Dancer's Heart

by R. E. Butler

  “Fate is a funny thing, isn’t it?” Brynn asked. “You were on your way to one destiny and found a different path.”

  “I’m glad we stopped.”

  “Me too. It’s nice to see Adam happy. He deserves it.”

  Brynn and Dani carried the food to the kitchen table and filled glasses with iced tea. “Adam said you weren’t going to go meet that herd. Aren’t you curious about your people?”

  Dani shrugged. “A little. Reindeer are nomadic, so the herds don’t stay in one place for long. If I’d found a herd when I was younger, I might have been more willing to go and meet them, but Mom and Row are my family, and now so is Adam.”

  Brynn smiled and sniffled, coming around the table to hug Dani. “I’m sorry your family is gone.”

  Dani smiled. “It’s really okay. I know that my parents would have wanted me to be safe and loved, and I was. I think family doesn’t have to be about what you shift into, but who you love.”

  Adam and Acksel came into the kitchen, both looking concerned. Brynn turned from Dani into Acksel’s arms and said, “Her story is sad but has a happy ending. You know happy endings always make me cry.”

  Acksel chuckled and hugged her. “I know, baby,” he murmured.

  Dani held out her hands to Adam and he linked their fingers. “It is a happy ending,” she said.

  Adam smiled.

  Brynn’s stomach growled loudly, and everyone laughed. “The boss has spoken,” Brynn said, patting her stomach. “Let’s eat.”

  Adam pulled out Dani’s chair and pushed it in as she sat, joining her in the next chair. Acksel leaned over and kissed Brynn’s cheek. “Everything looks great.”

  “You can thank Dani for saving the gravy.”

  “It was my pleasure.”

  As the meal progressed, they talked about the differences between the pack and the sleuth, and how strange fate was that both Dani and her brother had found their truemates after stopping for gas.

  Adam cleared his throat. “I’d like to talk to you about me and Dani becoming stewards,” he said, looking at Acksel.

  “Oh?” Acksel leaned back in his chair and put his arm around Brynn.

  Adam nodded. “It makes sense. Dani can work with Honey on the household things for the retirees, and I can work with Jeremiah on the outside things. Right now Dade is assigning a lot of young teens, but there’s a lot of work to be done, and since they’re still in school, it’s eating into their productivity. We’ll be coming into spring soon, and that means gardening and lawn care, which are a lot of work.”

  “I can’t make Dani a full pack member because it’s against our laws, but I can make her an honorary steward. It’s no problem to assign you as a steward if that’s what you’d like. You’ll need to talk to my dad because he’s in charge of them, and of course make sure that Jeremiah and Honey want the extra help, but I’m sure they will.”

  “I think you need to change that law, Acksel,” Brynn said as she ladled gravy onto her third helping of pot roast. “Why can’t the mates of pack members be pack members?”

  “Pack membership is for wolves only,” he said.

  “I know, but why does it have to be that way? What’s the point of being alpha if you can’t change the laws?”

  “I’ve changed a lot of laws since you came around.”

  “Yeah, but this one is starting to become an issue. Your mate, Malachi’s mate, and Eveny’s mate are humans. We’re ‘honorary’ members, but not full members. And Dani’s an actual shifter, so it would make even more sense for her to be a full member. Plus, Kammie’s mate is a bear. He would make a great protector.”

  Acksel exhaled with an exasperated rumble. “Every time someone gets mated in the pack we have this discussion.”

  “Because you can’t get it through your thick head that I want you to change this law.”

  “My head’s thick because I have to keep banging it against the wall,” he said, his lip curling up into a smile.

  Brynn stabbed the air with her fork. “Watch it.”

  Adam cleared his throat and said, “Making Dani an honorary member is fine, as long as she can work with me. We both want to stay in Wilde Creek, and we’d like to work together.”

  “That’s so romantic,” Brynn said with a sigh.

