Sharon’s Wolves(52)

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The sun was setting as Jackson followed his two mates into the home of Adam and Carlie Masters, Sharon’s parents. Almost twenty people, mostly shifters he realized, had assembled and were stuffed into the enormous great room.

Carlie Masters, Sharon’s mom, greeted Jackson at the door. “Welcome to the family. Please make yourself at home, as much as that’s possible in the crowd.”

Jackson shook her hand and then turned to the man who set his palm on Carlie’s shoulder. Jackson reached for him next. “You must be Adam.” He’d met Carlie the day he’d brought an injured Sharon down the mountain. But he hadn’t met Adam yet.

Adam shook his hand. “I am. Sorry to meet under such dire circumstances.”

“Understood.” Jackson nodded as Sharon plastered herself to his side and set her hand on his stomach. He lowered his hand to set it across her shoulders, grateful for her presence grounding him in an otherwise unworldly experience.

Carlie and Adam turned toward Cooper and shook his hand as well. “Cooper. Welcome,” they both stated in unison.

One of Sharon’s brothers cleared his throat and lifted a hand on the other side of the room.

Sharon lifted onto her tiptoes and whispered in Jackson’s ear. “Griffen.”

“Got it.”

Griffen spoke. “Thanks for being here, everyone. I know this is a clusterfuck, but we need to organize and make a plan.” He turned toward Cooper’s mom. “Joyce, can you update us on what you’ve gathered today?”

Joyce stood from her perch on the couch. “I spoke with dozens of women today from my support group and convinced them of the danger we’re in. They weren’t a difficult group to crack. Most of them have known Mimi all their lives and respect her. They know her history is usually spot on. They will speak to their husbands and get as many of their friends and neighbors to the meeting at the high school Monday night.”

She turned toward Laurie and nodded. Laurie brought everyone up to speed from her efforts. “Melinda and I visited the biology team from the junior college earlier. We went in wolf form and didn’t let anyone see us. Their work doesn’t appear to have anything to do with the unrest of the land, but we saw a spirit hovering around them nevertheless. Undoubtedly they’re in danger from being isolated so far from Cambridge. Not shocking.

“I’m not sure what we can do to convince them to come down from the mountain. They have to have felt the tremors and be informed, but it’s not as if Melinda and I could have shifted and seemingly popped out of nowhere to warn them of some mysterious danger based on our intuition.

“Also, I spoke to Mary and Jazmine this morning. They were going to call every family whose kids attend their respective preschools. Hopefully they can appeal to the younger families and get as many of them to show up Monday night as possible. That covers a large population of both the Native Americans who attend Jazmine’s school and the citizens of Cambridge who attend Mary’s.”

Carlie stepped up next. “I spoke to every Caucasian shifter I could think of in the area. Hopefully they too will spread the word and rally their families and friends.”

Jackson watched as Cooper made his way toward Griffen as he spoke. “Good. We’re going to need as many bodies present as possible.” He lifted his face and grinned halfheartedly as he stopped walking. “Sorry.” He lifted a hand to give a vague wave. “I’m Cooper Hamilton. I know I haven’t met all of you yet.” It was eerie to realize most of the family didn’t know Cooper any more than they knew Jackson. Just because he was a shifter didn’t mean everyone had met him. He’d only arrived in town on Tuesday.

Several people welcomed him.

And then he continued. “I have a team of four men out checking the machines that monitor seismic activity now. But I’m convinced the fracking station just north of here is causing the series of small quakes we’re experiencing.”

“And you don’t think we’ve seen the end of it,” Griffen stated.

“Not a chance. If this pattern continues, we’re bound to see something much larger in the coming days. It’s imperative we get that fracking station shut down as soon as possible.”

“That’s not the end of it, though,” Joyce added. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. The woman knew things.

Jackson shuddered and wrapped his arms around Sharon, clasping her hands in his in front of her.

“Seems unlikely,” Cooper agreed. “But at the very least, we’ll be saving the lives of all the men working that station. It’s bound to suffer tremendous damage.”