by Viola Rivard
His words only made her cry harder, and Taylor found herself clutching her own chest as she watched the girl sob. The brawny male, West, put his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her forearm. He spoke to her softly, but it was quiet enough that Taylor could make out what he was saying.
“You must think of what is best for her. You can't feed her. She will die.”
Stifling another sob with her hand, Kalla cast Taylor a desperate look, and Taylor understood. Kalla needed Taylor to do what she could not, and that began with taking the baby from her arms.
Taylor started for her but was immediately stopped by Hale, who barred her path with an outstretched arm. Rather than being annoyed by his protectiveness, Taylor gave him a quick, appreciative smile and put her hand on his arm, pushing it down and then looping her arm around his. She gave his arm a small tug, and then he was walking with her, past the bonfire and stopping in front of Kalla.
Kalla's grip on the bundle remained rigid, and Taylor knew it would take more than Shan's command or the urgings of her pack mates to get the girl to release the baby.
While Hale scrutinized the lumpy bundle, Taylor met Kalla's swollen eyes.
“How old is she?” Taylor asked.
In spite of her emotional outburst, Kalla spoke evenly. “She was born two nights ago. I delivered her on my own. The mother asked me to keep her. She made me promise to take care of her.”
As she spoke, she pulled the bundle back from her chest, just far enough so that Taylor could get a glimpse of the child wrapped in the blankets. Shan had said that it wasn't a doll, but it sure did look like one. Though only three weeks separated this pup and Henry, she was diminutive by comparison, with a tiny head and bunched fists the size of quarters. She was also darker than Henry, both in complexion and in the mess of black curls on her head. Her eyes were closed, but she must have been dreaming because Taylor could see her eyes moving beneath her lids and her little pink lips absently smacking.
Acting on instinct, Taylor put an arm around Kalla's back and guided her a few steps, bringing her to where they could sit. Hale followed, looming over them, but amazingly he didn't intervene.
“Did her mother feed her at all?” Taylor asked.
Kalla chewed on her lip. “A little, I think. I tried to have her nurse, but she didn't want to hold her. I put her to the breast when her mother fell asleep, but...”
Kalla trailed off, looking to Shan for support.
Shan said, “The mother was very young. The birth was traumatic for her, and she subsequently rejected the pup.”
Taylor had many more questions, but they could wait. She held her hands out to Kalla. “Would you like me to try to feed her?”
She half-expected Kalla to go back into mama bear mode, but the girl gave her a tearful nod and easily relinquished the pup.
For a few seconds, Taylor could only stare down at the pup, struck with a sense of deja vu. For the fourth time in two years, she was being entrusted with a tiny, helpless infant, expected to know what to do and how to handle that tremendous responsibility. A sense of pride washed over her as she realized that for the first time, she didn't feel overwhelmed. In that moment, she knew everything that she needed to do and she knew that she could handle it.
She ran a finger over the bridge of the baby's nose, speaking softly to her until she slowly pulled herself from sleep. As she stared into her eyes, Taylor was reminded of the first time she'd looked into the eyes of her own children.
Shadow had been born alert and aware of everything, his keen eyes always scanning the vicinity. Fawn had been the complete opposite, seemingly lost in thought from the very first moments of her life. Unlike Shadow, who was charging full speed through life, Fawn was content to go with the flow, drifting along as fast or slow as the currents took her. Taylor had remarked upon these stark differences in a letter to Sarah, and the older woman had responded that she'd experienced the same in many of her own children. She believed that Shadow was an old soul, and as such was careening through the early years he'd lived so many times before, whereas Fawn was a new soul, still in awe of existence, relishing life with a sense of wonderment.
Taylor had found the words to be comforting if not a little poetic. Still, as she met the dreamy eyes of the baby in her arms, she couldn't help but think that she was holding a fresh, shiny little soul in her arms.
“Sorry to wake you, little girl,” Taylor whispered. “I was hoping I could give you something to eat.”
