Authors: Marilu Mann
“You okay with this, pup? With me being a part of your life
now?”
Rain looked hard at him then back at her mother. She took a
deep breath and nodded. “Yeah, but you guys have
got
to have a real
wedding. Human style. That’s not negotiable!”
She recognized the mulish look on her daughter’s face.
Harmony looked quickly up at him to see his reaction. When she saw his smile,
she relaxed and stood, wrapping her arm around his waist as he kept his around
her shoulders.
“Okay, but the two of you will leave me out of the planning.
I suck at that kind of stuff. Now. How about some breakfast? I’m about to
wither away from lack of food.”
“Thank god! I thought we were going to have to talk all
freaking morning!” Rain led the way out of her room. Harmony leaned into him
with a sigh.
“She’s a great kid, Harmony. She really is.”
“I know and that constantly amazes me.” They left the
bedroom but before they went into the kitchen, she stopped him. “Please promise
me you’ll look after her tonight.”
“You know I will, babe. She’s in good hands.” He kissed her
again then went into the kitchen. “Hey, save me some of that!”
Rain had a biscuit in each hand, one half-gone and two more
on her plate. She shook her head. “You snooze, you lose, G-man! This is mine!”
With a playful growl he leaped into the air, covering the
distance between them in a second. He yanked the uneaten biscuit out of her
hand, stuffing the whole thing into his mouth. Rain stood there open-mouthed
for a minute then looked at her mother who was already laughing. Rain joined in
while Gareth grinned unrepentantly as he finished the biscuit.
Rion lifted his head to nod respectfully as Olivia came into
the room. She filled a plate from the food on the sideboard. She moved almost
silently as she came to the table where he sat staring into his juice.
“Mind if I join you?”
“No, of course not.” He got to his feet to pull the chair
out for her. Olivia laughed softly as she sat down.
“You don’t have to be on your best behavior, Rion. I know
you feel the pull of the moon just as much as we all do. Makes you kind of
crazy doesn’t it?”
“They don’t call it Moonlust for nothing,” he answered her
softly then finished his juice. He’d stuffed himself with pancakes, eggs,
bacon, sausage and biscuits and probably half a gallon of juice. He knew there’d
be a huge lunch spread along with another one at dinner before the Gathering
tonight.
Then there’d be tons of food afterward since the newest
shifters would need the nourishment. Hell, all the shifters needed food after a
Gather. Shifting burned energy while running around on four feet burned even
more. Fuel was essential before and after a Change.
“So, Rion, I already hit Gareth with this, but why aren’t
you mated?”
Rion was glad he’d finished his drink because he’d probably
have spewed it across the table. He blinked at her a few times then cleared his
throat before he opened his mouth. No way he’d lie to her, being honest with
the Alpha bitch had been ingrained in him since he’d been old enough to know
the difference between the truth and a lie.
“I don’t have such a great history of picking women.” He
chose to go with less detail, hoping she would leave it at that.
“You and your brother make me so angry!” Olivia rolled her
eyes then set her fork down on the side of her plate. “You’re young,
attractive, well-bred and courteous. I think it’s just that you don’t trust
women or yourselves. I’m pretty sure that’s why Gareth used to run with the
Wilds, because he didn’t think any shifter female or human would want him. Well,
Harmony proved him wrong and…”
She’d stopped because he’d shoved his chair back. He stood
staring at her in disbelief. “What did you say?”
“I said that she proved him…”
“No. Before that. What did you say about Gareth?” He knew he
was almost shouting but he couldn’t help himself. She could not have said what
he thought she did. Gareth couldn’t have run with real wolves. That meant.
No.
Not going there.
“Rion, I’m sorry. I thought you knew.”
“Olivia, would you excuse us, please?” The Alpha’s voice was
low and soft but she got to her feet immediately.
“Micah, I’m so sorry.”
