Running as a wolf was exhilarating. The forest blurred past Lauren, trees and shadows twisting together into a single dark ribbon. She felt the earth under her paws, the wind streaking through her fur, the thundering of her pack all around her. It had been so long since she last did something like this, and for a few brief, wild moments, it was easy to forget why they were running in the first place.
Eric.
Aiden ran beside her, his sleek black wolf larger and faster than the others. His golden eyes flicked toward her, and for a split second, Lauren thought she saw something in them. Determination, maybe. Or worry. Whatever it was, it pushed her to run harder.
Soon the edge of the forest came into view. Perkins was never much to look at. It was a grimy little town with cracked pavement and neon signs that flickered like they were running on borrowed time.
Lauren shifted back into her human form first, and walked around to thaw herself out. She wiggled her fingers that were stiff from the cold as the other wolves appeared. 
Aiden shifted next, shaking out his long dark hair and tugging on the hem of his black T-shirt. Lauren studied him for long seconds. Being an Alpha seemed to have changed him. In the space of a day, his hair had grown longer and more raggedy, and he was already sporting a stubble. Even his muscles seemed to be bulging now, giving him a more athletic frame. Even in human form, he looked like a shadow with broad shoulders, messy hair and a face that looked like it had been carved by a poet in a really bad mood. And she loved it.
“We need to scout ahead,” Lauren suggested. She glanced over her shoulder at Lia and Mike, who were now fully human.
Aiden stepped in before either of them could respond. “You two stay here,” he ordered Lia and Mike. “Watch the rest of the pack.”
"Uh, no." Lia crossed her arms. “What if something happens? You need us down there with you.”
“Nothing will happen, Lia,” Aiden replied calmly.
“And if it does?” Lia pressed.
Aiden's face darkened. His eyes met hers, and for a moment, Lauren thought Lia might win the argument. But then he gave her that look, the kind only an Alpha could give. The kind she'd seen his father Jacob give in the past. “If something happens, we'll deal with it and you’ll hear about it later.”
Mike opened his mouth to argue, but Lauren grabbed Aiden’s hand and tugged him toward the road. “We’ll be fine!" she called over her shoulder. "Don't miss us!"
Lia muttered something under her breath, but Lauren didn’t bother trying to catch it.
The air in Perkins was different from what Lauren remembered. It was heavier, somehow, like a large shadow had taken over the place. Lauren didn't need to think much to know that it was her father's influence over this place.
The first thing Lauren noticed about Perkins was how little it had changed. The cracked asphalt of the main road still had the same faded lines, and the peeling paint on the diner’s neon sign flickered weakly, just like it had when she was younger. The small row of shops—most of them shut for the night—looked untouched by time, their dusty windows displaying faded “For Sale” signs. Even the air smelled the same, a faint mix of oil and rain.
Most of the streets had gone quiet, giving way to the nightlife. Lauren could hear the roar and laughter of men as they drank to stupor in bars, and could hear the loud bass music as well. 
“Do you feel that?” Lauren asked.
Aiden’s hand brushed hers as he glanced around. “Feel what?”
“Everything is wrong around here.”
Aiden didn’t respond immediately. His eyes swept the darkened street ahead for any danger. When he finally spoke, his voice was a growl. “Stay close to me.”
It wasn’t a suggestion.
Lauren rolled her eyes but stayed close, her shoulder brushing his. Truthfully, she didn’t mind the closeness tonight.
Somewhere in the distance, a shadow shifted.
“You see that?” she whispered.
Aiden nodded. “Yeah. I bet it's one of your father's wolves."
Lauren slowed her steps, taking it all in. The last time she'd been here, she'd spent her time at her father's laboratory, and shortly after that, the battle that changed everything. There hadn't been time for a look around. She hadn’t been back since then for obvious reasons, but standing here now, it was as if no time had passed at all. It made her chest ache in a way she couldn’t explain.
“It’s the same,” she murmured, almost to herself.
Aiden glanced at her with raised brows. “What is?”
“Everything.” She gestured at the quiet street. “The signs, the road, the buildings. Even that old bench over there. It’s all exactly the same. I used to sit on that bench on Fridays after school with Mike and eat Chinese takeout."
Aiden didn’t respond immediately. He simply watched her for a moment. Then, he shrugged. “Small towns don’t change much. That’s part of their charm, isn’t it?”
Lauren snorted, though there wasn’t much humor in it. “Charm is one way to put it.”
They walked in silence for a while longer. Then suddenly, Aiden stopped.
Lauren nearly walked into him, startled. “What is it?” she whispered, glancing around. "Did you see something?"
He raised a hand, motioning for her to stay quiet. Then, without a word, he crouched by the roadside, his eyes scanning the ground.
Lauren’s heart thudded as she watched him. “Aiden?” she whispered again. She was scared now.
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached out, his fingers brushing against something in the dirt. When he straightened, he was holding a small object between his fingers.
“What’s that?” she asked.
Aiden held it up, the faint glow of the nearest streetlight illuminating it. It was a slender dart.
Lauren’s stomach dropped. “Is that a—?”
“Tranquilizer dart,” Aiden confirmed. He turned it over in his hand, inspecting it.
Lauren stared at the dart, her pulse quickening. “That means that Makovsky is close."
Aiden nodded. 
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Lauren’s eyes darted to the shadows around them. Suddenly, every dark corner felt too alive.
“We need to move,” she told Aiden. "I feel like we're being watched."
Aiden tossed the dart aside and grabbed her hand. “Carefully,” he said, leading her back toward an alley.
Lauren took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus. They had to find Eric. And they had to do it before it was too late.