by Marilu Mann
Gareth grinned as the sound of youthful yipping filled the night air. He glanced around to make sure that all had Changed. A sigh of relief came as he saw all of his charges now had four paws and wagging tails. It was a beautiful sight.
Rion stepped into view, already in wolf form. He dropped his jaw in a wolfy grin at Gareth. Darting at him, Rion dropped into a play bow.
You gonna stand there all night or are we gonna run?
We run! Gareth flowed into his own wolf and took off through the trees.
From the living room, Harmony could hear the drums at the Gathering Circle. She knew how many of the Pack were out there right now, taking their wolf forms, chasing one another. She brusquely wiped a tear away. She hadn’t really felt sorry for herself in sixteen years, no reason to start now. She sighed going into the bathroom. Taking down the over-the-counter sleeping aid she’d purchased in town, she popped two in her mouth. A sip of water washed them down. They wouldn’t truly knock her out but they’d take the edge off so she could at least relax.
The cabin had never felt small to her until right this minute. She wanted desperately to be out there with Rain, to watch what happened, but she knew parents weren’t allowed at the first shift. Besides, the last thing she needed was to be out wandering in the woods. Though they hadn’t had any more signs of Tom’s presence, she had the strange feeling he was still close by.
Sighing, she turned off the bathroom light to wander aimlessly back into the living room. Because it was a full moon this Gathering would last for hours. She had a feeling she’d be awake through it all. But she was comforted by the fact that Rain had not come home. That meant she had successfully Changed.
As she made her third circuit of the cabin, Harmony grabbed the hair at her temples. She pulled hard, letting out an agonized groan at her own inability to settle. The ache in her bones had never been this bad. Could she be coming down with a cold or something? Maybe she should chance taking more pills? No, she wanted to be awake when Rain and Gareth came home. She wanted to hear all about everything.
“I can cook. They’ll be hungry, right? I remember Willow saying something about everyone bringing a dish up to the lodge tonight for after the Gathering. Great, Harmony! Now you’re talking to yourself. Oh for god’s sake, get a grip!”
Rolling her eyes, she stomped into the kitchen to study the contents of the pantry. Even if they did go to the lodge she had a feeling that Rain and Gareth wouldn’t stay there long. For sure Rain would want to tell her all about her first shift. At least she hoped Rain would.
“Breakfast casserole and biscuits. That’ll do the trick.” Setting her mind to her task, she started pulling everything she’d need out. Surely the clock wasn’t ticking as slowly as it seemed.
Rain stopped. Raising her head, she carefully scented the air. Keme halted beside her, cocking his head to one side.
What’s up, Rain?
Everything smells so…good! I just can’t get over it. Is it always like this? She stared at him, panting slightly as she caught her breath.
Pretty much. C’mon, let’s head toward the lake.
Are we supposed to go that far?
Some of the elders will watch out for us, c’mon! Keme turned swiftly, bumping her as he did. He dashed away. Shaking herself from head to tail, Rain followed.
You’re gonna pay for that, wolf boy!
On the way to the lake, Rain was thrilled to see Patrick and Julia. She identified her friends by scent only, because their wolves didn’t look anything like she’d expected. Julia was almost red, her fur tipped with gold while Patrick was a gray so dark he was almost black.
Keme? What do I look like? I mean, I can see my feet and my tail, but…
She felt his laughter in her head. You’re not as light in color as Alicia and not as dark as Patrick. You aren’t red like Jules either.
He nipped at her shoulder playfully. You’re gorgeous, Rain. Your coat is gray tipped in black, like the ends have been dipped in ink. There’s a patch of white right between your eyes and you have black under your eyes like eyeliner. Okay?
She bumped shoulders with him as she’d seen some of the others doing. He gave her a wolfish grin then nudged her back. It felt like the most natural thing in the world. Rain pounced on Keme, driving him down to the ground. He rolled over, pawing at her. The other kids tackled them both. Soon they were a rolling, panting pile of joy. Keme broke free first. As he jetted down the path, the other three chased after him.
