#117 Out of Sight
Neela knew no one from her parents pack hunted her anymore. And no one from Connor's pack would. For the first time in her life she should be able to walk down a street without looking over her shoulder. While Adam worked at getting the bar back up to speed after their absence, she explored their new neighborhood. The houses on their side of the street, the ones that fronted the Sound, were larger and more ornate, but the ones on the landlocked side were frequently better kept. Most of the houses had some sort of fencing and gates. Only a few had real security. Fewer still had dogs patrolling.
The dogs made her smile. They would come to the fence snarling and jumping and she just waited. One would smell the wolf in her and another would see how still she stood and they would slowly settle, staring in confusion. If they tried to challenge her again, she would growl deeply and bare her teeth. If they lowered their heads in submission, she chuffed. Eventually all of the dogs for two miles knew her. She didn't bring them treats, only affection, and they made good company for her walks.
They made her question the story presented by the local cops, though. The area supported a healthy pack of coyote, but they were shy and she rarely saw them. The idea that they would leave trophies or threats or anything behind was laughable. Feral dogs were only slightly more likely. They wouldn't be so careful about cleaning up after themselves, but they still wouldn't deliberately leave a carcass behind that could be eaten. That was the act of a sentient being. Or a house cat.
She wondered if the cops were doing anything more than talking to the residents. No more patrols were evident and no community meetings had been scheduled. The neighbors she spoke to didn't sound concerned. It all felt backward.
One night she decided to go for a run and meet Adam just on the other side of town as he headed home. He had a blanket and sweatshirt in the car for her, so she changed and set out into the dark. Following the waterline, she kept her attention on the bits of woods between houses. That's where something would hide, in the shadows of the shadows.
Adam didn't know her plan and would probably be annoyed with her for not telling him, but she wanted to see if anything stood out to her at night. Anything at all. The few dogs patrolling that side of the neighborhood recognized her more easily in her wolfen form and ran along side her for a while. One plump coyote poked his head out of a den and stared at her for a long while before slinking back inside. A motley assortment of domestic and feral cats hissed at her furiously then climbed trees to get away from her.
It wasn't until she skirted town that she got the first hint of anything. For a blazing moment she was certain she smelled another like her, but the scent was gone just as quickly. Her memory of it was corrupt somehow, as if it left an aftertaste. Shaking it off, she circled that area again, careful to keep out of sight. She couldn't pick it up again. A door must have opened or a car passed through.
Finally, highly frustrated, she hurried to meet up with Adam. She sat under a bush at their designated meeting place, licking her paw and trying to get a clear handle on the memory. When he drove up she was so concentrated on her task he had to get out of the car and call her name before she thought to acknowledge him, although she'd been aware of him driving up. Once in the car and semi-dressed, she rested her head on his shoulder. When they got home she'd tell him what she'd found, but for the moment she was would enjoy the moment of peace.
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