by M. D. Butler
We don’t even make it to the door before it bursts open with their mothers.
“Oh, honey! Are you okay?”
“How dare that bastard try to force you to stay!”
“I’d be there kicking his ass right now if the alpha didn’t order me to stay.”
“I can’t believe he called the pack in to attack. Who does that for a handful of young wolves?”
And then they’re off, taking me with them. The guys all just stand out in the hall, looking at each other with varying expressions of amusement. I see now what they were talking about.
We have a seat on the couch just as James walks back into the room, freshly showered.
“Alright, little pup. Are you ready to join the pack?”
“Oh, right now?”
“Yes. We need to go ahead and get this part done. We’re leaving to go back to the pack tomorrow.”
“So soon?” Now, I’m just stalling.
“It’s better to leave now than to give them time to plan and move. You have to train.”
“Okay. I guess I’m thready, then.” Not really, but whatever.
My wolf is rolling her eyes at my attitude.
“It’s simple. You just have to respond to what I say while looking into my eyes.”
“B-but won’t my wolf challenge you?”
“No, she’ll instinctually know what’s going on. Now, Jahla, you have requested to join the Gallatin Pack. Have you made this decision with a sound mind and body?”
“Yes,” I say, but I feel like my wolf is speaking as well. Weird.
“Will you run with the pack in your true form, trusting and accepting them as your family?”
“Yes.” His eyes begin to glow, and I know mine are doing the same.
“Will you defend this family with your life if need be?”
“Yes.” There’s an almost static energy running over my skin.
“Then accept this bong into your mind and heart.”
I hear my wolf howl in my head, along with several others as a new bond settles into my mind. There are so many of them that I momentarily have to close my eyes at the pressure. After a few seconds, it subsides.
“Alright, that’s it! Welcome to the Gallatin Pack, Jahla.”
“Thank you. It… it feels amazing.”
“They all accepted you. We’ve all been waiting for you for so long that they knew who you were as soon as they heard your wolf’s howl.”
“It’s so surreal.”
“Come on, angel. We have to get packed.”
“Wait, give me your phone. You need our numbers.”
I pass my phone to Tia, and she proceeds to add more names to my contact list. She must be adding more people than are actually here because it takes her a few minutes.
“There. Now you have the parents, siblings, and alpha family at your fingertips. Be prepared for the onslaught of messages. Thank me later for not adding everyone from the pack!”
“Okay, Mom. That’s enough. We’re leaving now.”
Den gives his mom a kiss on the check, then bumps fists with Calen before walking to the door. The others do the same, and I’m wrapped in more hugs than I can count, just passed from one person to the next like a cherished little doll.
I love the feeling.
“Be sure to let us know when you get to the house,” says James as he follows us to the door.
“Will do!” Cash has snatched me away from Mav and is running towards to elevators with me laughing in his arms the whole way. If this is what being in a good pack feels like, I don’t want anything else.
Mavrin
We make it to the house with no trouble, so I shoot my mom a text to let her know.
We were all a little nervous about the Lunar Mills pack. The fact that the alpha was so against Jahla leaving is one thing, but to call in his wolves to try to intimidate us is another thing altogether. I think I would’ve preferred swift attack. Instead, I’m more worried than before.
They’re making plans.
The guys and I go upstairs to our rooms to pack our clothes with Jahla casually following behind us. She doesn’t really have anything to pack since her stuff is still boxed up. Luckily, most of our things are, too.
“How do you guys fit all of your things in Den’s truck?”
“Cash actually has his truck here, too. It’s in the garage, but he doesn’t like to drive much. Likes to be chauffeured around.”
“Sounds like Cash,” she says with a low laugh.
She casually sits on the bed while I put the few dirty clothes that I have into a plastic bag before putting them into one of the boxes sitting around the room. We don’t say anything else, but the silence isn’t uncomfortable. It feels good just having him here.
“Have you tried using air yet?” Just because I’m comfortable with the silence doesn’t mean that she is, and I kind of want to know.
“No, I didn’t want to try anything without one of you around. I almost set the house on fire last night!”
“You did not,” I say as I laugh with her. “It was a little spark that’s barely noticeable on the rug. You can try it now if you want.”
“Okay, how do I do air? The fire feels warm, but what is air supposed to feel like.”
I close up the last box, and make my way over to her, thinking about how I can explain it to her.
“I don’t know how what it would feel like to you. You have four different elements swirling around inside of you, and we only have one. Maybe… maybe think of it like colors.”
“What do you mean?”
“Close your eyes and try to feel your power. It’s how I learned to channel mine.” She closes her eyes so I go on. “Now, look deep inside. Try to find a ball of energy in your mind.”
After a few minutes, she gives me a nod. “Got it.”
“Okay, what does it look like?”
“It’s a bunch of different colors. They look like glowing strings all tangled up.”
“Good, do you see one that’s kind of gray?”
