Tora thought about that a moment, realizing it would be a dangerous promise to make. What if they couldn’t find Angelina? Or what if they found her dead? Then everything they’d just accomplished in the last few minutes would be gone, and Maria would hate them all over again. Still, the pack had the ability to find the girl, and if—no, not if, when —when they found her they would bring her back to Maria and her family. In that sense it was an easy promise to make.

“I promise,” Tora said.

Maria reached out and gave Tora a hug. “Thank you,” she said.

Tora nodded and turned to walk away. “Let’s go,” she said to Argus and Harlan.

“Where are you going?” Michael asked.

“To look for Angelina,” Tora answered.

“But the search hasn’t started yet. They’re still organizing.”

“We’re doing our own search,” Tora said. “Starting right now.”

“Can I come with you?”

Tora shook her head. “No!”

“See how crazy we are?” Argus said.

“But I want to help.”

Tora turned to face Michael. “Then stay with Maria. And tell the ranger we’ve already started searching on our own.”

Michael looked flustered. “But what should I tell him when he asks me why you didn’t wait for everyone else?”

“Don’t worry,” Tora said. “He won’t ask.”

“Are you sure?”

“Trust me.”

Michael nodded and returned to Maria’s side. When he looked for Tora and her brothers they were gone; they’d vanished into the forest like smoke.

Later, when he told the ranger that the three of them had headed off into the darkened forest on their own, the ranger didn’t question it, or ask for further details. All he did was nod his head once and say, “Thanks.”

“Wow,” Michael sighed. “That is different.”

Chapter 16

Tora, Argus, and Harlan made their way home, where they would drop off their clothing and pick up the scent of the little lost girl, Angelina Abruzzo.

Even with a stuffed-up nose, Harlan was still their best tracker. He took the lead in his full wolf form, snout to the ground and ear to the forest around him. Behind the house, about fifty yards from the back door and behind a growing redwood, he stopped in his tracks and sniffed at the snow-covered ground.

Tora looked closely at the land, noticing many bootprints in the snow crossing over each other as if someone, perhaps Angelina, had spent some time in the area.

Harlan stopped sniffing at the ground, raised his head, and looked at Tora and Argus.

Tora changed her form just enough to allow herself to speak. “Is it her?”

Harlan nodded, then changed as well. “She was here. Maria, too.”

“Can you tell where she went?”