  Acksel rolled his eyes. “You can tell my dad that I said its okay with me for you two to become stewards. I understand about wanting your mate by your side. We’re working on getting the work of the omegas divvied up more fairly, but having you two as permanent stewards is a good idea.”

  Acksel and Adam cleared the dishes while Brynn and Dani talked about the full moon celebrations. As they were getting ready to leave, Adam said, “I’d like to mate with Dani officially during the March full moon.”

  “Of course,” Acksel said.

  “I need help to keep her safe.”

  Brynn’s brows rose. “Won’t she stay with the mates in our house during the hunt?” It was tradition that the mates who were unable to shift stayed in the alphas’ home while the pack hunted.

  “I like to shift, too. Adam’s worried that someone is going to mistake me for a real reindeer,” Dani said. Adam helped her on with her coat and then tugged his on.

  “What were you thinking about?” Acksel asked.

  “A privacy fence. Something tall, maybe eight feet, and reinforced so it couldn’t be knocked down easily. My property is an acre, and I can stay with her on the full moon and shift in the yard with her. It’s not quite the same as hunting with the pack, but then again I don’t really do that now.”

  “How will you hunt if you’re just in your yard?” Brynn asked.

  “I don’t need to hunt to be happy, I just need to be with Dani,” Adam said.

  Dani couldn’t help her broad smile.

  “I’ll have Jerry Ferrity contact you in the next few days about putting up a privacy fence for you.”

  “Thanks, Acksel,” Adam said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Brynn and Dani hugged again, and then they said goodbye. As Adam helped her into the truck, she said, “That went really well.”

  “I think so, too. You’re surprised?” he asked as he got behind the wheel.

  “Not really. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but they’re very down-to-earth and sweet.”

  “We’re lucky to have them as alphas.”

  She figured she was the luckiest reindeer around, not just because she’d found her truemate, but because she’d found a place to call home, somewhere she belonged. She hadn’t ever really felt like she fit in with the bears, but Adam’s easy acceptance of her allowed everything else to fall into place.

  “I’m going to make you so happy when we get home,” she said, leaning against his shoulder.

  “It would be pretty hard to top how happy I am right now.”

  “Challenge accepted.”

  Chapter 5

  The following morning, Adam took Dani to meet Dade. Dade was not only the head of the stewards; he was also Acksel’s dad.

  “Is Dade mated?” Dani asked as they pulled to a stop in front of Dade’s house.

  “He was. His mate died when Acksel and Eveny were younger. He never re-mated.”

  “Is it always that way for mated pairs?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, if one dies, does the other one never mate with anyone else? My mom said that when her mate Nathaniel died she never wanted to mate someone else. I always wondered if she just hadn’t found the right person or if she felt like she’d be betraying her mate’s memory to mate again.”

  “I’m not sure if there’s anything that’s normal when it comes to loss. Some shifters may feel like they only have one mate and won’t look for another. Others might eventually open their hearts. I guess it depends on their situation.”

  “Was Dade the alpha before Acksel?”

  “No. The alpha position in Wilde Creek is determined by a fight. If a wolf wants to try to take over the pack, they hav
e to defeat the current alpha and make him stand down from his position.”

  “What happens if the challenger doesn’t beat the alpha?”

  “Pack law says that the alpha can either kill him or just banish him. It works the other way as well. When Acksel challenged the former alpha, he let him leave town. In our pack’s history, there have been new alphas who haven’t been so kind.”

  She shivered. “Pack life is harsh sometimes.”

  He nodded. “Like anything in life, you have to take the good with the bad.”

  They got out of the truck, and as they were walking up the sidewalk, the door swung open and Dade smiled and waved. “Come on in.”

  Adam shut the door after he and Dani entered. “Dade Moore, this is my mate, Dani Grayson.”

  Dade extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dani. Come on in, I just brewed some coffee.”

  After fixing their coffees, Adam and Dani settled on a couch and Dade sat in a comfortable recliner. “The scuttlebutt in town is that you’re a reindeer shifter, Dani.”

