The next day, Jasper found himself equal parts relieved and saddened to no longer be on the water. While he certainly didn't miss his stomach lurching with every movement of the boat, seeing all the fish swimming below them had been pleasant, and listening to Gwen talk about her passion for biology had been even more so. Though he still didn't feel an ounce of romantic attraction toward her, he could see himself cultivating a fondness for her in time.

Yet, as relieved as he was to get along with Gwen, Jasper's heart ached at the thought of how badly he'd upset Brooke. All the selkie had done was try to help him feel better, and he'd snapped at her. The look on her face...

He might as well have snarled at a pup.

He wished he could have apologized. Taken her hand back in his. Made her smile until her wonderfully carefree laugh echoed over the waves. But he couldn't have gone back to her on the boat without making it look like he was intentionally avoiding Gwen.

He certainly couldn't talk to her today. Not when he had to join Gwen and several other wolves on a hunt.

Located a little over an hour's drive from the resort, Fur and Fangs Hunting Lodge boasted acres of land with all the prey a wolf could ask for. Rabbits, deer, bears: all these and more awaited them in the fenced-in area where they could use their Goddess-given gifts without fear of human hunters mistakenly shooting them.

Taxidermy depicting the most impressive kills made on the hunting grounds filled the entrance hall, with a pure white stag staring down at them from above the rest of the mounted menagerie. Below that majestic beast, the man who greeted them looked positively puny, yet despite his thin frame, the vampire arrested everyone's attention with an unblinking stare.

Jasper forced himself not to shudder at the sight of those piercing red eyes. Goddess, he hated vampires.

"Now that everyone's here, let's go over the rules, shall we?" The vampire flashed his fangs as he spoke, his smile as pointed as his words. "You must stay within the fence for the duration of your visit, and you may only hunt until your allotted time is up. No need to worry about keeping track of how long you have left. When your hour is over, one of our staff will contact you through your Links."

Jasper's eyes glazed over as the vampire lectured the hunting party on every single one of the facility's rules. There was no way Brooke would be able to listen to all this. She'd fidget with her sealskin as she struggled to pay attention. Then she'd nod so hard he'd wonder how her head didn't fall off when the vampire asked whether they understood the rules, only to ask Jasper to repeat them as soon as they were out of earshot. She'd hang onto his every word, her beautiful blue eyes sparkling like tide pools as she—

"Jasper."

A noise not unlike the yip of a startled pup flew out of Jasper's mouth. Heat rushed to his face as he realized the vampire was gone, leaving Gwen gently squeezing his hand and every other werewolf looking at him with amusement, irritation, or a mixture of both.

"Tobias told us to head outside and shift while he preps the Links." Gwen's forehead wrinkled with concern. "Are you sure you feel up to this? I don't mind rescheduling if you're still jetlagged."

"That won't be necessary," Jasper said quickly. "I just got distracted."

A few of Gwen's packmates shared glances, snickering under their breath. Jasper blushed as Gwen shushed them, no doubt fueling whatever ideas they had about exactly what, or who, had distracted him.

Once they'd all calmed down, everyone went outside to shift. They spread into a large circle outside the large gates leading to the hunting grounds, giving each other plenty of room to concentrate on changing from human to wolf.

Jasper focused all of his attention on the moonstone pendant hanging around his neck. All thoughts of the werewolves surrounding him fell away as he concentrated on the rock. Its smooth coldness resting against his skin. The long, thin cord threaded through the top.

Teeth sharpened into fangs, fur sprouted from his skin, and his tail sprang free. Yet, despite the shift, Jasper felt no pain, and his clothes would remain intact, ready to cover his human form again once he returned to his original shape. Such was the gift of the Moon Goddess: the ability to shift between forms with ease so long as the werewolf grounded themself in their surroundings.

Jasper gazed at his fellow wolves with his tail slowly wagging. It felt so good to be on four paws. To feel the sun warming his fur, bringing out the silver flecks speckled throughout his gray pelt like constellations.

And his nose, Goddess, his nose! Like the rest of his pack, he always appreciated any smell that could give him ideas for their next line of perfumes, but as a wolf, he savored every last scent. The earthy musk of a boar. A mouse's delicate sweetness. An intoxicating aroma of mangoes and coconuts that smelled like...

Brooke.

Jasper snorted. She was miles away, yet that selkie still invaded his nose as surely as she invaded his thoughts. He itched with the urge to run to her, each moment he wasn't by her side gnawing at his skin like a nest of fire ants. The things he'd do to run back to the resort...

A stout pale brown wolf trotted toward Jasper with high-pitched yips flying out of his mouth. With how energetically he bounded across the grass, Carlos Torres could easily be mistaken for a large, over-caffeinated rabbit. "It's about time we finally got to hunt together again! It's been way too long."

"I've missed it, too," Jasper said, touching his nose to his future Beta's in greeting. "How've you been enjoying the resort?"

