* * *

The council meeting didn't last as long as the first one Hera attended, and she was thankful. She was also thankful for the first stamp of approval she had gotten from the Council members.

Part of her was worried that her father spoke to the others, but alas, the questions and comments of curious members were largely due to the fact that they were thrilled.

Though Maverick joked on the aspect that they were happy that didn't have any work involved with it or ever will. Yet the task will still be manageable.

However, the past two months had acted as her ignoring that aching feeling. And in returning to being a Mystic daughter instead of just Hera.

She realized that perhaps it was the freedom her wolf was anxious for, but the closer they traveled to Crescent Moon, the more her wolf felt in demand to shift.

"You alright?" Maverick asked right beside her, and she could only nod. Gritting her teeth at the need to shift. However, the instant of turbulence caused Hera's hands to claw the seat.

Maverick didn't hesitate to hold her hand from then on, rubbing his thumb into her skin. Course it earned him a few glares from Hayes, but the concern was soon shared once the father saw how much tension was in Hera's eyes.

Especially when they pooled to onyx pits.

Hera, sweetheart, close your eyes. We're almost there.

She listened to her father's voice and closed her eyes, leaning her head badly and trying to ignore the trickling sense in her body. It wasn't necessarily painful, almost an itch—A demanding one.

Hayes was concerned, his pup was hurting just in front of him, and couldn't understand what it was.
When the plane landed, he didn't see her flinch at all. Instead, he caught her turning into a rather mediating trans to battle through with whatever he was feeling.

Maybe it was time to talk to a healer like Willow suggested...

Beta Eli had let out a sigh of relief, it was clear that he was happy to be home. He was the first off the plane in fact, but the number of SUVs at the ready was rather impressive.

Hera felt awful for having lower exceptions than this.

The group followed off to where Eli was in a male hug with what Hera could only assume was the Delta. He fit the persona well enough.

"You alright, bubbles?"
"Yep, just a headache." Hayes wanted to question it, but a sign of weakness in another pack was basically signing a death wish. 

While he trusted Crescent Moon, he didn't want to test the limits.

The pups all managed a decent distance behind the Alpha that was acting as their sort of 'guardian' for this trip, and thus, stayed back. Though he wished all of them would, including Maverick.

"Alpha Hayes, it's good to see you again." The male said, all before his eyes trailed down to the female beside him. And a pure sense of cation spiked into the male, which caused Hera to scrunch her brows.

"Delta Jackson, filling out nicely." Hera nicked her elbow into her dad's side.
"That's rude, dad...Delta Jackson, it's nice to meet you. I'm Hera Mystic." And all his manners had almost flown out the window had the she-wolf not offered her hand out to him for a shake.

He jumped at the opportunity, the fact that Hayes had even thought of bringing his daughter here was mind-boggling. And that was probably a much bigger honor than the rest of the Arctic Crest pups coming for a visit with them.

Since a retired Alpha needed his own project.

"...Though I'm disappointed you don't answer the phone either." Jack hadn't been that versed at being told from a she-wolf before, nor did he understand what she was referencing.

"Ah...Mystic here was doing research and we didn't answer the phone when she called."
"O-oh. I'm sorry."
"Not to worry, like I told Beta Eli, I wanted Crescent Moon represented with my findings as well." Jackson was yet again at an impasse, but Eli linked him saying he would explain later.

"Little Mystic here has a date with you in the ring." Eli prompted, leaving Hera to be left in the dark. Though she wasn't at an impasse on sparing with anyone.

No matter their rank.

"Sounds like a plan." She smiled, but it had a rather dark tint of humor behind it that had the Delta gulp. He was surely not prepared to take on an alpha's daughter in the ring.

"The Alpha is in a conference call, but we can stop at the Packhouse to show everyone where they'll be staying." Hera nodded to Eli and so she turned off behind her, glaring for goddess only knows what reason.

But it seemed the she-wolves behind her were rather excited to meet Crescent Moon males.

I wish you taught me how to block it out.

I tried to, you're a bad student.