  She smiled. “It’s true. My adopted brother, Row, is mated to Kammie.”

  “You and your brother both found your mates here at the same time? That’s pretty neat.” He took a sip of coffee and said, “I have a feeling that you’re here on business. So what can I do for you both?”

  Adam cleared his throat. “Dani and I spoke to Acksel last night. Even though Dani will only be an honorary pack member, Acksel said that she and I could both become stewards, and that we should speak to you about it.”

  “Hey, that’s great! Jeremiah and Honey could use the help. The young people are fine, but they require a lot of supervision. Last weekend I sent a small group out with a four-wheeler towing a cart to pick up firewood, and I found them several hours later with the four-wheeler upside down in a ditch because they were goofing around.”

  Adam chuckled. “I’m sure they had a good time while they were doing it.”

  “I’m very sure of that, too,” Dade said, smiling. “Anyway, yes, we’d love to have you on the steward team. On the March full moon, when you two are officially mated, we’ll have Acksel make you both stewards so it will all be official with the pack.”

  “We’re not officially mated right now?” Dani asked.

  “Yes and no. You’re wearing his marks, so yes you’re mated, but in the eyes of the pack it’s not official until the alpha recognizes the mating.”

  “Thanks, Dade,” Adam said. He hadn’t doubted that the male would welcome them into the stewards.

  “In the meantime, if anyone asks you to do something for them, be sure to tell them to talk to me or Acksel. You’re a steward as of right now, and that means you’re supposed to be focusing on the retirees.”

  “Sure,” Adam said. “When do you want us to start?”

  “Have you talked to Jeremiah yet?”

  “We were going to catch up with him and Honey after this.”

  “I think you can start tomorrow. Check in with Jeremiah and then we can all meet tomorrow morning at eight at the retiree development. We’ll divvy up the duties and you can get right to work.”

  Adam stood and shook Dade’s hand. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome. And welcome to the pack, Dani.”

  * * * * *

  “That was easy,” Dani said after Adam got behind the wheel and started the truck.

  “Did you think it wouldn’t be?”

  “I don’t know. I thought maybe he might ask us questions or tell us what the duties would be.”

  “He knows me because of the pack. The duties vary from day to day, and with the seasons. There’s always something to be done. The stewards handle everything from the exterior home and yard upkeep to cleaning and repairs inside the home, and taking those who can’t drive shopping and to appointments.”

  “Neat.”

  He smiled at her. “I’m so glad you’re excited about the job.”

  “Well, I’m sure it’s hard work at times, but I know I’ll enjoy getting to know the retirees. Plus I get to work with you, which is a huge bonus in my book.”

  He turned into the retiree development and parked behind Jeremiah’s SUV in the driveway. “Ready, sweetheart?”

  “You bet.”

  He looked at her for a long moment, and she tilted her head quizzically. “What?”

  “You’re beautiful.” He reached out and wrapped a lock of her pretty golden hair around his finger. “I look at you and I see kids with your blonde hair. Wolves who smell like peppermint.”

  “Or reindeer who have amber eyes when they shift,” she said with a laugh.

  He nodded. “Exactly.”

  She unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I wish we were home so we could talk more.”

  “Me, too. I didn’t mean to get into a heavy conversation before meeting with my friends.”

  “It’s okay,” she said, pressing her lips to his briefly. It was just the softest of kisses, but his wolf growled for more.

  She smiled as she gazed at him for a quiet moment, and then she slipped back into her seat and reached for the door handle. “Let’s meet your friends and then we can talk more at home.”

  After pushing his wolf back and shaking himself out of the desire to put the truck in reverse and rush them back home, he turned off the engine and got out.

  “How long have you and Jeremiah been friends?” Dani asked as she met him at the front of the truck.

