Time rotates faster.

Within a blink, the brothers are now able to chase each other around the house. Upturning the house in a blatant display of their Natures.

Savage pups with sharp teeth that break each other's skin.

"It's only blood, Bessa." The Savage comes into the house before Odin does. He's hiding behind his father's leg. Ryeson is behind his brother. Their green eyes peek past a bare leg.

"What do you mean it's only blood? We are supposed to be leaving for the Exchange, and you bring my pups back full of their own blood?" The Nature of my Wild now voices our her concern in a long toned rumble from within a chest cavity that isn't happy with smelling the blood of my Lineage. 

"What happened?" Pulling the Males by the scruffs of their necks from behind the legs of their father. They will be the end of me.

Bending - eye level.

"We went hunting," Odin says proudly, boldly. Ryeson nods his head, he's just out of diapers but clutches his spear the same as Odin. He wears a loincloth like his father and older brother. Their Uncle is also in a loincloth full of blood - that's down his thighs and calves. Holding the remains of the dead animals in his hands.

...Borson looks away, out the window. He won't meet my eyes when I find the salve that has been smeared on their skin to keep their wounds closed and the pain away.

Ryeson's eyes still hold the redness from crying, Odin's eyes are nothing but greens. That male does not cry he only growls.

The Future within my Nest kicks hard against my rib, and I have to shift myself to get her foot out of the spot. A gag tries to make it's way up and out from the breakfast I just ate. 

"What happened?" I can't contain the threat of hysteria within a voice that is quivering. The slice of claws was close to Odin's throat.

"Ryeson turn around, now." His back holds long claw marks on his young flesh.

The coating of rage reds the vision that is mauling into the Alpha's eyes. Crouching his shoulders.

"They made it out alive." Their father won't look at me when he says that. They smell of blood, of pain and their father feels of guilt. Smacking their bottoms, they pretend it hurts them. I want to scream at them all. Luki won't look at me; he toes a clump of snow pretending it's interesting.

"Made it out from where?" Shifting on my feet, the bells ding against their casings. This will be the first meeting with Luna Meela of the Northern pack since she came back to the North. The Lineage of my Silk is on full display, along with my bracelets. It's important to dress up for meetings with Lunas - it tells them they are important enough for you to care how you are presented.

...silence.

"We should go, or else we will be late." The Savage says as if he cares if he is late to the Exchange. There is no stopping the stare I give my mate. He won't look at me, his head bows down and I realize that this is serious what Odin decided to hunt and bring his brother along with him.

"Luki is that what you're wearing, your mate could be there, and you're going like that? This is the first time the Southern pack will be there, and you are going like that?" Luki looks at himself, a shrug.

"Go get changed into something nice or at least another loincloth. The light brown one, and wipe my Males blood off your body." When Luki turns around to walk away, Odin yips in the air, shaking the bloody spear in the air. Luki turns with a raised lip, teeth flash white, mouth open until he sees me and turns right back around and walks dutifully away.

It's a rush to get them cleaned up; I can't help the cries that come out when I see their ruined flesh. The battle was fierce -  it could have gone either way. By the time they are clean, and we are walking to the truck. I'm shaking, I can't even talk the fury is too much. All their mouths are closed, sealed tight.

Walking to the vehicle, all of us get in - yet I'm the only one that slams the door shut. 

Breathing out, without any calmness to my sound. His hands grip the steering wheel; he's sweating.

"If you don't tell me where my males where I will gut you." It's not a joke.

Odin laughs out loud. I turn my eyes to him. He stares right back without fear that I can damage him if I chose to.

His spear is gripped tight. The point holds silver. He's gotten a silver tip now to hunt with.

"We have talked and Odin understands he can't bring his brother on his hunting trips." Odin nods his head solemnly.

Ryeson's bottom lip turn out.

"I thought we discussed the hunting. He is not allowed to hunt without you or Luki there." Raising my voice at the father that has allowed his son to hunt behind my back.

"Lulu," Ryeson voice smiles out.

...I take a breath.

"Odin is too small to hunt away from our home."

"He understands this."

"I don't think he does. Odin, do you understand you are too small to hunt away from the house?" He won't look at me but nods his head yes.

