Warmth spreads from the crackling bonfire even if the light of the dancing flames isn't enough to banish the obscurity off the faces of the gathered wolves. Today's claiming ceremony marks a record turnout. Representatives of every new pack we conquered over the summer have lined up in the large clearing—abated Alpha's with drooping tails and their mates, competing to win their new Luna's favor by displaying their utmost loyalty. Pansies who won't give me trouble. Alphas demanding respect preferred death on the battlefield over this farce.

Seth's family arrived only yesterday. From the get-go, it was apparent that the former Beta isn't aligned with his son's choice for a mate. It took some smiling with teeth and a few rumbled warnings before he bowed his head in submission to mother and me. Tonight, he's standing on the other side of the altar with his jaw clenched. Trouble in the long run once my mother gets tired of Seth. Unfortunately, she has always left it to me to deal with the aftermath, even if she does her own killing.

As soon as my mother appears on the edge of the clearing, howls to welcome the pack's queen rise toward the moon. Kenna raises the flute to her lips. The ancient melody floats through the night, stirring desires in my heart, my soul, my blood. In moments like these, I long for a mate with whom I can share my hopes and dreams. And my fears. Being an Alpha means to wear a constant mask of strength and courage. No place for weakness or insecurities.

My gaze falls on Nicollo having his arm loosely circled around Arabella's shoulders. A sudden lump forms in my throat. The flame's orange light reflects off her pale face; she hasn't stopped smiling since he popped the question this morning. Even though I'm thrilled for them, the ugly face of jealousy makes a brief appearance. Nicollo and I have always been like brothers, but with a mate, his priorities are bound to change. Things won't be the same after their claiming.

I force myself to refocus on my mother. She has chosen a plain silver-blue silk dress in honor of the Moon Goddess that falls loosely around her ankles. Her slender frame hides the fiery she-wolf she holds inside her. Someone who doesn't know her might dismiss her as easy prey, but boy, has that female teeth when she's irked.

Letting my spirit drift with the melody of the flute, the images of the few females I laid with for a night roll through my mind. Without exception, they were as opportunistic as they were beautiful, craving more the role of future Luna than being a strong-minded partner. Zero mate appeal for me. If I ever bind myself to a female, I need more than a toadying lover with her tail tucked between her legs whenever we disagree on something. My chosen she-wolf needs to be able to stand up to me and lead the pack by my side. Otherwise, why even bother with a mate?

As my mother steps beside me, the flute's melody fades away. Mom squeezes Kenna's hand, getting my sister to smile. I let their moment pass before I reach for my mother's wrist.

"Let the Moon Goddess view favorable upon this union." As I slash Mom's palm with the knife, her hand doesn't shake. I suppose with mate number five, she's used to the pain.

Seth, on the other hand, flinches back when the tip of the knife nicks his skin. Coward. I have to tighten my grip to make the required incision. My mother, being the proactive kind, encloses his hand for their blood to mix. Her eyes are closed as she completes the ritual with the bite. When Seth claims her as his mate, his arousal shows in his tight pants. I direct my gaze toward the moon. Geez, so awkward. And embarrassing. The traditional peck on my mother's cheek is quick and just as awkward.

Enjoy your new weretoy, Mom.

To the melody of the flute, they stride along the row of bowing wolves. Without exception, their knees touch the ground—a sign of respect for their Luna, even if some of them might not agree with her choices. A few logs of the fire shift; embers spark up toward the night sky like fireworks. The Northern lights on the horizon will watch over the newly mated couple as they spend their first night in the mating cabin deep within the woods. Knowing Mom, we won't be seeing her again for a week.

