone its soft light on the shifters below, one after another transformed.

When all had shifted, Ethan and Aiden finally did. For spending time with their lunis friends, they chose their hybrid form. The sight of the pair was impressive and awed everyone. The moonlight radiated off Ethan’s fur, producing a glow around him.

As they stood with their friends, many of the lunis knelt on one knee before the young couple. Ethan and Aiden decided they were going to put an immediate stop to it.

Aiden addressed them all in the deep gravelly voice characteristic of the lunis. “We are all friends and equals here. You have no need or cause to kneel before either of us.”

Ethan nodded as those around began to stand. “We took this form tonight to run with you as lunis, as brothers.”

One of the lunis approached and held his hand out to the white wolf. “We know you are an alpha in your own right since you can take both forms as well as gifted with the elements. It was merely our way of showing respect.”

Aiden patted their friend on the shoulder. “For now, it does not matter if nature has made my mate and I alphas. Even if at some point in the future our alpha sees fit to entrust us with the care of the pack. Displays like that are not needed. Your friendship and our respect for each other and all shifters is all that truly matters.”

The lunis all nodded while the lupus in the crowd howled their agreement.

With Ethan at his side, Aiden was ready. “Let’s run.”

They made its way into the forest with a specific destination in mind. Several of the lunis, including Ethan, loped on all fours; others were more comfortable on their hind legs only. After taking a roundabout way and enjoying the thrill of the run, they emerged from the forest into a large meadow close to one of the higher peaks in the territory. Three bonfires were lit as those with Aiden waited. Over the next half hour, six more groups entered the clearing.

The alpha and luna shifted from their enormous lupus into their hybrid form as the pack came together and surrounded the alpha pair. “We gather tonight to bask in the healing light of the Wolf Moon and to honor the stories of the past by meeting here amongst the trees and stars. We let our voices call out to those who can hear us in the mortal world. And to those who have passed on.”

John and Jackie threw their heads back and howled. When they finished, the run leaders joined in. After several minutes, a faint reply was heard as a neighboring pack responded. For the next two hours or so, the wolf calls took on a musical quality as Parker Valley sang out in perfect harmony. To those present, it was the most beautiful song possible. To humans in the area, it was an eerily peaceful melody they had grown accustomed to. The overlapping cries belied the true number of wolves singing.

As the party wound down, the fires were extinguished, and the revelers made their way home. Arriving at the apartments, each of the lunis approached Ethan and Aiden, embraced the couple, and thanked them for leading them.

“I may not be good at running on two legs like most of you, but this was a lot of fun for me.” The scent of excitement Ethan gave off brought joy to all. “I guess the party goes on here ‘til morning?”

A fire was lit in a steel ring as snacks were pulled out. The lunis placed munchies in bowls for their lupus friends who did not have the benefit of thumbs to grasp their treats. The celebration continued even after the moon had finally dipped below the horizon. One by one, wolves returned to their human form; exhaustion compelled then to return home for much needed sleep.

******

Aiden had some unusually quiet time at home. Ethan was off with Cody and Darius at the new apartments, spending time with the wolves he had helped. Aiden knew he could have gone, but he wanted to let his pup have this time to himself. Outside of work they did most everything together and this gave Ethan something that was his own. The lunis adored him and to the young Elemental they were merely shifters. Different in their animal form, but each as special as every other lycan. Since one of his two forms was so similar to theirs, being close to the lunis helped him understand his hybrid wolf better.

Being alone gave Aiden time to work on a project he had been doing in his off hours whenever Ethan was at work.

Casey had gone into the basement to use the laundry room. As he loaded the washing machine, he heard his friend working in a room that had been kept locked since the mystery project started. Even though he knew Aiden probably heard him come down the stairs, he still called out. “Hey, bro. Just in here to do laundry. I’m not trying to spy on your secret project.”

Aiden emerged from the room, partially closing the door behind him as he eyed his friend with suspicion. “Yeah, sure. You’ve been more curious than Ethan.”

“Well, you’ve got us all wondering what you’ve got going in there.” Casey tried to peer past his friend. “You sucked in chemistry class worse than I did, so evil scientist is out.”

“It’s almost done. I just need to finish the lighting.”

“Does that mean we’ll get to see it soon?”

