Chapter Nine
Isaac let out the softest bark that I knew only Finn and Mareck would hear, even if others were in the woods, then he took off for the trees to retrieve his clothes.
Finn and Mareck came running and froze with similar expressions as Ayden when they saw the situation. But our survival was number one and centuries of being scared of humans knowing came out and Mareck took hold of Ayden’s arms firmly.
She stumbled down the stairs as Mareck gripped her tightly. She didn’t seem to care.
“Wh-what i-is this?” she gasped, leaning back into a surprised Mareck.
I stepped into full view and looked her in the eye, hoping she saw me in there somewhere.
It’s me, Ayden. Kara! Your best friend. Ayden…don’t be scared. Please, honey.
“Kara,” She stated, eyes flashing blue every few seconds. Her face took over a glazed look, and her features kept twitching. She cocked her head, the same way an animal would.
I whimpered and nodded.
My ears turned at the sound of Isaac walking behind me and Ayden looked up at him. I could only see terror in her eyes as she stared at him, even though he was human again.
“Ayden, honey, please don’t be scared—” He started softly, but was cut off.
Ayden’s face was looking extremely pale and her eyes were glowing blue now. “Scared?! This is…” she smiled at me. “Amazing.” For just a second her pupils expanded largely, her back made a snipping noise, then she collapsed in Mareck’s arms.
“Uh…” He gulped as she shuddered, still passed out. “Not good.”
I growled, darted back to the trees, convulsed back to human, put my clothes back on, then started yelling orders the second I was able.
“Put her on the ground!”
“But—” Mareck protested.
Isaac snarled at him as I screamed, “Do it!”
Ayden blinked and shook her head as Mareck set her down. She had stopped shaking when she woke up. I ran over to her without thinking and brushed a few whisps of her that had fallen from her braid out of her face.
She jumped a little, and I fell back. I didn’t want to scare her. We all waited for her reaction. She’d been overwhelmed at first, so this was it. I prayed to the sky, hoping she didn’t scream. I was hoping for more of her earlier enthusiasm, but as we watched, her face contorted in anger.
“Kara?” She whispered.
She scrambled up and shoved me further away from her. I held my breath. I had a right to be upset as well. She had been spying on me after all.
She looked around with new awareness at Finn, Mareck, Isaac, then finally, me. Her face was a swirl of raging emotions, not one able to dominate the other.
“Okay, okay. Calm down, Ayden. No biggie. No reason to freak out.” She breathed, and if I hadn’t been a werewolf, I wouldn’t have been able to hear her. “But…why didn’t you tell me you’re a…” she trailed off and gazed at me with tears in her eyes.
“Werewolf,” I finished for her, crouching in front of her on my haunches, ready to spring if she ran.
She gulped back tears. “You know how much I love wolves…I wouldn’t—won’t—judge you, Kara. You’re my friend. No matter what you are. I love you for who you are.” She wiped her nose on her hand. I couldn’t believe what she was saying, despite what I had thought before.
“Who I am?” I hissed, my anger surprising me. “I’m a beast.”
Ayden shook her head. “No, your not. Your beautiful. But…why didn’t you tell me?” She whimpered, crying so hard she was shaking.
I ground my teeth and jerked my chin at Isaac. “I wasn’t allowed,” My voice seethed, and that stopped Ayden’s crying. She flinched as she looked up at Isaac.
“Allowed?” She asked. I could practically see the wheels spinning in her head. Years of obsession with wolves was suddenly paying off. Her eyes widened and she looked between Isaac and I, her gaze finally resting on him. “Oh! Your…oh.”
Isaac smiled at her kindly. “Why don’t we take this inside? I don’t want the rest of the pack to know just yet.”
My heart hammered at the word “pack” but Ayden just nodded.
She used Mareck to help stand up then glanced up at the moon with wonder. As the light lit her face, I saw a hint of Kerza on her face, but then she snapped her head back down and looked at me.
“That dog I saw earlier! That was you!”
I froze, half way from the ground, then straightened. “Yes, I’m so sorry. You have no clue how badly I wanted to tell you.” I bit my lip and stepped closer to her.
“She saw you, Kara? When? Was it when you were with Antony? Why didn’t you tell me?” Isaac demanded in a rush.
I snickered. “Oh, because it’s so convenient to blurt it out while she’s right there. I couldn’t tell you while she still didn’t know.”
Isaac frowned at me then pointed inside.
