Page 41 of Ascendant Moon
“It won’t be easy at first, I suppose, but I’d have Nick, Dante, and Sergio to teach me. Grandfather will help me with the family, and at least I’ll have one person who knows the truth. I don’t want to wait, Jack. I want to be turned while we’re still here at Gladstone.”
Jack gave him an encouraging smile.
“Very well, Gray. Dante and Sergio are already expecting this, but I think it would be best not to tell anyone else for now. After lunch, I want to meet with all of you to discuss the details, and then we can make definite plans.”
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Meanwhile…
Ben had to scramble after this morning’s meeting with Jack. While he spoke to Gray, Ben announced a pack meeting for that evening. He also called RJ and Jonah, asking them to join him and Evan for an early supper at their home. They had to be toldbefore everyone else found out and decide how they wanted to respond. The pack would be intensely interested, but this was a personal matter that required discretion and some measure of privacy.
Jack promised to tell Alpha Sheppard after Gray had been turned, and Ben agreed to go along. The man wouldn’t appreciate being kept in the dark, especially when Alpha Cruz already knew. Even Sheppard would admit that True Elders were free to release information as they saw fit, and he had absolutely no reason to question Jack’s judgement or motives. Still, it would probably piss him off. Fortunately,hewouldn’t have to make that particular call.
Once Sheppard had been informed, there were several people Ben wanted to talk to: his father, Everet Kern, and most of all, Leland Tuffin at Seney. His project to resurrect red wolf shifters started with protecting and enlarging thenaturalred wolf population—something the LRC was now actively supporting through the Fish and Wildlife Service. The next step was to locate any living Red wolfshifters, and even if only a few were found, they could turn enough humans to restart the population! After all, the León pack had survived by turning human mates to Lobos for generations, so why couldn’t red wolf shifters be brought back the same way? He had a feeling Leland would embrace the idea, and Ben couldn’t wait to discuss it with him.
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Jonah and RJ barely made it in the door before Evie and her brothers smothered them with hugs. In order to leave plenty of time later for conversation, they went straight to the table and began eating. Soon, the raucous sound of laughter filtered in from the packhouse dining room, and Jonah asked Ben what was going on.
“Gray and Nick resurfaced this afternoon, and they’re having their first meal in the packhouse. You know how everybody gets with newlymates.”
Everyone laughed, including the kids, though RJ looked disappointed.
“I was hoping to see them and find out how they’re doing. Is Gray handling things well?”
Evan reassured him with an impish grin.
“From all indications, he’s doing great. We invited them to join us for dessert later, so you’ll have a chance to see for yourselves.”
The meal came to a natural conclusion just as they heard a knock on the security door. Ben got up to let them in, and a round of hugs ensued. For Gray, it was an adjustment getting used to all the touching and hugging—not something the Diné commonly did. The kids already knew Gray but Nick was a stranger (and an Omega) who needed a thorough scenting. Evie convinced her Uncle Jonah to sit on her right and Nick on her left so she could enjoy both their scents during dessert.
Nick had spent his entire life as the only Omega at León, unaware of what he’d been missing all this time. Jonah explained that Omegas were naturally drawn together like magnets whenever they shared space. His theory was that as the comforters of the pack, they found solace in each other without even thinking about it. Gray was relieved to discover that both Jonah and Evie simply smelled good and gave him a feeling of contentment. Nick’s scent, however, affected him in other ways, and he leaned against him while they enjoyed their dessert of fresh fruit salad.
A few minutes later, Nolan and Garrett arrived to escort the kids to the meadow for pre-pack-meeting games. The idea was to wear out all the little ones before they gathered with their parents to do boring grown-up stuff. Effectiveness often depended on who was leading the games, and with Nolan in charge tonight, the kids were sure to get a workout.
The adults settled comfortably in the living room with Jonah, RJ, Nick, and Gray lined up on the large leather couch, while Ben and Evan faced them in matching overstuffed chairs. With less than an hour to go until the pack meeting, Evan focused on Jonah and RJ and got the ball rolling.
“There’s something important we wanted to talk to you about before the meeting. Earlier today, we learned that the León pack has been safely turning humans for generations. Gray has decided that he wants to become a shifter and will begin the change in the next day or so. We’re going to announce it during the meeting, but wanted you to hear it first.”
The couple was stunned. Mouths agape, they scanned Evan’s face, then Ben’s, and back again. Jonah swallowed hard, grasped RJ’s hand, and finally found his voice.
“But that can’t be! All this time we’ve been told it was dangerous and life-threatening. How did we not know about this sooner?”
Evan explained how the false information had been substituted for the truth nearly two centuries earlier, and the reasoning behind it. If it weren’t for the lost pack’s first True Elder, the process might have been lost altogether unless someone had thought to ask a brother in the Afterworld. As Jack pointed out, his own mentor had failed to share any knowledge of turning humans with him—even in the journals.
“Jack said that since he’d never brought up the subject, Hezekiah assumed we already knew. Apparently, it was very commonly practiced but not spoken of openly. Now that we know how it’s done, it opens a door we never knew existed, and gives human mates a choice no one thought possible.”
RJ turned to look directly at Gray.
“You’re kinda new to all this. Don’t you need more time? Aren’t you scared?”
RJ’s words and scent revealed genuine concern, and perhaps revealed some of his own latent insecurities. Gray answered without dissembling.
“Yes, it scares me a little, but I think this is what Luna wanted for me, for us, all along. I love Nick and want to be his mate in every way. Don’t you feel the same way about Jonah?”
RJ burst into tears and was immediately wrapped in Jonah’s arms. Quiet chuckles began soon after, interspersed with joyful kisses while the others looked on. For over a year, RJ had believed he could never have a proper bond with his mate or sire the pups they both desperately wanted. The shock of discovering that he could now have it all, burst the dam of frustration and disappointment.
At RJ’s request, Nick explained how the turning process worked and answered the couple’s questions. They’d both need time off work, and there was Donna’s fast-approaching delivery date to consider before they settled on a time for RJ’s transformation. People had begun arriving at the packhouse and Ben cut the discussion short so they could join them. He did, however, give both couples the option of not attending.
