Page 82 of Harvest Moon

Alpha Grove was frowning, but if he couldn’t see what was wrong here, I’d make him see.

“All the food grown on the Hill farm would be sent out elsewhere, or shipped back from that plant. All the food coming into Grovetown would be from other farms, just like this one, across the country. You ever eaten an egg fresh from the coop?”

Linden nodded. Claudia put her hands on her hips. “No?”

“Or free range and organic,” I supplied. “You know what I mean. The yolks are all rich and yellow. The eggs are fluffier. Taste better.”

“They do,” Linden agreed.

I nodded stiffly, stepping forward. Alexis let me go—not alone, but to stand on my own two feet while he backed me up.

“You compare those to the kind you get at the store—I’m talking the cheap kind in the Styrofoam containers. It’s that. That’s the difference. Sure, they’re both eggs, but one’s better. Tastes better. Is better for the land. Is better for the animals. And we’re wolves. Our metabolism is fast. We’ve got to fuel runs and the shift. Our pack’ll be better suited to that if we’re eating good, fresh, local food. Not whatever dated, preservative-filled shit Sterling ships back to us when they’re done injecting it full of dyes. At the farm, we can provide something better. I just need time and your trust.”

Linden Grove was scowling at me, and Mrs. Claudia was wearing the strangest smile.

“Our pack, huh?” Her eyes glittered as she grinned my way.

I swallowed hard. “Well... yeah.”

Linden had given me a place in the pack, given me his support in front of Alexis’s family.

“Just making sure,” Claudia sang.

“You can. You can be sure. It’s what I want—to take care of that farm and provide for your pack. Our pack.”

Neither one of them said a damn word, and like they went off on cue, the sprayers started going again. The smell was harsh, ammoniac and sharp.

I flinched. One whiff of this should’ve made my case for me. But no one got a chance to say another word before Claudia, her hand instinctively covering her stomach, went pale.

She sucked in a rattling breath and started coughing. Linden caught her when she swayed on her feet, and Lex rushed past to touch her face.

“Claudia!” His voice was high and frantic. “Claud!”

“We need to get back to the house. Now.” Linden scooped her up in his arms and turned back to the Mena’s land. Alexis scurried after them, but I hung back—

Hung back and stared at the sprayers, which had stopped going off as we walked up, and started right back up again there at the end of what I had to say. Whatever they were putting on the crops, Claudia had some kind of reaction to it, and the last thing Grovetown needed was something that was going to make wolves sick, right there on their doorstep.

49

Alexis

Linden carried Claudia back to the house, laying her on our ratty old velveteen couch as Dad fussed, bringing a glass of water and a blanket and an extra pillow, and Mom stood back in the doorway to the kitchen wringing her hands.

As new as it was, I’d never been more grateful to have a doctor for my alpha.

The fact that my brain had started thinking of him asmyalpha, and not simply the Grove alpha, was something I’d have to consider more later. At the moment, at least, it felt good. Like there was someone in charge who knew what they were doing.

It felt safe, even in the middle of a crisis.

I sat, holding Claudia’s hand as Linden checked her vitals, and then took out his stethoscope and listened to the baby.

I was so focused on her, in fact, that I almost missed it when Ridge followed us in and went to stand next to my mother, of all people. It was odd enough that it caught my attention, particularly when he leaned in and whispered something to her.

She turned to him in surprise, then her brows furrowed. She didn’t look angry, though—more confused. Maybe even thoughtful. After a moment, she put a hand to her stomach, rubbing as though it pained her, and nodded to him.

Her voice was a little louder than his, so I heard her when she answered. “I have. Not all the time, but once in a while, just... not right. Queasy, or headachey, or tired.”

Ridge nodded, then turned to me, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was a million miles away, figuring out a puzzle.

---