“If you promise not to say anything to my husband before I surprise him with it, I’ll show you. Besides, you might be able to give me a hand with the lights I’ve got or suggest an alternative. You’re better at electrical work then I am. I’ve shocked myself a couple times thinking I had the power off. Electro-stim sounds fun, but not at 110 volts.”

“Let me start this load and then show me what you need done.”

Casey followed Aiden to find the room’s walls painted very dark, almost black. There were a couple of work lights around. In the center was a padded bench, in one corner was a leather chair with wooden arms, and in the other one was what really caught Casey’s eye. Hanging from the ceiling was a leather sling. He walked over to check it out before going back to look over the bench.

“Bro, you built a fuckin’ playroom! This is awesome!”

Aiden chuckled at his friend’s excitement. “Wanted to give Ethan and me additional options. Not that there are any complaints with the bedroom.” He showed Casey what he had for lighting and explained the effect he wanted in the room.

“Well, that track system will work well for the center fixture mount. It looks good and those six lights are easy to adjust. We can run a wire to the back wall and hook up a different track system along the edge to light up the rest. It’s all low voltage so it won’t be a problem. I like that you got the LED system so the color can change too. We did something similar for a few houses, though none of those were in a dungeon.”

“I’m still thinking about putting a bed of some type in here. Maybe one of those metal, dungeon beds if I can find one for a good price. Though I wouldn’t mind having that in our bedroom either. I’m also going to get a couple pictures for the walls, maybe something like those Tom of Finland ones. It would be cool to have a light on them. Do you think we could put both sets of lights on dimmers?”

“Yeah, that’s no problem. I won’t even charge you if you let me bring Cody and Darius down here once in a while.” He grinned from ear to ear.

“Just as long as you clean up after yourselves. I’m glad there’s a full bathroom down here. Easier to shower and get all the lube off instead of walking up to the bedroom.”

“Dude… You use lube? That’s what spit’s for.” He playfully shook his head. “So, where’d you find the bench? I’ve seen those online but never with the hole to fit your junk through while someone’s face down on it.”

“Built it myself.” Aiden appeared quite proud of his accomplishment. “Found the plans on the net and modified it to what I wanted.”

Casey checked it over. “You did a damn good job. Seems sturdy enough for someone our size. The padding is great and looks wide enough to be comfortable. The padded knee platforms are a nice touch too, and I bet it leaves the guy on it nice and open. I’ve never seen adjustable legs on one like this. The eyelets for cuffs are hot. I think that hole is the best addition so things don’t get cramped.”

“Gotta have easy access and comfort. I wanted the legs adjustable so if I’m on it Ethan doesn’t need to stand on anything.”

“Do you mind if I try it?”

Go for it, but if you break it, you’re building a new one.”

Casey climbed onto the bench, resting his chest on it. After a couple minutes, he propped himself up on his elbows. “It’s comfortable. I keep picturing our guys walking in now finding me on this. At least we’re fully dressed.” Once standing, he walked to the corner. “How’d you mount the sling?”

“I took down the ceiling over it, then used six inch screws and bolts to mount 4x4’s between the floor beams. The eyelets go all the way through and are bolted at the top.”

“That should be good enough to hold two or three of us in it at once. Just sayin’. I know Dad kind of went for overkill on the beams for the flooring, but he also wanted plenty of space to insulate from down here. Good job, you can’t even tell you took the drywall off the ceiling.”

“Thanks. Getting the lighting finished was the last thing. Kinda wish I could have found fixtures for the walls like old-style lanterns. Give it a nice dungeon look.” Aiden laughed.

“I bet I could find some if you want. I mean, we wired it up to put in two wall sconces on each side of the room and just put cover plates on them.”

“I can get by without them. Keep an eye out for something that looks good and isn’t expensive. It’s a play room, not a man cave.”

“More like a wolf’s den.” Casey joked. “One of Dad’s suppliers has a recycling pile of old fixtures and probably has what you’re looking for. I’ll grab my tools, and we can get the lighting done before they get home.”

“Thanks, Bro.”

******

With the success of the New Year’s Eve bash at the farm, Nathan and Alex decided to do another dance party for Valentine’s Day. This was going to be a free event for couples of all ages held on the Saturday before the special day. It would show off the space for prospective parties. The inside of the barn was decorated in red and white with lots of hanging hearts and twinkling lights strung through the rafters. They only asked that people bring snacks or refreshments.

