Page 32 of Stargazer

The other shifters had their own dwellings, though the pack house was a central hub they all used.

Only one elder sat in on these meetings now. A quiet and wise older man named Tanner, who was seated close to us at the end of the table. Tanner had his own place on the edge of the property, a small little cabin perfect for one. Even so, he took on the unofficial role of grandfather to River and was technically the figurehead of the house for all official and legal purposes—so it didn’t look like a twenty-two-year-old lived here alone with his friends.

I guess that's how they never managed to get caught as a pack, because unlike others, they all lived separately yet in close proximity, coming together as one as frequently as needed. It made it harder to spot, unlike a frat house in the woods on the border of the town. That would have definitely caused some interest and talk amongst the townspeople.

Tanner side-eyed me a few times, even though his face remained neutral. Come to think about it, he’d always been hesitant around me. Passive, but not necessarily friendly. I wondered now if it was because he knew I was a Stone; a Gray Knights legacy. As an older member of the pack, that probably meant something to him, and although he never said anything to me, I was willing to bet that he was likely never happy to have me around and would have made that known to River.

I wondered how Riv justified it to him—to any of the wolves for that matter—to let a supernatural hunter in, even if she herself wasn’t aware of it. But River’s dad was the Alpha at that time and had somehow accepted me. What he said, went. There would have been little grounds to argue, even if they weren’t happy about it.

I wondered how much any of them really knew about me. If River had filled them in on the nitty gritty details of our separation.

I’m sure they put together the Knight part, if he didn’t already explicitly tell them.

While a few of them seemed surprised to see me again, especially at a pack meeting, none of them seemed shocked that I was here as a Knight. So he must have told them something. Probably that I’d left to join the Knights on my mother’s request, or something along those lines.

I’d have to ask him about it later.

Nevertheless, they all welcomed me to the meeting with various “Hellos”, and while some of them seemed a little more cautious around me than they used to be, I wasn’t met with any harsh words. Again, likely River’s doing.

It was odd. I had grown up with these shifters. Hung around them before, during and after school because of my relationship with their Alpha. It had made us friends and brought us close. I’d never felt like they’d treated me differently—apart from not sharing specific pack business. So I had no way to know how much they actually knew about me growing up. And sitting here now with that running through my mind, and many of them sneaking glances my way, was a weird situation indeed.

I completely understood their curiosity and possible concerns. It was just odd to be back here and feel so normal yet be in completely different circumstances.

I had seen a few of the pack members over the past couple of days, but this was the first time I’d seen them again as a whole group; the last time being that eventful pack run night. It was also my first time in one of their meetings, since I’d never been invited to one when I was just a human who didn’t need to worry about any of their issues.

I took them in from my spot at the table, Griffin quietly observing everything from his place beside me. Even as he leaned back in his chair feigning boredom, I knew he was acutely aware of our surroundings and mentally strategizing and cataloguing—from the number of wolves and their dynamics, to their tells and possible weaknesses, and finally potential escape routes if things went south for us.

Beside Zander sat Dalton and Koda Maddox. Brothers, and the sentinels of the pack, they both had the same fair skin that tanned easily, lush brown hair and brown eyes. Both were also tall and domineering in stature, making them the perfect guards. Dalton was older and slightly broader, but Koda was that little bit taller; an occurrence that seemed to be the case for most younger siblings in my experience. He had leaner muscles and a more athletic build.

Only a year apart, the older of the two had deeper, dark eyes and chocolate brown hair that was cropped slightly shorter, while the younger brother’s eyes were a chestnut colour that matched his slightly lighter and longer hair. Their wolves took on the variations of brown in their fur.

They were a good-looking pair—as humans—and had no shortage of admirers when we were in school. Girls and boys alike fawned over them, and they lapped it up with their golden retriever energy.

Dalton was a bit more serious than his playful younger brother, but when they were together they had two moods: mischievously spirited or incessantly bickering, usually because Koda was too carefree.

Given their role, these two lived close to the edge of the border where they could best perform their duties. Although, that didn’t mean they weren’t around a lot. They were a frequent source of entertainment for us, especially when they were in Zander’s presence.

On Koda’s right was Aubrey—Axel’s preppy mate, who was officially an Eta now—followed by Raven; an edgy looking girl with short blue-black hair, pale skin and blue eyes. Also one of Skylar’s Eta warriors, Raven was a fiercer wolf than some of the others in the pack and definitely more guarded, but still surprisingly friendly when you got to know her. She was one of the few members that had wandered here from another pack not long ago and sought out River. He took her in with open arms, as he would anyone that needed a home or family.

As such, she dedicated her fierceness to being loyal to him. Looking at her now, she kind of reminded me of a Knight with her rough demeanour and assortment of piercings. I’d seen her in her dark grey wolf form and had no idea where things like piercings went, but I guessed they disappeared with the magic of it all and returned when the human did—perhaps because they were essentially part of the body itself.

The wonders and complexities of the wolf shifters still stunned and awed me.

Opposite Raven was Tanner, followed by Sage, Bear, Blaze and then Axel and Skylar.

Sage was the Healer of the group, an earthy blonde with long golden hair and forest green eyes. The soft-natured, Zen female had hair that always looked like a mermaid’s, with small plaits scattered throughout the gorgeous waves. She always wore multiple beaded bracelets and an array of necklaces and crystals, with many whimsical gold piercings along her ears. She was drop-dead gorgeous, like all wolves, but had this earthy and ethereal nature to her, and was in charge of fostering healing in the wolves, tending to injuries with various natural remedies and tinctures passed down through generations of shifters.

She lived in town, in a cute little bohemian-style crystal and plant store that had a studio apartment in the back. I’d been there a few times and her home was the coolest place I’d seen, with an eclectic array of rugs, cushions and furniture, as well as an abundance of greenery.

Bear and Blaze were mates. Bear—not to be confused as anything other than a wolf—was the Hunter of the pack. Still considered a warrior, he was fierce and grumpy and largely resembled a young Henry Cavill: tall, broadly built with bulging muscles, strong facial features, a scruffy beard, blue eyes and wavy dark hair that curled slightly at the back of his neck. Given that he seemed utterly massive, he was actually similar in size to Zander—a true testament to the Beta’s stature—but Bear had more of an ‘all-work-and-no-play’ vibe that made him more intimidating and less approachable. I’d known him for years and was still weary of him.

Even though he looked more like Henry Cavill in Man of Steel—before he shaved—his personality was very much that of the Witcher, often responding in grunts and annoyed grumbles. He was a man of few words and did indeed remind me of a bear.

I had no idea what his actual name was. For all intents and purposes it actually was Bear, even though I was almost certain it was a just nickname. Almost.

His counterpart, Blaze, was his perfect opposite and bought out the soft side in him. Unlike her mate, Blaze was indeed her birth name. A fucking cool name for a fucking cool girl. Bold and sweet and caring and humble, she just had this energy about her. She was tall, yet appeared short compared to her mate, with lengthy limbs, tawny skin and dark almond eyes. Her naturally auburn hair was always dyed a fiery, copper orange, so striking you could spot her from a mile away. And yet, even with the bountiful energy, she seemed to have this ability to chose to fade into the background—unless she wanted to be seen or heard.

Her family was always close to Rivers, and as such, they grew up as good friends. Blaze’s mother was one of the wolves that lived in town, and she had two other younger daughters that carried the wolf gene. The older of the two, I’d been told, had just shifted for the first time during my absence.

---