Hera said off towards Maverick as she followed off towards the high-ranking males, course the pups would be divided. But she found herself sitting beside Jackson as her father took the front seat while Eli drove.

Maverick had gotten the last row and he smirked off to see the high school and all the other types of buildings. Even he was being introduced to the new instances of a pack.

"That's the indoor gym. The Elwood's asked every damn day for a month before the Alpha finally caved. It's beautiful inside, Leo calls it the playground."
"Sounds like Uncle Holden, huh dad? Making everything daunting for his students." Hayes threw his head back and laughed, which settled the minor tension of how much Alpha, Beta, and Delta genes are trapped within the car.

"Whoah..." Hera whispered as she looked out the window to see the packhouse, it was larger than she first thought. Wider too.

"Our pack's infirmary is on the far end, the packhouse isn't really that big," Jack informed, but she was still impressed non the less. And while she was being helped out by both Jack and Maverick, her eyes scanned the likes of the building all before a scent filled her nose.

It smelled rather sweet—but also bitter and fowl.
It took a moment to clarify that it wasn't a Rogue, but an Omega. Who was standing right beside an elder pack member who looked almost too happy to be standing there.

"This is Luna Kelly and her Great Aunt Snyder, they've set up the rooms for you and the rest of the pups." Hera smiled off towards the two she-wolves, but her first honest opinion was 'how in the hell did this scronny ass little Omega even get ten feet close to the title?'

Now she realized how it was an insult to the rest of the Luna's in America, goddess it was an insult to her nose!

"Thank you for allowing us to stay, Luna Kelly. It's very nice to meet you." Hayes knew his daughter was always kind, but the way that she spoke suggested that even she had mixed feelings about an Omega running the pack in such a high position.

But the fact that Hera had called her the 'correct' title earned her a smile from both the 'Luna' and the elder behind her. "Of course, though we aren't used to outsiders and guests."

Hera could feel her wolf bubbling with anger, and she hadn't a clue why. Why did what the pretending Luna say make her blood start to boil

"Remus is still in a meeting, but I can show everyone where they'll be staying...And I heard that you're all interested in the training grounds?" Hera nodded closed to instantly as she smiled off towards Maverick.

"I want these two at opposite ends of the hall."
"Dad!" Hera said, her face telling it all and Hayes simply shrugged.

"I'm old, Hera, but not that old. Opposite ends of the halls, Kelly, if you'd please." The She-wolf had locked arms with Hera and began walking into the packhouse and up the steps while Hayes had already gone off to wherever the Alpha's office was located.

"Is the young Alpha your mate?"
"No, but my wolf is fond of him," Hera whispered back towards Kelly, and the she-wolf grinned eager to hear details but Mystic wasn't that telling in terms of gossip.

Or not the way Kelly was expecting.

"The windows aren't that far of a drop, but on the way back up. The hallway's creek all the way to the staircase." Hera hid her laughter in her wrist, she wasn't prepared for the female to give her hints

Jackson had settled Hera's suitcase into the room as she smiled brightly at the room. "It's lovely, thank you. I'll just get into some training clothes." The males nodded and claimed that they'd wait at the bottom of the stairs for the rest of the party to be ready.

Hera could hardly contain herself, she was so damn excited that she rushed to get undressed and her hair into a practical ponytail before managing the way down.

Most of the males didn't bother getting redressed, but Hera appeared in similar attire to the she-wolves. One of which was making googling eyes at Jackson already.

"Careful Delilah, we're only here for a little bit."
"Come on Hera, look at him. He's hot." Hera might not know her way around her own age, but the last thing she'd ever be open to would be to verbally say something like that to a male.

It gave them too much power, so when Maverick wrapped his arms around her and locked himself onto her shoulder, he kissed her in a small greeting.

"Who's hot?" He questioned, wanting it to be himself that they were talking about. But he should've known better, Hera was usually very difficult to read.

"Alright, I warned the Elwoods that we have a group heading their way, it won't be as crowded." Hera nodded to Eli as the group walked the way towards the training grounds, and she finally understood why they called it the playground.

