"How far is it?" Marius asked in French as they stood outside the dealership, a map spread out over one of their newly purchased van's hoods. It was uncomfortably hot at present as Lyn gently tried to soothe her fussy baby sister. They were in South America now, in the Brazilian town of Aragaina.

"Five-hour drive... at least," Geoffrey replied. Lyndis glanced over at him with a frown. They had been traveling for four days; she looked over toward the younger ones who sat in the shade nearby. All of them looked exhausted.

"Dad... maybe we should get a hotel, get some rest and let them stretch their legs," Lyndis said.

"No... I want to get there before nightfall. And I don't want to risk staying here." Geoffrey replied. Lyn knew 'risk' meant he didn't want to give the local pack time to notice them. After what happened in Russia... Lyndis doubted he'd ever leave them anywhere again to go visit packs to ensure they had permission to stay for a few days before moving on.

Lyn sighed and circled around the van, where Marion sat feeding Andre on the seat beside the open sliding door. They had been traveling non-stop, and they hadn't had a chance to get the babies any decent food other than small snacks. The babies had all been cranky and hungry; milk wasn't filling enough at their age.

Andre had fallen asleep. Lyn gently traded with her, handing over the squirmy baby and taking the sleeping one from her. Marion said nothing and went about numbly performing her motherly duties.

Lyn studied her; her emotional state just seemed to be getting worse. She glanced over where her thirteen-year-old brother, Mathieu, stood leaning against the van holding Sophia. Mathieu was avoiding eye contact with her, but at the look on his face, Lyn knew he was worried about their mother too.

"Everyone in the vans. We're leaving. Now." Geoffrey said firmly. Lyn sighed a bit as everyone got up to obey.

_

Lyndis sat with the younger children in the idling van. It was well past midnight, and most of them were asleep at awkward angles in their seats. Lyn felt anxious; she couldn't help it. It had been over two hours since Geoffrey, Christophe and Marius had gone off to see the Alpha. They hadn't heard anything...

Her paternal great-grandmother's sister was given to the Alpha of this pack many many years ago. Although distant, this was the first pack they had even a remote semblance of family ties to. Geoffrey hoped to negotiate a short length of stay with the pack and Lyn knew that any kind of stable living arrangement, even for just a few months, would mean the world to them in their current emotional states.

Lyn glanced over to the tree line just off the road. Julian and Marion were talking in hushed tones. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she was glad her mother was at least talking. Julian was her mother's litter mate, and he seemed to have the most luck in getting her to respond.

Lyn glanced off toward the other end of the road, where Aldrick and all the older males were standing. Everyone was on edge; this was unfamiliar territory. Lyn laid her head back into the passenger seat and shut her eyes. She was exhausted, but she knew full well she wouldn't be able to sleep.

Suddenly, she heard a phone go off. Lyn opened her eyes and looked forward through the windshield. Aldrick answered his phone, and Lyndis watched him for a moment. He didn't speak, only listened. He snapped the phone shut after a few seconds and turned back to everyone.

"Let's go. It's clear." Aldrick said.

_

"What beautiful daughters you have." Carina, the Alpha female of the Lua Crianca pack, spoke in a warm manner to Marion. Carina was slightly older, in her mid 50's at least. She was speaking English with a slight Portuguese accent. It was the only language they both understood.

Lyndis pulled the sweater she wore a bit tighter around her and glanced briefly to her mother, but it was clear Marion wanted nothing to do with idle chit-chat. Marion's expression still portrayed a numb grieving mother.

"Zank you," Lyndis responded for Marion in English. Her English wasn't very good; she struggled with it. She glanced back to the young ones. They were all in zombie-mode by that time. Especially the youngest.

"Um... if you don't minded... 'ad a long trip... everyone much tired. Go to beds for ze night?" Lyndis asked gently, hoping she at least got most of the English phrasing right. Carina smiled warmly.

"Of course... I'm so sorry, how rude of me. Come... this way." Carina said and gestured them into the house. Lyndis glanced back to where her father and the rest of their older males stood talking in the square between the pack houses. She met eyes briefly with her father, and he gave her a nod of approval.