I took Ayden’s hand in a comforting gesture and led her back inside to my living room. Finn and Mareck sat on the couch, Isaac sat in a chair, and Ayden and I sat on the floor facing them.
She still held my hand, it was nothing but a friend thing, and she stared at it as if it would suddenly explode into a paw.
“So your…all wolves?” She squeaked.
“Yes, well depends on who you mean as ‘all’.” I said, my heart pounding.
“Um…who?” I knew what she was asking.
“My dad, mom, Isaac—duh—, Finn, Farrah, Marion, Brent, Jack, Serena, and I. All of us are full-breds. Werewolves.” I grinned at her, revealing pointed teeth.
She gulped, but didn’t smell of fear.
“Okay, but…how do you…um…ah…” she took three deep breaths to calm the hysteria beginning to build in her voice. I rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb in a soothing circular motion until she was somewhat calm again.
She turned my hand over, palm up.
“I didn’t see well how you…ch…yeah.” She licked her lips and tried again. “How…jeez.” She groaned.
“How we change?” I guessed quietly.
She sighed deeply. “Yes,”
I ignored the stares from the guys and tried to think of how to describe the sweetness of the Change without freaking her out. Then I had an idea. Since she was already looking at my hand, I decided to risk something. I watched Ayden’s face as I focused hard on only morphing my hand.
I felt my muscles tighten in my spine as I only allowed my hand to ripple. Cramps bloomed in my stomach from holding it back. My palm grew rough, my nails thickened and grew longer as my fingers stretched then curled inward.
Ayden gasped quietly, her face awed.
My hand—paw—looked odd, because it was half-hand-half-paw, but I couldn’t go further without throwing up from holding it in. I made a choked sound meant to be quiet, but Ayden looked up at my pained face and furrowed her brow.
“What? Does it hurt that bad?” She whispered.
I shook my head and relaxed my hand, letting it ripple back to human. My spine snapped back and my gut quit churning. “No, but it’s hard to hold it in and only change one thing.”
She processed that. “Oh. Okay. So…um…do you hunt?”
Dead silence.
“Yes—animals. We’re not bloodthirsty monsters, Ayden. Pure-breds—humans—look very preylike and are extremely vulnerable, but we do not hunt them. It’s against our Law. We protect instead. If we have to, if not, we either try to blend in, or run in deserted parts of the world.” I said, thinking through how to word what I was saying so I didn’t scare her.
“Wow, that’s amazing. So your change…” She said, switching back. I guessed she was too confused to stay on one topic.
“We re-shape. Re-form.” I nodded.
“Where do you all come from? What’s the story?” She asked, her face alight with vivid curiosity.
How to start? I looked at the guys, and realized they were leaving this up to me. I sighed, mentally preparing the story in my head. I took a deep breath, then began.
“Well…it’s said that it was centuries ago, in a time of deep suspicion and superstitions, when the epidemic broke out. See, wolves—normal wolves, Canis lupus—were feared. They were regarded as evil, demons who slaughtered in the night. And for that naïve judgment, ignorant people murdered them for it.
“The story goes that there was an epidemic of sick wolves, but it was a sickness that wouldn’t kill the wolves, but they would froth at the mouth and people saw this as a sign of the devil. Only it wasn’t. But the people saw it as their job to prove their faith to God by murdering the sick wolves. Some people were victorious at the killings, coming back with a new pelt as a trophy, but some of them didn’t come back, and no bodies were found. Towns were scared. What could they do? Only a handful of their men came back from these missions. The sons saw it as a way to prove their strength. To prove they were ready to support a family. And so forth came the sons of two towns with the idea of a solution.
“They gathered twenty families together and made a pact with their sons. Each boy was to be married, and this would be the way they could prove to the young females that they were able. The fathers told their sons that if they came back with the mark of a fight, or better yet a wolf-skin, then victory was theirs. So they, of course, chose a full moon to set out for this mass slaughtering. It’s said that forty boys in all were gathered in the hunt, and were sent out at precisely midnight.
“The boys encountered one pack of those sick wolves. Just one pack. But that’s all it took, really. Some boys were killed on the spot, some were torn and gashed, but managed to run back to town, and the rest? They were the lucky few that managed to kill a few wolves and bring back it’s meat, preparing to wear it’s pelt as a show of their work.
“Out of the forty who set out that night, only about twenty-something survived. When those boys returned home, the towns merged and celebrated. All the boys ate the wolf meat and drank the wolf’s blood, and gladly took their choice of girls and married. All was good for awhile.” I took a deep breath, cleared my throat, then continued.