“I know, love. Please give me a moment with Rion.” He
stopped her as she reached him in the doorway. Gathering her into his arms, he
gently kissed her. Rion’s chest tightened at the love so visible between the
two. That was what he and Gareth had always wanted. As pups they’d talked about
the females they’d want as mates. No way in hell had his brother given up on
that hope. Dear god, please let that not be the case.
“Rion, sit down, please.” Micah moved closer into the room
and pulled out one of the chairs at the table.
He didn’t want to disobey but he wasn’t sure he could sit
still. “Alpha, please tell me that’s not true.”
Micah shook his head. “Rion, it is true that he ran with the
Wilds. He would go up into Canada for weeks at a time. He knew I did not
approve but all of that was before I was truly his Alpha.”
“But that would mean…” Rion choked on the words. “That meant
he wanted to give up his humanity, to become one of them.”
Micah gripped his shoulder, squeezing until Rion met his
gaze. “Your brother was damaged, Rion, just as you were. The two of you were
pawns in a cruel game. It almost broke him. But you know him better than
anyone. You know that he would not go through with that. He is a strong man, a
good wolf, as are you. I am proud to have him as one of my seconds. He has come
into his own here. He has a place where he is valued. I believe with Harmony
here, he will come to know that he is truly loved.”
Rion nodded, taking deep breaths as he came to grips with
this new revelation. Even when he’d hated his brother he hadn’t wanted him
dead. If Gareth had gone through with staying with the Wilds he would have been
as good as dead. Shunned by Pack, forgotten by family.
“This is truly his home now, isn’t it? He won’t be happy in
Oregon.”
“No.” Micah shook his head. “I do not believe so. I believe
his heart as well as his home are here now. Rion, I will not require penance of
you for coming onto my land without permission. I think you have been dealt
enough of a blow with this information. I will also tell you this, without
ceremony, without anyone else knowing and with no pressure. You are welcome
here. If you so desire, you have a place here as well. I am sure your brother
would love to have you close.”
“Alpha, I thank you.” Though his brain was still whirling
Rion knew he had to respond to that generous statement. Micah had, in effect,
just invited Rion membership in his Pack. Rion hadn’t had to petition—the offer
had been freely made. “I don’t know where my future leads. I have to return
home though. I have to go back and see my mother. I have a job and
responsibilities there.”
“I understand, just know that the offer is there. If you
decide to be closer to your brother you have a place here.” Micah got to his
feet, hugged Rion briefly then left the room.
Rion sat perfectly still, staring at the wall but not seeing
anything in front of him. He stirred when someone else came into the room. He
needed to see his brother. Needed to assure himself that his brother’s mind was
whole. That he wasn’t still thinking about running with the Wilds.
Bolting from the table, he ran to the front door. Reaching
the edge of the porch, he stripped, knowing he’d get there faster on four feet
than two. Leaping off the porch, he shifted in midair to hit the ground
running. He had to get to Gareth. He had to see his brother.
As he ran through the woods he scented the air. As always,
everything was sharper to him in wolf form. He could almost understand why Gareth
might want to stay in this shape. With their scars, female Shifters tended to
shy away. He hadn’t told anyone about the rejection he’d faced more often than
not. Sure he’d dated, but nothing and no one worth committing to. Not to
mention that most Alphas, including their uncle, thought of them as lesser
wolves due to the scarring. He had to make sure his twin understood. Knew that
he didn’t ever have to run with the Wilds again.
The sharp scent of his brother hit his nose, so he veered to
follow it. Slowing down, he relaxed. With a wolfy grin splitting his face he
trotted up to the edge of the cabin. The scent of biscuits and bacon made him
drool. Then another scent caught his attention.
Mated.
His damn twin had the mating scent all over him. Rion sat
down. Hard. He realized he didn’t need to have any kind of a “no Wilds” chat
now. There was no way his brother would give up his mate to be with the real
wolves. It wasn’t their way.
Damn. That bacon smelled so good.
Then the door opened. He saw Harmony’s pup on the porch. She
smiled at him as she tossed him some bacon. “Mom says come on in. We have
plenty.”
