Cloaked in Christmas by T.F. Walsh

Author:T.F. Walsh [Walsh, T.F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: F+W Media
Published: 2016-11-28T05:00:00+00:00

chapter TEN

VINCENT

My wolf flooded through me, fur spreading across my body. I hurtled after Cacey on all fours with Anja behind us. The crispness of winter and pine trees soured the back of my throat. Daan—a dead wulfkin walking. Cacey’s tears were shards of my soul, and that only drove me faster.

As a Varlac, I accepted my vow to protect wulfkin. In my short time with Cacey, I’d seen her caring nature and how she strove to save her daughter. Not to mention, she had nurtured my mom back to health. Everything about her drew me closer. So shit, yeah, this was personal. I wouldn’t let anyone harm her or Tianna. Plus, this was my hometown, and it meant the world to me that every wulfkin who lived there felt safe.

I jumped over a dead log. Cacey’s golden fur glinted beneath the low moon, her form fleeting amid the trees. We emerged into a clearing where we found a two-story cabin. The lights from the windows gleamed like a dozen lighthouses guiding lost ships.

Cacey shifted into her human body as she sprinted to the front door.

I swung left toward the back. There, I discovered a window opened just enough for a small child to climb out. From inside, Cacey’s cries were serrated and slicing. I trotted closer. No forced entry, no scratch marks or torn clothes caught on the window frame. Tianna had left of her own accord, probably lured outside by her father.

Other scents bombarded my nostrils: wulfkin, youngsters, burning wood. Which one belonged to Cacey’s daughter?

Last night’s snowfall covered any recent tracks. Behind the cabin sat a wooden shed, embraced by white powder and low-hanging branches from a lofty pine. The double doors stood ajar. Up close, it became clear someone had snapped the lock open. I trotted inside, and the light from behind me revealed a snowmobile, along with an empty spot for a second one. I’d bet my right leg that Daan had taken the other snowmobile.

I head-butted the door open, staring at fresh tracks near the doors.

Footsteps caught my attention. I looked up to see Cacey, wrapped in a blanket, and Anja, wearing a robe, hurrying toward me. “The second mobile’s gone!” Anja’s words strained.

In seconds, I embraced my human form. “Did you hear anything this morning?”

Anja shook her head. “With Eelis out hunting, I was too busy chasing the girls, who refused to change clothes, and making breakfast.”

Cacey said nothing. Tears streaked her cheeks as she stood there, trembling.

I approached her and took her into my arms. She quivered against me. “Anja, please bring me something that belongs to Tianna. A toy, her scarf, something.”

She nodded and ran into the house.

“I give you my word, I’ll find Tianna if I have to tear apart every inch of Finland.” I held her tight as she sobbed into my chest. The crying killed me as much as it left me feeling helpless. Nothing I said improved the situation. Normally, I’d run away as far as possible from weeping women, but now a crane couldn’t pry me from comforting Cacey.

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