Page 103 of Ascendant Moon
Both Jonah and Lincoln were excited to see Alain and Marcel, licking little fingers and sniffing thoroughly until the boys decided to fill their diapers. Their mates were still chuckling as Donna and Lou took them home to take care of business.
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Later that night
As they often did before bed, Scooter read to Lincoln—stretched across his lap on the couch. He really wasn’t much of a reader, but when his mate had asked, he simply couldn’t say no. Lincoln preferred Regency romances, gay or straight, which Scooter knew absolutely nothing about. The language, customs, clothing, and food left him bewildered, and yet he pressed on for his mate’s sake.
Being locked in wolf form had robbed Lincoln of so many enjoyable activities, and Scooter would do anything to keep his man happy. The book he was reading tonight was called “The Duke’s Forbidden Love”—about a rich dude who lusted after his valet. Aside from footwear, one of the first things to come off was something called a cravat. Scooter stopped reading to ask what it was.
“Linc, is that the cloth thing around their neck?”
Lincoln lifted his head to nod and lay back down, top ear twitching.
“Okay. Those people wore a lot of clothes, and it’s no wonder they needed a valet to help them. Honestly, I think the Duke is wasting his time on the guy. I mean, how could you undress a hot man day after day and not get horny? If it were you and me, we’d be burying the bone every night.”
The air suddenly filled with pheromones—a potent mixture of desire and affection that demanded attention. Lincoln whined, jumped down from Scooter’s lap, and stuck his nose right in his mate’s crotch. The man’s hard-on was obvious, and Scooter undressed and shifted to prepare for a bedtime knotting.
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Wednesday, October 20th
By late morning, Bruce had arrived at the Gladstone packlands. Most of the border was shoreline, so he’d been forced to approach from the north. Highway Two seemed to be the cutoff, and he stationed himself on the opposite side to observe the main entrance—complete with a guardhouse and electric gates. These people weren’t fooling around with their security, but they couldn’t maintain this level of caution everywhere. Bruce decided to move farther east, cross the highway, and enter from the far side.
This area didn’t appear to have any homes or activity, giving him a chance to get his bearings. After several minutes of cautious scouting, he picked up a concentration of human scents amid the sounds of hammering and the smell of sawdust. Was this part of the packlands or something else? And what was that noise? He’d heard it twice now, though they weren’t the same. The earlier one was a high-pitched beeping with a repeating pattern.The new one was more like loud clicks interspersed with short whistles.
Whatever they were, the noises stopped just as he reached the edge of a clearing. Something large was being built here, perhaps a campground, and the workers were a mix of human and shifter. Damn! They would scent him or spot him for sure if he didn’t move soon. Based on what his nose told him, the central compound was about two miles to the west of his current position. He’d have to head further south and then curve around to get a better look.
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At the same time…
Ben stood in the security office doorway, watching as Caleb, Doogie, and Oscar monitored their equipment. The intruder had been detected before he ever crossed the border, and given his stealthy approach, they all assumed it was Ballard. He was now heading south and being tracked by a drone. The pack had been alerted and were gathering at the challenge circle as instructed, including Lincoln, Scooter, Evan, and Jack. Eager to see Ballard get his comeuppance, Melva insisted on witnessing the coming conflict, and they let her have her way.
Fortunately, Donna and Erin had returned home from the clinic not long ago, and were preparing medical supplies. As a precaution, the little ones were now gathered at the school and daycare building, surrounded by security personnel. Ben started when the com channel squawked with an abrupt announcement.
“Base, this is red team four. Intruder is heading north toward the central compound. Should reach Black George Creek in twenty minutes at present speed.”
Doogie responded.
“Copy that, red team four. Donotintercept unless he changes direction. The welcome committee will meet him at the creek. All teams, maintain your surveillance of the border until further notice. Acknowledge.”
All ten teams responded in the affirmative, and Doogie turned to Ben.
“Looks like he’s exactly where we want him. We’ll be watching from here, but be careful.”
Oscar stayed with Doogie to help monitor and remain out of sight. If Ballard saw either him or Colton, he’d know it was a trap. Caleb followed Ben out of the building, joined by Nolan, Ash, Garrett, and Tom. One measly Beta was no match for the six of them, though if things went according to plan, Ballard wouldn’t see any need to challenge them. They were going in human form, all friendly and welcoming, ready to close the trap Bruce had already walked into.
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Just as he’d expected, Bruce didn’t encounter a single enforcer as he drew closer to the central compound. Either they were under-manned or dumb as rocks, but either way it allowed him to get close enough to locate Lincoln. Up ahead lay a shallow creek he’d have to cross, but still no sign of anyone and no more of those strange noises. He stopped long enough to get a drink, padded across the creek, and then came up the opposite bank to find six men, including an Alpha, waiting for him.
Since they were in human form and clothed, he wasn’t sure what they wanted. Just as he was about to turn tail and make a run for it, the Alpha raised an open palm in greeting.
“Mister Ballard? Welcome to Gladstone; I’m Alpha Blair. My apologies for not locating you sooner, but we expected you to come in through the main gate.”
Puzzled, Bruce cocked his head. What was going on here? He’d been careful, so how did they know he’d arrived? Why were they being friendly? Blair kept talking.
“Your Omega came to us recently, and was worried about being found. We would have contacted you, but had no idea where you were. If you’ll come this way, Lincoln and some of the pack are waiting for us.”