Uncaring of the group of onlookers, Taylor pulled down one side of her shirt and worked to position the newborn onto her breast. It was far easier than it had been with Henry. If she had to guess, Taylor would have said it was because Henry had been older and a bit confused, having gone back and forth between Sarah's breasts and bottles of unsatisfying formula. The pup had already been smacking her lips, and it was no trouble getting her to latch. Taylor didn't even need to express anything into her mouth. Right away, she picked up on the rhythm of nursing and began feeding at a leisurely pace.
Filled with a mix of pride and excitement that nursing had come so easily to them both, Taylor was oblivious to the relief that swept through the others in the room.
“She'll be all right?” Kalla asked. “She'll live?”
“We'll do everything we can,” Taylor said. “But I don't think we'll have any trouble. She's got a good latch, and she wasn't really all that deprived. Babies are born with a lot of nutrients still in them from the womb. They can go a few days without eating.”
Taylor put a hand on Kalla's back. “I can tell you've taken very good care of her.”
The girl unleashed a fresh wave of tears, but thankfully there was no sobbing this time.
Trying to distract her, Taylor asked, “Have you given her a name?”
Kalla's cheeks reddened. “I've been calling her Belle.”
“Like the instrument, or the princess?”
Kalla's eyes widened in disbelief. “The princess. You know the story?”
“Beauty and the Beast?” Taylor said. “I've seen the movie. My little sister was a big fan.”
“I've never seen the movie,” Kalla said, shaking her head. “Or any movie. But my mother used to tell me the story when I was a pup. Will you tell it to Belle, too?”
In that moment, the reality of her situation finally hit Taylor. Her enthusiasm escaped her, like helium from an untied balloon. This was not a one-off. They hadn't come to her simply to feed this baby.
They were giving her the baby.
On top of the baby she'd just been given.
That was two babies if her math checked out.
Everyone was still staring at her, and Taylor quickly resolved herself, deciding that she would freak out later. After all, it wasn't as if she could detach the baby from her breast and dump it back into this teenager's arms, wishing her the best of luck. Someone had to take care of her, and at the moment, Taylor was the only someone who could.
“I will,” Taylor assured her. “In fact, she's in luck. I'm quite the connoisseur of princess stories.”
Kalla thanked her and gave her a hug, prompting Hale to grow tense beside her. Thankfully, the embrace was over quickly and Taylor didn't have to suffer the embarrassment of having her mate pry Kalla off of her.
“It's late and we haven't slept,” Kalla said, giving Shan an imploring look. “Can't we stay the night?”
Shan appeared to consider her request, but upon looking at Alder and Hale, he shook his head. “Best we don't stay any longer than necessary. Are you satisfied that she will be well cared for here?”
Kalla gave a reluctant nod. While her alpha stood and her pack mates went to join him, Kalla lingered for another moment, planting kisses on the pup's head. It was a little awkward, given that the pup was still attached to Taylor's breast, but she didn't complain.
Seeing Kalla's distress, Taylor had half a mind to insist that they stay the night, but a quick glance between her tense mates told her that they had not warmed up to t
he newcomers one bit. They were at their limits, and she had to respect that.
As Kalla came to his side, Shan addressed Alder and Hale. “I run a circuit of our allied territories each year. I'll be back in the springtime to check on the pup.”
Hale said, “That won't be necessary.”
As if Hale hadn't spoken, Shan went on, “I hope that when I return, you will both be more amenable to discussing an alliance.”
“Alliance?” Hale repeated, practically choking on the word. “Why the fuck would we want an alliance with you?”
Shan started to answer, and then closed his mouth, his expression turning speculative. After a few seconds, he asked, “Do you know what an apex predator is?”
