Page 11 of Lost and Pound

“The shoes are a little big,” Kenny said, wiggling his feet as the glittered things caught the light.

“You’ll grow into them, and they’ll last longer. Wear an extra pair of socks in the meantime.” Shilo ruffled Kenny’s hair and shuffled over to the table with the cake to pop the plastic lid off the pink confection.

“Whoa! Kenny got a meat cake!” A little beta boy with mousy-brown hair that stuck up at all angles ran up, blue eyes bright and wide.

Cheers for the meat cake ran about as Hannah cut a prime slice for Kenny and doled out slices to everyone as they made a line. I stood back and waited, unsure of when I should go, but Shilo solved that for me. When he approached with a slice of cake on a plate, I settled.

Strawberry cake, cherry frosting, and I was relatively certain a raspberry filling. So much pink, but it did have a meat-like appearance-ish. I took a bite and exhaled sharply, overwhelmed by the flavors. “This is a lot.”

“Yep, but it’s what Kenny wanted.” Shilo took a bite and grinned, pink staining his teeth.

“Party pup gets what he wants!” One of the kids ran by, pink streaked over his face as an adult chased them with a napkin.

I chuckled, snorting as I held a plastic forkful of the pink abomination. But it seemed like the kid’s parent wasn’t the only one looking out for stray icing. I jumped when Shilo leaned into my space and brought a napkin up to my chin, gently wiping with such a slow and gentle motion. “There we go. All clean.”

When the evening progressed and the party games ran thin while Kenny broke in his new toys, the adults with kids coaxed the kids into rounding up for a run through the neighborhood. Under the dim light of the full moon coming out, they’d grow tired and be easier to put to bed.

As for the adults?

Full moons were sacred.

“You’ve been wolfed out for far too long. If you don’t want to run, want to make an excuse and head back home?” Shilo offered me a hand, and I took it.

“But you need to run with your pack and—”

He held up a hand and grinned. “I wouldn’t mind sitting at home and watching TV just this once.”

“What if I want to run, too? I’ve been cooped up.” Besides, the sugar from the cake coursing through me hadn’t had real food to balance it out in a while.

“Then feel free to join us.” He wrapped his arms around his waist, crossed as he grabbed the hem of his shirt. Lifting, his chest blossomed before me and if I wasn’t smitten before, I was then. That heat returned to my cheeks with a vengeance.His eyes drifted down my frame. “May want to step around the corner to shift. Ahem?”

The traitorous erection I sported warranted me tugging on my shirt discreetly. “Fair enough.”

Wolves held no qualms with our bodies, nor attraction. It was natural, and as an alpha, it was only instinct that I be attracted to him in that way. I’d been aroused by Branden the first time I met him, our wolves crossing paths as our fathers bartered blood. This was different though. Shilo had stronger blood and was so much larger than other alphas I’d sniffed out. Far more tanned and tattooed over his chest with a pack marking I’d never seen before.

Wanting to match his energy, I slipped away with a polite cough, going around the corner of the building to stash my clothes some place safe and shift into my wolf. Then, on four feet, the world blossomed into view of evening colors, sepia tones spreading as light became easier to see. Smells bloomed around me, the scent of cake and pups all around me. Above that, though? Thick, bestial alpha. I inhaled deeply and strode forward, my breath catching as I made eye contact with my alpha’s dark eyes, which had gone more silvery, his coat a striking brown black and light-gray saddleback, indicating that he too may have had some arctic blood in him. I couldn’t tell by scent alone.

He stepped forward toward me, making my tail involuntarily wag in a submissive gesture, ceding to my alpha.My alpha.The thought gave me pause. I didn’t know if I viewed him as my keeper orminein the visceral sense.

Beautiful.The word rang through my head as I stared Shilo down. Not my own.

My ears twitched, and I matched his step, dismissing the word as an intrusive thought.

My omega. I must keep. Earn trust.That thought was not my own, I was certain.

I tilted my head. Thinking, my mind buzzed with his presence.Your omega?

The stern set of his eyes widened, tail lifting.You hear me?

I nodded, dipping my head once. I didn’t feel like addressing his declaration of ownership, for alpha wolves could have one-track minds, couldn’t they? A thought ofminecould mean anything.I believe so.

His tail wagged madly as he approached, stroking his side along my body, an exchange of scent as if I were already pack. He’d shown me sigma magic earlier, taking my collar off. My father had never spoken to me like that before, nor had our pack’s sigma.You will stay. I will treat you well when you are ready.

I leaned into his scenting and rubbed my muzzle into the ruff of his fur. His scent, sharp and leafy, like fall and the first pounce into a fresh leaf pile, enraptured me. I curled my tail, careful of scenting him, as an omega did not mark an alpha as an alpha marked those they protected. To my surprise, he didn’t hesitate to lean into me, forcing my scent onto him with a groan of appreciation.

And in the way of playfulness, the instinct of wolves told me he was safe, and not only safe but trustworthy and playful. So, in testing it, I glided against him again, nipping at his ear playfully, earning a yip and playful growl in response, mouthing at him happily.

He whipped around and nosed at me until he tripped me up, licking at my face.Say you will stay.

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