Posing with Jos as a wolf couple hits close to home. A bitter tinge sits on my tongue as I watch the Harrington twins crawl all over him; this is how I picture a happy family. Two mates bound by love with a couple of pups to keep them busy while enjoying a few lazy hours away from the pack. Something Dante and I will never have. And Jos's cold behavior since we encountered the boy in the woods has left an additional void in my heart. It's an emptiness that messes with my newly found strength. I want something I will never be able to have—a true mate.

Jos is tired and grouchy, snapping at the boisterous pups when they get too close to his teeth. A rumble resonates deep inside his chest and warns them to stop using him as their playground. They don't listen. The next snap nicks an ear and the young pup whelps with a mix of pain and surprise. I trot over, my snout pushing him and his brother off Jos's back. Jos snaps at me with obvious anger. Having joined the fighter wolves who searched for me all night, he's desperate for sleep and not up for this nonsense.

A submissive whimper and a nudge get him to relax. I lie down next to him and watch the twins chase each other in the bright sun that floods the clearing. Rising on their hindlegs, they collide, tempting and prodding each other to determine who the stronger pup is. Two males engaged in play that will turn serious in a few years. Pack rankings are determined as soon as wolves hit adolescence with the victor always being favored within the pack's order. Even twins can never be true equals.

My ears prick by the snapping of a camera. The experts must have arrived. Jos's chest rises and falls at an even rhythm, his features relaxed. He twitches in his sleep. I rest my head on my two front paws and try to indulge in the warmth of the morning breeze. An inner unrest forces me back onto my four feet. I stretch before trotting over to the pups. They are panting from playing and endure my licking tongue without protest. Afterward, I nudge them to entice more play. We romp around for a while until I'm tired. Closing my eyes, I lose track of time.

A prod awakes me. Dante towers over me, his dark eyes full of lust. I turn my head. After what happened yesterday, my mood for any form of intimacy—even in my wolf-form—is non-existent. He will have to learn that we both can hold a grudge if pushed too far. He licks my mate mark, but even that doesn't twirl up desire the way it used to. It's as if our bond has been severed, which of course can't happen unless one of us dies. Nature doesn't allow for a glitch. Sooner or later, my wolf will forgive him and follow her instincts. It's the basic drive to guarantee the survival of our kind.

The Alpha jumps into the clearing and raises his snout toward the sun. It's the signal to depart. In an orderly formation, we make our way through the thick underbrush. The twins try to bolt a few times but are quickly reined in by two older fighter wolves. The tension in the air is palpable and our small group is heavily guarded. Something must have happened to put everyone on this heightened level of alert. At times, my skin prickles. It's as if I'm being watched.

As soon as I get back to the packhouse, I shift. Harla and Millie are already expecting us with lunch in the kitchen.

"Did something happen?" I ask. "It seems everyone is on edge."

"When the search party was looking for you, they picked up the scent of foreign wolves. My mate doubled the troops at our borders, but we all fear it won't be enough to keep the enemy out. Zyron Raynes has pushed into a few bordering territories out West and everyone is expecting his brother to do the same on the East coast."

"So war is imminent?"

"I'm afraid so. My mate and the Alphas of some of the other Maine packs will be meeting over the next few days to form an allegiance, but everyone is afraid it won't last. The Canadian pack is simply too powerful. After lunch, the rest of the males will move out to support the border patrols. Until the summer solstice, us females and the young will be alone in the settlement."

