“Can Henry come with me?” Bracka begged.
“Sure.” I nodded, and Henry took off with Bracka in his human form in the direction of everyone else.
“He loves it here,” I said, staring off at the pair running after the crowd.
Sera wore a longing expression as she, too, stared in that same direction.
“You’re coming, right?”
She nodded on a sigh. “Yeah. I’m on my way.”
Her response should’ve given me some relief, but it didn’t, not totally.
“I’ll be there,” she repeated.
I trusted that she would show up, but as I turned to leave, I wondered if she would remain throughout the entirety of the ceremony.
* * *
Chael
My memory of the first time I stood in this position, under the supermoon, as the new alpha of the Nightwolfs assaulted me. I’d held so much doubt about my ability to lead the next generation of our pack. That misgiving had never quite gone away.
Even as I stood there, watching the rest of my pack approach, talking excitedly, Chance’s words about my quarrel with the Alliance reverberated around my brain. Putting a hold on all of our taxes began to cause problems for our ability to purchase equipment for a few sites. Still, I didn’t trust the Alliance, and I had a feeling they were behind all of the mess with Dr. Pines and the destruction of my Arizona site.
My betas all said they stood behind my decision, but I knew I was working on borrowed time. They would only hold out for so long before they demanded answers. Yet, most of my days, as of late, were consumed with being with Reese. The tug of war between looking out for my pack and spending more time with my mate started to wear on me.
My eyes scanned the incoming crowd for Reese. She’d gone back to the house after stopping over at Sera’s, but I didn’t have time to ask what her long face was about due to needing to prepare for the ceremony.
As alpha, it was my duty to watch over the first shift of the pups in my pack. Whatever Sera and Reese discussed distressed my mate, which didn’t sit well with me. Serafina had a lot to work through, both independently and with her mates. And I was well aware that my cousins were her fated mates.
It still blew my mind that Montgomery was my cousin, and I hadn’t realized it.
There had been a few occasions in which I thought his scent was familiar, but he’d been away from his family for decades, as had I. His scent of his family had faded over the years and I, having not been around them, lost their scent as well. Chance picked up on it, though.
“Your alpha queen is approaching,” my brother told me telepathically.
I turned to find Reese walking with Elsie and a couple of the other older pack members. Reese said something to them with a jerking hand motion, making everyone in the group laugh. She was a sight, having dressed in a long floral dress that Whitnee, our resident seamstress and owner of a dress shop in Santa Fe, made especially for her.
The bright colors of the dress played beautifully against her deep-brown skin, even in the fading daylight hours. I watched as a young girl, Gina, ran over to her, taking her by the hand, begging for Reese to stand next to her. Another girl, Gina’s sister Beth, took Reese’s other hand.
My beautiful mate laughed and let herself be led by the two chattering girls in the direction of the semicircle, where most of the adults and other children stood. A shiver ran down my spine at how regal she looked. How right it felt to have her right there, front and center, to witness this night.
I glanced up at Mother Moon and silently thanked her for creating the perfect mate for me. Reese had a heart of gold, with a spine made of steel. Yet, she still had an innocence that made her incredibly alluring. And a loving spirit that drew people to her, even when she didn’t recognize it. A perfect combination for my alpha queen.
Before the night was over, I would make her mine in every sense of the word.
Minutes later, I stood under the glow of the supermoon, forcing myself to focus on my duty as an alpha. My entire pack, even those from Arizona and the other New Mexican communes, joined us. Before me stood twenty pups, boys, girls, and gender nonconforming, anticipating their first shift. They ranged from nine to twelve years old, the typical ages that our kind started puberty.
My wolf sensed the fear and eagerness of their wolves, all anxious to make their first appearance to the pack.
“Come forward.” I waved them closer with my hand. “This is a transformational night for all of you.” I took the time to look each child in the eyes. “For generations, Mother Moon has gifted our pack with strong and fearless packmates. But most important, a devotion to our pack above all else. On this supermoon night, as your alpha, I vow to watch over you, protect your home and ability to grow and love in prosperity.”
I kneeled on one knee, getting eye level with them. One by one, I looked each of the pups in the eye.
“This I vow to you.” I nodded at each of them. “And you, I need your vow that, in turn, you will do your best to protect, love, and cherish our pack with the same ferocity. We are Nightwolfs, and the Nightwolf pack stands together in all trials and battles. We live together, fight together and thrive together.”
With a wave of my fingers, I beckoned each child forward and placed my forehead against theirs.