"Let's just say the seagulls aren't going to forget me anytime soon." Carlos's howling laughter drew more than a few annoyed glances from Kudzu Pack. "But enough about those birds. What are we going to hunt today? I was hoping we could—"

"I was hoping Cedar Pack's Alphas would teach their subordinates their place." A lean male whose dark pelt still carried traces of his sharp mint perfume bared his teeth at Carlos. "You'd be wise to let your Alpha do the talking, pup."

Carlos tucked his tail close to his stomach, pressing his body to the ground in a show of subordination. "Sorry, sir."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Jasper said firmly. His hackles rose as he met the aggressive wolf's stare. "You have no right to give orders to any member of my pack."

"I wouldn't have to if you kept your wolves in line." The male cocked his head to the side, his graying muzzle twisting into a mocking snarl. "Or can you not do that right either, mateless whelp?"

"Enough of this nonsense." Gwen strode before her pack with her pure white fur raised along her hackles. "Waylon, you know better than to antagonize another pack. Apologize."

Waylon dipped his head ever so slightly, only lowering himself into a full bow when a soft growl began rumbling in Gwen's throat. "Apologies, Alpha," he said through gritted teeth.

Gwen huffed. "I suppose that will have to do. I'm sorry for all the fuss, Jasper."

"It's alright." Jasper cleared his throat, eager to return everyone's attention to the hunt. "You were saying, Carlos?"

"I thought it might be a good idea for us to go after an elk," he said, untucking his tail and wagging it hesitantly. "By taking down something that big, we could prove to the Goddess that our packs can do amazing things when we work together."

"That sounds like a lovely idea." Gwen dipped her head toward Jasper. "What do you think?"

"That's an ambitious target, but I think we can handle it." As long as they channeled their pride into hunting their prey instead of preparing to lunge at each other.

Tension eased out of the wolves as they discussed their hunting strategy. Once they tracked down a suitable elk, Gwen and her half of the hunting party would tire out their prey, with Jasper and the other half bringing it down. It wasn't lost on Jasper that Gwen had decided to keep them in separate groups, but with how much tension there was between the two packs, perhaps it would be for the best. As strained as things were between the two packs, few wolves would dare to start trouble in an Alpha's presence.

At last, the vampire came out with a basket full of small metal devices. "These Links are built to stay fastened to your ear regardless of whether you're a wolf or a human. In addition to allowing us to alert you when your time is up, these will also let you call for help if there's an emergency. Simply flick your ear twice to activate the Link, and it'll immediately put you in touch with our staff."

Jasper fought the urge to flatten his ears against his head as the vampire fastened the cold metal to his fur. He couldn't deny the Links served a practical purpose, but the tiny device itched his skin like a tick poised to suck his blood.

Once the vampire finished attaching Links to every member of their hunting party, he took hold of the radio pinned to his uniform. "Cedar and Kudzu have been fitted with their gear and are cleared to begin."

"Copy that," answered the voice on the other end of the radio.

The vampire bared his fangs in a sharp smile as the gate to the hunting grounds lurched open with a deafening creak. "Happy hunting!"

Leaves crunched under the wolves' paws as they ran into the undergrowth. "Spread out and search for scents," Gwen said. "Once you've found an elk, send a scout to alert everyone else, and we'll begin our two-pronged ambush."

"Yes, Alpha!" the hunting party chorused.

Jasper split off with no one but Carlos by his side, privately relieved to have an excuse to get away from the other wolves. In addition to making it easier to track potential prey unnoticed, working as part of a pair gave him an excuse to get away from the tension between the two packs and the constant mate talk.

But nothing could stop his mind from drifting back to everything he ought to be doing for Uncommon Scents. Reports needed filing, deals with suppliers had to be renegotiated, and advertising campaigns for their upcoming fragrance launches had to be coordinated. Yet, instead of tending to his pack's business, he was stuck following stale scent trails.

He hadn't even managed to quell any of the tension between his wolves and Kudzu Pack. No, he'd needed his fiancée to intervene, forcing her to part from him so they could keep the peace. Instead of getting to know Gwen better and improving relations between their packs, all he'd managed to do was create more work for her.

"Looks like we won't find anything around here," Carlos whispered. He cocked his head to the side. "Are you doing okay?"

"I'm fine," Jasper huffed. He'd be happier if he detected any scent trails besides a sick badger and an especially foul-smelling skunk, but they'd had little luck so far.

"I wish I could believe you, but..." Carlos waved his tail to the side. "You've kinda been leading us in circles."

Jasper's eyes widened as he glanced at the two sets of wolves' pawprints half-hidden by the leaf litter. "By the Goddess's dewclaws, can I do anything right?"

"Hey, you're not the first wolf to get turned around in unfamiliar territory." Carlos fidgeted, the damp soil squelching beneath his paws. "But that's not all this is, is it?"

