Page 59 of Ascendant Moon
His exposure to this pack’s peculiar history, plus the fact that he’d personally trained both Robyn and Jonah, made him uniquely qualified to fill in at the local LRC office. When Sheppard had asked him to choose someone as Jonah’s temporary replacement, Ray had insisted on going himself. Virtually every change among their people in recent years had started right here at Gladstone, and he was eager to walk in their shoes for a while.
Now at the packhouse enjoying his meal, he was frequently interrupted by friendly pack members who stopped by the table to say hello. In between, he enjoyed an interesting conversation with Robyn, Jonah, and RJ—focused on personal topics rather than LRC business. Since it was impossible to hide RJ’s shifter scent, Ray quietly informed Jonah and his mate that he already knew about the turning from Alpha Sheppard.
“He thought it would be easier on all of you if I knew what had happened, though I’ve been told not to say a word about it to anyone else. I’m truly happy for you, and consider it a privilege to cover for Jonah while he’s expecting.”
The stress-induced pheromones they’d been trying to hide finally dissipated, and the conversation turned to other things. They talked about RJ’s work as a DNR agent, Lou’s campaign for sheriff, Donna’s True Elder pup, Ben’s plans to build a meeting venue, and the next movie night. Ray’s head swam with all the activity, and he rightly concluded that there wasn’t a dull moment around here.
When the meal concluded, Ray was invited for a short run later in the evening—giving his wolf a chance to stretch his legs and see some of the packlands. It sounded like the perfect ending to an already wonderful first day at Gladstone.
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Later that night…
Lou had one week to spend with his mate and pups before returning to work, and he intended to use every minute of it. He’d quickly discovered that neither he nor Donna could get anything done until the boys were asleep. Two infants were a lot more work than he’d imagined, giving him a healthy respect for all mothers of young children. He’d learned how to burp, diaper, bathe, and clothe his little ones since Donna firmly believed that parenting was an equal opportunity endeavor.
Lou also realized something else—watching his mate breastfeed was a major turn on. Until they began bottle feeding, he was relegated to observation while the boys ate their fill, and it was pure torture. Lou couldn’t help but fill the room with lustful pheromones that definitely got Donna’s attention. Physically, she was feeling just fine, and her scent demonstrated a matching interest that had him hard and aching. When Alain finally finished, they traded pups and she positioned Marcel at the other breast with a smoldering look of promise for her mate.
The sexual tension ratcheted higher as they went through the nighttime routine and the boys were finally asleep in their crib. It only took seconds for the couple to strip, leaving a trail of rumpled clothing on the way to the bed. Instead of mounting Donna straightaway, Lou went after her firm, milk-scented nipples—caressing, licking, and sucking with abandon while she arched beneath him. Eyes flashing amber, he filled her hot, slick passage with his throbbing cock and began to thrust. Lost in the wonder of her, Lou’s insistent mouth switched from lips to breasts and back again while he pumped in and out.
The first orgasm created only a short pause while their bodies twitched and shuddered with release—only to start right back up again with abandon. Donna rode Lou this time, freely taking what she needed from her muscular, handsome mate who had no objections whatsoever. The orgasmic trifecta was completed by a rigorous pounding from behind—cupping her sensitive breasts while licking and nibbling at her mating scar.
The resulting orgasm, accompanied by growly shouts, whimpers, and moans, would have awakened human infants from a sound sleep. Their little ones, however, never stirred or made a sound during the randy ruckus. Eventually, the pair collapsed in a tangle of limbs, sated and eager for some sleep. Less than an hour later, their nap was interrupted by fussy babes looking for their next meal.
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Tuesday, September 14th, Eagle River Wisconsin
Alpha Stu Richmond sat quietly in his home office, mind busy with problems he’d never expected to face. Not only was the rogue cougar still nearby, they’d found scat and evidence of his kills within packland borders. Scent marking hadn’t deterredthe feline from making himself at home, putting his people at great risk. Organized dawn and dusk hunts hadn’t led to a single encounter with the stealthy beast, and Richmond was eager to take him down or chase him away before winter.
