“We could try hide and seek?” she suggested, cocking her head as she considered it.
I chuckled. “Ever played hide and seek as a wolf?” I tapped my nose. “It’s not quite as difficult.”
“It is if we keep moving,” she argued, warming to her game. “Especially if you’re hunting us both since you’d have to keep splitting up to follow different trails.” Chann watched her with adoring eyes, and I knew he was already in—anything she wanted, he was for.
“Alright. But you’re both confined to the school today. We’re having too many issues with Starlight Woods for you to wander the grounds alone, and Fillian, Alarick, and Shannon are too busy for us to try for pairs,” I warned them. “Agreed?” They considered my limits for a moment before nodding. “And no locking yourself into any rooms, especially private ones. If you knock and get permission to pass through, that’s fine.” I shot my brother a look as Chann shrugged. I knew him far too well for that innocent act to faze me.
“Deal,” Pixie agreed, rubbing her hands together as a mischievous smile curved her lips. “Three minutes. Time it out.” I nodded, crossing my arms to check my watch as they darted from the room. The school was big, but not that big. Even with them continuing to dart around the building, they would wear themselves out before I would, and they were likely to cross my path while I searched. I waited for the three minutes to tick away before stepping from the training room and lifting my head to scent the air. Who should I go after first?
I knew my brother like the back of my hand, he’d be easy to find—his mind worked like my own. Pixie, though, that was going to be a challenge. We’d never played any tracking games. Was she the type to hunker down somewhere, and count on her own small size to allow her to stay hidden? Would she keep moving around odd locations to pen me in? I could feel the smile taking over my face as I stalked down the hallway after her scent. This was going to be fun.
Twenty minutes later, and I had yet to find her. My wolf barked his amusement at the sneaky female. We would get close, and somehow, she kept slipping out from underneath our very nose, though how she was pulling it off I couldn’t tell. Her scent would lead down a hallway then simply disappear. I’d track it back, pick it up once more, and the same thing would happen all over again. I’d passed a few chuckling pack members who had waved at me, apparently aware of the game I played, but all headed on their way, aware of the training purposes and unwilling to help me in my mission. Besides, I couldn’t be sure which of my prey they’d seen.
Fuck it. I’d look for Chann, grab him, and get his help, I decided. I lifted my head, intent on finding his scent as I turned a corner, freezing when I ran into a body. I sighed when I took in the tall, slender male before me. I ran my hand through my hair, my game forgotten for the moment as I addressed him.
“Father.” My words were cool, controlled. Exactly as I had been raised to behave in front of the adults of the pack. My playful behavior was for the pups and the students my age, not for the adults or for those who were in positions of power.
“Zev. You’ve been avoiding me.” His eyes tracked around the empty hallway, as if interested in the empty rooms or the view out of the window, though I knew he was keeping an eye out for any of our packmates. When Pixie had issued her commands to my mother on behalf of Chann, she hadn’t realized that her commands had to be issued to the party they involved. My mother could tell my father to stay away, but she couldn’t force him to. While he had avoided Chann, disgusted by his decision to take on the omega role, he had increased his pressures regarding my own position.
“I would think that was obvious.” I crossed my arms over my chest, glancing at my watch. Chann probably wouldn’t be searching me out yet, he’d be crowing over his supposed victory.
“You need to speak to your brother, Zev. He knows his role. I don’t know what that female has said to him to convince him