“It was a year later when the first change happened. The elders think the virus needed time to spread and take root to all the human genes in their bodies. That it took a year to mutate their chromosomes enough to change. The boys—now men—had started an exclusive group that hunted alone in the woods. They had begun to stray away from humans without consciously realizing it. And out on one of these hunts, the men felt their spines cracking, their teeth growing longer, their bodies convulsed, and when they all turned into wolves, they knew instantly that they were something amazing. Something human eyes couldn’t perceive.
“The men who had set out as boys that fateful night joined together and formed the first packs. They took their families and made dens in the woods, drew territories, and relied on instinct to guide them as werewolves. The woman of the first generation whelped little cubs who were half-breds, since the first of the woman were human. But when they mated wolf with wolf…they created the first full-breds. A generation from which my family and hundreds of others descend from.
“That epidemic? Rabies. The rabies virus in wolves created us. Made us what we are—Homo lupus. And from then on we’ve been growing. There are those who favor a different story, one I don’t know well, they think we came from somewhere else. We call them the Children of the Moon, but most of us take them seriously.” I smiled as I finished the story and waited for Ayden’s reaction.
She stared at me in shock. “That’s…sad…and cool…and…huh.”
Isaac snorted. “Wow, I didn’t know you remembered it that well.”
“So…you don’t have to change at a full moon?” Ayden asked, intrigued.
“No,” I snorted. “but it does compel us like any normal wolf. We’re just like them, only a tiny bit different looking. So similar any difference is hardly noticeable. Well, except for our size maybe.”
“So…there’s…how many in your pack?” Ayden asked.
“Umm, ten now.” I pointed at Mareck. “He’s not a member.”
Ayden turned to him. “Then where do you fit in?”
He looked me in the eye questioningly. I nodded.
“Well, actually, I’m here because of you.”
“What?” Ayden gasped, nose scrunched in total confusion.
Finn sighed dramatically. I stuck my tongue out at him and turned back to Mareck.
“You remember those half-bred werewolves Kara mentioned? They still exist. When a full-bred—a werewolf—mates with a pure-bred—human—the child becomes what is commonly known as a half-bred. Life is exceedingly hard for half-breds. They can only change once they’ve been taught, and then join the werewolf world.” Mareck said, smiling timidly.
I wanted to tell her. Hopelessness was written all over her face. It was killing me. but this was why Mareck was here. Partly.
“I, for example, am a half-bred werewolf.” Mareck beamed.
Ayden looked him up and down with intense curiosity. “Okaaayy, but how does that involve me?”
I took a deep breath, trying to hear over the roaring in my ears and the pounding of my heart, beating as fast as Ayden’s.
“I’m positive your dad was a werewolf, Ayden.” I blurted, not able to take it anymore. “From what you’ve told me and that picture, I can see it. Plus, you exhibit the signs of a half-bred.”
“Which is why I’m here.” Mareck concluded.
Ayden blinked, then I heard her heart slam in her chest before picking up double time. It sounded painful.
“S-so that means…I am…?” She shook her head so fast some hair fell out of the braid.
“Ayden…” I whispered, smiling at her.
She turned to me with hope. “Your sure?”
“Yes, you told me you know, in your dreams.”
“My dreams? What do you mean? I can’t remember them.” She said sadly, a crease forming between her eyebrows.
“Yes, I wasn’t aware of what you are, or that it was you in my dreams until yesterday.” I said.
“Huh?” She looked really confused.
So I told her. I explained Kerza and told her about Mareck and I watching.
“You…saw?” The expression on her face was odd. It looked like the blue in her eyes froze, then exploded into a thousand shards of glass, crystal and ice splintering in her brain. Then it sucked back in and her eyes dimmed back to green and her lower lip trembled. “It’s…hard.”
I nodded. “I saw,”
Ayden sucked in a quick sharp breath. “Kerza! That’s who I see! During the Attacks, I always see this white wolf, but I didn’t get it until now. Oh…but, Kerza?”
I smiled. “Yes, you see, before females have their cubs, they pray to the moon Goddess—it’s a tradition—and wait for her to sing their cubs name in their dreams, so when we’re born, we are given our rightful wolf name.” I nudged her with my foot. “Kerza, I suppose, is yours.”
Ayden stared at me, then grinned hugely. “Wo—yay! I am so happy!”
“She is your inner wolf,”
Ayden’s hands flew up like she was stopping traffic. “Wait! Doesn’t this mean you can teach me to change?”