Troy, the DJ from New Year’s, talked to them as soon as he heard about it. “Would you guys be willing to let me spin for you again? I’d really like to gain more experience.”

Alex chuckled. “We were going to ask you since you did such a good job last time.”

“I’ll happily do any of these parties you host. It’s great exposure for me and lets people see what I can do.”

“You’re right. It does, and we want them to see your talents. We’ve listed you as the recommended entertainment for parties.”

The teen’s father extended his hand to the horse-farm owners. “I can’t thank you guys enough for helping him out like this. Troy worked to buy the equipment he wanted. I wasn’t sure if he’d get the experience he needed to get hired.”

“I’m happy doing it just for tips. I’ll work for free at any of these barn dances you do. It would be cool if a paying job comes from it someday.”

The day of the party, Troy arrived early with his dad, and the two got to work setting up his equipment. An hour or so later, he was testing it. As he played a song to get the sound level where he wanted, Alex took Nathan’s hand and danced the bear around the room. The DJ let the song play out and felt it was as good as he could do before the noise of people entered into it. He told them he would be back a half-hour before the party started.

“I guess we officially got the first dance of the party.” Alex playfully swatted Nathan on the butt.

The teen’s father laughed watching the pair. “My mate and I will be here for this. I think it’s great that you guys are doing these parties for the community.”

A couple of hours later, DJ Troy arrived and was soon spinning. Not long after, people began showing up. The first to arrive were older couples. All the pack elders came, but one couple in particular stood out. The woman set a plate of heart-shaped cookies on the table and followed her mate to the dance floor. The couple appeared to be in their seventies, which given the slow aging of lycan belied their true age. Nathan had heard it was just shy of one hundred. After they had finished their first dance, they walked over to thank their hosts for having the event.

“It’s so nice of you young men to organize this party.” Her mate nodded and smiled.

“This is an honor for us, and it allows us to meet more of the pack.” Alex’s curiosity got the better of him. “I hope you won’t find this rude. Do you mind if I ask how long you’re been together?”

Her mate answered with a twinkle in his eye as if recalling some fond memory. “We’re been together for eighty-three years, and I for one plan to make it to our hundredth anniversary.”

“The mating bond rejuvenates us continually, and we keep each other young.” She giggled mischievously.

“You give inspiration to us younger couples.”

The hosts went about greeting people as they arrived.

“Uncle Alex, Uncle Nathan. The barn looks great.”

“Thank you, Ethan. Aiden, thanks for coming.”

“We wouldn’t miss one of your parties for anything.” Aiden turned, hearing a familiar laughter. A smile spread across his face seeing his best friend holding hands with Cody and Darius.

Nathan excused himself to welcome more guests. He kissed Mary on the cheek and extended his hand to Rafe. “Are your parents coming?” As soon as he finished the question, Kate and Weylin entered the barn.

Alex was still talking to Aiden and his group when he noticed four more people enter. “I need to grab Nathan and do the host thing. Have fun. We’ll talk more later.”

“Yep, official duties of welcoming the current and former alpha pairs.” Aiden was pleased to see his two older friends so happy.

“Alpha, Jackie, we’re honored to have you here with us tonight. Garrett, Barbara, you honor us as well.”

“Gentlemen, with everything you two have done in the last several months, we’re the ones who are honored to have you in the pack.” John extended his hand to the couple.

Jackie gave each of their hosts a kiss on the cheek. “I expect a dance from you both before the evening’s over.”

Alex had the DJ hand him the microphone. He stood before their guests with an arm wrapped around his mate. “Nathan and I want to welcome you all and say thank you for coming tonight to what we hope is the first annual Valentine’s Day Barn Dance here. It’s incredible seeing so many couples enjoying themselves. And even more wonderful being around so many who have been together for over fifty years. Enjoy the music, and I hope you all have a wonderful time tonight.”

As the tunes restarted, many of the older couples took to the dance floor. They put the younger crowd to shame with how well they danced with moves few could replicate. The DJ had a blast playing music from all over the spectrum. Some of the older couples appreciated him playing big band music as much as modern songs.