Rion swallowed the smoky meat down in one gulp then shifted.
While his wolf self didn’t mind eating in the dirt, he did. He strode toward
the house only to be hit in the head with a pair of jeans.
“Put these on, Ri. Rain still isn’t used to all of our ways.”
Gareth headed back to the kitchen obviously intending for his brother to
follow. “We need to talk about our trip home.”
“Hey wait. Do you have a shirt handy?” Rion waved a hand at
his chest, stopping just outside the door to the kitchen. Gareth looked at him
for a long moment, his eyes traveling over Rion’s torso, then nodded. The
understanding in his gaze caused Rion to swallow hard. He could cover his
scars, Gareth’s were out there for anyone to see, to judge him on. “I’ll be
right back.”
Rion pulled the jeans on then waited for his return. When
Gareth handed him a well-worn t-shirt, he quickly pulled it on. “You know that
wasn’t necessary, right?”
“No, I think it was very necessary.” Shaking his head
ruefully, he followed his twin into the cozy cabin. Harmony smiled at him. Rion
leaned over to kiss her cheek, putting a hand on his brother’s arm at the same
time. “Welcome to the family, Sister.”
Gareth stared hard at him for a few minutes then to Rion’s
surprise, yanked him into a hard hug. Rion felt his knees weaken as he returned
the hug. At Harmony’s choked sob they broke apart to see tears streaming down
her face. Gareth immediately dropped to his knees beside her. “Babe, what’s
wrong? Do you hurt somewhere? What is it?”
“No, it’s just…” She shook her head and touched his face
gently. She cupped his jaw then leaned forward to put her forehead against his.
“Seeing the two of you, it’s just so wonderful. I’m so glad you’ve found one
another again.”
“I think it’s awesome. Rion, you’ll come back with Gareth,
right? I mean once you guys go visit your family. You’ll come back for their
wedding? Hey, your mom should come back with you.” Rain stopped, glancing at
her mother. “Oops, sorry, guess I let that cat out of the bag.”
“I don’t know, Rain. It depends on how Mom is doing. I know
she would love to meet the two of you. And thanks, bro. You’ve taken the heat
right off me for at least a year.” Rion grinned as he sat down at the table.
Gareth shoved a plate in front of him, so Rion happily ate his second breakfast
of the day.
After they’d consumed enough food so that they were all a
bit lethargic, Harmony excused herself. She shot Rain what Rion could only
interpret as ‘a mom look’ that had the teen telling them bye and leaving too.
Rion cleared his throat then faced his brother, Gareth’s
attention no longer on the hallway where his mate had disappeared. “So, about
the trip.”
“Yeah, um. I guess we should figure this out. Are we taking
my truck and your car or what?”
They spent the next two hours plotting their journey.
Getting the logistics worked out felt easy, as if they were back to where they’d
been when they left their birth Pack. Rion wanted to ask if he planned to bring
Harmony and Rain with him, but wasn’t sure the question would be welcome. It
was going to be hard enough for Gareth to go back to Oregon. Finally he got
slowly to his feet. He watched his brother do the same. They stared at each
other for a few minutes, then it was Rion’s turn to pull his brother into a
hard hug.
With a much lighter heart and a genuine smile, Rion let
himself out of the cabin. He strolled back toward the lodge. With any luck he’d
be able to get in a quick nap before lunch. He had a feeling this Moon
Gathering was going to be something special.
“Rain, stop pacing. You’ll be fine.” Keme took her hand,
smiling widely. Rain tried to smile back at him. The Pack had been arriving for
the last hour. She had never realized there’d be so many people here. She’d
tried to blend in toward the back of the group only to have Keme and Alicia
pull her closer to the front. She’d give anything if her mom was here, but
Harmony had explained that she couldn’t be there.
Because it was Rain’s first shift she might feel too much
pressure if her mom was present. None of those who were going to attempt their
first shift had parents present. Some had cousins or aunt and uncles. Even with
Keme there she had never felt so alone in her life. Closing her eyes, Rain took
a deep breath, trying to remember everything they’d been taught in the classes.