  “Pretty much forever. He was one of the few guys who didn’t shy away from me or treat me differently after I was burned.” It had been a hellish time in his life and he didn’t like to think about it, but every time his leg ached, he couldn’t help but remember the cause. Dani didn’t seem to care about his scars, though. She treated them like they were just part of his skin, and not the definition of him.

  “That’s cool. Row and I were always super-close. There are some female bears I’m friends with, but he was my best friend.”

  Adam and Dani held hands as they walked up the sidewalk to the front door. When Adam lifted his hand to knock, the door swung open and Jeremiah greeted them. “Hey! We were just on our way out when we saw your truck. Come on in!”

  “I’m glad we caught you,” Adam said. He and Jeremiah embraced briefly and Adam greeted Honey as she walked into the family room to stand next to Jeremiah. “Jeremiah and Honey, this is my mate, Dani Grayson.”

  Jeremiah gave Dani a little wave and said, “You’ll understand if I don’t give you a hug hello. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Honey stepped away from Jeremiah’s side and hugged Dani. “I’m so glad to finally meet you. We’d heard that Adam found his mate, but no one knew anything about you. Come on in and have a seat.”

  “We didn’t mean to stop you from going to work,” Adam said as he sat with Dani on the comfortable couch and Jeremiah and Honey sat on a matching loveseat.

  “We were going to run some errands in town for a few of the retirees. It’s nothing that can’t wait while we catch up,” Jeremiah said. “So you met in the woods? That’s the rumor in town.”

  Adam smiled as he put his arm around Dani. “Yeah, on the full moon. She and her brother stopped in town to get gas and she felt me.”

  Honey sighed wistfully. “That’s very cool. It’s like how we found each other,” she said as she smiled at Jeremiah.

  As the couples shared the stories of how they met, Adam was conscious of a growing sense of camaraderie that he hadn’t felt before. It wasn’t just that Jeremiah was his best friend; now he realized that he’d come to think of him as a brother of sorts.

  “The reason we wanted to see you is that I talked to Acksel and Dade about Dani and I joining the stewards. They agreed, as long as both of you don’t mind the company,” Adam said.

  “Seriously? That would be awesome!” Jeremiah said. “Honey and I were just saying the other day how it would be nice to have some more responsible stewards who actually wanted to d
o the work.”

  Honey wrinkled her nose as she smiled. “The teen wolves are just not that interested in hard work, unless they’re doing it right in front of Acksel or one of the high-ranked males. They’re always wanting to impress them, but when it’s just us, they get powerfully lazy.”

  “Unless there are teenage girls around,” Jeremiah said with a laugh. “Then they’ll do anything that makes them look strong.”

  “Acksel said we could join the stewards now even though Dani won’t be made an unofficial pack member until the March full moon.”

  “That’s great,” Jeremiah said. “Dani, do you understand what we do as stewards?”

  She nodded. “You work with the retired wolves.”

  “Right. When a wolf ages out of the pack, they often find themselves alone. Some retirees are still mated, but most of our retirees lost their mates and are alone. Because they don’t join in the monthly hunts, they can get lost in an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ way. When I was simply an omega, I used to take the time to check in on them. I felt like it was important, because I know what it’s like to be forgotten and overlooked.”

  “When Jer was offered the opportunity to fight for rank, he got a little pissed that Acksel expected me to just take over all his duties,” Honey said. “Stewards are an old-school pack position. Most modern packs don’t have stewards, or even know what they are. They offered the position to both of us, and it was a no-brainer. I love working with the retirees, plus I get to work with my mate.”

  “That’s so neat,” Dani said.

  “How about we give you a tour of the development and we can introduce you to the retirees?” Jeremiah asked.

  “That sounds great,” Adam said.

  He and Dani followed them outside, and then he walked with Jeremiah ahead of their mates, who already were talking quietly together, their arms linked and smiles on their faces as if they were old friends. “Thanks,” Adam said.

  Jeremiah patted him on the back. “It’s my pleasure. I’m glad you found your mate. Honey and I had been talking about asking Acksel to make you a steward so that you could help us out.”