The Hunter and the Hunted (Bear Naked 3)

Chapter 6

Connor

They drove back to the edge of town and found a cheap hotel. It was a squat one story Motel 6 with each room facing out on the parking lot. Connor wasn't sure if Dad was trying to be cheap or if he wanted somewhere they could escape from easily. Probably a bit of both. The motel fit the bill well.

He made Connor stay in the drivers seat and keep the SUV running while he went in and got their room. Then he made Connor park directly in front of the room. He sent Vince around the outside of the hotel one direction while he went the other. Connor and Amanda he sent in to check out the room. Connor knew that Dad considered that the safest job and it irritated him but he did it.

They were both back in minutes. "No scent, no sign of anything out of the ordinary," Vince reported.

"I thought as much," Aaron said. "And this snow will cover any old tracks, so in the morning we will be able to see if anyone came near."

"You think they will try something?" Connor asked.

"No," Aaron said. "I doubt the Skinwalkers attacked Mitch and I would be surprised if they attack us. But we need to be careful, all the same."

"They know something," Amanda insisted.

Vince gave a dry laugh. "That they do. But not everything. Did you see the look on that elder's face? Like he'd swallowed a pepper and just now realized how hot is was."

Connor chuckled at the visual.

"We've got to make them tell us," Amanda raged.

"How do you expect to do that?" Vince said. "There are four of us."

"And six of them," Connor said.

"No," Aaron corrected. "We are in their territory. At a word there would a hundred or more breathing down our throat. We can't demand anything." He gave Amanda an even look. She let out a small groan of frustration and looked away. Connor bit back his own groan. He loved Amanda, but her stubbornness would get them in trouble here.

"I know," she said in a small voice, "but..."

"But Darren is still missing," Aaron said. "I know. We are not giving up. There's so much I don't understand yet. One false move could lead to worse trouble."

"How sure are we they didn't do this," Connor asked. "They seemed pretty suspicious of us."

"And surprised. If they had done this, they would expect us to show," Aaron countered.

"If they had been part of the attack, surely they would have scented Mitch, knew he was a shifter," Vince said. "But that was pretty genuine surprise."

"But they definitely knew something about Darren," Aaron said. "Amanda, is there anything between bear clan and Skinwalkers I need to know about, old feuds... anything."

Amanda shook her head. "Not that I am aware of. Uncle Darren always spoke highly of all the Native American tribes he'd been in contact with, seemed pretty much mutual as far as I know. Heck, Uncle Robert is married to a Sioux woman." She scrunched her brow. "Maybe the Sioux and Shoshone have some old grudge I don't know about?"

"Seems like a long stretch," Aaron said.

"Especially when we have a known enemy," Connor added.

"I am inclined to agree," Aaron said. "But if the Sons of Garm did this, why wouldn't the Skinwalkers just tell us?"

"Maybe they are embarrassed to admit they didn't know," Vince suggested. "How long did it take us to realize they were in our territory? When did we go to the council?"

"I went as soon as I had a real threat to report," Aaron answered, his face grim. He slumped against the doorjamb. "Maybe if I had gone earlier, gotten a couple packs to come help us scent, we could have driven them off and that girl wouldn't have died."

Connor flushed. He felt it too, the guilt. He'd wracked his brain a hundred times, trying to figure out one thing they could have done different, one thing that would have stopped the killing. He hadn't come up with one yet. "It's not your fault," Connor said. "You did everything you could."

Aaron nodded. "I know, but I can't help feel it. I guess that's part of life, second guessing yourself. It doesn't matter now."

"I agree, it wasn't your fault," Vince said. "The point I was making was, I wouldn't hold it against these wolves if they simply didn't know. We know how cunning the Sons of Garm can be."

"They knew," Amanda snarled. "They may not have known about Mitch, but they knew about Darren. They might not have known who got attacked but they practically admitted to knowing about the attack itself."

"I tend to agree," Vince said.

Aaron shook his head. "I don't know what to think, but we won't figure it out tonight. Let's keep a watch, just in case. Vince, first watch?" Vince nodded. To Connor and Amanda he said, "you two, hit the hay. You have to be beat. I know I am."