Mareck laughed, “Like we’ve been pointing out, that’s why I’m here.”
Ayden’s face glowed. “When?”
“Tuesday,” I said. “because of the full moon. It does help the Change come more efficiently.”
Ayden’s face fell slightly. “Okay, okay. Wow, this is…a lot to take in. Wow.” She looked at me as if remembering something. “Kara? Why were you fighting with him?” She nodded at Isaac.
This time Isaac leaned forward to answer. “Ah, that is Kara’s doing.”
“No—”
He silenced me with a look.
“You see, sixteen is our maturing age. Kara is sixteen. And she has the alpha gene in her blood. So, to save her from taking the Fang Challenge against me, I’ve asked her to be my mate. Obviously, she’s not taking it well.” Isaac’s eyes were solemn.
I tried not to hear the hurt in his voice and looked at Ayden.
She looked surprised. “How old are you?”
Isaac sighed, “Thirty-three,”
Ayden grimaced and looked at me blushing. “That’s a little weird. I’m sorry. But,” she turned back to Isaac. “is it only because of this…challenge? Or…”
A pained look crossed Isaac’s face. “No, I love her.”
Ayden blinked back surprise and I tried not to feel the happy pounding of my heart at his words.
“Then…it’s not so bad.”
I gaped at her. “Not so bad?”
She nodded. “Love is love. It’s different for you isn’t it? Your rules? I’d expect that. Anyway…Fang Challenge?”
So on I went to explain some more. I told her about the Fang Challenge, Liv’s Walk, and Tor’s Blessing. Finn described what it felt like to be in a pack, Isaac explained what it felt like to be alpha, and I explained what it felt like to be, well, me.
We talked until the early morning hours and then only stopped when I could barely keep my eyes open. I at some point had moved to leaning against Isaac’s leg. When I realized where I was sitting, the urge to pull back was strong, but my desire to scoot closer won.
I felt Isaac’s fingers brush through my hair gently and I smiled sleepily.
“Wow,” Ayden yawned. “it’s almost two in the morning.”
Through bleary eyes I nodded at her.
“Well, Kara.” Finn snorted and winked at Isaac.
I growled at him, a real guttural sound that made Ayden jump, but only made Finn grin, and stood up.
“Fine, fine! Sheesh,”
Isaac smiled at me as he stood up too.
Mareck helped Ayden up and Finn walked into the kitchen to wait for Isaac. They would go tell the pack now.
Before Ayden and I walked out, Isaac grabbed my arm, kissed my cheek, then let me go. I avoided Ayden’s gaze and led the way up to my room.
Ayden silently went into my bathroom and changed while I crawled into bed, blocking out Isaac’s distant howling outside. The bathroom door clicked open and Ayden slowly pulled the covers back and laid down beside me.
I turned my bedside lamp off and stared at the ceiling.
“Kara?” Ayden whispered. “Why the sudden depression? What’s wrong?”
I sighed. “I’m thinking about Isaac is all. I know he’s my only choice, but I just can’t give in yet. I don’t really want to talk about him.”
Ayden thought about that and I turned to face her. “Are you a good fighter?” She asked.
I let the violet spread and knew she’d see it reflect, like a cats eye at night. “I like to think so.”
We both laughed.
The sound of Finn leaving the house echoed as the backdoor creaked. Isaac howled again. Many separate howls answered him, and I heard Marshall and Luna’s pitch in. I yearned to join them. My stomach clenched at the coming full moon. I felt my skin itch and heat as the shadow of my fur passed over me. I wanted to be out in the free night air. I wanted to sweep stars from the sky with my tail. I wanted to unsheathe my claws and run with freedom.
Ayden coughed.
I shifted uncomfortably at the urge to howl.
Ayden was watching me curiously. “What’s going on? I can hear howling.”
“Isaac’s calling together the rest of the pack to tell them about you. I’m the only one still here. Well, and Mareck.” I explained sadly.
“Oh…why are you all squirmy? Sorry if that’s rude.”
I snorted, my skin was heating even more now. I needed fresh air. I leaped up and lunged at my window. With one swift movement I flung it open and gulped down fresh air.
“Okaaay,” Ayden whispered.
I whirled on her. “Oh! Sorry! I just needed air. Squirmy, right. It’s just ’cause I want to Change. To be with them.”
Her eyes narrowed at me as I stood by my window, the urge to jump out was strong.
“So why aren’t you with them? I’ve studied wolves for years. I know the ritual of howling with your pack. Go,” She insisted.
