Over the following days, Brooke worked with Jasper and Gwen to coordinate all sorts of activities to help their packs bond with each other. Pool volleyball matches, snorkeling trips, and fishing contests all encouraged the packs to mingle, preparing them for their potential future merge.

But Cedar Pack and Kudzu Pack were far from the only werewolves aiming to network and form stronger alliances. With plenty of guests eager to prove their strength, many of the resort's guests brought everything from pheasants to wild boars back from Fur and Fangs. Though none of their kills were as impressive as the bull elk Jasper and Gwen's hunting party had brought down, all the fresh meat made for yet another excuse for the Alphas and other high-ranking wolves to feast.

With the adults busy, Brooke had to come up with ways to keep all their pups occupied.

"That makes two dozen animals for the scavenger hunt," she said as she tied a gray sock filled with beads shut with a long pink ribbon. She'd used a black marker to draw on the fake mouse's nose and mouth, with crooked pipe cleaners serving as whiskers.

"Thank the Goddess I brought the scents we use to teach our pups how to hunt." Jasper sprayed the fake mouse's mouth with one of the many bottles of perfume he'd set out, giving it a gentle sniff. "Sunflower seeds and alfalfa. It's not the most popular item in our prey scent line, but I've always liked it."

Brooke inhaled deeply through her nose, but the only scavenger hunt item she could smell was the musky fox. "I'm glad you can smell anything besides these stinkers." She wheezed, waving her hand in front of her face. "How do you stand it?"

Jasper shrugged. "Practice. Since I spend so much time fine-tuning perfumes, I have to know how to deal with everything from subtle scents to odors that make me wish I didn't have a nose." He smirked. "I stumbled into a skunk's den once when I was a pup. Believe me, foxes smell like roses in comparison."

"Oh Goddess, I can just imagine! And werewolves' noses are super strong, too. I don't even want to know how hard it must have been for everyone to deal with that."

"Let's just say I was quarantined in the bathroom for a while." A wistful look softened Jasper's features. "Mom was still with the pack back then. She must have spent hours working that anti-skunk shampoo into my fur."

"I swear every pup makes at least one mess that their parents will never let them forget. When I was little, I forgot to wash myself off after I snuck out to catch some squid for a snack." Brooke laughed. "Mom was not happy when she saw all that ink."

"That's nothing compared to the first time Carlos and I hunted pheasants. We were covered in so many feathers it looked like half a dozen pillows exploded all over us!"

The pair of them kept swapping stories as they set up games for the pups. Long tunnels filled with colorful scraps of fabric reminded Brooke of the maze of kelp her grandma took her through to go see a towering rainbow of coral. The inflatable pool turned into a makeshift ball pit reminded Jasper of summers spent diving into the biggest lake in his pack's territory, shaking water onto anyone who ventured too close after he paddled back to shore.

"You should have seen the time Marina and I tried to build an entire hotel out of sand and seashells," Brooke said as she set the last of the juice boxes onto the refreshments table. "We cried so hard when the tide washed it away that Grandma got us both banana splits afterward."

"When I was that age, I'd take a bunch of empty perfume bottles and pretend I was a salesman," Jasper said. "I was so mad we didn't have actual cookie dough-scented perfume. Honestly, I think I would have tried to eat—"

"Sorry to interrupt, but I think we're just about done setting everything up." Brooke jumped at the sound of Gwen's voice. She'd been so preoccupied chatting with Jasper that she'd forgotten the other werewolf was even there. "I wish we could stay and watch the pups enjoy all this, but our Alphas are insisting we spend more time together."

Judging from the look on Jasper's face, he'd been just as surprised by the interruption as Brooke was. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie as the smile disappeared from his face. "I still can't believe Father is insisting on holding the feast while we'll be at the Silver Scallop."

That hadn't been entirely Mr. Stillwater's idea, Brooke knew. Her mother had decided keeping the other Alphas and other high-ranking wolves busy would be the perfect way to give Jasper and Gwen a much more quiet, private evening together.