I grimace. This will mean no fresh kill but also no Dante. The summer solstice is two weeks away. By no means an eternity but a brief respite to get my head cleared.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Harla's smile is mild. Her eyes reflect that a female could never contribute in a conflict. "Let's just pray that our males will return home in one piece."

~~~~

The days to the summer solstice wind down in slow motion with fear edged on the faces of those left behind. Bay and a few of the other older adolescents are in constant movement between the border and the packhouse to deliver news from the Alpha and provide some much-needed food. So far, the Canadian pack has not been spotted in the East as the fierce fight over the Western territories continues. More and more packs in Washington, Idaho, and Montana surrender daily. This can only mean that we are experiencing the quiet before the storm unless Kendrick Raynes and his brothers focus on one part of the country at a time. Either way, they'll get to us sooner rather than later.

To keep my mind occupied, I resume my morning cow duty. Most of the pregnant females walk around with swollen bellies, their pups expected to be born at the end of the summer. I can't help but eyeing them with envy; if I had given the Alpha an heir, Dante wouldn't be able to touch me and no other female could challenge my spot for Luna. I would've automatically turned into the number two female in the pack hierarchy instead of being one among many. My only hope is to conceive during my next heat in January, which seems an eternity away.

A couple of days before the summer solstice, I catch Bay and Savannah whispering to each other behind the hay bales in the barn. She has been crying a lot in Hailey's room, though with the rest of the females, she's putting on a brave front. After the mating ceremony, she'll be in the same boat as Dante and I are; stuck with a mate who will mean nothing to her. It makes no sense that she and her true mate can't be together.

With a sigh, I turn around to give them their privacy. After rinsing out the trough, I fill it up with hay from another part of the barn. The cows chew without the slightest worry. For them, it doesn't matter who their master is. They won't even know that their milk will fill another pack's belly.

I take my time returning to the packhouse. The weather has cooled and fat clouds hide the sun. They look as if they are ready to burst wide open. The ground is still wet from last night's rainfall; the mud squelches under my wellies. The hem of my long dress is soaked and pulls down the skirt even more. Despite several suggestions, the new fabric I bought with Harla at the market has been sewn into the same old style, the only difference being that the dresses are now like colorful dots that blend with the many summer flowers. All in all, not enough to call it a change.

Pushing the backdoor open, I step into the kitchen. The Luna is just walking out of the Alpha's study.

She smiles. "Oh, Raelyn, I was just coming to get you. The lawyer called, we won the court case. The petition got dismissed and we won't have to worry we'll lose the land to the village."

Finally, some good news. "I'm glad."

"I need to find Bay. He can carry the news to the border. I know my mate will be relieved—one less thing to worry about."

If Harla catches him and Savannah in the barn together, they will be in trouble. "I saw Bay and a few of his friends take off to go hunting. Could someone else deliver the message?"

"I suppose. Most of the males should be back home tomorrow night anyways for the summer solstice celebration. Everyone is looking forward to Marco's claiming ceremony. By the Moon Goddess, we could use a nice party."

"I'm sure it'll be great."

Her smile turns eager. "I could use some more help to prepare for the feast."

Anything to kill this incredible boredom. My muscles have been twitching from the lack of exercise and I can't wait to go for a run as soon as Dante is back. "Just let me know what I can do."

Just as the days dragged on before, the next hours fly by in a rush. There's meat to roast, vegetables to peel, and pies to bake. Hailey helps me with the crates of fresh lemons until the pitchers are filled to the brim with lemonade.

The males return in the afternoon with fresh kill. With laughter and tears, females greet their mates before pups are tossed in the air or cling to their father's necks. Dante has conveniently stayed behind with a skeleton crew of fighters to guard the border; it's his first time in a leadership role. When he tells Harla, pride is edged on the Alpha's face; she, in turn, looks a little disappointed. Usually, Lance would be left in charge, but he returned with the rest of the males to witness his son's claiming. Not that I mind. Without my mate being close, my breathing is always a little easier and my heart a little fuller with joy. The bright sun smiles down from a perfectly polished blue sky; by the time the wood is gathered for the big bonfires, the whole pack is ready to party.

At nightfall, lanterns are lit around the large clearing as families gather to watch the claiming ceremony. I stand in the first row, flanked by Hailey and Harla. Hailey's gaze is glued to the ground; she's fighting with her tears. This will be hard on her. Marco watches her with this unbearable smirk I'd love to wipe off his lips. I turn around, trying to catch a glimpse of Savannah, but she and her family have not arrived. Lance has his arm around Millie, smirking equally slick as his son, though Bay chose to stay away from his brother's big day. Probably better this way.

A wave of commotion spreads from the back to the front. A male rushes along the path of parting wolves, closely followed by a female whose face is flushed all the way up to the roots of her straw blond hair. The similarity with Savannah is undeniable.

The male drops on one knee in front of the Alpha. An eerie quiet settles over the clearing; everyone pricks their ears to hear.

"I'm sorry, Alpha Nigel, but when my mate checked on our daughter to collect her for the ceremony, she was gone. We don't know where she is."

The Alpha's command thunders across the gathered wolves. "Find her. And Bay. They might've run off together."

As the males shift and lunge into the forest, Marco's wolf crouches low to the ground. His snout rises to the climbing moon. A long howl is carried by the summer's wind—not one that reflects the pain of losing his pledged mate but a quick series of barks promising to deliver punishment. If Bay and Savannah are found together, he will tear his brother's throat out and not even the Beta will be able to stop him.

A heavy lump settles in my stomach. I should've kept my mouth shut instead of encouraging them to run away. If the pack finds out, I'll be in so much trouble. Turning toward the packhouse, I'm no longer in the the mood for a party. I stare up at the moon, praying that just this once, the Moon Goddess is there to listen.

Please, don't let the fighters find them.

~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

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