by Eva Harper
The brunette human grabbed a nametag from the counter and began walking around the store, fixing items on the racks. A chime rang as I pushed the door further. Her head looked around for me, and she called to me, “Welcome! Can I help you find something in particular?”
“No,” I cringed, trying to act normal. “I’m just looking.”
“Okay, well, let me know if I can help you with anything.” She bustled around the shop, not really paying me any attention. Her brown hair was twisted with a gold headband, and her floral shirt and white jacket emanated innocence.
I felt bad for watching her, my fingers twitched as they touched the objects on the shelves. She had to know I was looking at her, I could feel it, and it made me anxious.
She appeared at the end of one of the aisles and looked at me happily. “Find anything?”
I shook my head, unconsciously grabbing at a pair of shoes I could never fit into. She didn’t mind my awkwardness and continued to set things in their correct places.
“It’s really beautiful out today, huh? Sunniest weather we’ve had in a while,” her voice called. I looked around; there was only one other woman in the store, and she was leaning against the counter with headphones and writing in a log.
“Yeah,” I agreed distantly. “Was that your dad?” My tongue moved too fast for me to stop it, and a sense of horror bloomed across my chest.
She paused. “Outside?” Her voice was hesitant as she jerked her hand towards the store window. “Yeah, that was my dad. Why do you ask?”
“Nothing,” I denied, raking my brain for an explanation. “I uh, just recognized him.”
“Oh, yeah.” She relaxed, fixing her hair. “He’s a pretty social guy. It’s just us now, so he’s made a lot of friends around town. Where do you know him from?”
“Do you know if he’s involved with any groups or anything? I’m new here, I just can’t remember where I’ve seen him.”
“Uh, I don’t know about any groups,” she thought out loud, pursing her lips. “He’s usually with a few of the other guys, I’m pretty sure they’re all dads, they just need to get out of the house every once in a while. They’re kind of hard to miss, though-a bunch of big, burly old guys.”
“Oh,” I nodded, scratching my eyebrow, and then soothing the hairs back into place. “I just thought I knew him from somewhere.”
“I’m Hazel,” she introduced, reaching her hand out.
“Sloane.” I touched her hand, shaking it once, and then releasing her.
“You said you’re new around here? If you want, we could get coffee sometime, and I can show you around?”
I stared at Hazel. Her warmth confused me, her father had been so brash. “I’d actually love that.” She perked up and gave me her phone number, telling me to message her anytime, and we could grab coffee or lunch, and she would tell me about the town.
I met Kenna and Griffin back at the bakery and helped them bring back ingredients and a cake platter back to the packhouse.
Rush met me in the kitchen and asked how our time was in town. I told him it was okay and that I went into the shop to look at a sweater. He kissed my cheek and left back to his office.
I pressed a button on my phone, looking at Hazel’s number. I had never been a liar, but if it meant helping my family and protecting them, I would lie to each and every one of them.
Requisite
It had been a week since I had talked to Isla, and she was finally coming to visit. She was only able to stay for one night, but even the minuscule time with her was exciting.
She pulled up in our dad’s sedan, throwing the door open wildly. I jumped off the porch and ran towards the vehicle, ignoring Rush’s booming laughter. I caught her in my arms. She closed the door, holding her body tightly to me.
“I’m so happy you’re here,” I said, muffled by her shoulder. She giggled with me and rocked us back and forth. I broke off from her and stepped back into Rush’s chest. He set his hand on my shoulder and reached out in front of us.
“I know we’ve met before, but I’m Rush,” he said warmly.
Isla smirked, narrowing her eyes. “It’s nice to meet you again.” She took his arm against hers and shook it. “I’m excited to get to know you since you’ll be spending the rest of your life with my sister, and therefore, me.”
“I’d love that,” he responded honestly.
I grabbed Isla’s hand and brought her into the packhouse, showing her all the areas I knew. She was in awe of the vastness of the house; the Intrepid packhouse wasn’t half the size. Isla jumped on our bed, spreading her arms out in comfort.