As their scents are carried from the clearing, wolves rise back to their feet. Kenna finishes off with some fast beats of the flute. More howls, this time in excitement. It's celebration time for the rest of the pack, and no matter the circumstance, we've always known how to throw a great party.

~~~~

Three hours later, the flames of the bonfire are dying down. I sit cross-legged on a blanket spread across the grass and enjoy the fire's last breath. Those moments of total content are rare, even if my stomach aches from the vast amounts of bear meat I stuffed into myself. Tipping a bottle to my lips, I indulge in the sting of the homemade mirabelle liquor burning in my throat. The sparks from the fire are comforting, yet dangerous; an ally to bring warmth and light, which can turn into a deadly enemy with the right flare of the wind.

Cassum plops next to me on the blanket and I tear my gaze off the fire. She snatches the bottle out my hands before I manage to take another swig.

Taking a long drink, she lets the alcohol roll on her tongue. "I spoke to Andrenior. He's gonna meet us in Vancover the day after tomorrow."

"Great stuff."

She takes another mouthful of liquor; when I try to take it back, she pulls the bottle out of my reach. "I think you had enough."

"Oh yeah?" I smirk. "Since when did you turn into my mother?"

"C'mon, Kendrick, we both know how this will end. If you finish this bottle, you'll be spending all night in the woods, puking your guts out. Then tomorrow, you'll whine for hours about a splitting headache. All without Mom around to shut you up. Not happening on my watch."

"Your watch?" I laugh; this is getting better by the minute.

"Yep. Mom wanted me to keep an eye on things while she's gone."

"And how are you gonna do that from Vancover?"

"When we leave, I'll turn my reins over to Arabella. I just want to give her one more day to recover." Cassum takes another sip from the bottle. "Isn't it great that she and Nicollo finally agreed to become mates? They are so cute together."

"Glad they got your blessing."

She snorts. "Why wouldn't they? That thing with Nicollo and I was Dad's crazy idea."

No news there. "You still didn't tell me how you saved Andrenior's life."

"He and some rednecks had a fight. After he beat a dozen of them up—singlehandedly—their pride was a little nicked. They bribed a bartender to poison him with antifreeze, but I happened to sit next to him and my wolf-nose picked up its sweet stench. I warned him before he could drink that stuff. After that, he owed me."

"He shouldn't mess with humans. They are hardly worth the trouble."

"Warlocks have always comingled with them. Humans are easy to manipulate."

So are werewolves for an experienced warlock. "Not sure if I like the sound of that."

"Don't worry, Andrenior is cool."

"I hope so." Before she can pull the bottle away again, I grab it out of her hand. Gulping down a few good swallows, I hand it back. "I'll tuck in for the night."

"Sleep tight."

Turning away from the fire, I pass a group of dancing youngsters who hop to some tune from Kenna's iPhone. Orin McCoy is ogling her ass. I have to have a word with that male. He might be a superior warrior, but he's also a smug jerk who views females as play things. Not a good fit for my sister, even if she'd kick him in the balls in case he ever overstepped a boundary.

The darkness of the trees swallows up my long shadow. I'm about to head for the packhouse when the sudden urge to check on Raelyn forces me to divert course. I jog along the forest path, soaking up the sounds of the awakening nightlife. Hooting owls in a tree, swooshing leaves in the wind, howling wolves in the distance. Noises I've heard all my life. Anything different would mean danger.

When I step out of the forest, the healer's cabin sits under a sparkling umbrella of stars. The scent of snow is stronger than ever. I exhale and smile at the air misting in front of my mouth.

Stop stalling. There's nothing to be afraid of.

My nerves are still jittery, although I can't figure out for the life of me why Raelyn has this effect on me. Pushing myself to enter the cabin, I close the door behind me without a sound in case she's already asleep. I tiptoe forward and freeze as I meet her sweet smile. My heart jumps; the words are stuck in my throat.

Wow, that's a first.

She signals me to come closer. Pulling the iPad off the nightstand, she scribbles down a question.

How was the party?

My smile fades as a bout of guilt takes a hold of me. I should've asked her to tag along. She must feel like a prisoner, being stuck in this cabin day in and day out.

Her forehead wrinkles; she looks confused.

Fuck, I wish she could talk.

I clear my throat. "It was okay."

Just okay? Her quizzical eyes hold a hint of disappointment.

"Well, it's sort of awkward when you watch your mother mate and then take off with a male who could be your little brother to do the nasty in the woods."

Her gurgle-laugh is now familiar. I smile.