I shook my head. “No, I’m not leaving you Ayden.”
Ayden leaped up almost as fast as I had, but stayed seated on my bed. “Kara! I can see how bad it’s hurting you.”
I winced as my spine tingled and the liquid leaked into my veins. This wasn’t good. I didn’t want to fight her. Especially not while trying to hold back the Change. Why had it become so disobedient lately? It came unexpected, took longer to change back to human. I didn’t get it.
“So?” I snapped, my teeth sharpening. “I don’t want to scare you.” I pleaded.
She flinched. “You can’t. I know everything now, and I didn’t run away. I might be more accepting than you know. You can go Kara.”
The liquid flew through my limbs and I whimpered and dropped to all fours. I didn’t want her to see this. Not yet. But maybe if she did…would it be okay?
“Kara,” she whispered, sitting beside me. “do it. I want to see. I’ll stay here with you.”
I looked up at her expression and just…let go. I knew she would stay. I could see that. So I let the Change control me and felt it reshape my bones as my mind expanded and filled with its sweet essence. I sucked in breath quickly and avoided Ayden’s gaze as I trembled and shuddered into a wolf, my clothes ripping to shreds.
“So…whoa.” Ayden whispered.
I spun to her, my tail brushing the wood of my wall below the window, and saw a look of wonder and pride on her face.
“I saw it before, but…not up close. Your…amazing. Just like a real wolf.” She beamed at me.
I snorted and grinned, my tongue lolling out. I hoped it wasn’t scary.
Duh, like a real wolf. I told you that already.
She made a face. “I know like a real wolf, never mind that was stupid.”
I nudged her. How do you understand me?
She stared at me silently. I knew she couldn’t know what I was thinking, but she guessed well.
“Can I…” She raised her left hand and tentatively reached for my right shoulder.
Yes, I dipped my head. She smiled and pet me slowly at first, then leaned in closer.
“So soft,”
Thanks, I yelped a quiet sound meant to assure her I was okay. She nodded.
Isaac howled again outside, and I jumped at the window without thinking about it. Ayden hissed at the sudden movement and then relaxed.
“Oh, I hear them too. Why don’t you go?”
No! I told you! Ugh, this silent thing isn’t working. Hold on, I leaped towards my closet and looked her in the eye. Ayden stepped back, but didn’t say a word.
I shrugged into my closet, closed my eyes, pulled back in my beautiful wolf, then put on clothes and returned to her human.
“Huh, okay.” She said.
I cleared my throat and clicked my jaw. “Ow, yeah. That was…fun.”
Ayden laughed. “It was awesome. Your so cool. Bet it bugged you that I couldn’t hear you.”
I laid back down in my bed beside her. “Yep, sure did. But I feel better now. How are you?”
She sighed. “Fine, like I said. It was strange, but not ugly.”
It would never cease to amaze me at how accepting she was.
“So?” I yawned. “Any more questions before we crash?”
Ayden licked her lips and then grinned at me, a little embarrassed. “Um…well…when you teach me how to Change…will we have to…take our clothes off?”
I nodded. “Yes, unless you don’t like the clothes you have.”
She giggled. “I do. Just curious.”
We were silent. At one point I thought she had fallen asleep, but she suddenly jumped and turned to me.
“Kara! You hunt! At the full moon, right?” Her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Mmhmm, we do. Why?”
“Well…is it hard? I’ve never…huh.” She trailed off and watched my face.
“Hard? Nah, not at all. Just deer of course. Easy prey. Too bad venison is the one meat I can’t stand.” I smiled sleepily.
Ayden yawned. “Oh…wow…that’s interesting. I’d like to see…poor deer…”
She wanted to see…it? I’d love for her to hunt with us. Would Isaac allow it?
That’s when the obvious struck. If we taught Ayden how to Change, she’d need a pack. I would ask Isaac, I mean, he’d have to let her in.
“Ayden!” I hissed, excited. “You’ve gotta come with us! I’ll ask Isaac.”
She shuddered. “Okay,”
I watched her face for revulsion, but there was just excitement and a little bit of terror written across in bold letters. Her emotions were easy to read tonight. But I hadn’t scared her, and that’s all that mattered to me.
With that, we said goodnight, and fell to sleep. I didn’t dream, which didn’t surprise me. Since Kerza was now known, she had no use of slipping into my subconscious. When I woke up the next morning—afternoonish—Ayden wasn’t beside me.
I jumped up and listened intently. I could hear her downstairs talking to Luna. I breathed a sigh of relief.