“I could get used to this,” she sighed, snuggling further into the covers.
“Just wait,” I hopped up next to her and grabbed the remote from the side table. The fireplace flickered on and then roared, the room settling into warmth and a yellow glow. She scoffed at the extremity and sat up.
“I want to be a Luna,” she whined, bumping her shoulder with mine.
“It’s not all glamorous,” I assured her. “Rush’s mother hates me; most of the older women in the pack hate me too. The Beta, Beckett thinks I’m a traitor and a spy, and I’m pretty sure none of the other pack members think of me as a Luna.”
She heard the helplessness in my voice and stood up. “Come with me,” she demanded, holding her hands out in front. I rolled off the bed and took her hands. She pulled me back to the French doors that led to a balcony.
I opened them for her, and we stepped out into the sunlight, nearing the black, wrought-iron bars that stretched around the balcony.
“Repeat after me,” she said firmly, staring me daringly in the eyes. “I am Sloane Calder.”
“I am Sloane Calder,” I repeated hesitantly, fighting the humorous laughter.
“I am the Luna of this pack.”
“I am the Luna of this pack.”
“I am one badass wolf who doesn’t take anyone’s bullshit.”
I laughed loudly. “Isla,” I whined.
“Say it!”
“I am one badass wolf who doesn’t take anyone’s bullshit.”
“Thank you.” She winked. “I am going to be the best Luna this pack has ever seen.”
“I am going to be the best Luna this pack has ever seen,” I said quietly but proudly.
“I don’t think your pack can hear you,” she teased.
“I am going to be the best Luna this pack has ever seen!” I said obnoxiously loud in spite.
She smiled at her achievement and shook my shoulders. “Your pack is going to love you,” she promised, hands still resting on my shoulders maternally. “They just need to get to know you.”
“I know,” I mocked, eyes twinkling.
“Let’s go bother Rush, I need to learn more about my new brother.” Her nose crinkled as she skittered out of the room, her thin legs making quick steps across the oak floors. I ran after her, her long hair whipping behind her.
Sentimentality hit me, and I stopped, watching her hair flip around the corner. I smiled at the memory of us in the woods before I met Rush.
“Are you coming?” she teased. I followed her and opened Rush’s office doors. He looked up from a map and took his reading glasses off. “I have questions.”
“I might have answers,” Rush chuckled, rolling the map up and tying a string around it.
“Do you have any older, attractive brothers?” She turned her head and blinked her eyes innocently.
“Unfortunately, I’m an only child,” he said, stepping away from his desk. Isla sighed. “I do have an unmated Beta, though.”
“No,” I shot quickly, looking at Rush’s devious smirk. “Beckett and Isla are not mates, no way.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” I answered Isla. “He’s rude and cranky, and he never laughs.”
“That’s because he needs Isla to break him out of his shell,” Rush snickered, raising his eyebrows suggestively at Isla. “Think about how much more enjoyable he would be.”
Isla
torqued her shoulder flirtatiously and flipped a piece of hair over it. “I’m willing to bite the bullet to help you both.”
“No,” I said firmly, knowing they were joking, but the possibility of being related to Beckett made me uneasy.
“You’re no fun,” Isla jabbed. “Well, I do have other questions, and I need you to leave Rush and me alone in order to conduct my research.”
“I’m not leaving,” I whined, not wanting to be left out of the conversation.
“I’ll come find you soon,” Rush promised, pressing a kiss to the side of my head and pushing me gently towards the door. I reluctantly closed the door and stepped away from it, irked that my mate and sister were excluding me.
I wandered down to the kitchen and sat at the counter, lazily spooning bits of frozen yogurt in my mouth. Isla and Rush met me in the kitchen twenty minutes later, when the carton was almost empty.
Isla stepped forward, head high. “I approve of him,” she declared.
“I’m so happy,” I said sarcastically, dropping the spoon in the empty container. Rush squeezed Isla’s shoulders roughly, brotherly, to which Isla flinched away. She swatted his arm four times, pushing him towards me.