Taylor doubted either of her mates did. While they were both intelligent in their own ways, that was the sort of terminology learned in a book or classroom, and she couldn't help wondering where Shan had learned it. Something in his swift cadence and authoritative tone told her that he was accustomed to being an alpha, yet he also looked somewhat young, perhaps close to her own age, and he wielded an impressive vocabulary with the easy confidence of the well-educated.
“It's the top of the food chain,” Taylor said. “The animal that feeds without being fed upon.”
Shan nodded his approval. “And who do you think the apex predators are in this territory?”
“Wolves,” Taylor said, though she sensed she was being led on.
“Wrong,” he said. “The apex predators are your kind. Humans. There is not an inch of earth they do not claim and dominate. This land, it belongs to your pack because humans let them have it. The human government and, by proxy, human corporations, carved up these mountains, taking the parts that suited them and leaving us with their scraps. When the day comes that they decide they want more, they will return to take it, just as they did before.
“The days of us living in splintered factions must come to an end. The humans do not live in family units or scattered tribes. If we have any hope of building a society to rival theirs, we can't be at war with one another. We need to stand against them as a unified force.”
As he spoke, his words seemed to fill the chamber. Being human, Taylor should have taken offense, but she didn't. Her mates and her children were shifters, and her fate was bound to theirs. She had heard of the dark times in the not-so-distant past when wolf packs had been forced out of their territories in some places and eradicated in others. Living in the relative peace of Halcyon Valley, it was easy to forget how simple it would be for humans to invade their territory and take everything that she held dear.
“Nice speech,” Hale said. Never one to see the big picture, he jabbed a finger in the direction of the cave's eye. “The exit is that way.”
Taylor hadn't noticed Alder had shifted until he spoke.
“When will you be back?” he asked.
“Before the spring rains,” Shan said.
Alder said, “We'll anticipate your arrival.”
Taylor was glad when Hale didn't argue with him. She had no idea if Shan was friend or foe, but she thought they should at least hear him out.
“Don't forget your bags,” Hale grunted. He motioned towards several large sacks on the ground near where Shan had been sitting.
Shan said, “You have done us a favor. We are in your debt. Take them. Store them in a dry place. When I return, I will show you how to use them.”
As he spoke, his pack mates shifted one by one. There was a scrawny gray wolf, a hulking russet one, and a petite black wolf who peered over her shoulder at Taylor with a forlorn expression. Taylor swallowed and looked back down at the baby who was now staring up at her speculatively.
She allowed herself a moment to appreciate the irony of her situation. Less than two weeks ago, she'd been arguing with Hale over not wanting more pups, and now they suddenly had not one, but two newborn pups. What a strange, strange life she was living.
In the next few seconds, the bizarreness reached its zenith. A dark shadow swept through the den, and Taylor looked up, expecting to find that the sun had abruptly descended behind the mountain. At first, she didn't know what it was she was seeing. An amorphous creature was before her, rapidly expanding. She watched unblinkingly, her mouth running dry as the creature gradually took the shape of a dark brown wolf.
The wolf was tall enough that, had he stood on his hindquarters, he could have easily reached the ceiling. Taylor had never been much for measuring by sight alone, but she judged the top of his head to be a good twenty feet off the ground.
Taylor was inclined to keep gaping at him, but Alder was having none of it. He hoisted her off the ground and placed her behind himself and Hale, the two of them forming a protective wall in front of her. She immediately began trying to peer around but stopped short of telling them that they were wasting their time. There could have been four of them and they still wouldn't have been able to combat this giant of a creature.
“What is he?” she asked breathlessly.
Why hadn't anyone ever told her about wolves like that? If he even was a wolf. He looked like something out of a fairy tale.
Neither of her mates had an answer. They stood in silent solidarity as the giant and his cadre made their exit. A few moments passed, and then Alder finally broke the silence.
“You knew,” he said with controlled fury. “You knew what he was, and you still mouthed off to him.”
Hale sniffed. “He was in my den, in my territory, asking me for a favor. He had no right to disrespect me.”
