When I track Dante down in the barn after dinner, he is all bloodied up with chunks of fur missing. Panting, he lays there in his wolf form, battling with pain. I kneel next to him and stroke him behind the ears. Even though I should probably cherish that he tasted a spoon of his own medicine, my wolf craves to console him. It hurts her deeply within her core to see him suffer.

"Let me clean this up. Is that okay?"

He lifts his head and whimpers. I take this as a yes and run back to the house in search of towels and a bucket of warm water. When I return, the Luna is crouched over him, examining the wounds.

"These are mostly superficial cuts. If you clean them, he should be healed by morning." She heaves herself off the ground. "I'll let you get on with caring for your mate, Raelyn. Good night, you two."

As I clean the injuries, shudders run through him, but he makes no sound. When I'm done, I shift and curl up beside him. It's the first time that we share a bed in wolf form. His shallow breaths are labored while his body fights to restore itself, though somehow, he manages to drift off to sleep. I stare at the hay that covers the roof. The run in the woods and the heavy meal have tired me out, yet, the tension left from Jos's touch has my limbs twitch. What is he doing now? Can he sense that I'm thinking about him?

Exhaustion wins in the end and sleep claims me. I wake up to the dull light of morning slicing through the gaps in the barn door. The spot next to me is cold and empty, my mate gone. Selfish as usual. At least he could've woken me to tell me he's fine.

With a sigh, I shift back into my skins and get dressed in last night's outfit. I long for a shower and some comfy sweats. Tonight will be the official pack introduction, and who knows what task they'll dump on me afterward. Today might me the last time to relax.

The scent of frying bacon and coffee engulfs me as soon as I step into the house. My stomach growls. I stroll toward the kitchen to check on their morning routine. In my old pack, the younger pups just had cereal before heading off to school; a practice I doubt the Scopan Lake pack follows. They probably eat three meals a day as a group the way we used to do when my grandpa was still the Alpha.

The Luna and the girl from last night are behind the stove and fall quiet as soon as they notice me.

I stop in my tracks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."

"Don't be silly." The Luna gives me one of her usual beaming smiles. "Hailey and I were just talking about the arrangements for the unmarked females who will go into their first heat."

The girl bites her lip. "I've had cramps all week and I'm sure it's finally going to happen."

My smile is mild. Before going into my first heat, I was excited to cross this threshold, just like all the other she-wolves in my pack. In the end, the experience was more than disappointing. The unmarked females were under lock and key far away from the packhouse, though the male scent still made it there. For three days, non-stop howling tore at everyone's nerves while we rubbed our butts over the ground to fight the throbbing need between our legs. Aggression ran wild, causing the chaperons to keep most of us in complete isolation. Then two weeks later came the bleeding, which wasn't only messy but accompanied by terrible cramps. It's the one thing I'm not going to miss this year.

The Luna squeezes her hand. "Well, if it doesn't happen, it will be next year."

"But it has to." The girl looks absolutely mortified. "Marco told Dante that he'll pick his mate after this year's heat."

"There are other wolves than Marco."

"Not to me." The girl shakes her head. "Marco and I are true mates. We are meant to be."

"True mates are rare and special. And you don't even know if he feels the same way about you." The Luna squeezes her hand again, her eyes meeting mine. There is a spark of distress; as if she knows more than she lets on. "Raelyn, I'm sorry, but I don't think you've been formally introduced. This is my daughter Hailey."

"Oh, hi." Another one of Dante's siblings I didn't know about.

"The males should be here soon for breakfast. Why don't you help us prepare the food?"

On cue, the backdoor flies open and Dante and another male about his age stomp in from the cold. Boisterous laughter bounces off the walls as they wrestle over a hat. Only the stern look of the Luna stops them after Dante almost knocks over the coffee thermos with his elbow.

"Sorry, Mom." He leans in and pecks me on the cheek. "Good morning, Raelyn." His eyes twinkle with life and nothing in his stance hints that his father disciplined him last night. His body's healing powers are amazing.

"I was worried when I woke up and you were gone," I press through tight lips.

"I went hunting with a few of my friends." He slaps the other male on the shoulder. "By the way, this is Marco. He's Lance Ward's son."

