any way?” Riley asked.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “But she ate the food I left her.”
Riley looked at Lucas. “You left food out for whatever it was?”
“I left food out for her after Bear said she was ours. I left it on my back porch in the mornings and the evenings. I’d leave her some of whatever I was eating for breakfast or dinner. At least a sandwich or something. It was always gone when I came back. But she never touched the blankets.”
“Blankets?” Riley asked.
“It’s cold, man. January in Missouri. I don’t know what she is or if the cold bothers her or not. I left blankets out but she never even touched them.”
“She must not be cold, then. Or she’s got protection against it already. A coat or something…” Riley said.
Lucas walked around the clearing again, looking up at the trees. “I’d chase her down out here, and once my Bear got as close as I thought we could, I’d speak to her. I told her that I felt her, I knew she was here. I asked her to show herself. I got frustrated and threatened her if she thought to harm anybody here. Then I told her if she’d just tell me what she needed, I’d see that she got it. I told her that I’d help her. But still she never showed herself. I even invited her into my home if she needed shelter, but still nothing.”
“Lucas, you cannot invite things into your home if you don’t know what you’re inviting into your home,” Riley said.
“I know what I was inviting,” Lucas argued.
“Really? And what was that?” Riley asked.
“Mine!” Lucas growled.
Riley just shook his head and went back to examining the clearing. “Nothing is giving any indication that anyone other than you was ever here.”
“Never found a single track,” Lucas said.
“What the hell could she be?”
“No clue,” Lucas said.
“You said you scented her just enough to track her,” Riley said.
“A few times, but mostly I just wandered around until I had the feeling she was near,” Lucas answered.
“What did you smell when you did scent her?” Riley asked.
Lucas thought about it. “It’s hard to explain. Spicy, just faintly spicy. A teasing of fragrance on the air. Almost like the outdoors. But we were in the outdoors, so, I don’t know how to explain the difference,” Lucas said, looking off into the distance.
“Woodsy?” Riley asked.
“Yeah, kind of. A warm scent. Maybe like a little cinnamony, but not so sweet,” Lucas said.
After a few minutes Riley shook his head. “There’s no evidence here. Anywhere else you think she may be?”
Lucas shook his head. “We’ve already been all over the areas I usually felt her.”
“Alright. Let’s head back. Maia and the kids are wanting to spend some time with me since I’ve been gone a few days,” Riley said.
They rode the four-wheeler back to Lucas’s house, then parked it in front of his trailer where it was usually stored.
“I’m gonna head home, but if she comes back, you tell her she needs to make herself known to us. She needs to request sanctuary just like every other shifter who finds their way here would do. If she’s yours, I’m not going to drive her away, Lucas. But somebody just slinking around stalking anybody in my Pride gives me pause,” Riley said.
“I understand that. Gave me pause, too, at first. Since Bear claimed her though, in thought anyway, I just want to see her. I want to know her,” Lucas said.
“When you sense her again, tell her that, and tell her if she plans to stay she needs to request permission from your Alpha. All this sneaking around makes me suspicious,” Riley said.
“If she comes back, I’ll tell her. I’ll ask her to make herself known instead trying to chase her down,” Lucas said.
“If you’re right, she’ll be back,” Riley said confidently.
~~~
Lazarus ran his hands over his freshly shaven head. He hadn’t shaved it totally bald, there was actually some dark stubble left visible on his scalp, but it was close enough to give him that bald, stark, dangerous look — like he needed any help in that department. Standing back, he inspected his new look. Nodding, he smirked at himself in the mirror. It made him look more dangerous, a little psycho and on the edge.
Hearing the clinking of the glasses as they were set up on the bar for use later on, he slipped his phone in his pocket and stepped through the door into the hallway.