"Come on... all of you," Lyndis spoke in French to the others. She waited until they all sleepily filed in before she followed after them.

_

One week later

Lyndis lay in bed beside her mother. It was mid-morning, the birds were already loudly chirping, but no one was getting out of bed.

The pups were laying on the pillow beside her. The girls were in skin, and Andre was in fur. He was laying across Addie's tummy with a dejected look. This was the only time in their life that their fur form was smaller than their skin form.

Although they were only a year old, they picked up on everyone's moods and were rather depressed themselves.

Lyn sighed and gently rubbed behind Andre's tiny little ear. He mewled a bit but didn't move. Lyn glanced over at her mother then. She was on her side, facing away from her. Marion hadn't spoken to Lyndis in days, and she hadn't even been able to look at Geoffrey.

They were all sleeping in separate rooms at present. The females sharing one, and the males sharing another. Lyn glanced back to all the cots scattered around the room, her sister and female cousins were all laying on them. No one was asleep any longer, but no one had the will to get up.

They were safe here, at least, the safest they could be at present. It was rare to feel any level of comfort these days... and Lyn knew they all needed this.

A good long rest.

Lyn took a slow breath and pushed herself up into a sitting position. They'd need to eat, and she wasn't about to let Carina feed them again. Carina was a very accommodating Alpha, but for reasons Lyn couldn't quite explain, Carina's overly doting behavior was making her uneasy.

They had been there a week already.

Vitor was her husband, the Alpha of the pack. Lyn had not met him, he would only grant an audience with her father. Carina had been bothering her for days to join them for dinner so she could introduce all her children to her but Lyndis had to keep politely declining.

She knew at some point she would have to accept... but her mother was in no shape to socialize. Considering they were staying in a casita off the main pack house, Lyn had no choice but to humor Carina in everything, despite wanting nothing to do with pack affairs at present.

But she had to do it in her mother's stead.

Vitor and Carina had fourteen children in all. Nine sons and five daughters. Carina talked about them nonstop every time she came to see Lyndis. Her two oldest sons were mated. The second eldest was given to a pack whose Alpha had only daughters somewhere closer to Rio. He wasn't yet Alpha, but he was soon to take it. Carina missed him fiercely. Lyndis had heard her say it at least twenty times.

Her younger seven sons were scattered in age between thirteen and twenty-eight. Carina had been relentless in her inappropriate hints.

It was clear she was trying to push her toward one of her sons. She was getting more and more persistent that Lyn come meet them. Lyndis had used every excuse she could think of to delay it until her family was in a better mood, but she was running out.

Lyndis frowned at the thought. She hated to admit it, but Carina's persistence was working. She was putting thoughts in her head, thoughts that appealed to her wolf. She did not want to think of males at present, but her age made it difficult for her not to consider potential mates in any genetically worthy male she happened to come across.

Ever since she had her first heat almost five months before, she noticed her gaze inadvertently lingered on suitable males whenever they passed through packs.

Her fur side wanted to be mated.

She was eighteen. At this point there would have already been a talk of mating if she were in a normal pack, she probably would have already been mated, but in their circumstances, an opportunity for a good mate had never presented itself. Lyndis had no idea what they were going to do. It had never been brought up before now.

With the stress of their lives, Lyndis had only just had her first heat on the last equinox. She was a very late bloomer. Mavis had been as well, and Arianne hadn't even had hers yet either. Milena...

Lyndis took a hard breath when she realized where her thoughts went.

Heartache slammed into her. Arianne, Milena, and Mavis were gone. Her remaining sisters and female cousins were much younger than her now. She was the only female in their pack of mateable age.

Lyn sat at the edge of the bed for a moment as the shock of the realization dawned on her. The fact that they were gone was still hard to register, the grief seemed to come and go as disbelief held it at bay sometimes.

She pushed those thoughts away.

Lyndis forced herself to get up. She packed in a few pillows around the pups to keep them from crawling out of bed before her mother could stop them, and headed for the small kitchen.

