Page 30 of Ascendant Moon
The whole humiliating episode replayed itself in Gray’s mind as he recalled meeting Jonah at the LRC office. The moment he stepped inside the building, an unusual and arousing scent nearly overwhelmed him. Worse, he discovered that it was coming from Jonah—RJ’s very attractive and intriguing mate. Half hard and staring, Gray felt as though he were on the verge of losing control. He’d never reacted so viscerally to another person before, man or woman, and certainly not to someone who was already mated and married!
A hasty tour of the building followed with Jonah and RJ exchanging concerned looks while Gray’s focus remained onthe winsome Omega. While Jonah was supposed to have joined them for lunch, Gray quickly found himself outside with only RJ by his side. The fresh air must have finally cleared his head, and he offered an awkward apology for his behavior. RJ dismissed it by saying that Omegas got that reaction all the time.
Gray shook off the confusing memory and responded to Evan’s comment.
“I don’t understand what happened. Are you sure they weren’t offended?”
Evan smiled and shook his head.
“Humans often respond that way to an Omega’s scent. You might be particularly sensitive to it, but Jonah wasn’t offended at all. Is it a problem that you found another man attractive?”
True Elders certainly didn’t pull any punches, and Gray internally winced at the intimate nature of the question. Since Evan would know if he was lying, there was no point in being evasive.
“Yes. I didn’t expect that, and it was so strong! The Diné don’t openly discriminate, but there aren’t that many gay tribal members, and I never thought much about it. I don’t know what my mother or grandfather would say if I… if I was with a man.”
Though Luna hadn’t revealed anything to him about Gray, Evan sensed that this was an important moment and selected his words carefully.
“Maybe this visit to Gladstone includes learning something about yourself. Sometimes it’s easier to do that when you’re not at home among familiar surroundings. Being true to yourself is more important than what others think, though I suspect Walterwould love and support you no matter what. I’m sure your family just wants you to be happy.”
Evan’s words gave Gray something to think about while they watched the little ones play. He’d never known anything other than his own people and way of life. Coming to Gladstone had opened the door to another world, along with options he hadn’t seriously considered.
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Saturday around noon, Chihuahua
The roughly two-hour flight from León brought Alpha Cruz, Juan Ortega, and Jack’s group of six, to the Full Moon Ranch. Tired of being cooped up, they spent several hours in wolf form—running, exploring, and chasing prey. Though they all needed to get out of their human skin for a while, Sergio, Nick, and Dante were desperate to run freely in the sunshine without the worry of being seen. They were like pups again, chasing each other with excited yips, exploring the dry mountainous terrain, and howling for no apparent reason.
They found the unfamiliar scents of cattle and horses both intriguing and distracting. While their noses told them where they were on the expansive ranch, they were warned not to get too close, lest they panic the animals. Once they’d burned off some excess energy, Alpha Cruz left them in Juan’s care to attend to pack business and prepare for his guests.
Those with reliable vehicles chose to travel caravan style and were expected to arrive somewhere around eight o’clock in the evening. The larger groups on the buses weren’t expected until midnight or after. All would need a hot meal, shower, and a place to sleep for the night. On Sunday, those not staying at the ranch would be picked up by their hosts from other area packs andsettled in their temporary homes. Fortunately, Cruz’s Second had everything arranged, from food prep to bedding and clean towels.
After supper, Jack’s group repacked their bags with supplies and freshly laundered clothing, and met together to discuss tomorrow’s clandestine flight to Michigan. Thanks to shared teaching dreams during this morning’s flight, Sergio was already aware of how things were supposed to go. Nick and Dante, however, needed to be brought up to speed, and Jack told them what he could.
“Even Alpha Sheppard does not personally know our benefactor, though they have worked together before on other projects. We are encouraged to enjoy the trip but not to ask questions. I am told the flight will be quite comfortable, and it will take us directly from Chihuahua to Escanaba. Once we land, we will be picked up and taken to Gladstone.
“I spoke to Ben earlier, and each of you will be assigned quarters for the duration of your visit. While I will be sharing teaching dreams with Sergio every day, Ben intends to mentor Dante, and Jonah, our pack Omega, is eager to share his insights with Nick. During your off time, there will be many opportunities to interact with our people, explore packlands, and visit the town.”
Given the unusual travel arrangements, both Shane and Milo were uneasy about their ability to protect Jack and Sergio. Apparently, Dante shared their concern, and Jack sought to reassure them.
“Both Sergio and I will monitor those around us and alert you to any danger. We will, of course, intervene if something goes wrong, though I have every confidence in Alpha Sheppard’s arrangements. If your help is needed, Dante, follow Shane andMilo’s instructions. You forget, gentlemen, that Luna’s dreams have already shown us safe at Gladstone, and I do not anticipate any hidden danger or difficulties. I encourage all of you to relax and get a good night’s sleep.”
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Sunday morning, August 28th
A nondescript passenger van approached the drop-off lanes at the Chihuahua International Airport. Instead of following the road to the left, the van made a hard right and stopped at a security gate that led to the private and business aircraft hangars. A steady hand reached out of the open driver’s side window and punched an eight-digit code into the keypad. The reinforced gate rolled to the side, allowing the vehicle to pass and then rumbled closed behind them.
Three buildings down on the left was a row of parking spaces for an air cargo company. The last space, as they were told to expect, contained a dark blue van that had backed in. Tomás, one of Alpha Cruz’s most trusted enforcers, pulled in beside it, leaving barely twelve inches between the vehicles. Both sliding doors opened at the same time, leaving Jack face to face with a long-haired, bearded human wearing dark glasses and an I.D. badge inscribed with “SmithAeronautics.” As instructed, Jack waited for him to speak.
“Buen día. ¿Qué tipo de carga tienes?”(Good morning. What kind of cargo do you have?)
“Sólo seis para la boda de Martínez.”(Only six for the Martinez wedding.)
Despite the silly code phrases, the bearded fellow nodded his head and greeted Jack by name.
“Good morning, Jack. Pass the luggage over first and then yourselves one at a time. Move quickly, please.”
As they did so, Jack probed the man’s mind, as well as the silent driver up front, and found nothing of concern. So far, everything was exactly as he was told it would be. Jack opened the mind-link, assuring Sergio and Hector (who’d insisted on coming along) that it was safe to proceed. Hector left them with a final message.