They trekked through the woods until they reached the edge of the lake. Some of the others were already there. More chasing, more romping, until several of them just dropped, panting hard. Some played near the icy edges of the lake but only the bravest. Or the most foolish in Rain’s opinion.
Two white wolves appeared out of the thick trees. Every head turned in their direction.
Okay, everyone. Gareth was obviously reaching all of them at once since everyone seemed to perk up a bit. Time to head back to the circle. You’ve all been wolves long enough. Time to get back into human form. There’s tons of food waiting at the lodge and Micah will want to talk to all of you, officially welcome you all to the Pack. Let’s go.
Gareth tossed his head back toward the clearing. The brothers waited until everyone had started back. Rain slowed so she was even with Gareth. She looked at him with every other step.
Spit it out, pup. He sounded amused, so she took a deep breath.
Am I going to have as much trouble turning back into a human as I had turning into a wolf? I mean, I know I sort of freaked out, but…I’m really scared, Gareth. What if I can’t turn back?
Rain, hang on a second. Rion, would you make sure the others don’t wander off? Rain and I will be there in a few. Rion yipped in response and moved fast toward the other kids.
Rain, I can almost promise you that you won’t have any trouble taking back your human form. We are dual-natured creatures, but we’re more human than animal. That’s why your brain still functions in a human manner and why we’re able to communicate this way. You would need to stay in wolf form a very long time to not be able to turn back. And, in case you haven’t heard the rumors, our Alpha has a very special power. As a shaman he can force a Change if necessary. Trust me though, pup, you’ll be fine. He put his head over her back. The weight of it, the feel of his heart beating calmed her. Rain turned her head so she could take a deep breath of his comforting scent then nodded.
Last one back’s a rotten egg! She took off through the woods, running as fast as she could. She could hear Gareth laughing in her head as he gave chase. She slowed down at the edge of the clearing. The first-time shifters were all in the center of the circle. At her hesitation, Gareth nudged her to join the others. She trembled slightly but found Keme, who leaned into her, making her feel safe again.
The drummers started up again. Gareth encouraged them all to come back to their human selves. Rion helped with the occasional comment. As her friends all regained their human shapes, Rain closed her eyes. She thought about her own body. She thought about fingers and toes, a short nose and human ears, a butt instead of a tail.
She didn’t want to open her eyes to find out that she was still a wolf. Sternly she told herself that she wasn’t going to panic like an idiot again. The first clue she had that she’d succeeded was the shiver that went across her entire body. She hadn’t been cold at all when she was a wolf but now she was freezing!
Opening her eyes, she saw Olivia standing in front of her smiling. The Alpha’s mate held clothes out to her. “Congratulations, Rain Softly Johnson. You’re a shapeshifter.”
Rain laughed as she took the clothes to pull them on as fast as she could. She dropped to the ground to pull her socks and shoes on. When she looked up again, Keme stood there holding out his hand. She placed her hand in his so he pulled her to her feet. Her belly did a funny little roll at how strong Keme was.
“How are you feeling?” The question made her forget about everything else.
&nbs
p; “I’m starving!” Rain’s stomach gave a growl as if punctuating the truth.
He laughed then turned them both toward the center of the circle where Micah now stood, holding both hands high in the air. Everyone around them got quiet, waiting to hear what he would say. Rain watched as he turned slowly around, meeting the eyes of every new shifter. When he got to her she took a deep breath and swallowed hard, keeping her eyes on his as Gareth had told them all to do. Later they’d show their respect to him as Alpha, but for now it was time for him to acknowledge them all.
“My family, my Pack, let us welcome our new Moon-Called to the circle with us. As your Alpha I am honored to share this Gathering with all of you. I now ask you to join me in this blessing of the Pack.”
Micah spread his upheld arms wide as he turned to face the moon. “Under this full moon we ask for the blessings of the elders upon us. Let Father Sky and Mother Earth be pleased with our healthy young, our growing family. Let us remember that Creator in all His forms shines down on us tonight as we walk our sacred paths as Pack. Ahau!”