“Oh, I get it!” she shouts as her eyes fly open to look at me. “They’re like your eyes! Yours is a silvery gray color, Krix is blue, Denny is gold, and Cash is green. That so cool! Is that why your eyes stand out so much? Wait!” she closes her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again with excitement. “Mine must be the purple one!”
“Yes, sweetheart, our eye color is a representation of our power. See if you can pull apart my thread.”
She closes her eyes once more, and I wait to see what she does. After a couple of minutes, a slight breeze flows through the room. I smile as I watch her hair blow gently around her face.
She’s so damn beautiful.
She must feel the breeze on her skin because she starts smiling, too. “Am I doing it?”
“Yes! You learn so fast. I’m proud of you, sweetheart.”
The wind dies down to nothing as she opens her eyes. “Thanks, Mav. This will make it so much easier.”
“Glad I could help.”
We’re sitting there staring into each other’s eyes when Cash pauses at my door.
“Alright, lovebirds. Time for baths and bed!”
The man is really excited to go to bed. Can’t say that I blame him.
Chapter 18
Jahla
I don’t know how people can willingly go on road trips. That shit is for the birds.
Don’t get me wrong, the guys are great. I loved chilling with Krix and Den during the first half of the drive. They can both be fun when there’s nothing worrying them. Krix thought it was hilarious when I tried to use his element and ended up soaking the floor mats in the back of Den’s truck.
Den just made me dry them by talking me through using his fire and Mav’s wind.
It was an educational experience.
The second part wasn’t so bad either. I was begged by Cash to ride in his truck for the rest of the truck, and couldn’t say no to his puppy dog eyes. It was adorable!
We spent most of that time playing around and picking at each other. Mavrin is really silly when he’s relaxed. I thought he was shy and quiet when we were at school, but I guess he’s just like that around people he doesn’t know.
The part I don’t like is the actual trip. Who the hell likes sitting in a car for almost ten hours? Now that my wolf is more active, I’m finding it harder to stay in enclosed spaces. The guys are used to this feeling, but I’m not.
I’m now laying across the back seat of Cash’s dark green Silverado-I get their obsession with these colors now-and I’m almost at my wit’s end.
“How much further did you say we had to go?”
“We’re actually on pack land right now, babe. It’ll still take us about ten minutes to the house, though. Have to have a lot of territory for the pack. We run through the Gallatin National Forest.”
I bolt up in the seat at Cash’s words, eager to get a glimpse at my new home. We’re traveling on a smoothly paved two laned road surrounded on both sides by tall trees that are begging to lose their leaves. It’s so beautiful that I have my head on a swivel as I try to take in all in.
“I take it that you like what you see?” asks Mavrin as he turns around in his seat to watch me.
“I love it,” I say in an awe-filled whisper. “It’s so beautiful, and I’m only looking at the trees!”
We drive for another few minutes before we follow Den’s truck as he takes a right turn further into the forest. A couple more minutes, and houses come into view. They remind me of the upscale houses back in the gated community in Lunar Mills, but these have more of a rustic touch Many are two-story log cabins along with a few plank-wood homes scattered about. They’re spaced out far enough for peace of mind, but close enough to still see your neighbor’s home. There are roads that go in every direction, and so many homes that I don’t even try to count them all. The snow makes everything resemble something out of what I’d imagine a winter wonderland would look like. Den pulls up to a house at the end of one of these roads, and I wonder who this one belongs to.
It’s a huge log cabin like so many others, but this one is huge. It’s even bigger than the Lunar Mills pack house. I can’t seem to stop making comparisons.
There’s a wrap-around porch extending from the front, and a three-car garage attached to either side. The house has beautiful bay windows, and a balcony along the front of the top floor. About six steps lead up to the porch, then there are two beautiful wooden doors.
This must be the pack house.
Krix is suddenly opening my door, and I just from my study of the house being broken. “Welcome home, angel,” he says wide a wide grin that’s brimming with excitement.
“Are we staying in the pack house?”
“This is our house, babe!” calls yells as he jumps out of the truck.
“What? This is your house?” I ask as Krix helps me out. I stare up at the house with disbelief. There’s no fucking way. They’re practically kids!
“It’s our house, pixie. This is for all five of us, including you. We have to order a new bed, though. Left too soon to make arrangements for the other one.” Den pauses beside me as he pulls out his phone, presumedly to order said bed.
“Want a tour?”
“What kind of question is that, Mav? Of course, she wants a freaking tour! Come on, babe. Let me show you where everything is, then we have to go to my mom’s. she’s called dibs on feeding us. The others are making up a schedule.”
I don’t think I close my mouth, or blink my eyes during the entire tour. There are six bedrooms with the master being the biggest in the basement. We each have our own rooms with ensuite baths, but the bathroom downstairs has a huge tube and shower that could fit all of us at the same time.
The kitchen has stainless steel appliances, and a six-range stove top on one of the counters with a double oven in the wall beside it. The island is long, with enough bar stools for each of us. The color scheme is red, and the countertops are a tan granite with light brown cabinets.
