Alpha lifted his head, taking a slow, deliberate scan of the area around us. The forest here wasn''t overly thick; in fact, there was just enough open space for children to dart through and y without constantly battling branches or dense underbrush. I could see why this spot had been chosen-it offered a rare bnce of cover and freedom. The sound of running water drifted faintly on the breeze, a small river flowing about half a mile away. If the girl had gotten close to it, that wouldplicate our tracking efforts since the water could wash away any scent trails. And if Kennedy''s hunch was right—that the girl enjoyed climbing—then we were facing an entirely different challenge. I knew of a stretch where the river was shaded by a thick canopy of trees, perfect for someone nimble to cross unseen. It was entirely possible the child had crossed over without realizing it, moving farther away than we had anticipated.
We''d been searching for a couple of hours now, and I wasn''t sure whether to be impressed or irritated by Kennedy''s knack for teaching these kids how to mask their scent. We were moving slowly, but not quietly. The noise of our footsteps and rustling branches made my skin crawl-I hated the thought of crashing through the woods so clumsily when stealth would have been better. But if the girl truly didn''t know we were after her, the sound might actually alert her presence.
"Ryker! Alpha!" Kennedy''s voice cut through the quiet. "I found something."
I blinked, surprised. How had she found anything? We hadn''t picked up any scent of the girl, nor had we spotted any sign that she''d passed this way. But Kennedy was relentless, clearly more skilled at tracking than she let on.
Alpha moved up beside her, listening intently as she exined what she''d discovered to Todd. Kennedy had been narrating her observations the entire time, a steady stream ofmentary that made me appreciate her dedication even more.
"See how this branch is bent like this?" she said, gesturing with her hand. "It shows that someone small moved through here. If it had been higher, we would assume an adult, and I''d have Be or Ryker scout ahead." She nced back at us, shing a smile that made my heart skip—a smile I was hopelessly drawn to.
"How can you be sure it was her?" Todd interrupted, breaking our silent focus. I wasn''t jealous—just genuinely curious about her reasoning.
Kennedy pointed to a leaf just beyond us. "See that leaf? It''s bent in half, stepped on. The way it''s leaning means it wasn''t an animal—there aren''t many creatures in this forest big enough to do that. And right there, at the edge, you can see the imprint of a shoe." She stepped forward, highlighting details as she spoke with a quiet confidence.
What amazed me most was how she could spot what barely amounted to a partial footprint from ten feet away, relying solely on her human senses. I moved closer for a better look, and sure enough, it was a child''s footprint. The indentation was faint, easily overlooked by anyone not trained to notice such subtle signs. Bringing my nose down to the ground, I caught the faint scent of the girl, mingled with cedar, pine, and something earthy I couldn''t quite ce.
"Did you teach them to alter their scents while they travel?" I asked Kennedy, my voice low but clear enough for Be and the others to hear.
“That came up a few days ago—one of the older kids asked about it. We talked about testing the theory next time I could get a group of warriors with us. Why?"
"I think she''s listening," I said, ncing around. "She might be testing us right now. We''re picking up three different scents mixed with hers, but even I can only catch her scent just above the ground."
Kennedy''s eyes widened in surprise. Even she seemed taken aback by the cleverness of this little girl. I knew then I''d have to keep an eye on her this one was going to be my next Greta, but hopefully without the same traumatic start.
"Ryker, we have to find her. She shouldn''t be this far out alone, and she''s not responding to anyone. Can you try to link with her again? Now that we''re closer to where she''s been, maybe she''ll respond.”
She spoke the words as if no other answer was possible, then turned and walked away. I rolled my eyes at her silentmand.
“What''s with the fuss? It''s not like you''d say no to her," my wolf teased, nudging at my thoughts.