“Our den,” Alder snapped. “Where our pack, our mate, and our pups reside. You're unbelievable.”
Taylor wasn't the least bit daunted by their arguing. They got along well most of the time, but at least every other week, they were at each other's throats, usually over something Hale did. In general, she tried not to take sides, at least not overtly. Most of the time, present situation included, she was Team Alder. Hale really did do the stupidest things sometimes.
Engaged in their bickering, neither male noticed as Taylor drifted away from them. She went to where Holly was crouched, near the sacks that Shan had left for them. Holly had pulled one of the burlap bags open and was staring down at its contents in bewilderment.
“What kind of gift is this?” Holly said.
Taylor stared down at the bag which was filled with corn. She was still puzzling over it as Holly opened the second bag which contained beans. It was only when she opened the third bag and found grains that everything finally clicked in Taylor's mind.
Holly asked, “What is he going to teach us how to cook?”
“No,” Taylor said, her free hand rubbing her chin. “I think he's going to teach us how to farm.”
“Farm?” Holly drawled. “For who? You and me, and maybe Lark, we'll eat that shit, but wolves are carnivores.”
“Wolves might be carnivores, but shifters are omnivores. Everyone in the pack can eat plants, they just don't because they have a strong instinct to hunt and prey is readily available in the area. But, if we were able to farm the land, we could have a buffer for when prey is scarce.”
“And when we have a surplus, we could trade,” Alder said. Taylor hadn't realized he had finished his argument. He came up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “This could change everything.”
Holly still appeared skeptical. “I get that it could be useful, but farming is a lot of work. Just look at how much time Taylor spends in her dumb garden. Imagine having to manage an entire field of crops. Wouldn't our time be better-served hunting?”
“I agree,” Hale said, scowling at his brother. “What the fuck are we going to do with a bunch of plants?”
Alder said, “Do you remember how many times we moved when we were younger? And why?”
“Because larger packs were always moving in on our territory,” Hale said.
“And they moved in on our territory because they needed the hunting grounds. For where we live now, it's easy to forget that most packs are out there struggl
ing for survival.”
“And how is farming going to change that?” Hale said. “If anything, it will make Halcyon even more of a target than it already is.”
Taylor said, “If we learn how to grow these, we can share our harvests. We can trade our knowledge of agriculture, teach other packs in the region to farm as well. This could be a very, very good thing.”
While she hated to side publicly with one mate over the other, Taylor couldn't help but be excited by the possibilities that lay before them. Excited, and also a little disappointed in herself. She had been growing plants at her cabin for two years, and she had never thought to teach anyone what she'd learned, or work to expand her project into something bigger. Her mind was leaping ahead, imagining all the places that they could till the soil, reeling at the prospect of all the crops that the fields could yield. She could clearly see a future in which she was overseeing it all. Where she finally had a real place in the pack.
Lost in thought, she missed several threads in the conversation, her attention returning in time to hear Alder say, “He said he wanted to build a society. Do you think he means uniting the packs?”
“Which packs?” Holly asked.
“All of them.”
“Impossible,” Hale said dismissively. “And he sure as hell isn't starting with us.”
Taylor said, “It sounds like he's already started. And if anyone was going to unite a bunch of wolf packs, I feel like it could be him. You know, cause he's like, a giant.”
She added the last part so as not to insult either of her mates. Truthfully, she couldn't imagine either of them uniting even their region, let alone all the wolf shifters. Like all other wolves she'd encountered, their primary focus was on their own pack. Outsiders were, at best, an afterthought. Shan was the first wolf she'd heard of that thought beyond the bounds of his own pack.
The pup on her breast began to whine, alerting everyone to her presence. Even Taylor, who had been nursing her, had managed to forget about the little baby. She tried switching Belle to the other breast, but she turned her head away from the nipple and continued to whine. It took Taylor a few moments of experimentation, but she eventually found a way to soothe her with a rhythmic mix of rocking and bouncing.