"Odin look at me when I am talking to you."

...he does.

"I'm not small." He says the words and I smack his father's arm.

"What was he hunting with his brother who just got out of diapers?"

"They got into a wolverines den. Odin wanted you to wear the fur as gloves from his kill."

...there is no more saliva left in my mouth to speak correctly.

Silence surrounds us all in the cab of the truck, just the engine running and tires pressing the loose gravel road down.

It takes an hour before I can find the words my mouth wants to hurtle at these males in this truck. They all seem to be against me when it concerns their hunting.

"Just so I am clear, Odin. You woke up early this morning, took your brother hunting. Did you have to drag him out of his crib?"

"No, he climbed out himself." Odin smiles thinking this is a good thing.

"You opened the door, and off you went into the Wild to hunt up a Wolverine?" Waiting for an answer.

"It's my land I went hunting on. Not the Wild." He sounds just like his father.

"You went hunting on your land, and you thought your brother was a good hunting partner."

"Yes." Odin is straight-faced when he says this while looking at me as if I am the one not understanding.

"You could have died; your brother could have died." Turning in my seat, trying to grab his chin. He moves away from my reach.

"We didn't die, the Wolverine did."

Looking at his father as soon as his son says this. The Savage grips the wheel tighter. The molars of my jaw might explode out from the pressure within me.

"Stop the truck." Needing air, lots of air.

When he does I get out and walk to the edge of the treeline. Hands on my hips, back facing the males. The long procession behind us all stop. Idling their engines. This is the biggest group that we bring to the Exchange. As soon as it was known the Southern Territory to Finian's new nation he is building will be coming. All the wolves who are without mates wanted to go in hopes their mates were from the untainted section Alpha Finian's cock hasn't been.

The crunch on gravel, the sound of my Savage approaches. I wipe away a few stray tears. His hands go around the both of us, my female loves when he holds my abdomen. She kicks her pleasure for her father. His chest presses against my back, his hips find my ass. A chin rests on my shoulder.

"They didn't die." He holds me.

"They could have."

"But they didn't, Odin's Nature would never allow himself or his brother to die."

"He has no Wild yet; he has nothing but blunt teeth and a spear."

"That's all Odin needs. He's fierce, Bessa. You should see him. He's different, even my father has said it. He is made for the hunt."

"He was hurt, his brother was hurt."

"That's why we have healers in our pack. To heal their scratches when they get them."

"It was more than a scratch, and you know it."

"You're right it was more than a scratch. Odin understands that he can't hunt the teeth without Luki or me." The Savage rocks us from side to side. A kiss to my mark from lips that linger too long. The spine of my back eases the compression of the bony structure slightly.

The fresh air feels good, turning he wipes away a lingering tear.

"I can't lose them, Borson."

"You won't."

"Let's get this Exchange over with, so we can get back home quickly." Taking my hand he helps me into the truck, closing the door. Watching him walk around to get in. His hand squeezes my thigh with a soft smile.

"Do you think, Victoria will be there?"

"Finian claimed her; I'm sure it will be there."

"Don't start a fight. Finian is building a Nation. He's taken control of the South, West, East."

...a jaw grinds molars.

"Do you think I care what he has control of, I don't. He's mated to the biggest Abomination this world has known. He didn't kill it, and for that, his soul will forever be turned away from our Moon. He can have the entire hemisphere but in the end, when it matters. He has nothing if he is not welcomed in the Moon. He has nothing but darkness forever. His soul will wander without rest."

"He has nothing." Odin's voice sounds from the back seat.

..."locusts." Odin's voice is more in-depth than what his age says he is.

"Locusts,' Rye follows after his brother.

The female kicks as if agreeing with her brothers.

Another gag comes out, and if I don't get some food into me soon, I'll feel sicker. Taking another leaf out of my pocket sucking on it. I've used up the supply the healer has stored. When the Savage sees how much weight I was losing he dragged me to the healer. His voice was cracking when he spoke asking why I am so ill. The healer told him every pregnancy is different and it's normal for a strong Future to pull extra from its mother.

When we pull into the curved driveway, their sturdy door with a Wild's head stands proudly greets us. There is no snow here yet and when getting out a warm breeze blows in through the open windows.