He wrapped his arm around my neck, his elbow clenching over my neck, pulling me towards his chest. I tried to push him away, but he held me firmly, kissing the top of my head.
“You’re choking me,” I informed him, tapping on his arm to alert him. He laughed loudly and pulled me until I was standing. “Can’t breathe.”
“Could you keep that in the bedroom?” Cordelia glared as she entered the kitchen behind Isla.
I remained quiet, turning slightly into Rush’s body to discourage myself from snapping at her. If I was going to be a good Luna, the first step was to be better than the previous one. I promised myself I wouldn’t take her meaningless jabs seriously; I would turn my cheek, be the bigger person.
“Judging by the distasteful joke and the condescending tone, you must be Cordelia,” Isla mused, looking at Rush’s mother criminally.
“And judging by the uncivilized attitude and less than presentable appearance, you must be Sloane’s sister,” Cordelia sneered. Isla growled, her doe eyes turning to slits. “Just as easily riled, too, I see.”
“Don’t talk about my sister,” I told her, stepping out of the comfort of Rush’s body. His arm twitched, resisting his instinct to protect me as his mother moved towards me.
“I can talk about whoever I want to talk about. This mongrel’s relation to you is of no importance to me. My opinion is the same as the pack’s; girls like you will never fit in here,” she said almost kindly like she was offering me advice.
“Call her a mongrel one more time,” I threatened, my spine itching to shift.
“Dear, there’s no reason to get angry about things you cannot change. There is a place for people like you, it’s just not here. People eat here.”
The words she said didn’t register in my head. There were times when our more primal side took over, and we reacted on emotion and instinct; we often called it our ‘wolves’ taking over, and mine was yearning for Cordelia’s blood on my dry tongue.
“Leave,” I ordered. My voice was more animal than human, and it amazed me that I was still standing on two feet.
“Gladly,” Cordelia spat, grabbing a magazine from the counter.
“No,” I snatched the book and threw it back on the counter. “Leave this house.”
“Who do you think you are?” she hissed, leaning towards me.
“As the rightful Luna of this pack, this house is now mine and your son’s. Your place here was circumstantial and privileged. I want you out of here by nightfall.”
Cordelia leaned back and looked at her son, disbelief, written across her aging skin.
“Rush,” she called, her voice softer.
“She’s right,” he admitted painfully. “This house is no longer yours, and if you’re going to constantly demean my mate, your Luna, then you have no place here.”
“This is absurd.”
“What’s absurd is that I didn’t do this earlier,” I said roughly, stepping threateningly close to her. “You could have said anything you wanted about me, and I would have taken it because you are my mate’s mother. The moment you decided to bring my family into this is the moment you decided, your petty retribution was more important than your relationship with your son or your pack. So, leave. You’re lucky I don’t kick you out of this pack. If you ever so much as disrespect the dirt on my shoe, I will banish you faster than you can imagine.”
Her face turned slightly red, the frustration and realization flooding into her. She looked to Rush frantically, wanting his help, but he stood tall. He never wavered. I could feel his sadness through our bond, and I wanted to comfort him, but I needed to stand my ground. He understood that this was more important than his mother’s comfort.
Cordelia stumbled out of the kitchen, and I assumed she returned to her room to pack her things. Isla walked towards me, setting her hand on my arm softly. I fought the urge to push her off, my blood still pumping rapidly, rage still settling inside me.
“You really are a Luna,” Isla breathed wondrously.
“Sloane,” Rush said from behind me. I turned away from Isla and waited for his reaction. “I’m proud of you.”
“You are?” I asked hesitantly, flinching away from him.
“This is your home, your pack; you did what you needed to to protect it. That’s all I could ever wish for in a Luna. I know this isn’t the pack you were born into or grew up in, but this is yours now.” Rush smiled devilishly. “Plus, watching you get angry and stand up to my mother was really sexy.”
