Frostbitten

PACK

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS LATER, I was still in Alaska, back in those woods, in a huge clearing, watching the rest of the Pack play touch football in the snow with the twins. My bruised and battered body-and broken finger-kept me sidelined, but I was enjoying the rest and peace.

There'd been little rest and peace in the last day. Less than Clay and Jeremy wanted for me, anyway.

Joey was gone. He had returned to the hotel; I gave him credit for that. He'd left a message with a hotel clerk, saying it was urgent and Clay had to get it right away. That was about the same time that Jeremy convinced someone to wake Clay. They gave him the note, which explained what had happened, and provided a map to the last place Joey had seen me. Then he asked for forgiveness and promised he wouldn't trouble us again. When Noah took us to Joey's condo, we found it empty.

While a happy ending, full of forgiveness and mercy, would be wonderful, I think this was the best solution for all. At least for now. If anyone remained of the Tesler pack-some lackey who hadn't come to Alaska but knew the story-and spread the word that Joey betrayed us and Clay had done nothing… Clay would have had to make an example of his old friend. Maybe Joey knew that. Maybe that's why he ran.

I looked out at the field. Logan was at Jeremy's side as they tried to get Antonio to pass them the ball.

Jeremy was concerned about any Tesler pack members still at large, so he'd had Jaime and the twins take the next plane out. I'm sure a long plane ride with toddlers wasn't her idea of heaven, but she didn't complain. Arriving to find that Jeremy had booked her a day at the spa helped. That's where she was now, Jeremy having suggested it, knowing that an afternoon in the Alaskan wilderness really wasn't her idea of a good time.

Karl was here, too, with Hope. They were off on the sidelines, Hope sitting on a tree stump, leaning back against Karl as she tried to persuade him to join the game. He'd insisted Hope come to Alaska, in case we needed her trouble-sensing skills. She wasn't entirely comfortable with that, no matter how many times I told her she was welcome.

Hope and I were going to visit Lynn Nygard later. That was a contact I wanted to keep, in case Adine decided Shifter life wasn't for her. After her experience, handing her over to a paranormal enthusiast might not seem wise, but at least she'd find support and a sympathetic ear. No one else would listen to those stories, and Lynn would be the first to tell her so.

Karl finally gave in and joined the game, dragging a protesting Hope behind him. He stole the ball. When he passed it to Hope, she stared down at it, a tiny figure swallowed by an oversized parka. Then she noticed the half dozen big guys bearing down on her and took off running, ball in hand.

Nick, Reese and Noah pulled a fast surround maneuver. Nick got the ball, and the three of them raced down the field, passing it back and forth. Yes, it seemed Noah was staying with us. Whisking him out of the state while on parole was far from ideal, but he couldn't exactly go to the authorities and explain why he'd broken parole… and why his newfound father and grandfather had disappeared. So he'd disappear, too, and the authorities would presume all three had gone into the forest and met some mysterious fate. Out here, there were a lot of mysterious fates to be met.

Noah was going home with the Sorrentinos. That was Nick's idea. He joked that they were opening a home for wayward young werewolves. I watched him, now huddled with two young men, figuring out a way to get the ball back. Nick had realized that having kids of his own wasn't in the picture, but he'd still needed something, still seemed to be looking for a way to fill that void. Maybe this would do it.

So the Pack had a new member. Maybe two, if Reese stayed. There was even the chance of a third. Morgan had hung around yesterday, helping out, meeting Jeremy and asking questions about the Pack. He'd expressed nothing I could interpret as obvious interest, but said that when he was done with his experiment, he'd come by Syracuse for a few beers.

At a shriek, I looked out to see Kate with the ball, tearing toward the goal, little legs pumping. Clay ran backup, shouldering Nick and Reese aside when they tried to get close. Noah raced over, glanced at Clay, then backed off. As Antonio snuck up, I leaned forward to shout a warning to Kate. My ribs protested and I grimaced.

"Are you all right?"

I looked down to see Logan beside me.

"I'm fine," I said. "Just a little sore."

He studied my face, then nodded. He started to settle in at my feet, ready to take up the task of keeping his invalid mother company.

"Go on," I said. "I'm fine."

He checked my face again, uncertain.

"A jelly doughnut says you can't get that ball from your sister."

Like his father, Logan can never resist a challenge. With a grin, he raced off. Kate was almost at the goal line, but Antonio had leapt into her way.

"Kate!" Logan shouted, racing toward her.

He held his hands out for the ball. She threw it, a pitch-perfect toss. He caught it… and started running toward the other goal. Kate howled and tore after him. So did Clay, keeping right on his heels as Logan's giggles rang out, cheeks rosy, snowpants swishing, snow flying up around him. At the last second, he veered, ran back and threw the ball to his sister. They took off, tossing it back and forth as the adults pretended to try getting it back.

"So," said a voice beside me. "What do you think of your Pack?"

I turned to Jeremy as he stepped up beside me.

"Not mine yet," I said.

"But it will be." His dark eyes danced. "Think you're up to it?"

Someone shouted and I turned to look at them all, playing in the field.

I smiled. "Not yet. But I'm working on it."