I can see how this could be difficult.

"But the party was nice. We had great food. . ." Fuck, another slip.

It's okay. Not your fault that I can't eat.

I grimace. "Still. I didn't mean to be insensitive." Something in her gray eyes awakens a crazy idea. "Do you want to get out of here?"

She nods with so much enthusiasm that her excitement is catching. As soon as she tosses the covers back, I grab her hand and pull her behind her. She doesn't even have time to slip on her shoes. Not that it'd matter; I'm not planning on taking a walk.

Outside, I shift. Dropping onto my stomach, I watch her change into a she-wolf. The transformation is slower and not as smooth as I'm used to from females in my pack. Going for a run couldn't have been a matter of course in her old pack.

Her wolf shakes and stretches. Her fur is a beautiful silvery gray with dominant streaks of white. To my surprise, her eyes are unchanged; they still hold the shimmer of the moon that blends in with the dark gray. My wolf's nature takes over; he rumbles his approval. He wants to mount her and it takes some effort to keep him in check.

Her leaps are tentative, almost timid. When I decide to take off, she stays close in my shadow. Making sure she keeps up, I run faster as we enter the denser woods. After a few minutes, our jumps turn into a chase. Braking twigs, some fretting owls, a spooked family of rabbits, are left behind in our pursuit. By the time we reach the creek, Raelyn is out of breath.

I'm about to shift back into my skins when she rams her snout into my side. Tossed off balance by the ambush, I barely avoid her playful teeth.

Bring it on, girl.

She's crouched low to the ground with her butt sticking up in the air. Little yelps drift through the night like laughter. I drop on my stomach and allow her to attack me again. As she climbs on top of me, I raise to my hindlegs to toss her off. We end up rolling on the ground until I have her on her back with her belly and neck exposed. My wolf's urge to show his dominance is hard to control. The high of being so close to her makes me dizzy.

I brush the back of my snout against her muzzle and lick her around the ears. She shudders underneath me. Fur on fur, I rub my scent into her.

Slowly.

Deliberate.

Pursuing.

I expect to feel her teeth to bite me away, but she lays still. Only her gaze follows my every move. My wolf rumbles in lust; the raging hormones demanding me to claim her. I can't even blame him; it has been over three years that I laid with a female. But it wouldn't be right, not while figuring out if I have feeling for her.

Turning away, I shift. Since I don't want her to see my hard arousal, I slip into the stream. The cold water curbs my needs. With my knees pulled against my chest, I sit on a bunch of sharp rocks that scrape against my butt. Not the most comfortable position.

Still in her wolf form, Raelyn walks over and dips her snout into the water before diving in. She's back in her skins but the engulfing water masses hide her body from my prying eyes. The only part exposed other than her head is one of her arms. Goosebumps rise on her skin. I pull her closer to warm her and she scoots over. Resting her back against my bend legs, I circle my arms around her. My nose nuzzles into her hair; it smells like moss from the forest. Inhaling more of her scent, I trace little kisses along her exposed shoulder. The strong pull between my legs is back despite the cold water.

Not knowing her motives, I don't give into my urge. She could be vulnerable—or simply grateful. Anything but sitting here together in the stream would be taking advantage of her, something I'm not prepared to do.

Streaks of green and purple explode over the trees in the distance and prove distracting. "Look at the Northern Lights. Aren't they beautiful?"

She nods against my shoulder. Her wet hair sticks to my skin. Holding her tight in my arms, I stare at the miracle of nature. Since I was a little boy, I found the Northern Lights captivating.

"My mother told me they are the drawings of the Moon Goddess, though I've always considered them more like night rainbows." I was even convinced I'd find a treasure where they touched the ground and used to chase them with Cassum through the forest for hours while everyone else was asleep. Of course, just as it is with rainbows, we never reached an end. When my father caught us one night sneaking away, I got a good beating. It killed my desire to hunt treasures together with my childhood.

Raelyn's teeth chatter and I help her out of the stream. She shifts before I can catch a good glimpse of her body. We run side by side through the underbrush—for the first time in my life, I'm totally at ease around a female that isn't my sister. Maybe Cassum is right and there is more to Raelyn than meets the eye. And I can't wait to find out.

~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

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