They were in one of Carina's live-in caretaker's houses, but at present, Carina had evacuated it for them. Marius and Julian had gone into town and got them their own food to stock it with; they were trying to be as little a burden as possible. At present, Lyn wanted nothing more than to just be left alone to cook, to have some semblance of normalcy in their lives.

She got out the pots and pans and started on a late breakfast. She knew eventually everyone would trickle in to eat, then head off again to stew in their misery until lunch. It was the pattern they had all developed.

Lyn would make the food; they'd come eat, then everyone would scatter, back to bed or off somewhere on their own. It was disheartening... but Lyndis didn't push any of them. She knew from experience they needed this. This had been a devastating loss, but it hadn't been their first or even their worse numbers-wise. But the fact that it had come after a long lull between deaths, it made it all the harder to take.

They'd got too comfortable...

Lyn fully engrossed herself in her task. She felt the ache of loss, but nowhere near as painfully as the others seemed to. She didn't know why exactly she didn't feel as strongly as they all did, she was sad, yes, but she was functional. It made her feel a bit cold... but then again, she knew someone had to keep a level head and keep them going.

Maybe... it was just the Alpha in her genes trying to smooth things over. Unlike males of an Alpha line, where only the eldest son's Alpha gene was active, and the younger brothers' Alpha gene stayed dormant unless they were needed, all females of an Alpha line always had their genes prominent, since they were meant to be mated off. At least that's what she thought.

She let her mind grow numb as she worked.

"Lyndis... honey, do you have a moment?" Carina's accented voice spoke from the kitchen's doorway. Lyndis jumped, startled, and quickly spun around. She hadn't even heard her approach.

Carina obviously hadn't bothered knocking. It irked Lyndis that she just let herself in. She always did. It was hard to keep the look of discomfort off her expression.

"Yes..." Lyndis forced out in English. Despite what she really felt, she knew she had to be nothing but polite to their host. Carina smiled at her and gestured her forward. Lyndis turned off the stoves and slowly followed her out into the hall, but they kept going through the front door.

Lyn frowned and glanced back to their rooms... she wasn't sure if her father would want her leaving the area without him, or any of the others. She paused briefly.

"I.. tell father-" Lyn began in her thick accent.

"Oh no, we're just going out here to the courtyard. Not far." Carina said with a smile. Her little sister Iyana poked her head out from their shared room then, and she watched them uncertainly. Iyana must have overheard them.

"You can come too, sweetheart." Carina smiled at her. Lyn felt a bit uncomfortable. She couldn't understand everything Carina was saying, she spoke too fast. Lyndis once again glanced back. She at least wanted to get Marius...

"I let zem know-" Lyndis began. Carina took her hand and tugged her onward.

"Oh please, your mistrust is insulting," Carina spoke in a joking manner, but there was an underlying tinge of harshness to her tone that Lyn instantly didn't like. Lyn firmly pursed her lips and followed along reluctantly. She glanced back as she heard Iyana hurry off toward the male's room at the opposite end of the house.

"Here we are..." Carina said as she tugged her into the court yard between the small caretaker houses and the main pack house.

Standing there waiting, was what Lyndis immediately recognized to be Carina's children by their scents. They were all dressed nicely. Lyn figured Carina must have dolled them up for this. Clearly, her patience with Lyn declining her dinners had ended.

Lyndis couldn't help but feel inwardly resentful at the forced introductions.

All twelve of them were standing with polite patient postures, even the youngest of them who couldn't have been more than five. Lyn felt a bit weird about it, though her parents weren't soft by any means, not even she or any of her own siblings were that well behaved at that age.

Wolf children had a wilder nature.

"These are my pups, all but my two eldest, though they're already mated... so of no interest to you," Carina said in a warm-hearted joking manner. Lyn forcibly kept her expression neutral, even as she felt the slight flush of embarrassment.

She was just trying to focus on breathing to get through this as quickly as possible and retreat... but it hit her then.

And it hit her hard.

