Page 43 of Emerald Moon
“I know.I’m reading it and dying over here.That fic is so good it’s stupid.And they somehow manage to come out with these epic chapters every week?The devil works quick, but character-obsessed fic writers work quicker.”Krista laughed.
They remained in their own bubble, talking and laughing in the middle of the bustling, loud room until the pack’s Beta announced it was time for dinner.Everyone filled plates and found spaces to sit in the grand dining room, in the eat-in kitchen, or outside on the back deck.Despite the heat, Jo and Krista opted for the deck because it was quieter out there and they could actually hear one another talk.Jo wasn’t surprised when Wil joined them out there, too, looking happy but weary from all the human interaction.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in the house with all the other important people?”
Wil raised an eyebrow.“They want me?They can come find me.I need to recharge.”
Jo dug into their plate, ravenous with pre-full moon hunger.The humming in their body was still there and, despite their reservations about what would happen at the end of all this, Jo couldn’t help but be swept up in the atmosphere of werewolf celebration.
This was, after all, what they’d been looking for when they were asking Alphas to turn them, wasn’t it?They wanted to belong and here, in the midst of two mingling packs, Jo felt like a part of something bigger and more wonderful than themselves.Traditions like this rooted all of them to their shared past, but as a group and as individuals, they carried with them endless possibilities for what they could do together in the present and the future.
Jo had a mouth full of mashed potatoes when Cass appeared in the doorway to the back deck with her plate and a man trailing behind her.She scanned the crowd and, spotting Jo and Krista, waved and made her way over, squeezing between some other wolves to make room for her and the man.
Based on looks alone, Jo was certain this was her twin.They both had similar short, black hair and shared the same nose and cheek bones.They even wore a similar expression — mostly neutral with a hint of a smile if they looked for it.
Jo waved them over, shouting their greetings.
“Hey,” Cass said, settling in.
The man beside her nodded but said nothing.
“Jo, this is Alexander.Alexander, this is Jo.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jo said in a chipper tone.
They watched as Alexander’s subtle grin slipped into something more smug.“Nice to meet you, too.”He turned to his twin.“This is Jo, huh?”
“Yeah, that’s what I just said,” Cass replied, annoyed.
“Hm, interesting,” Alexander said, glancing between the two of them before settling on Jo, assessing them.
Jo served the look right back before turning to the side.“And this is Wilma, if y’all haven’t already met.She’s our pack’s Gamma.”
Cass reached across the table, palm out for a handshake.“We’ve chatted before, but I don’t think we’ve ever been formally introduced.”
They shook hands, but Jo’s focus was on Alexander who hadn’t stopped looking at them since his last comment.
Finally, Alexander looked away.“A pleasure to meet you, as well, Wilma.”
Jo heaved a sigh of relief with his attention elsewhere.Their eyes fell on Cass, sitting quietly with that casually neutral expression of hers.But Jo was starting to know what to look for to see that Cass was having a good time, and she noticed a gentle uptick at the corner of her mouth.
Second helpings became thirds, then fourths, and finally the satiated packs found themselves full enough to chat over dessert or focus on pre-run preparations.Krista announced she was going to get dessert and Jo followed after her.
Jo returned to the table with a plate full of desserts and the tartlet they made for Cass.“Remember that tart I made you the other day?”they asked without waiting for Cass’ attention.
Cass nodded, eyeing the plate.
”I made you something else.It’s kind of weird, though.I’m warning you ahead of time.”
“I like weird.”
“Well, this is really weird.I made some savory macarons?It’s got everything bagel seasoning and a whipped cream cheese sort of filling in the middle.I tasted one and thought it was funky, but fine.Emmaline tried one and liked it.Billie tried one and hated it.So we’ve got mixed reviews.”
“You made it for me?Did you make any for anyone else?”
“Just you.Everyone else gets regular macarons.”
“Thank you, but you didn’t need to make something special for me.”
