The forests of Vermont are many, and dark, and places where shadowy things roam and shadowy dealings are done. When a redcap is nearly abducted and three men are murdered, the trail grows hot on a case Hunter Agent Randal Barclay has been working for months, tracking disappearances of faeries all over the northeast. But Barclay's vacation is tragically timed, the crimes happening right outside of his hometown, leading Nick Walker to be called in to fill his shoes. Soon enough, Nick stumbles into an operation far larger than anyone in The Conclave of Monstrous Affairs had expected, sending himself, Barclay, and their handler Agent Itoi barrelling down the interstate to get to New Jersey, racing against a rampaging dullahan bent on revenge, before their friend, Bucky Hirsch, meets a horrible fate. If only Nick hadn't met that friendly monster in the woods, sitting for the five hour car ride wouldn't be so agonizing. Meanwhile, Bucky makes a few very good friends as he tries to gain intel for The Conclave. Can they reach Bucky in time? Will they crack the case? What about the sexual tension between Nick and his friend and crush, Randal? The fourth entry in The Conclave of Monstrous Affairs series, Ahead of the Pack is a novel-length story of crime, lust, loss, love, more lust, and a good cup of coffee.