Her wolf grew strangely giddy upon catching a male's scent that was particularly... pleasant. Too pleasant. It confused her. She'd never felt a reaction like this toward a male's scent. Lyn's eyes instinctively flicked toward the males in their twenties at her comment. She hadn't yet looked at them.

Lyn hadn't cared about her appearance for so long; she knew she likely looked a mess, and it hadn't mattered until she met eyes with one of the males in his mid-twenties. He was the source of the scent her wolf was far too happy about. He had fair hair like Carina, the only one of them who did. He was tall and imposing, and his eyes were green.

Lyn felt a strange flutter deep in her stomach as their eyes met. She couldn't stop the flush of her cheeks as they turned bright red at the slight grin he was giving her.

Her hair was unbrushed in a messy braid, and her clothes were spotted from her cooking. Her wolf became instantly agitated. She made slight fists in the fabric at the sides of her soft pants.

She had never been so embarrassed in her entire life.

"See someone you like?" Carina teased close to her ear. Lyn offered a forced polite smile and bore the immense embarrassment with as much dignity as she could muster. She avoided eye-contact with the fair-haired male and said nothing to Carina's comment in hope she'd just get on with the introductions and let her escape back to the kitchen.

Just then, Marius stumbled out into the courtyard. He looked disheveled himself. He was followed by a few others of her pack. Iyana must have woke them; everyone had been oversleeping lately. Lyn briefly caught eyes with her older brother. He looked irate at her for not getting him first. Just like she knew he would.

"Ah, just in time," Carina said warmly to the others and started introducing all her children. Lyn found it exceptionally hard to concentrate, and she couldn't stop glancing back at the fair-haired wolf who hadn't taken his eyes off her since they first made eye-contact.

Finally, Geoffrey moved out into the courtyard behind the others, and he and Carina began to speak. Lyn quietly excused herself and hurried back into the house. She felt the agitation of her wolf full force.

Lyn frowned as she went back to the kitchen to finish cooking. She was starting to like Carina less and less. Lyndis was by no means prudish, but Carina's teasing was horribly inappropriate for an Alpha especially.

That had been degrading...

She heard Iyana and Mathieu wander in, but she didn't look back, too engrossed in her current task. Twenty-one people were a lot to feed by normal standards, but factor in the werewolf aspect and it was like feeding a small army.

Lyn smiled a bit despite herself, even in grief, at least their appetites stayed steady. Iyana moved up beside her and wordlessly started helping. They cooked in silence for a time, and Lyn finally chanced a small glance back at Mathieu. He sat at the table and stared at nothing in particular. He had been taking it especially hard.

Milena was his littermate.

Lyn refocused on her task and let herself get lost to it. Soon, they'd all trickle in to eat, and she wanted to make sure they all had a hot meal waiting for them.

And she wanted to keep her mind off that fair-haired male that kept trying to worm his way into her thoughts.

_

"Lyn... I need to speak with you." Geoffrey spoke in French. Lyn glanced up at her father from her place getting everything packed to move to the new cottage Vitor set up for them on the edge of his territory. Lyn was greatly looking forward to it. Not that she didn't appreciate the accommodations Carina had given them, but she hated being so close to the central pack at easy access to all their nosey females.

Ever since their introductions a week before, a few of Vitor and Carina's daughters who were around the ages of her younger pack sisters kept attempting to get them to go out and play with them. It was clear they needed some time to themselves, but none of the Lua Crianca pack seemed to respect that. The pack had very little boundaries when it came to invading their privacy... but what could Lyn say?

This pack was kind enough to take them in...

Lyn stood and moved toward him. She felt slightly uneasy by the uncertain look on his face. He gestured her out into the hallway, but Lyn paused briefly and looked back to her mother. Marion was watching them now with a slightly furrowed brow. It was clear by the look on her face that she didn't know what this was about. Lyn felt even more uncomfortable but followed him regardless.

They walked out into the warm night air onto a back patio, and Lyn watched him carefully when he didn't immediately speak. They stood in silence for a while. Lyn started to feel nervous at the look on her father's face. She'd never seen him look uncomfortable, and it was making her even more uneasy.

