27 - Finn


    A gruff "jackass” muttered from one of the men nearby catches my attention. I fight back a smile, barely managing it. "The Luna said you needed help. What can I do? The Alpha''s already plotting how to rip my head off for leaving my partner alone to guard the Luna..." I say, half-joking.


    "WHAT?! Why on earth would you leave her?" The bigger of the two warriors steps forward, his expression hard.


    I throw my hands up in surrender. “Because she threw a full-blown pregnant tantrum about rescuing these kids! I figured it was better to annoy the lesser of two evils. Have either of you ever dealt with a pregnant she-wolf?" Both men freeze for a moment, exchanging a look before bursting outughing.


    "Wait, what did I miss here?" one asks.


    "Let me guess-you don''t have kids?" the leaner man questions.


    "Nope," I reply.


    “The Luna''s intense enough on her own, but the pregnancy hormones are making her ten times worse," therger warrior exins, extending his hand. "Name''s Samuel."


    I shake his hand, a little surprised. "Finn. Nice to meet you, I guess."


    That''s it? Just telling them their Luna scared me stiff, and suddenly I''m not a threat? Interesting.


    The leaner man follows suit, offering his hand. "Seth. We found these kids on a routine patrol. There are four of them. The oldest can''t be more than ten, but they won''t give us any information, and they refuse to leave the youngest behind."


    "What''s wrong with the little one?" I ask, falling in step with them.


    "Nothing physically wrong, at least nothing we can see. But she''s holed up so far back that nobody can get to her. You''ll see." Samuel gestures ahead.


    In the distance, I spot the head of one of the kids.


    We only have to walk about five minutes from where I first found them, but the forest thickens quickly. The trees grow dense, and the underbrush bes a tangled mess. We have to scramble over fallen branches or take a much longer detour. I can see why the kids picked this spot, especially if they were on the run. A full-grown wolf would struggle to move through this thicket, giving the kids precious time to escape while any pursuer got stuck.


    "They''ve managed to find food, but they need help and soon. They won''tst much longer on their own," Seth adds quietly.


    "What do you want me to do?" I ask. These two clearly know what they''re doing; I''m not sure why they called for backup.


    "We''ve tried everything we can think of," Samuel says. "Nothing that works on the older kids works on the little girl. The only response we get from her is a firm ''no'' when we try to approach. The others follow her lead on who to trust. When we first found them, they spoke a few words, but as soon as she crawled deeper into the brush shaking her head, they all mmed up."


    Samuel shrugs. I nod slowly. If these two experienced warriors with kids can''t figure it out, what chance do I have? Still, I want to try.


    As we near the small group, I take in the surroundings, trying to put myself in the kids'' shoes at their age. They''ve done a solid job here. The spot is defensible with a clear escape route. I notice signs of a recent fire, which piques my curiosity-how did they start it? To a kid, this ce must feel like a fortress or a secret hideout. That''s my angle.


    I approach the oldest boy, keeping an eye on the area. He stands protectively just ahead of a smaller boy and a little girl. His posture is confident, and his broad shoulders suggest he''ll grow into a strong warrior someday. His caramel eyes watch me intently, unblinking.


    "Did you have to clear the opening here, or was it already like this when you arrived?" I ask, nodding toward the cave-like gap in the brush. He doesn''t break eye contact.


    "When my pack was attacked, and I had to hide in the woods, there was nothing like this," I add, tapping the sturdy structure. It''s well built-I admire their resourcefulness.


    Taking a deep breath, I continue, trying to sound casual. "Mind if I sit? Looks like we might be here a while, and I''ve already had a long day on the road." I don''t wait for


    an answer.


    Seth, Samuel, and I settle around the fire pit. I''m pretty sure they introduced themselves already, but I offer, "I''m Finn. Nice to meet you all."