Page 22 of Ascendant Moon
All of the young or inexperienced were paired with adults who were proficient at Afterworld visits, and included Colton with Evan, Kallik with Everet, and Wilder with Leland. When everyone was comfortable, the group joined hands so they could enter and exit the Afterworld as a group. Jack used the special phrase to call their departed brothers, and the heavy mists parted to reveal the same sunlit valley, filled with True Elders from days gone by. Jack had privately encouraged the adults to make as many personal connections as possible while they were here. In the future, they could meet with those men one-on-one for deeper sharing or long-term friendships.
The newcomers, especially the youngest, were soon surrounded by those who most appreciated their previous visit. Given their excellent memories, names and faces would never be forgotten, though interaction was required to become acquainted. There were, of course, many in the Afterworld who preferred to spend their time exploring the new meeting place, rather than mingling with the living. Those who had been here the longest tended to remain the most withdrawn; separated from their brothers by antiquated language and social customs.
Virgil Grant and Kallik were making the rounds, as nearly everyone wanted to meet the only Inuit True Elder (or shifter) they’d ever met. Full of questions, the boy was intrigued by the Afterworld and the seemingly countless number of True Elders who lived here. Virgil would, of course, recall the people and conversations as they interacted with others. That way, he couldfind answers to his son’s questions and perhaps suggest more time together with newfound friends during a future visit.
In a search for others like him, Leland discovered an entire group of red wolf brothers, and pumped them for information about the last packs to survive the great purge. Wilder remained by his side, listening and learning with each conversation. Leland didn’t often talk about his early life and isolation, but even Wilder could see how important it was to gather facts that couldn’t be acquired anywhere else. For Leland, it was both personal and practical, since they were actively searching for any red wolf shifters who might still be in hiding.
Juan Ortega naturally sought out the Lobo brothers among them, hoping to learn more about the origins of the lost pack. At length, he found a man named Mateo Diaz who happily shared his role as one of the original members of the pack that eventually reached León. He’d been a young man at the time, and the only member of his family to survive the Lobo purge. When Juan asked if he’d known Teresa Lopez Delgado, Mateo’s scent changed to one of fondness and regret.
“Oh, yes. I wanted her as my mate, but she had already set her sights on another. Teresa was liked by everyone, and well into her eighties when I died in 1933. How do you know of her?”
Juan had opened the mind-link with Jack before Mateo finished speaking, asking him to come. By the time he’d explained that Teresa’s sister, Juana, was Jack’s mother, his mentor had joined them. Jack carried enough of the family scent to surprise Diaz, and Juan introduced them.
“Jack, this is Mateo Diaz. He was part of the lost pack and knew your Aunt Teresa. I thought you might want to exchange memories.”
They did, indeed, and Jack gained a more complete and detailed picture of a woman he’d only heard about as a child. Jack and Juan explained their upcoming mission to León, and asked Mateo to introduce them to anyone else here that knew of the lost pack. Even if the information was out of date, it might contain valuable clues to aid them in understanding the people they would soon be meeting.
Though the brothers in the Afterworld were unaffected by fatigue, those visiting from Missoula eventually had to say goodbye, end the contact, and return to the land of the living. Amid wide yawns from the children, the group went inside, tucked the little ones into bed, and reconvened to exchange memories while they had a chance. Tomorrow, they would be leaving this place and most likely not see one another in person until next year’s meeting.
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Meanwhile, at Eagle River packlands
As he had the night before, Lincoln dreaded reaching the moonlit patch of soft grasses just a short walk from Bruce’s home. Shivering with revulsion and despair, he knew what he faced and what might happen. He wasn’t sure what was worse, becoming pregnant with the sick bastard’s baby or suffering the man’s wrath if he did not. Either way he lost, and his life would never be the same.
They arrived without tender endearments, soft words, or any indication from Bruce that this heinous act was anything close to what Luna intended for a Change Mate ceremony. Instead, Lincoln received more threats.
“We only have tonight and tomorrow to get you knocked up, so don’t try anything stupid, Hart. Now strip and get my dick ready.”