"Do you like it here?" Geoffrey asked as he looked out toward the jungle. Lyn gave him an odd look and followed his gaze.

"It's okay..." Lyn said a bit awkwardly. Geoffrey said nothing for a time, and Lyn fidgeted a bit uneasily. She hated silences, especially recently.

"It's... definitely not home," Lyndis added to fill the quiet. Geoffrey looked back at her; his brow furrowed.

"I'm surprised you remember anything about home, you were so young..." Geoffrey said. His tone was weird. Lyndis instantly didn't like it.

"Well... when you don't have that many happy memories, you kind of hold onto the ones you do," Lyndis responded without thinking.

She was only four when their pack was decimated, but prior to that, she remembered they were happy there. She'd felt safe there. She had never felt that level of comfort again. Lyndis quickly glanced back to him when it dawned on her what she'd said, and she instantly regretted it.

The expression on his face was heart-breaking.

"I... I didn't mean that dad. I'm sorry." Lyndis said. Geoffrey glanced away from her, and it went silent between them.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. We don't live an easy life... and I'd do anything to change that... for your mother, and especially for you, your siblings, and cousins." Geoffrey said. Lyn frowned and glanced away. It went silent for a time.

"What do you think of this pack?" Geoffrey continued his tone a bit firmer now. The Alpha in him was taking over like it always did when he started to feel emotional. Lyn frowned and looked back at him.

"Carina is a little over-bearing, but otherwise... they're nice enough. Why?" Lyndis asked. It went silent again for a moment.

"You're of age now," Geoffrey stated. Lyndis glanced back to the house away from him. Instantly, she knew what this was about, and it made sense now why Vitor had paid them a visit that morning.

It was the first time she'd seen him, and she couldn't say she particularly liked the male. He gave off the impression of harshness. He hadn't spoken to her, he only exchanged a brief word with Geoffrey, but she clearly felt the appraising way he had looked at her as if assessing her worth. It wasn't the normal way one would typically go about cross-pack matching though.

The female was usually brought to a meeting with the other pack Alpha besides her own Alpha and father; it wasn't the other way around, the Alpha never came to her. Lyn frowned, this pack seemed to follow pack traditions... so why the informality?

"Do... I need to change? Or something?" Lyndis asked, thinking maybe she was getting ahead of herself. He could be taking her now...

"No... Considering our circumstances, Vitor decided to drop the formalities. He doesn't expect us to attend to pack affairs." Geoffrey said. Lyn glanced back at her father. At least Vitor must have a heart, as much as his outward appearance suggested otherwise. Geoffrey glanced away from her. His alpha-like polish was gone again, and it was clear he was struggling to find the words.

"Lyn... I-" Geoffrey began, but Lyndis cut him off.

"Which one?" She asked. Geoffrey looked a bit unsettled by her forwardness. She heard the door open, and Lyn glanced back. Marius was standing in the doorway, his expression somewhat unsure. Geoffrey glanced over at him, and it went silent for a moment.

"Do you have a preference?" Geoffrey finally asked. Lyndis watched him carefully.

"Who did he offer?" Lyndis asked. She knew Vitor must have given out some kind of initial offer. Geoffrey studied her eyes for a moment.

"Adriano... but if you'd prefer another, I ensured you have a say," Geoffrey said. Lyndis hated his tone, he was struggling with this, but then again... so was she. Her throat felt tight. She knew what this meant...

It meant goodbye.

"Is he the blonde one?" Lyndis asked to distract her from that thought. She was trying to recall all Carina's sons, but the only one she could remember was the fair-haired wolf who'd stolen her attention.

"No, he's the dark-haired one. The third eldest." Geoffrey said. Lyndis tried to remember him, but she really couldn't. She had been too focused on the other.

"What are we getting out of this?" Lyndis asked. She was trying to keep herself focused on the business aspect of it. She couldn't afford to get emotional now.