During a break, Ethan teased their hosts. “Way to charm the alpha’s mate earlier, Uncle Nathan. Great speech, Uncle Alex.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing you call us that.” Nathan pulled his nephew into a bear hug.

“What can I say, I’m lucky. I actually got to choose my entire family and turns out I got the best one possible.” Ethan smiled as he grabbed Aiden’s hand and pulled him out to join the others. “Come on, Big Bad, let’s dance.”

Nathan leaned his head on Alex’s shoulder. “Did you ever imagine before Aiden brought that boy here we’d not only become part of the pack but would have people here consider us their family?”

“In all honesty, no, I didn’t. Aiden was always the closest to us out of the wolves who came to ride, but I never thought we would be where we are today. The Tuckers consider us part of their clan. I don’t think Ethan says it as a joke when he calls us Uncle. All of this makes me feel happy beyond belief. What I want to do more than anything right now is dance with the love of my life, so let’s hit the floor, my Teddy Bear.”

To say everyone had a wonderful Valentine’s Day would be an understatement. The party was a huge success and brought the once outsiders further into the pack.

******

There were three more phone calls from Jean-Pierre after Aiden thought he had figured out the code. Nothing in those conversations dissuaded him from the belief he had cracked it. Beyond subtle hints, there was nothing to confirm his thoughts. The only way to know for sure would be to go check it out.

The passport cards arrived. Ethan was excited as he flashed it to Casey and Cody. “Now we can go back to Niagara Falls when it warms up and see both sides.” He frowned seeing envelopes only for Aiden, Casey, and him. “Darius, didn’t you and Cody get one?”

“We already have full passports, so we didn’t need to apply for the card.”

Aiden met with Cody, and Darius, drawing on their military experience to plan their trip into the Canadian wilderness. They reviewed what was available. Google Maps was helpful but limited as they knew the visual information was out of date. The borders for any nearby packs or clans were marked to make sure the group would not violate anyone’s territory. Fortunately, Wolfe Lake was not claimed by any lycan group. Between the three men, they drew up a plan that seemed to be the best option for going in and getting out successfully. Ethan and Casey were filled in on the details before they took it to the alpha for approval.

“I’ll say this. You’re thorough.” John looked over the report one more time. “I see you even have the current snow levels plus a ten day forecast for the area. You’ll be dropping off the truck with the local doctor?”

“Yes, Alpha. Everything should be plowed and accessible to Harmony Beach since that’s on the Trans Canadian Highway. Anything inland we’ll have to do on all fours. When we were checking possible shifters in the area, a bear showed up as living there. He’s the local bush doctor.” Aiden seemed uncertain for a moment. “I called Caleb Alexander since Doctor MacRae said he’s familiar with a lot of rural physicians. Doc Alexander said he knows the man and that he could be trusted. As far as anyone knows, we are going for a winter run to Wolfe Lake.”

“Darius, are you going to be okay doing this? Lion’s aren’t exactly known for being cold weather animals. You don’t have our fur to keep you warm and dry in those low temperatures.”

“I’ll be fine, Alpha.”

“I’m going to approve this. All I have to say is be careful.”

“We will, Alpha.” Aiden assured him.

Darius placed a hand on Cody’s shoulder. “We’ll make sure they get back.”

John was emphatic. “Darius, I want all five of you back!”

******

As the group prepared to leave, Cody continually checked weather reports. A snow storm had passed through a few days before they departed. It was expected to remain clear for a while, but they all knew how unpredictable Mother Nature could be. Even with the relatively clear weather, it still took around fourteen hours to drive the nearly seven hundred miles to their destination. By the time they arrived, a new weather system was forecast to move in. The prediction was only for heavy clouds for the first few days before the real storm hit with blizzard conditions. The clouds would help with the danger of snow blindness when they made their cross country run to the mysterious house at Lunar.

Aiden turned the SUV off the highway as they entered Harmony Beach. There were a few houses scattered around and a couple resorts closed up for winter. He pulled the vehicle to a stop, checking the address before parking in the driveway. They stood facing the bay, its waters opening up into Lake Superior and seeming to go on forever. Grey clouds hovered over the sea as lightning flashed off in the distance.

