Sharon’s Wolves(94)

“Sharon,” he called again. Nothing.

If they were lucky, it was a small eruption that wouldn’t cover more than a few acres. If they were not lucky, they would all die. Cooper would never leave this location without Sharon. He’d rather die.

Jackson interrupted his horrible thoughts. “Cooper. Stop thinking morbid thoughts. You’re killing me, and you aren’t blocking. You’re not going to die on the mountain. Besides, you said yourself the cave is sealed off. If lava flows over it, Sharon shouldn’t be harmed inside. You’ll get out of harm’s way, and we’ll return to get her as soon as it’s safe.”

“Who made you the voice of reason?” Cooper teased.

“No one. I’m a fucking mess. I’m just trying to help screw your head on straight.”

“It’s working.” Cooper blew out a breath. “How far away are you?”

“Not far. Heading the rest of the way on foot now. But we need better directions.”

Cooper howled, tipping his head back and angling toward the sky. “That work for you?”

“Yep. See you in a few.”

The two spirits who seemed to have befriended each other, as if that were a thing, hovered over the entrance to the cave. They had stopped shimmering with agitated urgency. That could be a good sign.

When the first wolf burst through the trees and landed in front of Cooper to drop a large backpack, Cooper quickly shifted alongside the other wolf. It turned out to be Adam. Trace shifted just as fast at his side.

They riffled through the duffle, grabbed jeans and shoes first, and quickly shrugged into them.

“You really believe she’s in that cave?” Adam nodded over his shoulder.

“Yeah. I’m sure of it.”

“And you can’t reach her?”

“I’ve tried hundreds of times. My voice should be rough from yelling so many times in my head.”

“And nothing?”

Cooper shook his head. “But she’s in there, and she’s alive.”

Melinda grabbed clothes out of the bag while Cooper spoke to Adam. Seconds later, she was dressed also. They didn’t have enough clothes for prolonged exposure to cold, but they would survive for quite a while without issues.

Jackson stepped through the trees. He was breathing heavily. “You wolves are going to kill me.” He turned to face Isaiah next. “And a bear. Don’t forget the grizzly bear.” He rolled his eyes as he handed out bottles of water.

Wyatt spoke from the growing pile of rocks in front of him. “You guys want to help?” His voice was gentle. Light in an intense situation.

All of them raced to the entrance as several more wolves jumped into the clearing. They each held a bag between their teeth. Cooper knew they would be Sharon’s brothers.

As they worked, Cooper listened to Jackson continuously trying to reach Sharon. “Babe. God. Please. Answer me. Just let me know you’re okay. We’re just outside the cave. We’ll get you out. We’re working hard. We have more men now.”

All Cooper could do was pray Sharon could somehow hear them. He didn’t want her to lose hope. He had no idea how deep this pile of rocks was or how long it would take to remove it, but he needed her to be alive when they finished.

Every time he thought of her inside this cave, trapped with a madman, he cringed. What if Sandhouse decided he’d rather kill her than let her be rescued? He glanced at Melinda.

Melinda met his gaze. “Stop it. She’s alive.” She leaned on one of the shovels her brothers had hauled in. Her face was contorted. There was something she wasn’t saying. Cooper prayed it didn’t have to do with Sharon’s well-being.

“And Sandhouse? What about him? You gonna ease my mind by telling me she’s in there alone?”

She scrunched her forehead and wiped sweat from her brow. She shook her head. “I can’t feel anyone else. Just Sharon. It’s weird. I know. But let’s have hope.”

“You think he put her in there and left her there to die?” Jackson asked.

“I don’t know,” Sharon muttered.

Cooper lifted his gaze to the two spirits still hovering above them. They were calm and shimmering. Please… Please let her be safe.

But why wasn’t she answering?

»»•««

Sharon moaned. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temple as she realized it wasn’t a nightmare. She was still trapped in a cave in the dark. Cold. Shivering. Achy. Her head was less foggy, though.

She flipped on the flashlight, thankful it still worked, and rolled onto her back to find the black smoky aura still at her side.

She blinked several times.

It’s a spirit… A guide… The manifestation of the soul of a wolf who had already passed on. Clarity made her sit upright. She blinked at the shimmering spirit as it swelled to a larger size. Was it pleased with her recognition?