He nodded.
“Let me get dressed.” She dashed up the stairs, giving him a perfect view of her slim legs.
Brodin pulled his leather armor on, then strapped his battle axe on his back. The few hours sleep he’d managed, with Poppy tucked up against him, had refreshed him. He didn’t need a lot of sleep anyway.
Poppy reappeared. “I’m ready.”
She wore a long-sleeved black shirt tucked into leather pants, and boots. He closed the distance between them and cupped her cheek. “You stay close and follow orders.”
She nodded.
He lowered his head and breathed in her scent. He heard her breath hitch. “Don’t get hurt, my sweet anata.”
Not long after, Brodin stood with his cleavers at the edge of the forest. The trackers were checking for scents. Poppy stood there, eyeing the trees.
“She shouldn’t have come,” Annora said. “She’s not trained, and won’t keep up with us.”
Poppy lifted her chin, rolled her eyes, and ignored his First Claw.
“She’s coming,” he said.
Annora’s mouth flattened, but she nodded. She leaned closer to Poppy. “We’ll move fast.”
Poppy met Annora’s gaze. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep up.”
“You did well helping me with Fillian,” Brodin said.
Her face softened. “That poor young man. How’s he doing?”
Brodin touched her hair. “He’ll heal. His family will help him.”
Nearby, Annora cleared her throat. “We have a scent trail.”
Brodin made himself step back. An edgy looking Tolf stalked closer.
“We need to move,” the cleaver growled. “We’re wasting time.”
Brodin stepped closer. “Tolf—”
Tolf shook his head. “Stein is out there—” With a roar, he spun and slashed his claws against a tree trunk.
Brodin gripped the man’s shoulder. “Stein needs your calm, your focus, and your experience. Tame the anger, Tolf. Let’s find your brother.”
Finally, Tolf’s shoulders sagged and he nodded.
“Good.” Brodin faced his people. “Let’s move, and find those kids.”
Before Candela did.
Once again, they were in the forest, moving fast along the trail.
The lead tracker whistled, and they turned into the trees. Moving like this, with his pack, filled Brodin with pride. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw Poppy keeping up, running smoothly.
Fillian had broken her finger and she hadn’t said a word. She’d just let him do it to keep him calm and soothe him.
This woman from Earth confused Brodin.
There was another whistle and the group turned, fanning out. Finally, they reached a river—a tributary that joined up with the main river that ran past Accalia.
It took his trackers—two now in wolf form—a few minutes, but they picked up the trail again. They sloshed through the shallow river and kept moving.
They paused in a clearing to have a drink. He handed a bottle to Poppy, and she nodded gratefully and took a sip.
“The scent trail is still strong,” the lead tracker said.
“Good.” They had to find them.
Brodin eyed Annora. His First Claw loved her younger sister. Nayla had been a surprise baby for her parents and Annora had been older. She loved having a baby sister to protect and spoil.
If they didn’t find Nayla in time…
Annora stared resolutely at the trees, her face like stone. His First Claw would be hard to contain if anyone had touched a hair on her sister’s head.
Poppy took another drink and handed the bottle back to him. She smiled.
He wanted her.
When she was well, he’d take her to his bed. That should lessen this irrational need for her. His gut churned. Eventually, she’d go back to Zhalto. She’d make a home on his brother’s planet, with her friend.
Brodin’s stomach turned over, and he tore his gaze off Poppy with a low growl.
He had to focus on finding the young ones. They needed him.
They set off again, Annora running hard at the front of the pack with the trackers. The trees thickened and they moved into an area where the gnalla vines grew. The thick, gnarled vines hung down from the trees, some laden with purple flowers.
Suddenly, they stopped.
One tracker circled, then crouched. He fingered the dirt.
“Jarvald?” Brodin asked.
The man’s face twisted with frustration. “The scent stops here.”
“What?” Annora barked.
Brodin scanned the woods around them, tension filling his shoulders.
The tracker cursed. “It’s like they disappeared.”
Like the other hunters who had gone missing.
The warlord had them.
Raw, primal anger swelled. Candela had taken his people, and this time, she’d taken children on the cusp of adulthood.
“No, no.” Annora rammed her claws into a tree trunk.
“Annora—”
“Brodin, that witch has my sister!” Her dark eyes blazed.
The attack came out of nowhere.
A creature leaped from the tree branch and took Jarvald down.
Brodin tensed, and watched as his man wrestled with the beast.
It was a vaguely humanoid creature, with a lean, muscled body, a faint covering of black hair, and a curved claw on each foot.
The growing anger swelled. Brodin roared and part shifted. His muscles swelled; his body grew. His claws slid out.
He ripped the beast off Jarvald.
The rank hint of decay struck his nose. It was a Zhylaw creation.
Jarvald started shuddering, foam covering his lips. He was having some sort of seizure. Brodin noticed then that the creature’s claws were tipped with a green poison.
Brodin roared again and slashed the creature, and it dodged. But Brodin was faster.
He stabbed the animal in its gut, then yanked his claws back.
The creature staggered.
He grabbed it, then ripped its head off and tossed it into the trees.
Silence fell in the clearing.
He turned, chest heaving. Poppy stood by Jarvald, staring wide-eyed at Brodin.
“Luka, carry Jarvald. We need to get him to the healers.”
The other man nodded.
“Gwenna and Tolf, search for any sign of the young ones in the area.” He already knew it was futile, but they had to try.
“I’ll help,” Annora said.
“No.” She was too close to this. “Escort Jarvald to the healer.”
“Brodin—”
“That’s an order.”
His First Claw sucked in a breath, then gave him a short nod. She swiveled, stalked over to Jarvald and Luka, then the trio disappeared into the trees.
Gwenna and Tolf returned a moment later. The harsh set of Tolf’s face was all the answer Brodin needed.
“Nothing, sire,” Gwenna said.
Gorr. “Everyone, back to Accalia. We’ll make a plan on how to find them.”
Brodin stayed at the back of the pack, anger boiling, his senses alert.
If Candela hurt any of those young ones…
His claws pricked his skin. He hadn’t protected them, but he’d get them home.
“Brodin?”
Poppy’s quiet voice. They’d reached the outskirts of Accalia, and he watched his people head into the city.