A huge, gruff man with a thick beard answered the door knock. “Since we don’t get many tourists around this time of year, and you don’t look like Jehovah’s Witnesses, I’m guessing you’re the ones Caleb said would be stopping by.”

“Hello, sir. I’m Aiden, this is my mate Ethan, and our friends Casey, Cody, and Darius.”

“You best be getting in out of the cold. I’m Martin. Hmm… I thought it was going to be five wolves.”

“If it’s a problem, we can head out now instead of waiting ‘til morning.” Aiden stopped in the entryway.

“Oh, sorry. It isn’t a problem, just not used to wolves mixing with coyotes and whatever the one pretending to be human is. But then again, you are staying with a bear.”

“We like diversity, sir.” Ethan extended his hand to the older lycan.

“There’s a truckload of stuff for you, Doctor. We were able to bring all the medical supplies you requested as well as plenty of food. We’re grateful for your hospitality and a place to spend the night.” Aiden handed him a list of what they brought the man.

“Well, only a handful of us live here year round. It’s nice to have some new company once in a while. About the same as Caleb living up on that mountain all the time. Privacy with the occasional guest. If your truck isn’t rigged for it already, I’ve got a spare engine-block and radiator heater so it won’t freeze while you’re here.”

“Thank you. It just needs to be plugged in.” Aiden followed the man to the truck and watched him connect it to an extension cord. “We’ll be heading out at first light and depending on how things go, will hopefully be back by nightfall or the next morning.”

“Sir, if you tell us where you want the supplies, we’ll start bringing them in.” Darius relaxed a little, sensing there was no threat.

“Food in the kitchen and the medical supplies we can take into my office.”

The guys unloaded everything they brought for Martin and while they were doing that, he prepared dinner. He filled them in on the conditions leading to Wolfe Lake, which were pretty much as they expected. After dinner, Ethan and Aiden offered to clean up, but Martin insisted guests should not do such things. They talked until around ten that night before everyone turned in.

******

Morning seemed to come way too soon. The guys felt a little stiff from the long drive the day before but after a good breakfast and coffee they were ready to go. Everyone put what they needed into the special packs they had. Ethan, Cody, and Casey were the first to shift. Aiden helped Ethan into his gear since he had never used it before.

“Those are some impressive markings. I’ve never seen a wolf like you before.”

“My mate’s one of a kind. That’s for sure.”

Martin glanced at Darius. “Trying to hold out and keep me wondering what you really are, aren’t you?” He tried to make it sound like a joke, but he was curious.

Once the packs were secured on the first three, Aiden and Darius both stripped and dropped to all fours as they shifted.

“Well, I’ll be damned. You’re the first lion I’ve seen. I guess those old stories about your kind are true. That explains not being able to smell what type of lycan you are. You be careful, it isn’t like we have lions running all over the place around these parts, and we don’t have the warmth you’re used to.” Martin helped Aiden and Darius with their packs before opening the door and giving them last minute instructions on the best way to get to the other side of the highway. Seconds later, they were running full out and crossed the road heading into the forest.

They did not expect it to take very long to reach Lunar, even in the deep snow. It was less than nine miles in a straight line and there was a set of train tracks that ran along the eastern edge of it. As long as they did not cross the tracks, they were good. Darius had the hardest time with the snow since his body was built more for the African Savanna and not the Canadian tundra. Still, he kept up, and the others made sure he was warm enough. Forty minutes after they started, the group found the train tracks. The question now was to go north or south.

Even with all the snow and ice around, Ethan was able to feel the water of Archigan Lake beside Lunar. He turned them north and five minutes later it was within sight. Cody moved to take point. He was more experienced with this type of approach, and his smaller size helped. The group moved upwind towards the single house that made up Lunar. The building matched the “T” shaped structure they had seen on the aerial photo and sat about three hundred feet from the rail line. It was modest and looked to be well kept. Most of the snow had slid off the metal roof.

A metal barn was a short distance from the house. Through its open doors, a tractor with a snow blower and plow could be seen. That explained all the snow being cleared from around the house and a path leading to the rail tracks.

Cody moved around, checking the barn and three smaller out buildings before he reported to Darius and Aiden. “There’s four lycan inside the house. Three smelled too young to shift. There hasn’t been anyone else in the area for quite some time, and the nearest house is another quarter mile up the train tracks.”