I washed my face, changed into jeans, then headed into my kitchen.
Ayden was seated next to Mareck at the table while Luna made a ginormous amount of scrambled eggs.
“Hey,” I yawned, kissing Luna on the cheek and getting plates out for the eggs.
“Morning sweetheart. How’d you sleep?” Luan asked, examining the circles under my eyes.
“Fine. How was the meeting?” I ducked my head and pulled out a chair across from Ayden.
Luna sighed. “Uneventful now that Antony’s gone. Marion was determined to put on a brave face.”
Ayden smiled at me shyly. We’d told her all about the pack mess last night.
“Well, that’s good.” I said. “Where’s Marshall and Finn?” And Isaac, But I didn’t want to say it out loud. I returned Ayden’s smile.
Luna laid plates in front of all of us then sat beside me with her own plate. The eggs steamed with heat. They smelled marvelous.
“Thanks,” Ayden mumbled then dug in. Mareck nodded and did the same.
“Running patrol with Isaac,” Luna answered before eating.
It was silent except the scrapes of forks against our plates and the gulps of orange juice as we all devoured our breakfast/lunch. We finished and cleaned up before the guys finally returned. And you can guess who tagged along.
“All right, that’s done. Ayden?” Isaac asked, towering above Ayden.
She stood tall, but took a step back. “Yeah?”
“Can you be here Tuesday night? When the moon rises?”
Ayden took a deep breath.
I resisted the urge to snarl at Isaac. He didn’t have to be intimidating.
“I’m pretty sure. I’ll tell my mom I’m spending the night again. If she doesn’t let me? I’ll have to try out my new stealth skills and sneak out.” She said, slightly sarcastic.
I laughed. “Way to go, Ayden. If you get caught in the window…?” On a whim, I decided to have some fun. I raised my hand and wiggled claws. “I’ve got you covered.”
To my relief, she burst into hysterical laughter. “Yeah,” she sputtered. “my hero!”
We couldn’t help it, Ayden and I leaned on each other as we laughed so hard we cried.
“Wh-what if…my mom…finds us?” she gasped between tears.
“I’ll be like, ‘Ohhhh, shit’ and…and pull you out all Incredible Hulk-ish and be all ‘I’ve come to take your daughter! She’s mine!’.” I snorted and doubled over, gripping Ayden’s arm.
Ayden and I gasped uselessly for breath under the incredulous stares of my family…and Mareck.
It felt nice, to lighten the dark cloud over our heads. But, the laughter slowly died down and we were serious again.
“Okay, okay.” I breathed, running my hand through my hair.
Ayden coughed.
“Wow, soooo immature.” Finn teased.
I stuck my tongue out at him. “Yeah, totally. That’s why Isaac wants me.”
Isaac snorted.
“All right, what’s the plan?” Marshall asked, trying to hide a smile.
“Uhhh. Plan. Right. Well, Ayden’s coming back in…two days. Mareck and I will teach her how to change and…the rest I need to discuss with him.” I nodded at Isaac.
Outside I heard a car pull up and begin to idle.
“Your mom’s here Ayden,” I said lightly.
She frowned. “How—”
A wheezing car horn blared.
Ayden smiled. “Ah, yeah. Forgot. Werewolf here. She’ll call if I don’t hurry. My stuff’s at the door. Bye.” She waved at everyone as she walked out and rushed out the door.
We waited till the car pulled away.
“Hmm. Kara?” Isaac asked.
“Walk,” I pointed outside.
He nodded and we headed to the woods.
“Okay…I know it’s not…well…ugh.” I cleared my throat and started again. “I know we hunt during the full moon and…I was wondering…” I trailed off under Isaac’s piercing green stare.
“Kara,” he smiled softly. “Mareck joined our pack this morning. Earlier he performed the ritual, and he was let in. Anyway, I know what your saying. Yes, Ayden is allowed in. we’ll do it before the hunt.”
I let out a breath of relief.
“Thank you,” I realized that was the nicest thing I’d said to him in awhile.
I glanced at Isaac out of the corner of my eye and decided I should change that. He didn’t deserve all my petulance.
He led me on a loooong walk around the border, one that took all of the day—it was dark when we finally rounded the corner to my house. We talked a lot of the time and were silent at some points. But it felt nice to relax and not feel pressure between us. Neither of us brought up our situation.
But when I stepped in back into my kitchen for dinner, I felt the excitement of the coming moon, and knew we had work to do.