She took another breath. So many familiar scents were almost overwhelming.
Focusing, she realized one stood out—Keme’s strong hazelnut scent.
Curious now, she opened her eyes then turned to him. “Keme,
what do I smell like?”
“What?” He laughed softly.
“You smell of hazelnuts, my mom is honeysuckle and Gareth
and Rion are pine. What is my scent?”
“Gardenias. My grandmother used to grow them in a hothouse
behind her home. Have you ever seen any?”
“Yes, there were some outside our apartment building in
California. Really? I smell of gardenias?”
“Not so surprising, pup. Scents tend to be similar in family
members. Since your mom has a floral smell, it stands to reason that you would
too.” Gareth’s voice reached her. Rain swiveled around to him with a wide
smile.
“Are you ready? It’s time for the presentation of the young.”
“I guess so.” Swallowing hard, Rain slipped her feet out of
her shoes then pulled her socks off. Without looking around at anyone, or
looking to see if anyone was watching her, she slowly slipped the rest of her
clothing off. The bra and panties were the hardest. She shivered slightly then
followed one of the other kids into the very center of a large circle formed by
the Pack. Micah stood in the center of the circle.
He still wore his jeans. Briefly she wondered why they all
had to be naked in front of him. Gareth, her mom, some of the other girls, even
Keme had told her that nudity was natural among the Pack, but it sure felt like
a big damn deal to her.
Micah started talking but she couldn’t concentrate on what
he was saying. Rain knew she should. This was the blessing of their first
shift. It was huge. A group of people at the edge of the circle started beating
on drums. The slow, steady beat swirled around her right down to her toes.
Slowly the Pack spread out and back from her group then she started to panic.
The moon was rising. She could
feel
it. Her body tingled
as if tiny ants swarmed her flesh. Her breath came faster, harder. Spinning
around, she felt as though the ground was tilting under her feet. She was going
to screw this up. She was going to be Denied like her mom.
Shaking her head, she stumbled toward the edge of the circle
where she’d left her clothes. Her hands shook so hard she clenched them
together. She had to get out of there. She wanted her mom. Over and over she
chanted in her head,
I want my mom!
Gareth stepped in front of her, concern on his face as he
reached toward her. The warmth of his hand on her arm helped ease the violent
trembling. Her eyes felt hot as she blinked away the tears gathering there.
“Rain? What is it, what’s wrong?” He opened his arms to her.
There was a solid thump as she threw herself into the safety he offered.
She shook her head. “I can’t do this. I’ve changed my mind.
I want to go home.”
“Honey, slow down, take a breath. Everything’s going to be
okay. You’re just scared.” His voice rumbled in her ear. Rain felt as though
she might drown if she let go of this solid point of familiarity.
“No. No, I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to do this.
Please let me go home. I want my mom. I need my mom.” She felt the tears on her
cheeks even as he gathered her closer.
“Rain, it’s okay, baby. You’re fine. Look at me. Come on,
look at me.” He hugged her tightly then released her just a bit.
Lifting her head, she saw how very blue his eye was. Only
then did she realize that he wasn’t wearing his patch. His right eye wasn’t
missing, it was just white. Anyone looking at it would know, even without the
cover, that he couldn’t see anything out of it. Sobbing again, she shook her
head then dropped her gaze. She couldn’t do this.
“Rain, listen to me. Listen only to my voice. Block out all the
other sounds and listen just to me.” His voice was low. She knew he was trying
to soothe her.
She tried, she really did, but fear had a solid grip on her.
The cold ground beneath her feet, the icy bite of the air, along with the
tendrils of the north wind combining with all the sounds around them just made
it worse. This wasn’t California. This wasn’t her.
A scream ripped the air as someone fought their Change.
Another groaned, the sound turning into a ferocious growl. Somewhere someone
else whimpered. She didn’t want this. She didn’t want to be a wolf. She just
wanted to go home.
