Cold Mercy (Northern Wolves) Read Free Page B

desperately needed. Smug’s first real trip out and she’d lost him. A bear, or hell, that damned over-sized wolf no one had managed to find yet either, could easily pick him up for a quick snack.
    Kennedy reached out, caught her shoulder, and squeezed. “I’ll go grab us dinner. We can veg out on your couch and hope he comes home.”
    “You guys—” Eden started, but they both waved her off.
    “Don’t. Start.” Kennedy pointed a finger at her. “The two of you pick a movie and I’ll be sure to drive by and grab us some real movie theater popcorn.”
    “You got it, Dee,” Rowan said with a wave, and Kennedy was off towards her over-sized blue Ford truck, Mercy Pass Animal Hospital emblazoned on the doors. She was the town veterinarian and Eden knew nothing short of knocking her out and dumping her off at home would get Kennedy to budge from her house tonight.
    But she wouldn’t. She wanted her friends here tonight, she just couldn’t bring herself to say it. A lump welled in her throat, but then Rowan was leaning back against the house next to her, their shoulders touching. Rowan opened her mouth, no doubt to say something sympathetic, but Eden couldn’t take it. One more kind word and she was going to start blubbering like an idiot.
    “I hope she brings you your own bucket,” Eden said, forcing her voice to sound light, teasing. She gave her friend a squinty look, but Rowan just laughed.
    As the beauty of the bunch, Rowan had the kind of looks that made every man in Mercy Pass stop and take notice. Long black hair that trailed past her shoulders in waves, a heart-shaped face, full lips, and a curves in all the right places. And she ate like a Big Mac equated a plateful of broccoli.
    “Ah girl, I’m counting on it. You don’t get my figure by watching your weight.” She winked at Eden, but her smile was soft. “You okay?”
    That was a loaded question. Eden blew out a sigh, feeling the unease coil in her belly. Okay, as in alive? Sure. Okay, as in she understood what the fuck had happened? Not even close. She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I’m missing a member of my family.”
    “I know that part. That wasn’t what I was asking.”
    “I don’t know, Rowan—” Eden glanced back out towards the woods, towards the snowmobile tracks that had taken several police officers and a few members of the Fish and Wildlife Department out to where she’d been attacked. They’d found nothing. Quinn Dawson, an old friend from high school who now worked for the Fish and Wildlife Department had even come over to break the news to her personally.
    There was no physical evidence of any bear, wolf, or other large animal.
    They could see where she’d lost control of the sled and flipped it. Could see the trail the dogs had left behind as they high-tailed it to freedom. Could even see where she’d scrambled around to free Smug and get her bear spray. But there hadn’t been any wolf prints. And where she’d lain in the snow, it just looked like she’d slipped and fallen on her ass.
    “I didn’t imagine it,” Eden said, voice soft. Rowan’s face pinched with sympathy.
    “I didn’t think you did. Regardless of what Quinn says,” she waved her hand, “I don’t think you hit your head and saw something funny. I know you better than that.”
    “Then what happened out there, Ro? Because there wasn’t any tracks. Smug, a five month old puppy, left tracks in that snow! Why didn’t a wolf big enough to be part grizzly do the same?”
    She was shaking and she couldn’t stop. Eden hugged herself and started to turn away when Rowan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “It’s okay,” she whispered. Her head leaned against Eden’s. “But I don’t know.”
    Rowan sighed and Eden felt the tension building inside her ease a notch. She might have been crazy, but she had friends who believed in her, trusted her. Neither of them had doubted her for even one second. Even when they’d