Lincoln removed the thin T-shirt and pair of shorts he’d been given, and kneeled down to service his captor with a sloppy blow job. Spit wasn’t nearly as effective as lube, but since Bruce hadn’t brought any with him it was better than nothing at all. Though he dare not show it, Lincoln received some measure of satisfaction knowing that Bruce sported an unusually small cock for a shifter his size. Even so, it would hurt when he shoved it in, removing any lingering amusement.
Bruce finally gave a satisfied grunt and ordered Lincoln to turn around and present his ass. He grimaced through the pain of rough penetration, not daring to whimper or complain. In no time, Bruce was sawing in and out with increasing speed, randy growls filling the charged night air. Lincoln, however, was momentarily distracted by a strange new sensation. It felt as if the moon’s beams were passing right through his body, leaving a warmth behind that he’d never experienced before. This hadn’t happened last night, and Lincoln wondered what it meant. Bruce warned him to get ready and then paused his thrusting while they simultaneously shifted to wolf form.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Lincoln’s body transformed around the stubby cock until he realized it was no longer in his ass. Time snapped back to normal as Bruce’s short, jerky wolf thrusts continued until his knot formed and seed filled Lincoln’s new womb. The moonbeams’ pulsing presence felt like a soft caress in an otherwise desolate act of violation, and Lincoln had to force his wolf not to whine or yip in distress. Bruce must have scented his disquiet, and latched onto the thickfur of Lincoln’s neck, roughly pulling him down to the ground, still locked together.
Mere minutes later, an odd tingling began deep inside what Lincoln assumed was his uterus. If so, he was almost certain it meant he’d conceived, and both elation and despair washed over him. Bruce growled ominously and bit Lincoln’s nearest ear, drawing blood and a sharp yip of pain. Soon after, the knot contracted and Bruce’s cock slipped out. Immediately, he shifted to human form and looked down at Lincoln with disgust.
“Let’s find out if it worked this time. Shift, you miserable little shit.”
Lincoln already knew he couldn’t do it, but stood to try anyway. His entire body trembled with the effort as he panted and strained. It was no use. Using a human gesture, he shook his head and sat down to rest for a moment. Arms akimbo, Bruce wore a frightening grin as the truth sank in.
“Well, hot damn, I’m gonna have me a pup! I was thinking maybe this was all a bunch of True Elder bullshit. When Alpha Richmond gets back tomorrow, we’re gonna test this. If you shift when he orders you to, I’ll break your worthless neck, understand? If not, then you’re gonna spend the next three months growing my little one.”
Worried that Lincoln might make a run for it, Bruce scooped up the pregnant Omega wolf and took him back to the house. After feeding him a plate full of warm raw beef, Lincoln was locked in the basement crate for the night as usual, alone with his thoughts. Exhausted and uncertain of his future, Lincoln welcomed sleep—the only place of escape left to him.
Chapter 12
Monday August 23rd, Window Rock, AZ
Gray could hear the muffled sound of a one-way conversation through the bedroom door. He assumed William was on the phone with Jack, since the couple spoke every day. Their devotion to one another was obvious, but especially so in person. Shifters seemed to have very strong bonds with their mates, which made sense if the bond could only be broken by death. Gray knocked softly on the door to deliver his message.
“I apologize for interrupting, but breakfast will be ready in a few minutes.”
“Thank you, my friend. I’ll be there shortly.”
Gray returned to the kitchen to finish preparations and set the table. He’d enjoyed William’s company these past two weeks, engaging him in endless conversations about shifters and their lives. Once he’d learned of their existence, Gray had the distinct impression that knowing about them marked only the beginning of his education, though he wasn’t exactly sure what might follow. After all, his life was here with his people and Jack and William lived seventeen hundred miles away in Michigan.
He'd actually been to Gladstone to pick up artwork created for the museum, but hadn’t seen the packlands. His grandfather had stayed for a visit, but then, he’d already been friends with Jack and William for some time. It sounded like a fascinating place, and one he very much wanted to see. William had told him many stories about the place and his pack, but it wasn’t the same as seeing it for himself.