Gareth, do you need help?
Gareth gave a mental sigh of relief.
Micah, thank god, she’s panic-stricken. I don’t even think
she can hear me at this point. What do I do?
Step back, Brother. You are too emotionally close to the
pup to do her any good. Olivia is here and Kajika too. They can help her
through this. Let them.
Hearing the command, Gareth nodded. Releasing Rain was hard,
but he stepped back. Micah had already shifted. The huge wolf stood close.
Gareth looked out over the other young. Some had already managed to shift,
others had just begun. Keme stood close by, still human. The young man’s body
trembled with the effort not to shift. Gareth nodded to him as he motioned the
younger man over. “Stick by her, she may need a friend before this is all over.”
“I will.”
Gareth moved toward some of the others who looked as though
they were having trouble, concentrating on trying to help them. He kept
glancing back at Rain though, keeping her in his sights.
Olivia had her arms around the girl, talking softly to her
while Kajika simply leant his presence. He knew Micah could force the Change,
but that he wouldn’t when it was a first time. That could be more traumatic to
a young shifter than doing it themselves. Finally he saw Rain take a deep
breath. With a grim nod the girl looked at Olivia.
Olivia held one of Rain’s hands, Kaj the other. Together
they talked her down from the ledge into her first shift. He grinned at the
sight of the small gray wolf. Her coat was tipped in black as though she’d dyed
the very ends or something. He remembered the bright pink she’d sported when
she first arrived. Still watching, he saw Keme shift easily into his wolf. The
young man moved slowly toward Rain, his tail wagging.
Some of the other young ones came near now. With gentle
nudges eventually they had her moving around the circle, stopping to scent
something here and there and looking around in what he knew to be wonder. Then
Keme swiped her nose with a paw. Rain shook her head then tentatively touched
him with hers. The wolf Gareth knew to be Alicia butt-bumped her friend, the
Johnson boy.
Gareth was impressed by the size of the Johnson boy. He was
going to be huge. The teens suddenly seemed to swirl as one wolf then separated
with Rain hot on Keme’s tail.
Gareth grinned as the sound of youthful yipping filled the
night air. He glanced around to make sure that all had Changed. A sigh of
relief came as he saw all of his charges now had four paws and wagging tails.
It was a beautiful sight.
Rion stepped into view, already in wolf form. He dropped his
jaw in a wolfy grin at Gareth. Darting at him, Rion dropped into a play bow.
You gonna stand there all night or are we gonna run?
We run!
Gareth flowed into his own wolf and took off
through the trees.
From the living room, Harmony could hear the drums at the
Gathering Circle. She knew how many of the Pack were out there right now,
taking their wolf forms, chasing one another. She brusquely wiped a tear away.
She hadn’t really felt sorry for herself in sixteen years, no reason to start
now. She sighed going into the bathroom. Taking down the over-the-counter
sleeping aid she’d purchased in town, she popped two in her mouth. A sip of
water washed them down. They wouldn’t truly knock her out but they’d take the
edge off so she could at least relax.
The cabin had never felt small to her until right this
minute. She wanted desperately to be out there with Rain, to watch what
happened, but she knew parents weren’t allowed at the first shift. Besides, the
last thing she needed was to be out wandering in the woods. Though they hadn’t
had any more signs of Tom’s presence, she had the strange feeling he was still
close by.
Sighing, she turned off the bathroom light to wander
aimlessly back into the living room. Because it was a full moon this Gathering
would last for hours. She had a feeling she’d be awake through it all. But she
was comforted by the fact that Rain had not come home. That meant she had
successfully Changed.
As she made her third circuit of the cabin, Harmony grabbed
the hair at her temples. She pulled hard, letting out an agonized groan at her
own inability to settle. The ache in her bones had never been this bad. Could
she be coming down with a cold or something? Maybe she should chance taking
more pills? No, she wanted to be awake when Rain and Gareth came home. She
wanted to hear all about everything.