"Best behaviors," Looking more to Odin than anyone else. He's the one who is the most uncontrollable.

...a lifted lip that mimics a Wild. His eyes maul into mine with being told what to do.

"He doesn't understand he can't hunt teeth, because he's going to feel mine soon. Talk to your male, because if I have too. He will remember my words forever." Flashing him a Mother's love of teeth. There are rare times that pups need to understand that the Mother's teeth can be scarier than the Father's.

Borson gets out, followed closely by Odin who clutches his spear as if War will break out.

When the Savage comes around to help me out, I don't take his hand. He takes Rye from the back, squeezing him before a whisper, "be good." He hands him to me to put on my hip.

Facing the Luna, who has one of them on either side of her. I have no idea who is who. The Males are the same in every way. I should have braided my hair as the Eastern females do. Tight against my head instead of the Eagle belly feathers that Borson gave me a few months ago to decorate myself with. The monster on my hip starts to wiggle uncontrollably until I have to put him down, so he can stand with his brother to face the pack on his two feet.

Golden eyes.

Encased in long black lashes blink. Luna Meela needs no kohl around her eyes to make her features stand out. She would naturally stand out anywhere without anything added.

A natural.

Curly hair the color of her freckles that sweep across the bridge of her nose to spread across the shadowed hue of ink across her face. Full lips that show a smile without teeth.

She's small, compared to the twins that flank her sides. Small chest, that tapers down to the beginning rise of a Future inside a Nest. Her hips are more prominent than her shoulders, with a roundness to her backside that I can see when her arm touches the male she leans against.

The skin of her arms has been mauled, streaked with lines that crisscross pink and puckered. Even her knuckles hold scars.

Eyes tighten.

Scars encase the skin so only the faintest of ink can peek out at times through the pink.

Some Luna climbs are harder than others. She wears her rise for everyone to see the strength of fortitude.

The other twin that she isn't touching, keeps sweeping his eyes to the side to look at her. He can't stop his vision from falling back to her. He shuffles his sight wide behind us at the gathering wolves, but they come back to fall on her afterward. While the twin who she is touching is looking behind us then back to her with a soft rise of a smile.

Borson nods his head to the group; I catch him out of the corner of my eye.

One eye on Odin, while the other eye on everything else.

Movement from the group, Luki is among them and I hope he finds his mate. I know we could become best friends.

A gasp when a male touches his female. I can see the shivers of their bodies. He holds her by the wrist as he extends his hand to me. Taking the knife from the casing handing it to him, he claims his female as a Far North female now. The silver passes around, and the females are taken to our side now.

The females that came with us are also taken to the other side. They hold their tears in. Males with tight waves or twisting lengths of hair gather their females. All forms of strength are gathered together today within this pack of East, North, South, West. The regions are diverse and full of colors.

It doesn't take long for everyone to find who they have been blessed with. Luki stands to the Savage's left.

Alone.

Cleaning the knife, putting back to where it belongs the Savage holds his hand out to take it. He knows that the smell of silver hurts my nose with this pregnancy, it's as if the female inside me is hyperaware of it near her.

Borson's lip lifts a flash of white towards Finian. It must be Finian because the other one has his hand over the shoulder of his mate.

"I was expecting to meet your mate today, Finian?" Borson's tone makes my eyes close longer than a blink with a long drawn out breath of air.

Teeth watch the neck of my mate. "She was unable to attend this time."

"It must be very difficult to be mated to that, but I suppose the Moon knows what she is doing. Matching your mate perfectly to someone like you." Scowling words that make the ridge fur on Alpha Finian rise.

Honing greys take a Warpath directed at my mate.

"What does that mean, Borson?" Fury traces the edge to his sound.

"It means that the Moon picks perfect mates."

"Yes, she does pick out perfect mates too bad your mate doesn't think you're perfect." A scowling lip pulled upwards flashes a perfect white sharpening tooth. Catching Odin from the corner of my eye, he tips the spearpoint of silver towards the Alpha's throat. I realize Odin only wants to hunt predators with sharper teeth than him. He can't help himself. It's in his Nature of who he is.

Savagery with blunt teeth stares the Alpha of a rising Nation in the eyes.