The son of the Beta; of course Hailey would be interested in him. I give Marco an acknowledging nod, not ready to let Dante off the hook. "You could've still woken me and told me you were leaving."

Marco's brows rise. "Nag alert, bro."

"Oh, shut up." Dante's dark eyes warn that I better zip it, too, at least if I want to enjoy my breakfast.

I turn my back on him, cracking an egg over the bowl to hide the tremble in my clenched jaw. Are females in this pack allowed to criticize their mates at all, or are we reduced to robotic play toys and house slaves?

Harla breaks the pressing silence. "We were discussing the upcoming heat. Milly and I will be chaperons this year, so you guys will have to fix your meals on your own for a change."

Dante laughs. "That's no problem. Raelyn and I will be busy."

The Luna doesn't hide a smile. "Did you prepare the lair yet?"

"No, but I picked the perfect spot."

When I look up, Dante wiggles his eyebrows.

"And I'm okay with fixing my meals." Marco leans back on his stool with his hands tucked behind his head, exposing Hailey to a set of perfectly shaped, hard muscles under his tight shirt. "This will be my last year as unmated male, so it's no biggie."

Hailey bites her lip, her gaze briefly straying to her mother. "And? Have you decided which female you'll choose?"

"Oh, that's easy. It'll be Savannah."

The spoon in Hailey's hand drops to the floor and she bends down to retrieve it. When she pops her head back up over the counter, tears brim in her eyes, but she manages to keep herself together. The Luna stirs the grits, avoiding her daughter's gaze. The sizzling of the frying bacon is the only sound in the room.

"Good morning." Jos's disheveled frame appears in the doorway. His hair is sticking up on one side of his head but is glued to the other. He hides the yawn behind his hand. Fold marks from his pillow cut through his left cheek. "Did I miss anything?"

"We were talking about future mates." Marco fishes an apple out of the fruit bowl and takes a big bite. "Who are you going to choose, Jos? You're up this year as well."

"Probably Lara."

Dante takes a sharp breath. "You're going to mark Lara?"

"Yes, brother." Jos's smile is slick as he pours himself a glass of orange juice. "And don't look so shocked. She's a beautiful female, and since you were mated with Raelyn, she's also one hundred percent available."

"I just didn't take you for someone who wanted scraps." When Dante tips the coffee cup to his lips, his hand trembles.

"You two made out a few times. I hardly consider that scraps. I mean, she's pure. Isn't that all what really matters?"

"I suppose."

Dante's hard stare drills into me with so much disdain that it takes my breath away. My face burns. The loathing glare continues until my skin is about to peel from its bones. My parents had been upfront about me not being a virgin. That he now so apparently faults me for it is not fair.

When the backdoor swings back again, the snarling voice of the Alpha drifts in before he crosses the threshold. Everyone, including the Luna, drop down on one knee with their gazes on the ground; I'm quick to follow as I lock eyes with Lance Ward.

"Good morning."

The Alpha closes the door behind him and the males and the Luna are quick to rise, but Hailey remains on her knee until her father's hand reaches for her. I'm just about to stand, but Dante's hissed words stop me. "Stay down until I tell you."

Body trembling in anger, I'm forced to show my ultimate submissiveness while everyone else continues to sip from their coffees. The Alpha steps around me as if I was a hindering piece of furniture to kiss his mate on the cheek.

"That smells divine, Harla."

"Thank you."

"Hailey, please set the table before the food gets cold."

"Yes, father."

The girl's feet are quick as she rushes around the table. Lance's mate Millie arrives with a younger male and gives her a hand. Everyone ignores me. My knee soon throbs from resting on the hard stone floor and the hitch in my throat reaches new proportions. If I wasn't so scared of the Alpha's reprimand, they could shove their rules up their asses. Tears threaten to spill; the building humiliation is multiplying with every breath.

The Alpha rubs his hands. "Let's eat. I'm starving."

That makes two of us.

When I try to pull myself up, a growl stops me. Dante shows his teeth in warning. "I said, stay down."

The Alpha passes him the platter with the bacon. "Don't you want your mate to eat with us?"

"She was mouthing off again. Complained I left her alone in the barn without telling her where I was going. I swear I can't handle her whining."