The dining room is decorated similarly with a really long table. I don’t even try to count the chairs. Guess family dinners will be here.
Each of their bedrooms reflects them perfectly. They’re colors and personalities are subtly reflected all about, and I can’t wait to explore them.
“We got lucky with your private room,” he says as he opens a white door in the middle of the hallway.
We step onto light grey carpet, and I look up to see the color is also on the walls with the one behind my white headboard being painted a soft lavender color. There’s a matching nightstand on either side of the bed with crystal lamps set on top. The duvet covering the bed is silver with lavender pillows, and a matching throw blanket folded at the foot. There’s a white desk with a purple rolling chair on one side of the room, and a large flatscreen tv in the opposite wall on a swivel wall mount. The best feature is the crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the room from the high ceiling.
“Wow.”
“So, you like it?” I turn to look at Cash when I hear the almost undetectable nerves in his voice. “Our moms decorated it last year when the house was finished, and we thought it would be perfect after we met you. If you don’t like it, we can always change it.” Now he’s shifting his feet, so I decide to end his suffering.
“I love it. I’ll have to thank your moms.”
“Thank the Mother! You had me scared there for a second. Do you want to end here, or check out he game room and theater in the attic?”
“Are you freaking kidding me? How can we afford all of this? I know you said that we have money, but this is a lot.”
“Check your bank account, babe. There’s more money in each of ours than we’d be able to spend in this lifetime, or the next.”
I pull out my phone with a skeptical look. Logging into the banking app, he helps me navigate to the home page. I nearly drop the phone at the amount I see in both the checking and savings accounts with my name on them. I also see the guys’ accounts, and they’re pretty much the same.
“H-how?”
“We told you that the pack has been saving and investing the money since the prophecy was spoken, and we’re not the only ones. There are others who will most likely add their savings once it’s proven that we are who we say we are.”
“We don’t need any more money, Cash! This is too much already.”
“We won’t just be sitting here, babe. You have to remember that there is a war coming. This money is to help us with whatever we might need. We used a little of it to build this house so we can have somewhere to lie low, and the cars as a way to get around. We’ll have to get you your own, too. We might have to travel to different packs, and that shit can get expensive. This money is a gift, Jahla. The packs that side with the mother know that our tasks won’t be easy, and this is their way of helping us.”
Cash’s earnest expression has me relaxing into his arms as they go around me, his pine scent infusing me with a sense of calm.
“I’m just not used to seeing so much money, and to know that there’s more to come freaked me out.”
“I get it. Let’s go downstairs to the kitchen before Den comes looking for you.”
“But we just ate a couple of hours ago.”
“This is Denahi that we’re talking about.”
Krix
“We need a training schedule,” I say as I stand on the other side of the island while Den makes Jahla a sandwich. The guy is constantly trying to feed her.
“You know we’re going to the O’Neills’s place for dinner in a little bit, right?”
Den cuts his eyes over to Mav with a mild look of annoyance. “She needs to eat more,” is all he says as he places the top slice of bread on the sandwich just as Jahla and Cash come in the room.
She automatically grabs the sandwich after giving Den a quick kiss on the cheek. She’s quickly getting more comfortable with us, and I’m loving every second of it
“As I was saying, we ne
ed a training schedule.”
“We have to get her enrolled in school first. You graduate with this year’s class right, sweetheart?”
“Yeah, my birthday’s late, so I had to wait an extra year before I could start school.”
“Us, too. We’re all in the same boat on that, babe,” Cash says with a smirk.
“We need to get you trained in using the elements, and figure out what your individual power will be. We have to get you shifting, too.”
I can’t wait to see her wolf. Our wolves usually reflect our hair color, though some look more like natural born wolves with gray and black coats. We all have coloring similar to our hair, and I’m hope hers is the same.
“Will it hurt?” I can feel her apprehension through the bond.
“It’s a little uncomfortable the first few times,” I say, knowing I need to be honest. “You can feel your bones adjusting, but the magic of it all keeps the pain away. The only downside is you have to be naked unless you want to rip through your clothes.”
“I don’t see that as a downside.”
“Shut up, Cash,” we all say at the same time.
“Maybe we should just wing it. Try to fit in time each day after school. We have tomorrow off since we have to get us all transferred to the academy so we can start in the morning.”
“Academy?” Jahla asks after Mav slips that little tidbit in there.
“Most wolves attend an academy catering to shifter near their packs. We actually have our own since our pack is so big. There are even a few packs in the state who send their pups, too.”
“Oh, joy.”
“It’s not that bad, sweetheart. The wolves in our pack think of you as a goddess.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better? I don’t do well with attention, Mav.”
“You’ll be fine, pixie. Now, let’s go eat dinner,” Den says as he takes her hand to drag her out of the kitchen.”
“But I just had a sandwich!”
“that was just a snack. You’ll understand when you start shifting. You burn more calories.”
We follow them out the door and begin our walk to the Cash’s parent’s house down the road.