Rain held her own arms up like the others to call out “Ahau.”
Keme bumped her shoulder with a grin. “You’re Pack now. Family.”
Micah turned back to the gathered shifters with a wide smile. His wife stepped to his side to be encircled by one massive arm. Rain wondered how that would feel—to be someone’s chosen. She sighed softly. Keme must have heard. His hand reached out for hers as the Alpha spoke again.
“Now, let us all go to the lodge. I am sure you all know there will be plenty of food and fellowship. Everyone is invited.” When he said this he faced the drummers who Rain knew to be like her mom, Moon-Denied. They broke into a smooth rhythm that had many of the shifters half-dancing as they moved out of the circle.
That brought her back to reality with a thump. Mom couldn’t do this. She’d never know this feeling. She’d never run with the others smelling the air, the trees, the earth the way Rain could. Her mom was Denied. Why? Rain felt the tears welling in her eyes but when she tried to pull away from Keme he tugged on her hand.
“Rain? What’s wrong?” His honey-brown eyes searched her face.
Looking away, she pulled her hand again. “Let go, please.”
“Tell me what’s wrong.” He put his hand under her chin gently, tilting her head back. “What is it? Did you hurt yourself out there? Did someone bug you?”
“No, it’s…Mom.” Her voice skipped as the hurt surged up. She didn’t want to cry but everything felt so much bigger. What if her mom decided she didn’t want to be around her because she could shift? Emotions flooded her as the tears began trailing down her cheeks.
He pulled her closer. The feeling of his arms wrapped around her helped. She leaned into his chest with her face looking toward the moon. So full, so bright, so beautiful. Why couldn’t her mom be a part of this? Keme hugged her tight. He whispered against her hair, “You’re just sad that she can’t do this?”
Rain nodded. The warmth of his hand smoothing down her hair felt good. Some of the tension inside her eased as she turned her face into his chest. A soft rumble made her feel safer. Her arms eased around his waist. He laid his head on hers as he squeezed her gently again.
“Rain, don’t you know how proud she’ll be of you? This is why she brought you back here. So we could all be with you. So you would know what it meant to be part of a Pack. She’ll be so happy for you.” His jaw moved on her head as he spoke.
Rain sniffled again then nodded. “You’re right. She will be happy for me. She wanted me to shift.”
She lifted her head and looked up at Keme. “You always know just what to say, don’t you?”
When he smiled Rain felt her belly dip as if she were on a rollercoaster. The scent of hazelnut deepened until there was a hint of something else…maybe wood. It was dark and a bit scary. Not “knife-wielding murderer” scary. More like “her heart might have just left her body” scary. His eyes locked with hers. For a moment they just stared.
Then she did something she never thought she would. She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him, right on the mouth. Oh his mouth was so soft. She felt his gasp of surprise but then he kissed her back. His arms tightened around her but when she leaned back he let her go immediately.
He didn’t look so sure of himself now. She couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of her. As he opened his mouth to say something another person stepped up. Alicia grabbed her hand and pulled.
“Come on! All the fry bread will be gone if we don’t hurry.”
Rain laughed then ran toward the lodge with the other girls. She looked back once to see Keme standing right where she’d left him, a smile on his face and the fingers of his right hand touching his lips. She turned her head, smiling and laughing with the others. There was more shoulder bumping, more teasing remarks as the teens streaked toward the food.
Gareth shook his head as he walked toward Keme. He’d seen the lip-lock Rain had planted on the young man. Even with the protective urge toward Rain, he had a feeling that he knew exactly how Keme felt. If Rain packed as big a wallop as her mom, the guy was feeling that kiss all the way to his toes.
“Keme? You okay?” He couldn’t help the grin that crossed his face as Keme dropped his hand and turned toward him.
“When we’re older I’m going to marry Rain Johnson.” The boy spoke with a mix of awe and fierce determination.
