to talk about it because…” Mila trailed off, remembering how she’d made a total idiot of herself, confessing to Caim that she was in love with him. Her eyes widened. “Is Caim alright?”
Asch had told her the night before that Caim would be okay, but in her relief, she’d never asked him to elaborate. It had been selfish of her, and now she could add ‘selfish’ on to the growing list of reasons why she was going to be a horrible mother.
“He needed a few stitches, but he’s fine,” Brae assured her. “Are you hungry?”
Mila expected the thought of food to make her sick again, but instead, her stomach growled loudly. They both looked down at her waist and laughed.
“ Get dressed. Let’s get you something to eat, and then we’ll talk.”
~~~
Caim leaned over the table, feigning interest in the map. River, Fern, and Lotus crowded in close, listening intently to Asch as he pointed to various marks and summarized the movements of Blackthorn and the areas that would likely be affected, should the military become involved. The small chamber was inordinately crowded, and it irked him that Asch felt the need to involve others in their discussions.
Maps had never appealed to Caim. He was familiar with his territory and the surrounding lands in a way that a scrap of paper could never encapsulate. He knew the forests and the water, he knew where the trees broke into vast stretches of plains, and where those plains abruptly jutted up to form towering mountain ranges. He knew all of the best paths, both over and under those mountains and he knew where each and every one of his dens were, which bluffs were best for scouting the areas, and where the best game could be found. None of this was on a map—a map which was drawn by a human and for all he knew could be equally flawed.
Nonetheless, he humored Asch, peering at the incoherent mess of colors on the glossy paper. As Asch detailed their movements, Caim was going through his own list in his mind, one that would get his pack and his mate as far away from danger as possible. Beyond the mountain range that bordered the valley and past the lake shaped like a foot, was a den, deceptively small and tucked away beneath an obscure outcropping of rocks. If they left tonight and did not stop to rest, they could be there just before nightfall. The area around the smaller den was not as defensible, but it was hidden within miles of thick forest and well beyond the boundaries of any human territory.
Asch drew a line on the map, his arm casting a shadow in the candl elight. “Their primary den was abandoned. They have at least two more that we know of, here and here, and there was no sign of them at either.”
Fern added, “From what we know of their raid patterns, we deduced that their new den must be just north of Gainsville, which says that whoever is leading them is both arrogant and idiotic.”
Caim took a break from his planning to listen to the conversation. From what he had gathered thus far, their closest neighboring pack, Blackthorn, had dissolved after the death of their former alpha. His only living son, Talon, had tried to assume command of the pack, but was too weak to maintain order. Many of the members of the pack were transplants from a recent merger, and they rebelled against the young alpha, driving him out of his territory, presumably.
“Do we know how many there are?” Caim asked. Everyone at the table glanced over at him, seemingly surprised by his participation.
“Hard to say,” River said, scratching his bearded chin. “They had at least twenty members before the merger. I’d imagine they have almost twice that, provided they didn’t split.”
“I doubt they would divide their pack in winter,” said Caim absently. His mind was already moving on to the next matter at hand.
“We can go back,” said Asch. “Do a more thorough scouting of the area. If they have divided, we
Asch had told her the night before that Caim would be okay, but in her relief, she’d never asked him to elaborate. It had been selfish of her, and now she could add ‘selfish’ on to the growing list of reasons why she was going to be a horrible mother.
“He needed a few stitches, but he’s fine,” Brae assured her. “Are you hungry?”
Mila expected the thought of food to make her sick again, but instead, her stomach growled loudly. They both looked down at her waist and laughed.
“ Get dressed. Let’s get you something to eat, and then we’ll talk.”
~~~
Caim leaned over the table, feigning interest in the map. River, Fern, and Lotus crowded in close, listening intently to Asch as he pointed to various marks and summarized the movements of Blackthorn and the areas that would likely be affected, should the military become involved. The small chamber was inordinately crowded, and it irked him that Asch felt the need to involve others in their discussions.
Maps had never appealed to Caim. He was familiar with his territory and the surrounding lands in a way that a scrap of paper could never encapsulate. He knew the forests and the water, he knew where the trees broke into vast stretches of plains, and where those plains abruptly jutted up to form towering mountain ranges. He knew all of the best paths, both over and under those mountains and he knew where each and every one of his dens were, which bluffs were best for scouting the areas, and where the best game could be found. None of this was on a map—a map which was drawn by a human and for all he knew could be equally flawed.
Nonetheless, he humored Asch, peering at the incoherent mess of colors on the glossy paper. As Asch detailed their movements, Caim was going through his own list in his mind, one that would get his pack and his mate as far away from danger as possible. Beyond the mountain range that bordered the valley and past the lake shaped like a foot, was a den, deceptively small and tucked away beneath an obscure outcropping of rocks. If they left tonight and did not stop to rest, they could be there just before nightfall. The area around the smaller den was not as defensible, but it was hidden within miles of thick forest and well beyond the boundaries of any human territory.
Asch drew a line on the map, his arm casting a shadow in the candl elight. “Their primary den was abandoned. They have at least two more that we know of, here and here, and there was no sign of them at either.”
Fern added, “From what we know of their raid patterns, we deduced that their new den must be just north of Gainsville, which says that whoever is leading them is both arrogant and idiotic.”
Caim took a break from his planning to listen to the conversation. From what he had gathered thus far, their closest neighboring pack, Blackthorn, had dissolved after the death of their former alpha. His only living son, Talon, had tried to assume command of the pack, but was too weak to maintain order. Many of the members of the pack were transplants from a recent merger, and they rebelled against the young alpha, driving him out of his territory, presumably.
“Do we know how many there are?” Caim asked. Everyone at the table glanced over at him, seemingly surprised by his participation.
“Hard to say,” River said, scratching his bearded chin. “They had at least twenty members before the merger. I’d imagine they have almost twice that, provided they didn’t split.”
“I doubt they would divide their pack in winter,” said Caim absently. His mind was already moving on to the next matter at hand.
“We can go back,” said Asch. “Do a more thorough scouting of the area. If they have divided, we
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