As the group quietly discussed their next move, a small boy who appeared to be about ten and bundled up in warm clothes walked outside to the shed nearest the house. He began to grab fire wood stacked against it. Even though Aiden and his group were well back into the woods, whether it was the wind shifting or something else, the young boy looked in their direction and scented the air.

“MOM!” He dropped the wood and ran as fast as he could towards the house.

It took every ounce of effort Aiden and the others had not to go chasing after the boy. Aiden had to clamp his jaws over Ethan’s neck to prevent him from giving chase. Even though their animal knew the boy was not prey, it also told them only prey ran.

Moments later, a woman came out of the house with a rifle. She scented the air before calling out in a heavy French accent. “I don’t know who you are, but I will put a bullet in you before I let you get near my children.”

Aiden’s pack dropped as he began shifting to human. He quickly dressed and moved towards the clearing. “I don’t mean any harm. My name’s Aiden.”

“Aiden? What was Galactica Actual’s original call sign?” The woman kept the rifle trained on him.

“Husker.”

Her rifle lowered slightly, but she remained alert.

“Step out where I can see you better.”

Aiden moved away from the tree he was next to.

“You are Deputy Jacobs?”

“Yes, Ma’am. Although I suppose someone I think we both know might also call me Pegasus Actual.”

“You two and your damned Battlestar whatever codes. Come inside and warm up. The others can come out now if they want.”

“Cody, Casey, patrol the area for now. If you get too cold come to the house. Darius, shift and come with me.”

Ethan did not understand why he was not mentioned until Casey growled and woofed in his ear, explaining Aiden did not want to reveal his mate was there, just in case.

Once dressed, Darius joined Aiden as they walked to the house.

Inside, the two stood before the wood stove to warm up. It had not been bad in his wolf fur, but the brief time as humans was downright freezing. Darius was grateful for the warmth.

Aiden observed the woman. She had long, flowing black hair with a slight curl to it. There was a classical look to her facial features that gave an elegance you would not think to find in such a remote location. She stood perhaps five foot eight inches with a slender body. Her eyes though, even being a typical brown, radiated a warning that regardless of her size compared to theirs, she would fight to the death to protect her pups.

“I’m sorry I don’t have much to offer you. We’re pretty low on everything, and the supply train isn’t due by for another couple days.”

“We’re fine, Ma’am.” Aiden held his hands close to the stove. “I’m hoping you know why we’re here. He never said what we’d find.”

“That sounds like him. Always cryptic and vague. One moment.” She picked up a satellite phone and pressed a few buttons. When whoever she was calling answered, all she said was, “He’s here,” before handing the phone to Aiden.

“Yes?”

“Deputy Jacobs, I knew you would figure out my little code. I admit I was wondering if I had misjudged you.”

“I figured it out a couple weeks ago, but it took a while to get our passports and to do everything we could to check and make sure it wasn’t some type of trap.”

“I can appreciate that level of caution, but at this moment with you there, I am the one who could be exposing myself to a trap. I am entrusting you with the most valuable people in the world to me because of your commitment to honor and loyalty. I have never met anyone I felt was more trustworthy than you. The woman is my mate and the little ones are my pups. Aiden, they are my very life. Even though they are relatively safe there, I need you to get them someplace they will be protected and not hiding out alone in the wilderness. In exchange for that, she has several hard drives and will guide you to the flash drives required to access them. The drives contain data on every transaction I’ve done, every member of the Lycan Council I’ve had contact with, recordings of every phone call, and even some videos. All of it since I assumed control of the organization.”

“Getting them back to my pack shouldn’t be a problem. I can speak on behalf of my alpha that they’ll be given sanctuary and protected.”

“Once I know they’re safely there, I will give you the decryption key to unlock all the information I’ve collected. Make sure the devices are not connected to any computer before I give you the decryption key.”

“I’d ask why, but I want to get on the move. I’ll save that question for a later time when daylight and weather are not an issue. You have my word they’ll be looked after.”

“Hand the phone back to Marie and I’ll tell her to take the pups and go with you. I will talk to you again soon.”

Aiden did as was asked and handed the phone to the woman. There was a short discussion. “Can he be trusted not to harm the pups when he has what he wants?” After a brief pause, she told him she loved him. “Je t’aime mon mari.”

