There are a lot of innocent wolves at Thunder Moon that I don’t want to suffer if Dark Moon tries anything.
Caelan squeezed my hand. “Don’t worry. I’ve already mobilized extra patrols along Dark Moon’s borders to keep an eye on their movements. So far nothing has been reported, but I have warriors standing by, just in case.”
“Thank you,” I sighed. “I know you care about what happens to Thunder Moon,” he said. “I promise I’ll do everything I can to help keep them safe.”
Suddenly, Caelan stilled, staring off into the distance. I knew he was receiving a mind-link from someone in the pack, so I waited quietly. His smile dropped, his grip on my hand tightening.
“What happened?” I asked when he glanced at me. “A challenge has been issued.”
A New Kind of Family
SHADE
“Who would bother challenging you for me?” I asked in disbelief.
“Someone who doesn’t believe you deserve to be happy,” hegrowled. I stared.My father is the one who issued the challenge? He’s really going to fight Caelan’s right to mate with me and my right to become luna?I couldn’t believe he’d go this far to stop me from finding happiness.
Challenging the alpha of the pack that was the only thing standing between him and Dark Moon seemed pointlessly reckless.
This has Sunny written all over it. Is she really so desperate to be with Caelan that she’d put all of Thunder Moon at risk to get what she wants?My guess was yes, but why my father would agree to it, I couldn’t understand.
“We need to initiate you into Harvest Moon right away,” he growled, fury making his voice harsher than he probably intended. “As long as you’re a member of Thunder Moon, your father has a say in where you end up. If you’re a part of this pack, then he can’t force you back into servitude.”
I nodded. As a member of Thunder Moon, my father could take me without argument, but if I were initiated into Harvest Moon, then even if for some reason Caelan were to lose the challenge, it would be harder for my father to demand my return to Thunder Moon.
Not impossible, but certainly more difficult.
“Don’t worry, Shade,” he promised. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re my mate, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let anyone take you from me.”
“I know, Caelan,” I replied, gripping his hand between both of mine. “I just can’t believe my father is doing this. I knew hedidn’t like me, but to risk the alliance like this just to stop us from mating? It doesn’t make sense.”
“He’s grown desperate, and desperate wolves make desperate decisions,” Caelan sighed. “He’s convinced himself that the only way for this to work is for me to be with Sunny, and neither of them are willing to let that go.”
“I thought they’d be happy to be rid of me,” I murmured. “I never expected them to try something like this.”
“Which is why we’ll take precautions to ensure we can make it more difficult for them to ever drag you back to that hellhole,” he assured me. “This is a good first step. We’ll initiate you this evening as soon as the moon rises. I’ve already alerted the pack.”
“Today?” I replied. “Do you think that we can get everything together that quickly? I’m not even sure what to wear to something like this.” “Taffy’s taking care of that,” he said. “She’s on her way to the village shops right now to pick out a dress. You’ll need to wear something dark red because that’s the official color of Harvest Moon. She’ll meet you in your room to help you get ready as soon as she gets back.”
“All right. Is there anything that I need to do or that I can help with?” I inquired.
“Not really. All you need to do is show up and look beautiful,” he offered with a wink and a goofy grin. “Which you’re already doing.”
I giggled. I was glad to see this more playful side of him considering everything that was going on.
He was right. We could figure this out together. ***
I stood in my room staring at my extensive wardrobe. What had once been a tiny capsule of about fourteen outfits had grown into a massive collection of clothes.
It seemed silly to me that I needed something new to wear tonight, but as I looked over everything, I realized that Taffy and Caelan were right. Even with all of my additional garments, nothing seemed quite right for such a momentous event.
Being initiated into a new pack was no small thing. It would change a big part of who I was and how I identified myself.
A wolf’s pack meant everything to them. They were your family. And even though Thunder Moon had never treated me particularly well, there was still a small part of me that felt sad about losing that. They were the only pack that I’d ever known.
There was a knock on the door, and Taffy bounded in, full of her infectious energy.
“Today is the day!” she cheered, dress in hand as she danced back and forth. “Are you excited?!”