The situation had led to more precautions: increased patrols around the perimeter, canceled pack runs, and a curfew between sundown and dawn. The restrictions couldn’t have come at a worse time, with the pack already upset over Bruce’s handling of Lincoln Hart. So far, Richmond had kept a lid on the bubbling anger and resentment, though he failed to understand it and wasn’t used to having his leadership openly questioned.
In his mind, male Omegas were an aberration to be tolerated, and it irked him to be saddled with a weakling shifter in an important role. In retrospect, he never should have given Ballard permission to impregnate Lincoln in the first place. But until it actually happened, neither of them had believed the fantastic reports of Change Mates coming out of Gladstone—an unnatural pack known for its queers and rejects. While Richmond considered Bruce a faithful Second, he’d had an odd fixation on producing pups. Well, if breeding Lincoln settled the man and made practical use of their Omega, it took two problems off his plate in one fell swoop.
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Gladstone packhouse, that evening
Excited chatter filled the room as the pack gathered to welcome new members. While all pups were joyfully embraced, these two were conceived with Luna’s express intervention and had been eagerly anticipated amid rampant curiosity. Lou and Donna stood holding their sweet babes, surrounded by immediatefamily and every other True Elder currently at Gladstone. Ben raised his hand for quiet and began to speak.
“Today we officially welcome Lou and Donna’s boys to the pack. Along with their parents, sister, and uncle, we all have a responsibility to protect and nurture them. There’s a growing number of families with True Elder children among our people, and each of them face unique parenting challenges. Neither the Harmons nor the Calhouns will have to face those challenges alone, and their experiences will help other parents. With love, discipline, and guidance,allof our little ones can look forward to a bright future.”
Ben then turned to find both babies alert and focused on their powerfully-scented Alpha. Lou held their Beta child who looked very much like his father—square jaw, grass-green eyes, and dirty blond hair. Leaning closer, Ben deeply scented the pup and rested his palm gently on the top of his head.
“Marcel Louis Harmon, welcome to the pack.”
Evan then joined Ben to focus on their True Elder child, held in Donna’s arms. This little one strongly resembled his Delta mother, with darker honey-gold hair, caramel-brown eyes, and an oval face. They leaned in to scent the child, and each gave him a finger to grasp in chubby hands as Ben introduced him.
“Alain Pierre Harmon, welcome to the pack.”
The boys were startled when the room erupted in applause, laughter, and excited chatter. Meanwhile, the adult True Elders present came forward to scent Alain and be scented—a gesture meant to assure him that others shared his odd olfactory signature. Marcel received the same attention, assuring him that he was in no way inferior to his younger sibling. When Jackreached them, he was both smiling and quietly weeping, though not even William understood what he might be thinking.
Before everyone else came forward to say hello, Ben caught the crowd’s attention once more.
“Our treats tonight include a special birthday cake for our own Nate Scoon, who turned twenty-one today. Happy birthday, Scooter!”
Perdy and Michelle carried a multilayered chocolate confection out into the room, blazing with twenty-one lit tapers. The poor man blushed hot as his packmates sang the ridiculous, off-key birthday song and watched as he blew out the candles. Those closest to the cake went in that direction, while those near Donna and Lou filed past to meet the boys. When Lance, Roman, and the triplets drew closer to the pups, a sniffing frenzy ensued between the five little ones.
Since they would be packmates, it was assumed that these specially gifted boys would forge deeper connections. No one really knew what to expect, since the other known True Elders hadn’t grown up with a True Elder sibling or packmate. New territory to be sure, and in this case, not even those in the Afterworld had memories to help guide them. Both families were determined to raise them as they would any other child, and Jack and Evan agreed. If there were bumps along the way, they would figure it out together.