“Okay,” Isla shouted, disgusted, her face twisting in discomfort. “I’m going to go look at those gardens you were telling me about, meet me when you two are done with whatever you’re doing.”
I leaned into Rush’s warm chest, his arms wrapped low around my waist, chin touching the top of my head.
“When your sister leaves…” His thumb traced my spine, his rough skin against mine slightly tickling me.
“When she leaves, we can finish what we started the other day in the hallway,” I told him, biting my lip. He groaned and leaned me back against the counter. I titled away from his chest, and he kissed me, both hands grabbed the sides of my face.
I nearly laughed at his eagerness.
“I’ve got to go meet Isla; we’ll finish this later.” His head flew back in angst, and he groaned, letting go of my face.
“Be quick,” he ordered, pointing at me sternly as I jogged out of the back door.
“Promise!” I shouted.
Isla's Lament
Isla was walking around the gardens when I found her, touching the petals of all the flowers. I panted as I stopped running, not really tired, but out of breath.
“This is incredible,” she told me, squatting down to look at the stones the pack’s children had painted.
“It is,” I agreed, bending down next to her, and then decided to sit on one of the large rocks.
“Rush is a good guy,” she declared. My eyebrows raised at her words. “He really loves you. I can tell from the way he talks about you.”
“Well, the feeling is mutual, for the most part.” She squealed and tackled me, pushing me down into the soft grass. “I’m still working on trusting him, but he’s been perfect for the past few weeks.”
“Your children will be beautiful,” she gushed. I snorted and hugged her. “I’m serious! Those cheekbones and those eyes, it should be illegal. I hope my mate is as handsome as him.”
“He is pretty handsome, isn’t he?” I thought, grinning proudly. She hit my arm. “Your mate will be gorgeous too, look at you, Isla.”
“I sure hope.” She laid down, resting her head on her arms that were crossed in front of her.
We remained in the gardens for a few hours. We carried on our conversations as usual, and I showed her all the different flower species Jahida taugh
t me. Isla watched me, impressed with my knowledge of plants.
“I’m really happy for you, Sloane.” Her hand reached out and grabbed mine. Her joking mood was gone, and she was speaking to me truthfully. “You’re really making a home for yourself here, and I’m really proud of you. Mom and Dad are, too, even if they don’t say it.”
I hugged her tightly to me, a few droplets of water collecting in my eyes. I shook them off and laughed. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She kissed my cheek and ruffled my hair. “But I’m also hungry, I haven’t eaten in hours. Lead me back to the kitchen!”
I nodded gladly and began walking, watching as Isla bent down to grab her jacket from the ground. My body turned and started on the path to the house, wondering what Melrose had prepared for lunch.
I didn’t hear Isla’s footsteps behind me, and I stopped, listening for whatever surprise attack she was planning. An airy ‘shwoop’ came from behind me, and I swiveled quickly, arms out, ready to grab Isla before she jumped on me.
She wasn’t directly behind me. Instead, she was several meters back, standing with her jacket falling out of her left hand, the right reaching up helplessly to the arrow protruding from her throat.
The world stopped happening as I watched her, unable to do anything to help her. I ran towards her, screaming her name frantically. I felt my mind link open in desperation, and I knew Rush would be here soon.
Isla staggered back, tumbling to the side, knees first, then her torso, and then her head painfully hit the ground. She spluttered, a gush of blood bubbling out of the wound in her jugular like a hot spring.
I threw myself on the ground, hands shaking, touching her head, her shoulder, avoiding her neck.
“Isla, Isla,” I panted hoarsely. “Isla, no, no, no, you’re going to be fine, it’s going to be okay.”
I knew it was a lie, deep down, and so did Isla. Her wide eyes blinked rapidly, her face turning red from lack of oxygen, the thick arrow preventing her throat from filling with anything but blood.
“Isla, no. No, you’re going to be okay. Just hold on. I’m mind-linking Rush, he’ll be here soon. Just hang on. It’s going to be okay.” I pushed back one side of her hair. Her body stilled from the shivering. “Isla!”