"You sure that's what it was?" With a smirk, Jos accepts the basket of bread. "Or are you pissed off that I'm the one who's going to mark Lara?"

"Language, Jos." The Luna tosses him a stern look.

"I don't give a fuck whom you choose as your mate." Dante spits the words through tight lips—no doubt he doesn't mean any of them.

The Alpha's hand lands hard on the table. "Your mother asked to watch your language and truthfully, I'm sick of you two constantly squabbling like little pups. If that doesn't stop, you can both eat out in the barn. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." Jos avoids his father's eyes.

"Dante?"

"Crystal clear, Dad."

The Alpha sighs. "It's time for the both of you to have pups and get out of this house. I'm tempted to hold Jos's claiming ceremony before the next moon, just to get it over with."

Dante gulps. "You can't do that. Lara hasn't even agreed to become his mate."

"Lara has no say in the matter. She went through two heats already and should be prepared to start a family." The Alpha's gaze flicks to his Beta. "What do you think, Lance?"

"I wouldn't do it. Lara's family is too proud not to view Jos as a consolation prize after Dante repudiated his agreement of becoming her mate."

"That wasn't exactly my choice," Dante mutters under his breath.

Lance ignores him. "Let Jos court her over the summer and see how that goes. Personally, I wouldn't rush this."

"You're probably right." The Alpha swallows down a big piece of beacon in one bite. "Now let's change the subject."

For the rest of the meal, they make small talk while the throbbing in my knee worsens until my whole leg and hips cramp in pain. The hem of my tight skirt cuts into my skin, making matters worse. I watch as the bacon disappears off the plates and the crusty bread rolls are reduced to a few crumbs in the basket. Eggs are devoured while my stomach growls in protest. When a few silent tears fall, I gladly move my gaze back to the spot in front of my feet. Anger seething, I wish the Alpha had killed Dante last night. He's such a controlling jerk.

With everyone finished, the males stand up and stroll toward the door. His hand already on the doorknob, Dante glances back over his shoulder.

"You can get up now. And so you don't complain again, I'm going to the training center and later hunting. Be ready by six o'clock for the official pack introduction."

"Sure," I mumble through gritted teeth. My hand massages my aching knee; it takes all my effort to hold back my wolf. She's ready to jump out and take a good bite out of Dante's smug face.

"Come, sit here and have some grits, Raelyn." The Luna pats one of the bar stools. "I'll make you some toast as well."

I hate grits with a passion but don't want to get on her bad side. Her kindness is the only thing that has kept me going. She sweetens the mush with honey and adds blueberries, and it's actually not half as bad when I take my first bite. I chew in silence while fighting with my inner uproar. I hate this place so much and want to go home. The Luna squeezes my hand, her eyes promising that it will get better. I doubt it.

A perky blond with crystal blue eyes bounces into the kitchen. Energy and joy are bursting out of her as her gaze darts around. "Is Bay gone already?"

Drying her hands with a towel, the Luna studies her. "He went with the others to the training center."

"Oh." The girl's smile falters for a split second before being back to full beam.

"Aren't you and Hailey on laundry this week?" the Luna asks. "You could go to the river. It's a really nice day outside."

"Yeah, great idea." The girl's lively gaze roams over me and her nose briefly wrinkles when she gets to the bowl with the grits. "You must be Raelyn. I'm Savannah." Her wide smile is like a caress to my bruised soul. She is the first wolf in this pack whom I genuinely like straight off.

"I'm ready." Hailey wraps a scarf around her neck and buttons up the collar of her winter jacket.

Savannah bounces out the backdoor with as much spark as when she came in.

The Luna holds her daughter back before she gets a chance to follow. "Talk to her. This thing with her and Bay isn't going to happen. Marco has made his choice and come spring, he will claim her."

"Maybe he'll change his mind."

"He won't. This has been a long time coming."

Tears pool in Hailey's eyes. "He's really going to choose my best friend over me?"

The Luna pulls her daughter against her shoulder, her hand stroking through her thick black curls while Hailey's sobs shake her body. "I'm sorry, honey, but that's the way things are."

~~~~~

© Sally Mason 2018

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