him.
The pups peered around their elders, but they wouldn’t break the
line unless allowed to do so by their alpha.
I ducked my head and Koya did the same. Her
hand still held mine and the slight trembling of her fingers was
the only thing that gave her away. When Shadow Runner refused to
step forward, I lifted my head and met his eyes. He gazed back
calmly but with the everlasting stubbornness of the wolf. He
wouldn’t budge.
I was about to give up when Silver Leaf
stepped forward. Shadow Runner growled a nearly silent warning, but
she refused to listen. She kept her head up and ears pricked
forward as she closed the distance between us. Koya’s hand
tightened in mine, but she kept her eyes down and waited. I heard
her breath catch in her throat when Silver Leaf paused only inches
from her.
The wolf who had been my mother looked at
me. I tipped my head toward Koya and gave a short whine. Silver
Leaf sniffed Koya’s golden hair, the fine fabric of her blue wrap,
the silver circlet that held back her hair, and bent her head to
sniff our hands entwined together. She then nipped me on the
shoulder faster than I could move and gave Koya a quick lick on the
cheek before she returned to her mate.
Shadow Runner gave a quiet sniff of
reluctant approval and the pups ran forward to greet Koya. She
laughed when they licked her hands and nipped at her hair. She
smoothed their fur and didn’t mind when they licked her face. Joven
let out a quiet breath and I turned to see him step forward. When
he crouched, the pups ran up to him without preamble and began to
prance around as if they were much younger. Traveler gave a sneeze
that substituted for a laugh and Gull leaned against Silver Leaf
while both sisters watched the younger pups play.
“ They’re not very scary,”
Joven said with a laugh.
“ They’re adorable,” Koya
agreed. She ran a hand down Cricket’s back and the pup licked her
arm happily. Night Seeker and Pond Jumper chased each other around
her while Trace leaned against Joven who scratched the top of his
head as if he was a dog.
It was funny to see the wolves act so docile
and to watch Joven and Koya’s walls break down as the wolves
accepted them. I sat near Silver Leaf and Shadow Runner feeling
more complete than I had for a year. Both wolves gave quiet huffs
of approval and Silver Leaf kept watching me as if reminding
herself that I was really there. I settled back on my elbows
content to feel the comfort of their presence once more.
“ This is what the guards are
afraid of?” Joven asked with a scoff.
A strange scent touched my nose and a growl
ripped from Shadow Runner’s throat. I sat up slowly. A surge of
adrenaline ran through my limbs.
Joven paused in the act of ruffling Pond
Jumper’s fur. Both he and Koya stared at the alpha. “What’s wrong?”
Joven asked quietly.
I stood with my eyes still on the wolf and
my nose searching the breeze. The scent it brought was vile, dark,
and sour like rotten milk and mildewed stinkweed. It turned my
stomach and set my teeth on edge. I searched the forest but
couldn’t see anything unusual.
Shadow Runner and Silver Leaf stalked toward
the tree line. The pups waited near Traveler and Gull like silent
shadows amid the grass. The way the wolves acted let me know that
they had encountered the creatures before. Shadow Runner and Silver
Leaf paced side by side instead of flanking as hunting wolves
usually did. Their ruffs were up and teeth bared, but their snarls
had died away to silence as they neared the trees and waited.
I followed them as I would have done when I
ran with the pack. “Be careful,” Koya called softly behind me.
I peered into the shadows with a hand on
each wolf’s back. Every muscle in my body was tense and ready for
the unknown. The smell grew stronger and a shudder ran down my
spine. I wished I was in wolf form. I had never been able to figure
out fighting without sharp teeth and the agility of a four-footed
animal. A shape moved
The pups peered around their elders, but they wouldn’t break the
line unless allowed to do so by their alpha.
I ducked my head and Koya did the same. Her
hand still held mine and the slight trembling of her fingers was
the only thing that gave her away. When Shadow Runner refused to
step forward, I lifted my head and met his eyes. He gazed back
calmly but with the everlasting stubbornness of the wolf. He
wouldn’t budge.
I was about to give up when Silver Leaf
stepped forward. Shadow Runner growled a nearly silent warning, but
she refused to listen. She kept her head up and ears pricked
forward as she closed the distance between us. Koya’s hand
tightened in mine, but she kept her eyes down and waited. I heard
her breath catch in her throat when Silver Leaf paused only inches
from her.
The wolf who had been my mother looked at
me. I tipped my head toward Koya and gave a short whine. Silver
Leaf sniffed Koya’s golden hair, the fine fabric of her blue wrap,
the silver circlet that held back her hair, and bent her head to
sniff our hands entwined together. She then nipped me on the
shoulder faster than I could move and gave Koya a quick lick on the
cheek before she returned to her mate.
Shadow Runner gave a quiet sniff of
reluctant approval and the pups ran forward to greet Koya. She
laughed when they licked her hands and nipped at her hair. She
smoothed their fur and didn’t mind when they licked her face. Joven
let out a quiet breath and I turned to see him step forward. When
he crouched, the pups ran up to him without preamble and began to
prance around as if they were much younger. Traveler gave a sneeze
that substituted for a laugh and Gull leaned against Silver Leaf
while both sisters watched the younger pups play.
“ They’re not very scary,”
Joven said with a laugh.
“ They’re adorable,” Koya
agreed. She ran a hand down Cricket’s back and the pup licked her
arm happily. Night Seeker and Pond Jumper chased each other around
her while Trace leaned against Joven who scratched the top of his
head as if he was a dog.
It was funny to see the wolves act so docile
and to watch Joven and Koya’s walls break down as the wolves
accepted them. I sat near Silver Leaf and Shadow Runner feeling
more complete than I had for a year. Both wolves gave quiet huffs
of approval and Silver Leaf kept watching me as if reminding
herself that I was really there. I settled back on my elbows
content to feel the comfort of their presence once more.
“ This is what the guards are
afraid of?” Joven asked with a scoff.
A strange scent touched my nose and a growl
ripped from Shadow Runner’s throat. I sat up slowly. A surge of
adrenaline ran through my limbs.
Joven paused in the act of ruffling Pond
Jumper’s fur. Both he and Koya stared at the alpha. “What’s wrong?”
Joven asked quietly.
I stood with my eyes still on the wolf and
my nose searching the breeze. The scent it brought was vile, dark,
and sour like rotten milk and mildewed stinkweed. It turned my
stomach and set my teeth on edge. I searched the forest but
couldn’t see anything unusual.
Shadow Runner and Silver Leaf stalked toward
the tree line. The pups waited near Traveler and Gull like silent
shadows amid the grass. The way the wolves acted let me know that
they had encountered the creatures before. Shadow Runner and Silver
Leaf paced side by side instead of flanking as hunting wolves
usually did. Their ruffs were up and teeth bared, but their snarls
had died away to silence as they neared the trees and waited.
I followed them as I would have done when I
ran with the pack. “Be careful,” Koya called softly behind me.
I peered into the shadows with a hand on
each wolf’s back. Every muscle in my body was tense and ready for
the unknown. The smell grew stronger and a shudder ran down my
spine. I wished I was in wolf form. I had never been able to figure
out fighting without sharp teeth and the agility of a four-footed
animal. A shape moved
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