Page 24 of Ascendant Moon
Jack sought to reassure his brother.
“I would enjoy that, my friend, though it is unlikely that we will have time for a complete transfer. My protégé, Juan Ortega, would be happy to supply any memories you may be lacking, and I look forward to meeting you and the others tomorrow.”
############
Tuesday evening, Eagle River, WI
Melva reluctantly left the house to attend the pack meeting—bitter, angry, and frustrated over Lincoln’s wretched situation. She suspected Alpha Richmond would cover for Ballard’s misdeeds, if he said anything at all. He’dhave toreally, given the overwhelming scent of unease and suspicion in the air, and that their pack Omega was being held captive and in isolation. No Alpha in existence could ignore an issue this obvious without attempting to calm the pack and restore some measure of normalcy. Melva was convinced the sorry SOB would lie through his teeth, though it remained to be seen exactly what those lies might be.
Entering the packhouse, she said nothing, as usual, knowing the enforcers were watching. Making a scene wouldn’t help Lincoln, and they could just as easily lock her up, too. Though galling, she had to give them no additional reason to restrict her movements—not if there was the smallest chance of helping her dear friend escape.
Moments later, Alpha Richmond walked in, followed by Bruce Ballard carrying the expecting Omega in his arms. When the trio reached the front of the room, Bruce set Lincoln on the floor, where he rested obediently on his haunches. Visibly trembling, his sad eyes hungrily scanned every face he could see; distressed scent washing over the crowd like billowing fog. Melva met his eye, smiled, and mimicked a hug. He looked down at the floor,struggling to remain quiet and at Bruce’s side. What he really wanted to do was gnaw off the scumbag’s leg and run like hell.
The pack couldn’t help but react to the pathetic scene before them, growling and scowling at the sight of their Omega reduced to the status of a frightened pet. Before things got out of hand, Richmond sent out a wave of Alpha power, silencing the crowd and reminding them who was in charge. Once they were quiet, he began speaking.
“As I’m sure you all know, Lincoln is now happily carrying Bruce’s pup. I made some inquiries at the national meeting that should help us understand our packmate’s condition. Apparently, male Omegas are fragile during pregnancy, and seclusion helps their bodies focus on growing the pup. Lincoln is well fed and doing just fine so far, and he doesn’t want you to worry about him. I trust my Second to care for him just as you would, and he’ll bring Lincoln around every so often, as long as it doesn’t stress him out. I know they both appreciate your concern and well wishes. That is all.”
Melva swallowed her fury while the rest of the pack seemed to reluctantly accept Alpha Richmond’s words at face value. Before they dragged her friend away, Melva hurriedly left her place in the crowd and dropped to one knee in front of Lincoln. Both Ballard and Richmond growled at her, but she ignored them to gently stroke the Omega’s face and kiss the top of his head. Behind her, the pack had gone quiet.
“I miss you, sweetheart. You’ll probably get so big I won’t recognize you! Take care of that pup, and get plenty of rest, now, all right? I hope you come see us again real soon.”
Lincoln whined softly and licked Melva’s cheek before Ballard reached down to scoop him up off the floor. She addressed the abusive Beta in a clear voice that was sure to carry.
“Thank you for the visit. We were all worried.”
Neither Bruce nor Alpha Richmond expected her to be calm, let alone kind, and it threw them off center—exactly as planned. Melva waved and winked at Lincoln as the men turned to exit the packhouse, and she was quickly surrounded by others who wished they could have been equally brave. While she said nothing that could be construed as mutinous, her scent clearly confirmed what they had all suspected. Both Richmond and Ballard were lying pieces of shit.
Chapter 13
Wednesday morning, en route to Gladstone
“We need to hurry, Gray. Our connecting flight is at the other end of the concourse.”