She turned to Aiden. “My mate trusts no one and yet he trusts you. We will go with you if you will take us.”

“I gave my word. Do you all have passports for the border?”

She nodded. Getting the children’s attention. “Fit what clothes you can into your backpacks and bundle up.” Moving a chair and rug, she pulled up two floor boards and retrieved hard drives from their hiding space. All total, there were twenty.

“We’ll make a stop at Wolfe Lake where the flash drives are hidden,” she informed Aiden.

“Darius, call the others over. We should be able to load all these into our packs while they carry what they need.”

While Darius was outside, Aiden explained his plans to Marie. “It’s about eight or nine miles—about thirteen kilometers I think—to our truck. We need you to guide us to where the flash drives are and then we can get to the SUV. Make sure that phone is off. Take out the battery and put it in the pack with your things. Once we get on the road it’ll be twelve to fourteen hours of driving to our home. We shouldn’t draw any attention, but just in case, we will do what we can to protect you four.”

She nodded and set to packing just what she needed and could carry. Darius loaded the hard drives into their backpacks. Aiden put out the fire in the stove and went outside to shut off the generator. When he came back, Marie and the pups were ready to go.

She pulled him aside out of earshot of the kids. “They don’t know what their father has done or the type of business he ran. Only that he did everything he could to protect and provide for them. I would like to try and keep it that way as long as possible. They adore him.”

“All I know is someone I’ve talked to many times asked me to rescue his family and get them to safety. Three of us should be able carry the kids on our backs. It’ll be slower going, but we should still be able to make it in a couple hours. We will pick up our truck in Harmony Beach and be on our way.”

Marie knelt before the children. “These men have come to take us to meet their pack. You’ll be riding on their back, so hold on tight. It will be like when you’ve ridden wolves at home.”

With everything settled, Marie, Darius, and Aiden stripped, shoved their clothes into the packs, and shifted. The children all screamed out in delight at seeing a lion. It was a little work getting the packs on in their animal form, but the oldest boy assisted them. The smallest climbed onto Ethan’s back and one got onto Casey’s. After the oldest boy closed up the door, he mounted Aiden’s back. Soon, they headed into the forest on their way to Wolfe Lake.

With the added cargo on their backs, it took about an hour to run the four miles from the house to a point between Wolfe and Twab Lakes. Marie knew the route and easily guided them to where the flash drives were hidden. The lake surface was frozen and looked like they could walk across it to a small cabin sitting on an island in the middle if they wanted. Marie woofed at her son to get the bag with the flash drives out of a hole in a tree trunk she pointed to.

The boy pulled the package out of the remains of the fallen tree and counted them to make sure that all twenty devices were there. He returned to Aiden and put them inside his pack before climbing onto the black wolf’s again.

The group worked its way through the forest until they reached Wolfe Lake Road. The snow slowed them down, but if they stayed nearest the trees, it was not bad. It was a safer route to follow having small pups riding on them. About an hour and a half after they stopped at the lake, they arrived at Harmony Beach

******

They had reached the Trans Canada Highway and as expected, there was no traffic. The group crossed and headed to Martin’s house as quickly as they could. With the cover of the trees, Aiden and Darius shifted to human and quickly dressed. Knocking on the door of the Doctor’s house, they only had to wait a moment before he opened it.

“I didn’t expect to see you back so soon.”

“Things went smoother than expected. We have some additional people with us. Can we get these pups warmed up before we hit the road?”

“Children? Get them in here now. I’ll make coffee and hot chocolate. Go stand by the fire.” He pointed towards the wood stove in the living room.

The pups sipped hot chocolate while the adults had coffee. Martin checked the kids over to make sure they were healthy and suffered no frostbite from the trip through the woods. The five year old girl that had been on Ethan’s back remained close to him while the two boys looked around the room of the bear’s house.

Once everyone was warm enough, Aiden announced that they really needed to get on the road. “Unfortunately, we have to head out immediately. I want to thank you for your hospitality, and I hope someday we can find a way to repay you.”

“It was nice having the company, even for a short time. The provisions and medical supplies are more than enough in compensation. I just need to unplug the engine heater and you’ll be good to go.”

A few minutes later, they were all loaded into the SUV. Darius took the driver’s seat as they began their long drive home.