Page 14 of Into the Grasslands

There were a few groans and grumbles, but for the most part the women all agreed. “We also received seeds in the latest shipment, but farming and gardening were never skills I excelled at. Does anyone else know how to maintain the gardens? Lupita was the one who tried to teach me, but we didn’t get much time to work on it before…” I sighed. “We need to plan for a day when these shipments stop coming.”

It was a concern I had the longer I was left on the island. Eventually, the madness would take Aiden and I would be forgotten. His pack would weaken, and even if they remembered I was here, I would no longer be a priority as they all scrambled to deal with a leader who could no longer lead and keep them safe.

Most other packs only sent the tiniest of packages after banishing a wolf to the island. They were supposed to be responsible for the wolves they sent, until they were chosen as a second-chance mate by someone else. Then they became the burden of another pack and supplies from the originating pack could cease. However, some packs, stopped sending supplies long before the women they sent to Mirage Island were claimed or died.

If I ever had the opportunity to leave this forsaken place, I would see to it that the poor treatment of the rejected wolves came to an end. There was no reason why the rejected couldn’t remain with the packs, even if they had to become a part of a pack trade, so that the heartache of seeing their intended mate with someone else wasn’t too much to bear. Better yet, the disloyal mate should be the one to be banished along with their partner in crime. All shifters knew there was a fated out there for them. To be the one who stepped in and caused another to lose their fated should have been criminal, but since our male-dominated packs felt that a man’s choice in mates superseded the God’s decisions, this was the mess they left us with.

“Some of the supplies are gone,” Janella informed after she checked our stores. I hung my head because those supplies were desperately needed to keep all the women on the island fed and clothed properly.

“We’ll think of something,” I suggested. Not only had the rogues stolen some of our supplies, but they took the one woman who knew how to grow just about anything with them. The rest of us would have to figure things out.

“Ladies!” I called out to get everyone’s attention. They all gathered round in a semi-circle facing me. Their faces all mirrored a different emotion back to me, some were desperate, others sad, some were angry, but all of us were exhausted. Those emotions took a lot of energy, especially when they never had ahope of being remedied. One thing that I hadn’t seen the women of the island do since I was brought here was have a pack run. That needed to change. We needed the shift, the togetherness, and the run to sate some of the inner turmoil. Our shifts had the ability to accelerate physical healing, but I had always had a theory that they also helped to aid in our mental health and stability too.

“We’re going to do a pack run.”

“The island is too small for that,” one of the women called out.

I shook my head. “This island is larger than some of the parks the city-dwelling packs have to work with. We are going to shift together, have a run - even if it is in circles around the island - and then we’re going to take a moment to bask in the glory of our four paws. Roll in the damn dirt.” The last bit was an order. “Go jump in the bathing pond and swim. Let your wolves chase the small critters that inhabit the island with us. Play tag.”

“You want us to run around, frolic, and play as our wolves?” Janella asked.

“I sure do. Every moment, since I set foot on this island, has been about survival. What we all need is a little balance. We can’t be strong enough to fight off invading rogues if we don’t know how to act as a pack. I’ll be damned if we lose another woman to those bastards. What’s to stop them from doing more damage next time?”

When no one answered, I made sure to make eye contact with each of the women before saying anything else. “We need to behave as a pack. If we can build a bond, a link between us, we might stand a chance. You know what the packs have that the rogues don’t?”

“Freedom to come and go everywhere,” one of the women answered sarcastically.

“They have the ability to speak to one another while in their shift. Maybe, if we behave as a true pack, we can get there too. Being able to communicate silently would be a gift.”

“Do you really think we can do that?”

“I do, but we need to be a true pack for that to happen, so let’s do this. It’s time to run as a pack.”

I waited to shift until all the other women had done so, then once I fell to all four paws in front of them, I howled out my plea to the sky gods. It was my way of begging them for the one thing that would help to keep us all alive. We needed our pack to be recognized. I continued to howl until every single female wolf on the island joined in the chorus. When the last of us lent her voice to the mix, something incredible happened and a bond snapped into place. I stopped howling and projected a singular thought.

Nika:‘Did it work?’

Janella:‘I can hear you!’My friend’s distinct voice sounded in my mind.

Carlotta:‘Me too.’The widowed wolf added and after her, each woman added to the beautiful sound in turn. We had officially become a pack, and it was glorious.

Chapter 8

Messages

THORIN

“Are we ready to go?”

“You’reready to go,” Warren indicated, though he wouldn’t look me in the eye as he spoke. My beta wasn’t one to defer to my authority in that way unless we were in a formal setting. When his hazel eyes came up to meet my own, he manufactured a grin as well.

“What’s going on?”

“I’m staying behind with the others.”

“You’re unmated.” I wasn’t one to state the obvious, but we needed to get on the road before my wolf decided to run ahead without the rest of the men who were going to Mirage Island with us.

“Yes,” My beta agreed. “So are many of the others who must stay behind this time. I think it’s best if I show them that no favoritism has gone into choosing who goes and who stays.”

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