Page 100 of Ascendant Moon
In the three weeks since their arrival, the Sunrise Pack had more than doubled in size. The first addition was Dante’s mate Sakari Nez—recently turned and claimed, and now learning the role of Alpha Mate under the tutelage of Dante’s mother, Elena. The Navarros had come for an extended stay to help where needed, deliver personal belongings, and bring Sergio’s new bodyguards, Esteban and Manuel. Both men had been hand-picked by President Cruz to protect the new pack’s True Elder, and arrived with their mates and young children.
The sudden growth only exacerbated the shortage of housing on the ranch, and Dante’s parents took on the task while the others learned how to run the business. Since building from scratch would take too long, the Mexican and American Councils provided funds for manufactured housing. Similar to what Gladstone had done, they created a small village as a starting place. Instead of being crammed into the main house and three tiny cabins, everyone would soon have their own home to enjoy. Future plans called for traditional structures using Ben Blair’s beautiful designs, and the manufactured homes would then be used as guest housing.
As to the business side of things, Sakari had paired each of the new owners with a current employee so they could learn the ropes. While Angora goats and Churro sheep coexisted well, each had their own needs regarding diet, health, and shelter. It also took some time for the animals to trust their new shifter owners, since the scent of predators made them nervous. As a whole, the transition went smoothly, despite Sergio’s need to erase a few memories. They’d been very careful not to shiftwhile the human employees were around, but growls, copious amounts of sniffing, and an occasional glimpse of amber eyes had to be deleted.
Since Gray had far less to learn, he’d been on the road visiting current customers and collecting ideas for expanding their brand. Once the new Rancho Lobo sign went up (a wolf’s paw print superimposed on a silvery moon), he used the same design for their website, business cards, and letterhead. He and Sakari sometimes went together, since she was familiar with most of their contacts, customers, and suppliers. They had returned from these trips energized by growth possibilities and excited to introduce new products.
Evenings at the ranch tended to be more relaxed, especially after the human employees had gone home for the day. Since the pack didn’t have a central gathering place yet, everyone ate at the main house. They’d had to purchase an extra-large dining table with additional leaves to fit everyone around it, but communal meals, like organized runs, were important for pack unity and socialization. The Navarros reflected on the group as they ate, particularly impressed with the changes in Dante, Sergio, and Nick.
Leading his own pack and finding a mate had transformed their son into a strong, caring leader with a purpose. This was what he was born to do, and they recalled how frustrated, lonely, and miserable he’d been in León. Based on current observations, Dante had found the right balance of leadership and sensitivity that made for an ideal Alpha. He’d make his share of mistakes and experience growing pains, but they were proud of the man their son was becoming.
Sergio had been the most quiet of the trio, though they had always attributed it to being a True Elder. Now, however,it appeared that he’d outgrown his former hesitant self with a healthy measure of self-confidence. Perhaps his training at Gladstone accounted for that, but it looked good on him. It seemed the only thing missing now was a mate, and they both hoped Luna would arrange that soon.
Nicolas, too, was a changed man—more settled and happy. Watching him interact with his mate was a far cry from his profligate youth of constant hook-ups and aimless wandering. The talk of bearing children with Gray wasn’t something they’d ever imagined for the edgy Omega. Obviously, people can and do change, and they were glad that Luna had provided him with a stable, intelligent, thoughtful mate.
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After dark, the group went for a pack run, moving slowly enough that the little ones could keep up. Sakari stayed close to Dante, still a bit uneasy in wolf form, but enjoying her surroundings with enhanced senses. Sergio, on the other hand, wasn’t yet accustomed to running with bodyguards, though he liked Manuel and Esteban. Regardless of his feelings, they took their responsibility seriously while giving Sergio as much freedom as they could without compromising his safety.
Up ahead, Dante suddenly stopped, nose furiously scenting the air. As hoped, he’d picked up the scent of a natural Lobo pack nearby, along with a lone elk foraging in the dark. He led the group to investigate, and they eventually joined the smaller pack to help them catch a meal. Though the chase was great fun, they didn’t need the prey, and left it for their new friends. By then, it was time to return home, enjoy a hearty snack, and head off to bed.
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Gladstone, Saturday afternoon
There was alwayssomethingbeing celebrated at Gladstone, and unless your own residence was large enough to host it, the event usually ended up at the packhouse’s great room. The only other option was for Ben and Evan to open their spacious home, but Nolan decided to put a stop to that. What they needed was a large, easily accessible space for birthdays and other gatherings that didn’t involve invading the Blair’s living room or rearranging all of the packhouse furniture.
The solution he’d come up with was both simple and long overdue. The fitness area normally received little use, so Nolan put all the machines in storage and converted the space into a party room. One section was done up with comfy furniture, soft carpet, and a homey feel. The rest of the space was wide open for tables and chairs, dancing, or simple mingling, with an easy to clean floor. The far wall boasted a kitchenette with a long countertop for food lines, gifts, or whatever the occasion called for.
Today’s grand opening was to celebrate a couple of milestones in the Calhoun household. Roman’s outfitter business,Field and Trek, had just begun offering trail guide services for the lower half of the Hiawatha National Forest. The new service complimented his retail store, and the response had been very positive thus far. He was already looking into hiring at least one full-time person to lead year-round hikes and outings.
The other exciting event was the completion of Lance’s education degree, leading to his new job as the American Shifter Council’s national curriculum director. Small packs across the nation were begging for help in educating their children, and Lance would be developing a shifter-based curriculumthat satisfied GED requirements, along with creating teaching modules and resources that anyone could use.
The party was an open house affair, with people wandering in and out to offer congratulations, chat for a while, and have some finger food. As usual, the triplets were passed from person to person while their daddies talked to people. At five and a half months, they were almost ready to start walking, talking, and shifting on their own. Since Lance had managed it with six Blair children, he figured handling three would be easier—especially with a mate to help him. Of course, no one had ever raised three True Elder pups simultaneously, so all bets were off.
Ben and Evan were among the first to arrive, admiring the new party space and giving both men hugs. Evan jumped right in with sincere words for Lance.
“We’re both proud of what you’ve accomplished. You’re going to be helping so many people who don’t have the experience or resources they need, and we can’t wait to see how the materials turn out.”
Ben added a related tidbit.
“I was talking to Seth the other day, and the Seney pack volunteered to look over the rough version of the curriculum and provide feedback.”
That got Lance’s attention.
“You know, that would be very helpful. I wonder if I could get somebody at Cooks to do the same?”
Ben nodded.
“I need to talk to Alpha Frazier anyway, so I’ll ask him. They’ve been running their own school for a long time, with years of experience to draw from.”
Before anyone interrupted them, Roman revealed some things his father had told him over the phone yesterday.
“Dad told me that the eight families from Timber voted to merge with Seney. Apparently, they’ve put the property up for sale and plan to move as soon as their new homes are built in the spring. It’s exciting to see the pack growing again.
“He also mentioned that Leland will be traveling to North Carolina after Finn delivers his pups. He’s going to meet an old red wolf shifter that the team found. Personally, I don’t see how that will change anything unless there’s a bunch of them hiding down there. Leland has high hopes, but it doesn’t look good.”
Ben said nothing about his idea of turning humans to rebuild the population, but it would only work if Leland found the right types of shifters. Evan spoke up, knowing Ben couldn’t talk about it openly.