"Fuck, they have a rock climbing wall?!" Talia gasped, and Hera rolled her eyes.
"You guys climb actual mountains, this is what tickles you?" The rest of the pups laughed, and Jack had to admit—The she-wolf was pretty funny.

And easy on the eyes.

You keep yourself in fucking line Jackson, the last thing we need is Alpha Hayes to be pissed off that you slept with his daughter.

Shame on you! She's dating Maverick!

The two went at it for another minute, or had until Leo jogged up towards them with a wide smile on his face.

Which Hera returned.

"You must be Leo Elwood."
"And you must be Hera Mystic. Goddess, I could smell you a mile away." The Arctic Crest pups all laughed, and while it sounded like a compliment on one end.

It surely sounded like a joke in terms of Hera smelling fowl.

"Dad, I said that doesn't translate like it used to," Luke said strolling up towards the group, and Hera could've sworn that Delilah's panties dropped instantly at the sight of Luke Elwood.

"But he's right...Mystic through and through."
"I'll take your word for it Elwood, I like the setup you have here." Leo beamed with pride and did a full tour for the pups. But of course, they couldn't contain themselves when they managed towards the rock wall.

Crescent Moon wasn't prepared for the adrenalin rush of Arctic Crest pups, and goddess it looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie the way they climbed the wall.

Luke knew well enough that the Arctic Crest was considered a different breed of wolves, but this surely confirmed it.

"Are you a spider monkey too or is that not normal?" Jack asked and Hera laughed.
"For them that's normal, sometimes I think they're half goats. But the incline and all the mountains makes this child's play."

"Child's play?" Leo growled, and she smiled off towards the male and simply pulled out her phone from her pocket. The group had gone camping and rock climbing to hunt rams.

"That's not a story I want my dad hearing though." She said a rather scared smile, which earned her a rather loud laugh from Leo.
His version of approval.

"I heard from a little birdie that you and Mystic are set for a sparring match?" Leo pointed between the Delta and Hera, and she shrugged.

"I'm ready whenever." She said, and the Delta so kindly offered a hand out to the circle. Hera had easily thrown off her sweater and dropped her phone into the pile as well as taken off her sweats.

The males stared instantly went to the peeking tattoo on her thigh. And while she had heard Leo's laugh, Luke's was a hundred percent more likely.

"Jacky boy, I dunno how to tell you you're fucked. But you're fucked." Luke said with an encouraging slap onto his shoulder, pumping up the male's ego just a bit.

"Mystic's fighting the Delta!" One of the males called out, and of course, that returned the pup's from their distraction. But the title of Mystic might've caught wind to a few more curious ears, as 'Mystic' wasn't typically used in a conversation so freely.

And Hera forgot that at the moment.

"Concentrate Hera, ignore them." Maverick reminded and so she walked in mirroring Jack's movements from the other end of the circle.

"I'll say the rules for our guest, no claws, no biting, and no throws outside the circle. Shift when I say." Hera nodded to Luke, and perhaps it was then that she caught that he was defiantly built to be the next Master of Arms.

But like her dad would always say, he could fill out a bit more.

Jack held out his hand and she shook it. "Good luck."
"Likewise." She said with a grin all before taking a few decent steps back.

She planted her left food an equal amount of her right, her fists not in the normal fight stance and Jack realized that she would not be fighting like anything he's seen before.

Luke's comment made sense now, and even though her eyes were closed, she could just picture the pure regret. Though that was on her father and Eli plotting against the poor Delta.

Jackson, who's never heard of the fighting style of Arctic Crest, was in for a surprise. And his level of cockiness betrayed him the moment Luke yelled to start.

The Delta was aggressive and straightforward, and Hera didn't hesitate to block and greet him with a perfectly-timed roundhouse kick to his side. Already had he been knocked to the floor and she reverted back to her starting stance.

Her eyes remained closed.

His ego badly bruised right beside his ribs had caused him to think without reason, and it was getting him much more rallied up when he caught that she still hadn't opened her eyes.

Yet Hera had given him the first attack, she was no longer on the defensive. So while he had given a small bit of a charge, she twirled out of his sprint and gave him a few quick jabs to his dominant arm.

