Lion Conquers All by Krystal Shannan

21

AARAV

Twenty minutes later, he’d provided his mate with fresh iced coffee from Lily’s and was walking her into the community center. The storm had let up only slightly. Visibility was still crap, but fine enough to move around town safely. There was no way SAR would send people up the mountain in this though.

Those kids were in for another rough day and possibly night.

His lion flexed inside him angrily. They could go look. All of them could safely go find those kids, if they could get enough people to stop watching the mountain long enough.

He knew others from the tribe were there before he shoved open the gym door for Connie. Col’s scent was strong and just as frustrated as his own. Tor was here too, today. Along with Ryder and then young wolves he’d only ever met once face to face.

“Aarav.” Col motioned him over to the small group at the corner of the gym, away from the SAR set up.

He reached to put his hand on the small of Connie’s back and then stopped himself. He’d given her his word not to touch her unless she gave express permission. He flexed his hand and shoved it back into his pocket. This was going to be so difficult.

“Col is calling me.”

She looked up at him and nodded. “Go. I’m going to go speak with SAR and see what the plan is today.”

He watched her walk away for a few seconds, then turned his attention back on his chief. He walked to where Col and the others were standing.

“SAR still can’t safely send anyone out. The storm is set to drop another six to ten inches of snow over the next two days before it lets up.”

“Two days.” Aarav ground his teeth at the news. Those kids didn’t have two more days. They probably would be doing well to be found alive today with how the temperature dropped yesterday. “There has to be something we can do.”

“We saw them before the storm. We showed Ryder the place.” Callum, oldest of the young trio of wolves spoke.

“They’d already left by the time we got back there. Too many campers had been in the area. We could’ve stayed and sort through all the trails, but—” Ryder threw up his hands and growled under his breath.

“Then the storm wiped it out.”

Ryder nodded, his face twisted with annoyance. “There’s nothing to find now. Col and Naomi could find them with their thermal vision, but they’d find every single animal too. Not just the kids. They’d have to search every square inch of the mountain.”

Col shook his head. “Most prey would’ve gone down to seek shelter lower. It’s likely there would be very few animals on the mountain. But if they are in a cave or hidden by something, I could still miss them.”

“Our beasts could find them if we let them.” Aarav kept his voice nearly inaudible. “We could find them. If we all went with you, we could find them. Those kids are dying. If they’re still alive, they won’t last much longer.”

Col’s shoulders sank. “I can’t make that choice for the Tribe. I can’t order all of you to endanger yourselves like that. The humans would notice. There are townspeople looking for the kids, even in this weather. I would be seen and then we’d all be hunted, and we’d have to leave the town. Everything we’ve built here would be for nothing.”

“Then you need to let us vote, Vraka.” Tor spoke this time. His mate, Dawn, leaned against his side. Her face didn’t show an ounce of surprise. “Mystery is our home now. These people are our neighbors. We can’t just sit by and let these kids die when we know we could probably find them.”

“How?” A tiny broken female voice asked from behind Aarav.

He whirled and the whole group stared at the woman coming out the bathroom door.

Well, shit. How had they not heard her inside the bathroom? It was a single stall family style right off the gym. One door between a human and their secret and it’d all almost gone to shit. Maybe it already had.

Not only was she a human who’d overheard them talking, but she was Mrs. Roberts. Her son was one of the kids missing.

“How can you find my baby in this storm?” Tears trickled down the woman’s cheeks. “Please help me. I don’t know how you think you can help, but please help my baby.” She stepped closer to Col. “If there’s something you have or something you can do. Please.”

“You would fear me if you knew the truth, Mrs. Roberts. The whole town would. My friends and I would be hunted the rest of our lives. Our children would be in danger.”

“I don’t care what you’ve done in the past. Or who you are. I’ll keep your secret, I promise you. No one will dare hurt you.”

