Steele Ridge~The Beginning by Kelsey Browning & Tracey Devlyn & Steele Ridge

Author:Kelsey Browning & Tracey Devlyn & Steele Ridge [Browning, Kelsey & Devlyn, Tracey & Ridge, Steele]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B01MF5S9VN
Publisher: Steele Ridge Publishing
Published: 2016-10-10T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Britt scanned the partygoers, for what, he didn’t know. This wasn’t the first time he’d gone along with one of Reid’s crazy ideas. Well, it was actually his own crazy idea, sort of, but he hadn’t expected they’d be questioning people. He figured they’d walk around and eavesdrop on some conversations. Then Reid decided they should play Columbo.

If nothing else, this would force him to mingle, not one of his favorite activities. He sucked at small talk. Never knew what questions were okay to ask and which ones would be considered nosey. So he avoided chitchat as much as possible.

Even though he’d lived here his entire life, Britt kept his social circle small, intimate, limited to those he trusted. It wasn’t that he disliked people. He simply didn’t have the time to build meaningful relationships.

But for his mom, he’d do anything, even chitchat. Besides, she would expect him to make their guests feel welcome and comfortable. Two birds with one stone, and all that. He never understood that old saying. Who the hell coldcocked birds with a stone?

His gaze landed on Barbara Shepherd, and the tension bear hugging his chest loosed its grip. He couldn’t think of a better place to start than checking in with his mentor. For the past couple of years, Barbara had been teaching him things about wildlife management that no classroom could replicate. Especially online classes, the only college coursework he could manage after his dad became a hermit, spending more and more time at the family cabin, and leaving him to father his brothers and sisters and take care of his mom.

Having worked for International Wildlife Conservation for over twenty years, Barbara knew more than most of the biologists in the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service combined.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” he asked her.

She sent him a warm smile. “I’d much rather be hanging over the bluff’s edge, observing our pack.”

Late last fall, during a floral survey of Barbara’s property, they’d come across a canid track. The paw print appeared larger than a coyote’s or medium-sized dog’s. Curious, they followed the canid’s trail along a creek bed until they heard a series of excited yipping. They’d almost turned back, believing they’d found an unusually large coyote. But something kept them moving forward.

Thank God they had. A once-in-a-lifetime sight met them at the end of the trail.

Wolves.

Not just any wolves. Endangered red wolves.

No one had seen a wild red wolf in this part of North Carolina since the late nineties.

The find was almost too good to be true. He and Barbara had made a pact that day. To keep the pack’s location a secret until they could confirm they were full-blooded red wolves and not a wolf-coyote hybrid. They’d been studying the pack ever since.

“I thought I might head out there tomorrow.” Out of the corner of his eye, Britt caught sight of a familiar face, though he couldn’t come up with a name. A shame, because he

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