Luna Meela stands beside Finian, her shoulder brushing his bicep.

...closing his eyes before looking down on her. I can see the rise of his chest.

He inhales long, longer than what I'm sure Victoria would like to see.

There is a blatant want in those grey eyes that can't look away from her golds.

His twin looks on with a flex of jaw.

"We've made lots of food, would you like a plate to take with you? I know that you have a long ride back home." Luna Meela is soft with smiles that harbor no teeth.

This is a Luna made. She is a diffuser of tension or a bringer of War.

"She not hungry." Turning to my mate who just spoke for me. He bows to Luna Meela slightly, with respect he does not give the Males standing in front of him.

Shoulders are straightening while taking a step towards the Luna. I can feel the darkening of my eyes towards my mate who dares talk for me in front of a Luna.

Not looking at Borson, smiling wide with grace, "thank you, I could eat." Making a show of the need to feed two.

"You are very beautiful Luna Meela." Complimenting her on the obvious. Her cheeks tint with an upward smile.

"You are very beautiful as well, Luna Bessa."

"There is a lot of food here," eyes sweeping the tables.

"We want to welcome the females to the pack properly. We are celebrating them. One of these Exchanges we should plan to host a big celebration together."

"That would be something." Not letting this young Luna know that most of the Males in the Far North want to kill Finian. And also some very skilled female warriors would love to test their skills as warriors against that Alpha. Eta and Ova do not mind dying as Warriors. 

Filling my plate with the hospitality she is showing.

Taking undiluted looks at her while she takes the smallest portions of food on her plate.

"They have talked about you in the Far North. A Luna who has killed the bear."

She smiles wide. "How did you find out?" Golden eyes blaze hotter than the Sun itself. It's hard to look away from them. The pull is powerful.

"News has a way of finding us. Wolves talk amongst each other."

"Yes, wolves do like to talk." A subtle breath of a laugh.

Looking around at the females of this Nation, there are all shapes, sizes, and color. Heritage and Lineage are spread across the faces of all of us. Sometimes I think it would be better to be lead by Females than Males who make War for land or to defend insults thrown their way.

"One day I would like to host an Exchange on the Far North territory." Looking around at the scared faces of the new females heading towards their new home.

"That would be exciting." Eyes wide with a smile to match.

Walking back to the group, handing Odin a piece of meat, he scrunches his nose at with a shake of his head.

Mouth tight.

"Luna Bessa, it's good to see you again" The Twins mother comes forward.

"Elizabeth, it's good to see you again." Bowing deep, respect paid to a former Luna.

Luna Meela gags, her face shifts the color away to become pale grey.

Going into my pocket, pulling the plastic bag out.

"Here, break it up, put it under your tongue. It should help you with your sickness. It's helping me. This female has been hard on me from the beginning." Meela takes the offering. A trade without a trade back is good to start out with.

"Thank you," she sucks on the sweet leaf that's from the ginger root.

"You're welcome."

"You have beautiful pups." An outstretched hand tries to touch Odin. Who hustles backward quickly.

"He's not to be touched by any female besides his mother or sisters, grandmother." Elizabeth's voice is directed to her Luna.

"I apologize I never knew this." She leans her body into Greyson who has his fingers running along her arm.

"It's time for us to go." Borson makes sure I understand he isn't asking this time.

"Luna Meela it was a pleasure to meet you. Goodbye, Elizabeth."

Borson bows, "Luna."

We both exclude our goodbyes to the twin males. A bitter taste for them now coats my tongue.

Driving away, Ryeson and I eat the plate while Odin looks hungrily on but refuses to eat from what the pack offers.

Author's Notes. 

I need to take the time to thank each and every one of you that are donating their time to my stories. I can't ask for anything more than that. I appreciate every single one of you for giving me a chance. For giving the stories a chance. Time is important and you have made me feel important with the unconditional donation of your precious time. Tears well thinking of how generous you all are to me. I'm humbled beyond words. 

Thank you from the Marrow of who I am. 

Presses my cheek to yours. 

Rachelle. 

A snippet of Fluid. 

In the dark, with eyes closed all I have to do is simply feel. 

He slips inside like a blade through my body.

Hard.