Linc begins to pace, looking ready to tackle anything. Looking like a boxer getting himself amped ahead of a fight.
Joel looks off into space like he’s trying to predict how all of this could impact him. Joel’s probably crunching probability statistics in that big brain of his.
Linc ends the pacing and looks at me. “How’s it going now that she no longer hates your guts?”
“Fuckin’ awesome,” I say, blowing out a huge exhale. “So much better than I ever could’ve imagined.”
“You worked for it, brother,” Grey says.
The look on his face feels good.
Tyson says, “Ivy is over the moon about it. She wanted you two to be a match since she met Bailey. Said she knew that first time she met you that Bailey was madly in love with you.”
“Bailey never kept that a secret,” I say. “She was Grey’s sister. I would never have taken advantage of her crush on me.”
“Well, she sure made you work for it in the end, didn’t she?” Grey drops his empty water bottle into the trash can beside thecooler. “And she’s gotta be thrilled about having a wolf. What’s the status there?”
“Still got no control. Pup is still like it’s six weeks old size wise. Rare, cooked meat or my command bring on a shift and of course I have to command the shift back. We’re having her shift daily and she’s beginning to feel connected, bit by bit. Which reminds me…Tyson, when we’re done here I need to get back so do you mind asking your mother to have a look at the riverbank leading from behind my house eastbound? Bailey’s wolf felt burning pain on her paw when she stepped on some new plant shoots. Didn’t recognize what they were. Nothing I recall seeing on that riverbank or anywhere else around here before. Her paw pads were inflamed and shredded, raw. Fixed within two shifts but didn’t hurt my paws. Right after this happened, I saw that drone otherwise I’d have called Cat myself last night.”
“A lot of it?” he asks.
“Not sure. That drone took my attention. Had no scent to my nose, though Bailey said she could smell it but didn’t recognize the fragrance.”
“No problem. I’ll go see my mother as soon as we’re done and we’ll go down to check it out together.”
“Thanks, bro. Knock on my door if she needs us to show her or come down there.” I look at Joel. “So… nothing but shots of the river and lake on that drone?”
Joel answers, “Shots of the lake, the waterfall, then the river. It probably launched from just the other side of the lake. I got your call and grabbed a firearm and climbed my roof. Shot it down as it was doubling back, flying across the opposite side of the river. Path was an abrupt about-face as soon as it got to the end of the village, so that’s unsettling.”
“Like whatever they’re looking for is here,” I say.
“Exactly,” Linc agrees.
“I’d like to watch it,” I say.
“I’ll send it to you when I get home,” Joel offers.
“Before you got here we talked about me goin’ across the lake to see if I can track anybody,” Linc says. “Though I got no scent from the drone.”
“Still a good idea,” I say.
“I’ll come with,” Mase offers.
“Sounds good,” Linc agrees.
“So, we’re staying at code orange for now,” I say, “But what about this party tonight?”
“Talked it over with Brody and we’ll still have it,” Riley says. “We’ll have just over a hundred people between his people and ours. We’ll be making sure everyone gets what the code orange means. Brody’s people are still getting accustomed to having autonomy over their wolves and we all know that emotions can get amplified when there’s alcohol involved.”
“I’m staying sober tonight,” Mason says.
“Same,” Riley agrees.
“Maybe it’s best we make the event a dry one,” Grey suggests.
“Good idea. You all know I prefer being sober,” Tyson says.
“Unless someone cracks open a bottle of peach schnapps,” Mase teases.