"No, it's not." Jasper sighed, allowing his tail to hang low. He could never let anyone else in Cedar Pack see him like this, but to Carlos, he was his friend first and his Alpha second. "I've had a lot on my mind, but I can't talk about it. Not now." Not when he had no way of knowing when Gwen might be in earshot.

"Alright, but..." A soft whine passed Carlos's lips. "Promise me you'll talk to me when you're ready, okay? I know you're dealing with a lot considering, well, everything, but the Moon Goddess made wolves form packs for a reason. We aren't supposed to deal with stuff like this on our own."

"I know," Jasper said. He'd already burdened his pack more than enough by failing to find his soulmate. The last thing he needed was to make everyone feel worse by telling them he'd rather roll on an anthill than get married to someone he barely knew.

The pair of them continued their search for an elk with little success. By the time the Links in their ears vibrated to signal they'd used half of their time, they'd only found a calf huddled in a thicket. Nothing the Moon Goddess would condone killing.

At last, another member of the hunting party trotted to them with her tail raised high. "Alpha found a bull grazing in a clearing. I will lead you to where you will ambush it, then run back to alert the others that you're in position."

As he and Carlos followed the she-wolf, Jasper wagged his tail with relief. The sooner they killed this elk, the sooner he could get back to his suite and escape the packs' bickering. Even as half the hunting party gathered to await their prey, wolves snarled and nipped at each other as they argued over the best hunting strategy.

"Quiet." Jasper silenced them with a low growl. "Kudzu wolves, form a crescent blocking that game trail. Cedar wolves, get ready to close the circle once the elk arrives."

The wolves trotted into position with perfect obedience. Jasper breathed a sigh of relief. Though the packs didn't get along, at least they knew cooperation was vital to any successful hunt.

Jasper slowed his breathing until it scarcely disturbed the grass. He waited for his prey with his ears pricked, his nostrils flaring. Silence hung thick in the air, holding the wolves in perfect stillness as if it were their Alpha.

Just when Jasper was beginning to think the elk had evaded Gwen and her half of the hunting party, the bull burst into the clearing.

Muscles rippled beneath the creature's hide, each thrust of its powerful legs sending it bounding forward. Jasper's mouth watered at the metallic scent of the elk's blood emanating from wounds in its haunches, but this would not be an easy kill. Thick, dark fur protected his prey's neck, and antlers crowned the prince of the forest with sharpness.

But though the bull was formidable, Gwen and her wolves were just as impressive. Their jaws snapped at its haunches whenever it attempted to swerve off the path, deftly dodging strikes from kicking hooves. At the sight of Jasper's half of the hunting party, the elk snorted and wheeled toward a gap between its pursuers, only for Gwen's wolves to block its exit with their fangs bared.

It was surrounded.

Carlos bounded toward the elk's shoulder, only to let out a sharp yip as a dark, hulking shape rammed into his side. "An Alpha always strikes first," Waylon barked.

Jasper growled. Now was not the time to quibble over antiquated traditions. He lunged toward the elk, biting its shoulder.

The bull bellowed, rearing back in an attempt to throw off its attacker. A coppery tang filled Jasper's mouth as he clamped his jaws tighter. His teeth sank deep into layers of muscle and sinew. A wound like this was nowhere near enough to fell such a grand beast, but it should weaken it enough for the others to go for the kill.

Assuming they could work together long enough.

"Out of the way!" Waylon snapped his fangs in Carlos's direction, eliciting cries of protest from the rest of Cedar Pack. "Our Alpha must kill it."

"If we don't finish it off fast, it's going to hurt someone," Carlos said. Other wolves were attacking the creature now, but though some had managed to bite flesh from its haunches, the bull's antlers threatened to gore any wolves that drew too close to its neck.

"I don't care who finishes it off as long as it's a clean kill." Gwen paced in front of the elk, darting at an opening only to leap back when it swung its antlers toward her.

Jasper's jaw ached from the strain of holding on for so long. One long bite around the bull's nose to suffocate it. That was all it should take to bring down an elk, yet even with a dozen wolves present, none of them could stop bickering long enough to finish the job.

He'd rather sit through a dozen meetings than bear such a disastrous hunt. Not even listening to shareholders prattle on about failing to meet their sales projections for the fifth year in a row could be worse than watching these two packs that would one day unite snapping and snarling at each other like a bunch of ill-behaved pups.

At least Brooke would be impressed when he came back to the resort with such a fine kill. A bull this big could feed multiple packs, a feast fit for an Alpha. He'd offer Brooke her choice of the finest cuts, telling her how sorry he was for snapping at her when he should have let himself enjoy her—

"Look out!"

The elk reared back. Jasper gasped as his fangs ripped free of the creature's flesh, leaving blood running down its shoulder in thick crimson streams. He landed in the grass with a bone-jarring thud.

Antlers crashed into his haunches.