Their flight from Albuquerque to Chicago had arrived late, leaving the pair very little time to collect their bags and make it to the small commuter terminal for their connecting flight to Gladstone. With airlines, it was always an annoying and stressfulhurry up and waitgame. When traveling with Jack, William was normally the laid-back picture of calm. Today, however, he was responsible for someone who’d never flown before, and was nearly desperate to get home—even if his mate wouldn’t be there to greet him.
Their luck held, however, and they made it to the terminal in the nick of time. As the last to board, they found the craft only half-full, and chose an isolated pair of seats at the rear. Both men put on the noise-canceling headphones they’d brought along as the plane taxied to the runway, and they settled in for the ninety-minute flight.
Unfortunately, it meant they really couldn’t engage in conversation on this stretch of the journey. William took out his phone and brought up the book app he’d installed, eager to finish the Sci-Fi trilogy he’d been reading. Once they were airborne, Gray reclined his seat, closed his eyes, and tried to sort through everything he’d learned about shifters. The last thing he wanted to do was to embarrass himself by saying or doing something that would offend his hosts, though William had already told him not to worry.
“Everyone knows that you are human and still learning about us. Walter had the same fear when he visited Gladstone, but enjoyed himself immensely and made a lot of new friends. I have no doubt it will be the same for you. If you’re not sure about something, you can always ask me, Jack, Ben, or Evan. The only caveat is to avoid the topic of shifter sex with Nolan—he would likely overwhelm you with too much information!”
Prior to his life-changing conversation with Walter, Gray had never imagined the possibility of wolf shifters. Their existence was, in and of itself, fascinating and mysterious, but he envied their dual natures, heightened abilities, and deep connection to nature. As Diné, his people probably came closer to identifying with shifters than the average human. Both had struggled for survival, and lived in a harsh, greedy, self-absorbed world that cared for little except personal gain.
Suddenly, the plane shook and rattled with turbulence—disturbing Gray’s train of thought and his stomach. William simply grunted, reached over to pat his forearm, and kept reading. Apparently, the man often napped on longer flights, though Gray couldn’t imagine being comfortable enough to fall asleep while being bounced around this way.
Recapturing his earlier thoughts, Gray now understood why his ancestors had befriended and protected shifters in days gone by. He was proud that his own family had become an enduring link between them, beginning with Gray Feather and Hezekiah Matson. Today, it was him and his grandfather, though he wondered if his people could ever enjoy a broader connection to shifters. Probably not, as it would put them at increased risk of being discovered.
Guarding their secret had now become a cornerstone of Gray’s life, as it had been for Walter, and neither of them were thetype to shirk their responsibilities. Thoughts of his grandfather brought a wave of concern and future sorrow if he succumbed to cancer. They’d grown even closer in the last few weeks, sharing an amazing secret that few had been privileged to know. Gray couldn’t predict what the future held, for him or his shifter friends, but he had a feeling this trip to Gladstone just might provide a hint.
############
Wednesday afternoon, en route to León
While Alpha Cruz’s Second did the best he could on short notice, their eight-person contingent ended up in economy class—together but cramped. Fortunately, the relatively short flight passed quickly, and they landed at the Guanajuato International Airport around two-thirty in the afternoon. Next, they caught an airport shuttle into the city, arriving in León shortly after three o’clock. Since Jack had called ahead, they were greeted warmly by Hector Alvarez and Alpha Javier Navarro before being whisked away to Navarro’s home for their first meeting.
Since it was a weekday afternoon, the rest of the pack (including Javier’s mate, Elena, and son, Dante) were either working or making arrangements to attend the meeting that evening. Javier gave his guests the chance to refresh themselves before settling in the high-ceilinged, tile-floored living room. Natural light and ventilation added to their comfort as Alpha Cruz introduced himself, the other three Council members, Juan Ortega, Jack, and his bodyguards. Cruz then addressed Hector and Alpha Navarro directly.
“It’s wonderful to finally meet part of the infamous “lost pack,” though I hadn’t envisioned things quite this way! Luna has a habit of turning expectations upside down when you least expectit, but I hope our presence here demonstrates how serious we are about helping you and your people.”