Col put a hand on her shoulder and leaned down to make eye contact. Aarav watch the dragon’s inner flame light in his eyes. Mrs. Roberts gasped and stepped backward, breaking contact with Col.

She recovered quickly. Wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and straightened her shoulders. “Please find my baby. I’ll keep your secret. We have a lot of influence in this town. We can help protect you. People will listen to us. I’m not sure what you are or what you showed me with your eyes, but I assume it has to do with that thing in the sky almost two years ago. They appeared all over the planet, but there was one up near Denali. You came from that? Or it did something to you and changed you?

Aarav pressed his lips tight. Connie was right. The line they walked between existence and discovery was a very very thin one.

“They would kill us. All of you would. The government would. Our own sheriff wouldn’t think twice about—”

Mrs. Robert’s countenance changed from scared mother to pissed off revolutionary leader in the space of a single breath. “Will you ask your people? I’ll take care of the rest. I give you my word. Calvin and I will make sure you and yours can stay in Mystery safely.”

“I appreciate the gesture, Mrs. Roberts. I will ask my people, but there’s no way you can guarantee our safety. But I give you my word, I will help. I cannot make that choice for each of my people.” Col pulled his phone from his pocket and texted.

Aarav’s phone beeped in his pocket. Tor and Dawn and Ryder’s pockets beeped as well—all at the same time.

Mrs. Roberts glanced at Aarav and then the others as each of them pulled their phone out.

Two other phones went off. Tara and Owen had arrived. They glanced over at Col before nodding and then exiting the community center.

Col took a step away and stopped when Mrs. Roberts put a hand on his arm. “You and yours belong in this town. We won’t betray you.”

He laid a hand over hers and sighed. “You don’t know what you’re promising, but your sentiment is appreciated. I must go.”

She nodded and released him. “Calvin.” She called her husband’s name and half ran toward him.

“Let’s go.” Col’s word spurred everyone to movement.

“I need to stop and tell SAR that…” What was he going to tell them? That he was going out in this weather with friends to search for the kids. They’d think he was a fool. “Never mind. Let’s go.” Connie was deep in conversation with a park ranger. They were going over a map. She wouldn’t even know he’d left.

They were going to do the thing she warned them not to do.

It would be better that she stayed here. Easier.

For you, maybe.His lion grumbled. She’ll beg you not to.

His beast was right…and he wasn’t sure he was strong enough to do this if she begged or cried. In fact, he was quite sure he wouldn’t. He was quite sure he’d do anything Connie asked him to do.

But finding these kids was the right thing.

She knew that. Deep down, she would understand.

They marched silently through the foyer of the community center together and out into the snow. The wind was still formidable. Visibility was at about fifty percent, and they were standing in at least a foot of fresh powder off the cleared areas of the parking lot.

The mountain would be worse. They’d be up to their chests in drifts, maybe deeper.

Tara and Owen were in their truck waiting. Steam from their exhaust swirled around and disappeared into the gusts of wind.

Col led them toward Owen and Tara’s truck.

Katherine and Knox came around from the back of the community center and ran toward Col. “What the hell do you mean we’re taking a vote to go find them. This would expose us all. This goes against everything we’ve ever talked about.”

Col growled, his chest rattling loud enough Aarav could feel the vibrations even through the noise of the storm.

“We will discuss everything at the cabin. I will not speak of it here any longer.”

Her mouth opened again but then snapped shut so hard Aarav winced for her teeth. Knox was silent next to her, but worry pooled in the wolf’s eyes.

Aarav broke off from the group and headed to his patrol car. This was it. They might lose everything. Their homes, their friends, their jobs. He’d lose Connie if he did this, but how could they not? How could they let the kids die without trying? They’d waited this long. They’d given the humans time, but the weather had been against them, and the kids had been hiding.

No one was going to vote not to help. He knew the hearts of this tribe and they’d all been suffering in silence.

Even though Katherine had objected, he knew ultimately she would make the same choice he already had in his heart.

They had to save these kids.