And once she had managed to numb his arm, she opened her eyes—Being greeted by the looks of surprise by not only the Elwood males and Beta.

But others from this pack.

"Shift!" Hera had a feeling that Luke had called that in order for Jack to get a bit of leeway, which wasn't all that surprising. He was their Delta after all, so while the fellow assumed that she was simply slow—He shifted and pounced at the opportunity, but damn that she-wolf for managing a flawless transition from running in skin to fur as she tackled with the same amount of force.

The two tumbled and nipped, her wolf of equal size to the Delta and just as strong. It seemed for just a moment that Jack had the upper hand, but the slight tease of Hera's bite on his neck caused him to tap out.

Earning her his submission, as well as murmurs from the crowd beside them.

A kind she-wolf had wrapped a blanket around Hera and she was able to shift but retain her decency. Which wasn't all that hard to get dressed underneath, nor was Maverick open to her exposing so much skin to strangers.

His wolf still felt protective, even if he wasn't her mate.

"I take it you're almost done with your training?" Leo addressed her first and she nodded, but Maverick was the one to talk more about her studies.

"What do you think you did wrong?"
"My breathing was uneven."
"And?" She frowned and huffed. "I need to use my non-dominate side more." Maverick grinned and kissed her cheek. While Jack hadn't won, he managed to do a bit of damage to her while in fur.

"Huh, remind me not to get on your bad side," Jack said from the ground, just about getting into a spare pair of shorts.
"Beaten by a girl h your weight, somebody pinch me." Eli joked, and the gawk from Jack suggested that perhaps the Beta wasn't the most carefree out of the lot.

Luke was massively interested in the fighting style that they came over with, and most of the pups were all but ready to explain what and why they fought the way they did.

Especially when Jack's arm was still feeling numb. So Hera came over and yanked it arms-length and undoing the firing nerves she enacted to return feeling to them.

And while he whined, he suddenly felt the change in bending it out properly. "How the hell—" Jack said in a confused rank, but Maverick interrupted him
"Better. Maybe you're closer to the next tier than I thought." She grinned up to her male and he so easily encased her in a hug, yet it was the bystanders that were left in question.

Who was that she-wolf?

Is she a Mystic?

How did she beat the Delta?

What fighting style is that?

It was clear that those around them were curious, and they had already gotten a confirmation that it was alright to show the basics. However, she caught her phone ringing in Maverick's hands she looked to the caller ID and grinned.

"You absolute bitch! You didn't tell me you were going to Crescent Moon!" Mary screamed, and that caught the Beta's attention as the voice was strangely familiar. But who would—

"It was last minute, we're not staying long...Dad was—"

"I'm telling Issac, see you later sweetheart!" Hear made a face to her phone and flapped it to her forehead.

"She's always a catch."
"Luna Mary is psychotic, in a good way, but fucking psychotic." Hera laughed, and both Eli and Jack could agree.

"I didn't know you were friends with our alley, Mystic."
"We could've been friends too if you stayed on the phone longer, Beta Eli. Luna Mary offered for me to visit Grey Hallow, she's sweet." She shrugged it off, and whether it be the conjoined bit of Eli and Jack looking of behind her or the general hairs on her back starting to rise up.

She knew someone was acting hostile behind her and she didn't hesitate to act at the last moment. Luke's prepared first had been the perfect base as an outstretched had canopied her into the air and allowing her to twist and turn her thighs to secure his neck into a choke hold.

They both fell to the floor, much to the male's amazement.

"You're stomping too loud Elwood, but that was cute." He growled at the term 'cute,' but he was in no position to argue in that matter. Not when his father was laughing at his attempts to surprise Hera.

"Have spidey senses or something, Mystic?" The she-wolf licked her lips and turned up to her temporary trainer with a shit-eating grin. "I told you it was like spider senses."

"And I told you it was much more than that. And it is." Maverick didn't sound all that amused that Hera had referenced Spider-man when talking about a spiritual awakening.

But when he leaned in closer to her ear, he promised his own type of teasing later on.

______

Date: 02/03/2022

Time: 11:26

Words: 3361