“I can cook. They’ll be hungry, right? I remember Willow
saying something about everyone bringing a dish up to the lodge tonight for
after the Gathering. Great, Harmony! Now you’re talking to yourself. Oh for god’s
sake, get a grip!”
Rolling her eyes, she stomped into the kitchen to study the
contents of the pantry. Even if they did go to the lodge she had a feeling that
Rain and Gareth wouldn’t stay there long. For sure Rain would want to tell her
all about her first shift. At least she hoped Rain would.
“Breakfast casserole and biscuits. That’ll do the trick.”
Setting her mind to her task, she started pulling everything she’d need out.
Surely the clock wasn’t ticking as slowly as it seemed.
Rain stopped. Raising her head, she carefully scented the
air. Keme halted beside her, cocking his head to one side.
What’s up, Rain?
Everything smells so…good! I just can’t get over it. Is
it always like this?
She stared at him, panting slightly as she caught her
breath.
Pretty much. C’mon, let’s head toward the lake.
Are we supposed to go that far?
Some of the elders will watch out for us, c’mon!
Keme
turned swiftly, bumping her as he did. He dashed away. Shaking herself from
head to tail, Rain followed.
You’re gonna pay for that, wolf boy!
On the way to the lake, Rain was thrilled to see Patrick and
Julia. She identified her friends by scent only, because their wolves didn’t
look anything like she’d expected. Julia was almost red, her fur tipped with
gold while Patrick was a gray so dark he was almost black.
Keme? What do I look like? I mean, I can see my feet and
my tail, but…
She felt his laughter in her head.
You’re not as light in
color as Alicia and not as dark as Patrick. You aren’t red like Jules either.
He nipped at her shoulder playfully.
You’re gorgeous,
Rain. Your coat is gray tipped in black, like the ends have been dipped in ink.
There’s a patch of white right between your eyes and you have black under your
eyes like eyeliner. Okay?
She bumped shoulders with him as she’d seen some of the
others doing. He gave her a wolfish grin then nudged her back. It felt like the
most natural thing in the world. Rain pounced on Keme, driving him down to the
ground. He rolled over, pawing at her. The other kids tackled them both. Soon
they were a rolling, panting pile of joy. Keme broke free first. As he jetted
down the path, the other three chased after him.
They trekked through the woods until they reached the edge
of the lake. Some of the others were already there. More chasing, more romping,
until several of them just dropped, panting hard. Some played near the icy
edges of the lake but only the bravest. Or the most foolish in Rain’s opinion.
Two white wolves appeared out of the thick trees. Every head
turned in their direction.
Okay, everyone.
Gareth was obviously reaching all of
them at once since everyone seemed to perk up a bit.
Time to head back to
the circle. You’ve all been wolves long enough. Time to get back into human
form. There’s tons of food waiting at the lodge and Micah will want to talk to
all of you, officially welcome you all to the Pack. Let’s go.
Gareth tossed his head back toward the clearing. The brothers
waited until everyone had started back. Rain slowed so she was even with
Gareth. She looked at him with every other step.
Spit it out, pup.
He sounded amused, so she took a
deep breath.
Am I going to have as much trouble turning back into a
human as I had turning into a wolf? I mean, I know I sort of freaked out, but…I’m
really scared, Gareth. What if I can’t turn back?
Rain, hang on a second. Rion, would you make sure the
others don’t wander off? Rain and I will be there in a few.
Rion yipped in response
and moved fast toward the other kids.
Rain, I can almost promise you that you won’t have any
trouble taking back your human form. We are dual-natured creatures, but we’re
more human than animal. That’s why your brain still functions in a human manner
and why we’re able to communicate this way. You would need to stay in wolf form
a very long time to not be able to turn back. And, in case you haven’t heard
the rumors, our Alpha has a very special power. As a shaman he can force a Change
if necessary. Trust me though, pup, you’ll be fine.
He put his head over
her back. The weight of it, the feel of his heart beating calmed her. Rain
turned her head so she could take a deep breath of his comforting scent then
nodded.