"Lyn... this isn't a decision you need to jump into. We have a few months..." Marius said seriously. By 'a few months' she knew he was talking about the next Blood Moon. They were nearing the end of July, and the next Blood Moon would be in September.

Her next heat would be stronger. It had hardly mattered to their own pack since males who were too genetically similar were not affected by a related female's pheromones, they were all family, her uncles, brothers, and cousins. But they were on another pack's territory now, full of males who would be affected by her. She knew Vitor wouldn't tolerate that. Lyn sighed a bit.

"Just tell me what we get out of it," Lyndis repeated. Geoffrey glanced over at Marius.

"A year's stay, free and clear. We'd have no obligations to fulfill, no repayments are expected. We can keep to ourselves, under their protection." Geoffrey said.

Lyndis was quiet for a moment as she let that settle in her mind. That was more than any other pack they'd stayed with would ever dream of allowing. Her mother was pregnant; they couldn't risk letting her give birth on the road again. When Marion had Andre and Adalyn, and her aunt had Sophie, it was nearly disastrous for them.

"What about-" Lyndis began.

"We can visit, he's allotted us three weeks a year." Geoffrey interrupted. He already knew what she was about to ask. Lyndis glanced away again and went silent for a time. She thought it over. A year... they could stay there for a year.

Her pack needed it.

"What if I say no?" Lyndis asked just to make sure she checked every angle. Geoffrey took a slow breath.

"Then we leave immediately. And quietly at that, this isn't an Alpha who is used to having his offers declined." Geoffrey said seriously. Lyn frowned.

"This is up to you sweetheart... though this may be our best chance of getting you a mate of good breeding. But if this isn't something you want, then we leave now." Geoffrey said. They were already packing their cars to move to the new cottage; it wouldn't be too hard to just keep going. Lyn glanced away from him again as she tried to think.

"Does mom know?" Lyndis asked after a long silence. She studied her father's expression. Geoffrey tightened his jaw, and she knew instantly by the look on his face that she didn't.

"Dad..." Lyn started, her tone was disbelieving.

"I'm giving her time. She wants nothing to do with me at present. Discussing this with her is just... not an option right now." Geoffrey said.

Lyn sighed and looked away; she hated seeing them like this. It went quiet again, and although she felt both her father and brother's eyes on her, neither one spoke. They were patiently waiting for her to think it over.

Finally, she took a slow breath.

"Okay..." Lyndis said.

"You wouldn't prefer another?" Geoffrey asked her seriously.

"Does it matter?" Lyn said. She was unable to keep a bit of the emotion she was feeling from her tone. She was truly starting to feel the heaviness of the weight of the decision she was making. It was putting pressure in her chest. Geoffrey's expression turned severe.

"I always knew someday I'd have to give you up... but this is not how I wanted it to be. You still have a choice. Gaius is the blonde. I would prefer him for you anyway. He's the fourth son." Geoffrey said. Lyndis emitted a slow breath. Gaius was his name... she hadn't even paid attention to Carina's introductions in all the embarrassment she felt.

"Then yes... I'll take him," Lyndis said. Geoffrey pulled her forward and gently kissed her forehead. Lyndis felt warm tears sting her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. He tugged her fully into his arms then, and Lyndis returned the hug. She savored in his fatherly comfort as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"I love you." Lyndis choked out as she tried to hold back her tears, and failed. His arms tightened around her, and she could tell by his breathing that he was struggling with his own emotion.

"I don't know if I like this..." Marius cut in, his own tone a bit shaky. Lyn glanced over at him with reddened eyes.

"It's my decision, and I made it," Lyn said firmly.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it." Marius shot back. Lyn sighed, and Geoffrey slowly released her.

"Should I talk to mom?" Lyn asked, but she kept her eyes averted.

"No... I'll tell her," Geoffrey said firmly. Lyn just gave a slight nod. Geoffrey tucked some of her dark hair behind her ear and leaned in one more time to plant another gentle kiss against her forehead before he headed off along the pathway that traveled adjacent to the house. Lyn watched him go and frowned.

It was obvious he wanted some time alone.