“What?”’ his brother roared. “What do you mean?Missing? Are you trying to tell me that Nana went off somewhere as she does, and Lila went after her?”
Mason ran toward the gravesite as Cohen continued to rattle off a million questions. His nose was hit with something strange. Something that didn’t belong in Half Moon Key. More than one panther, and definitely not the newcomer.
“No, Lila isn’t off chasing Nana. I mean, they were going to the family graves in the woods earlier, but they should be back by now. I’m on my way there, but there is a strange smell in the woods. It smells a lot like a panther.”
“For fuck’s sake, Mason. If that sweet old woman gets hurt because of your bullshit, I am going to tan your hide, do you hear me?”
“Loud and clear. Can you get your deputies to do a round of the woods? Maybe I’m just being sensitive. That new guy, Parker Dawson, he’s a panther.”
“We’re not taking any chances. I’ll meet you at the graves. Keep me pos…”
Of course, the town’s shitty electricity chose that precise moment to cut off again. Mason slid his phone back into his pocket. “Fuck!” He growled low, making a few birds around him flutter away in fear.
He decided to take the long way around because that would be the way Lila would have to take with Nana. The shortcut would hardly be a good idea with Nana’s less-than-great mobility. He would come upon them with any luck, and it would all be a funny little anecdote to share over a couple of beers later.
Of course, there was no way in hell Cohen would let this go now. He would insist that Lila be brought up to speed in case the panther threat was real one day.
You should have told her way before now,his wolf said, pretty much echoing what Cohen had been telling him for weeks.
Mason could smell Lila in the air, but there was still that strange twinge of panther scent. Not exactly like the panther was walkingwithLila and her grandmother.
More like they were being subtly stalked.
That was terrible. It meant that whoever was in town was tailing Lila, and there was only one reason to do that. To get back at him.
This couldn’t be the new guy in town. It was something else entirely.
Mason increased his pace and began to run through the woods. Halfway to the graves, he decided to shift. His skin and clothes burst as he turned into his animal. His paws were more agile on the forest ground.
As he continued to run, he made sure to keep his attention on the sound of footfalls or crackling wood. He would even settle to hear Nana and Lila discussing something.
There was nothing.
Finally, up ahead, there was a break in the trees, and the tall tombstones came into his eyesight. A little white head was moving around, clearly agitated.
Nana.
The old woman was rubbing at the stones, cleaning them of moss and other debris. Lila was nowhere to be seen.
Mason wanted to curse himself for being in his wolf form. Now, he would have to scare the living shit out of his mate’s grandmother. His other option was to take back his human form completely in the nude.
That would also give Nana quite the shock. Not exactly how he wanted to play this situation, but what other choice did he have?
He sat back on his haunches and sniffed the air, trying to get a good sense of how many panthers were in the vicinity. He could smell two, maybe three. Nana continued to mumble to herself, and just as Mason was coming to a decision about how to approach her, he recognized a scent in the wind.
“Mrs. Ford,” Cohen asked, breaking through the trees, “what are you doing here all by yourself?”
Nana turned around to face the Sheriff, her face folding with confusion. “You know, I don’t even know how I got here. I think Lila was with me, but where is she? She wouldn’t have left me alone here. No. That man took her, I think.” Nana shook her head. “He was nude.”
“Who took her?” Cohen’s voice was stern but calm and gentle. How he managed to pull that off, Mason didn’t understand. It had to be a mix of the alpha and Sheriff thing.
“I didn’t know him. Lila didn’t know him either, but he said he was an acquaintance of Mason. You know Mason.”
“I do, yes.” No doubt sensing his brother’s presence, Cohen looked right at him. “I’m gonna have one of my deputies take you back home, okay, Mrs. Ford? Will you be good? Don’t give the kid too much trouble, will you?”
Nana shook her head. “But where is Lila?”
“I’ll find her. Mason and I will find her. I promise. But first, you need to go with this nice young man.” Cohen waved forward one of his deputies. It was Cameron, the young man Mason had met on his first day in Half Moon Key.