He clapped him on the shoulder. “You do that, pup. Just treat her with respect. And try not to let her lead you by the tail. You look as though you just got hit by a train.” He laughed as he rubbed his other hand over the mating mark on his chest. He kept laughing as they made their way back to the lodge.
Chapter Thirteen
Harmony bit her lip as Rain left the house with some of the other girls from the res. In the three days since her first shift Rain had opened up a great deal, making even more friends among the other girls. Keme had been a constant at their place too. He walked Rain home from the lodge after her shift in housekeeping ended. He stayed for supper as often as not. They studied with other kids at the cabin or at other homes. And, of course, he took her to school every morning.
Even though she still worried about Rain getting too serious too fast, she knew Keme was not going to be a man like her ex. Gareth had told her about the exchange he’d had with the younger man after the Gathering and how serious Keme had been. Harmony had gotten a good laugh out of the image of her daughter kissing the shifter boy into stupid. Then she’d gotten more than laughter when Gareth had asked her to do the same to him.
Taking a deep breath, she jerked out of her reverie. Standing completely still, she stared out into the woods nearest the road. A sour stench, barely discernible, hung in the air. Was that really Tom’s scent? Why couldn’t she remember him smelling that bad? There’d been no word or action from him since their last encounter. She held on to her prayer that he’d just gone away. That had never been part of his agenda but one could hope. The scent drifted away, if it had even been there in the first place. Harmony shook herself hard. Then she shut the door, double-checking the lock.
Now the comforting scents of her home surrounded her. Rain’s sweet gardenia, Gareth’s clean pine, the vanilla and cinnamon candles she had burning in the living room. From the kitchen the aroma of pot roast in the slow cooker and the bread baking in the oven wafted toward her. To some it might seem too much. To her it smelled like home. Gareth and Rion would be here for dinner soon.
She couldn’t help it. Her mating bond ached, she knew they would be leaving the next morning. He’d promised to return as quickly as possible. Still, without knowing exactly what was wrong with his mother, there was no telling how long he might be gone. She touched the mark on her neck then smiled. There really was no doubt that he would return. The Alpha had even given his blessing to their mating the day after the Gathering. Now Willow and Rain came up with new ideas daily for the wedding that would soon follow.
She turne
d the light on in the oven to check the bread. Just a few more minutes and she’d take that out. The crockpot had already been turned to low. She checked the rice cooker to make sure that would be done as well. Peas on the stove just needed a last-minute warming. She slipped her apron off.
As soon as Gareth and Rion got there she’d put everything on the table. She’d gone into town that morning to mail off the set of illustrations she’d been working on since they’d arrived in Wisconsin. She had already received another contract from the same children’s publisher, so she would start on those after Gareth left. She would need something to keep her occupied since Rain was so excited about her new abilities. In her heart she admitted to a tinge of jealousy there.
The sound of male voices drifted to her. Harmony looked out the kitchen window, smiling at the sight that met her gaze. Gareth and Rion walked side by side through the yard. One twin hip-checked the other then ducked the playful cuff that came his way. They’d really made great strides in rebuilding their relationship. Her happiness for their reconnection brought a tightness to her chest. Laughing, she rubbed it away. She was so happy for both of them. Just then Gareth looked right at her and she caught her breath. He smiled before turning his attention back to his brother.
She watched them embrace. Wait. What? Her brow wrinkled in confusion when Rion waved at her before wandering back into the woods. It looked as if he was moving toward the lodge. Gareth watched him for a minute then lifted his head. She knew he was scenting the air. He did it every night before coming inside.
Apparently satisfied that nothing was out of place, he came up on the back porch. She saw his nod of approval when he had to use his key to open the door. Watching his muscles ripple as he took off his jacket and toed off his boots never got old. It simply made her skin tingle. This gorgeous shifter was all hers.
“Isn’t Rion coming for dinner?” She smiled at him. Turning, she pulled the fresh bread from the oven to let it rest on the rack. His arms came around her from behind as he nuzzled at her neck. She arched up to meet his lips.