"I have to admit I still have no idea how we should pass the time until our reservation." Gwen cocked her head to the side. "Do you have any suggestions, Brooke?"

The last thing Brooke expected was for the fiancée of the werewolf she was one hundred percent sure she had a crush on to ask her for advice. While Gwen was far from unfriendly, she usually preferred to keep to herself and study the wildlife on the beach instead of mingling with the other guests or the resort's staff. Why she'd ask an extrovert like Brooke for ideas about stuff to do was beyond her.

"We were hoping you might know somewhere we could have some fun," Jasper said. "Just maybe not Caramel Cove. Otherwise, someone will have to carry me out of there in a wheelbarrow."

Thank the Goddess the ice cream shop was off the table. As much as Brooke had loved taking Jasper there, the thought of him sharing that place with anyone else made her queasy.

"There's a sea turtle museum a couple miles down the coast," Brooke said. "They're always playing a really cool documentary about the volunteers who help the hatchlings make it to the ocean, so that should be easy on your leg."

"That sounds amazing!" Gwen clapped her hands. "Baby sea turtles are absolutely adorable."

"That sounds perfect, then." Jasper cast his gaze to his shoes and fiddled with the moonstone pendant tied around his neck, turning the small black rock back and forth between his fingers. "Brooke, could you please meet me in the ballroom tomorrow?" he said softly. "I need to sort out some things for the Blue Moon Ball, and I could really use your help."

"Of course!" Brooke's heart fluttered like a hyperactive seagull as Jasper smiled at her. Sweet sea stars, why in the Goddess's name did he have to be so hot? "I'd be happy to help you and Gwen prepare for your wedding."

The two werewolves shared a look. "Actually, I promised my pack's Luna I'd help him show the pups how to shift safely," Gwen said.

"And I was hoping I could talk to you alone," Jasper said, his voice as fragile as a sand dollar.

Ah, so he must be planning some sort of surprise for Gwen. Such a sweetheart. "You can count on me!"

Once Jasper and Gwen left to go to the museum, Brooke turned her attention back to preparing plenty of activities to keep the pups occupied. Or at least, she tried to. Try as she might, her mind kept drifting back to Jasper as surely as the tide returned to kiss the shore.

What did Jasper have in mind for tomorrow morning? With the Blue Moon Ball still weeks away, there was still a lot of prep work they had to take care of. Judging from what Gwen had said about the Alphas making Jasper and Gwen spend more time together, their packs weren't the only ones who needed help getting to know each other before then.

She just wished the thought of the packs' inevitable merger didn't hurt as much as stepping on a sea urchin. More than anything, she wanted to make Jasper happy, yet imagining him marrying Gwen made her feel like someone had sewn a dozen sea snakes inside her stomach.

She didn't have much time to think about it. Her duties as the head event coordinator never stopped, especially with her family counting on her to make sure their guest of honor enjoyed his stay.

"How is everything going, my little barnacle?" Brooke's mother flowed into the playroom with all the grace of an angelfish. "Is everything ready for the pups?"

"The snacks and games are all set," Brooke said. "It would be a good idea to arrange for someone to come tell them stories near the end of the night, though. After all this excitement, it might be hard for them to sleep otherwise."

"Good thinking. I'll have Benjamin set up some blankets too in case anyone needs a nap before their parents are ready to pick them up." Her mom pulled her sealskin around her shoulders until the white fur nearly swallowed her body. "Once we have everything ready for the pups, would you mind lending a hand at the Silver Scallop? Our VIPs are dining there tonight, and Marina has been..."

"Snappier than a bull shark?" If there was one thing her sister was better known for than her amazing cooking skills, it was her temper.

"Let's just say she'd been very stressed since we've had to cater so many banquets lately," her mother said. "I know Marina is more than capable of managing the kitchen, but since your father will have his hands full coordinating tonight's feast, something tells me she could use an extra set of hands tonight."

"You know I'd never turn down an excuse to help with the desserts." More than her usual eagerness to taste test anything sugary, the chance to make Jasper happy made her more than happy to help out in the kitchen.

Especially since she craved a taste of that Alpha's lips far more than any chocolate.