Chapter Sixteen

Dom

As soon as Evander announced our temporary acceptance into the pack, the buzz of the mind link roared to life in my head. I shut almost everyone out completely, not ready for the overwhelming sensation I had almost forgotten about. Anyone with a wolf on pack lands could try to talk to me now. Fantastic. There were plenty of people I wasn't ready to talk to yet.

At least we got to eat, though. And it smelled like home in the way that only an open-air roasted picnic in these mountains could. The meat was nearly picked clean when we got there, being last in line and all. But with the food distributed, we stood at the edge of the activities with our plates. Aaron was watching a picnic blanket of kids playing. Jack was ignoring everyone but us, and sat on the grass with his back to the field. Carson was so consumed with his plate that he wasn't paying any attention to anything. And my eyes kept wandering around, scoping out the faces I knew and the faces that were missing. Dead.

"Amelia would have lost it at that omega comment," Aaron said.

I snorted a laugh. "Then it's a good thing she wasn't here."

"What's tonight's plan?" Aaron asked.

"One more day for Amelia to be back on her feet. Evander said someone will find us a house in the village we can stay in, but I'm sure it's not a priority. That doesn't mean we sit on our asses, though. If we're to make any moves in a month, we had all better be in top shape. I'm talking daily training, and keep your eyes out for anything funny."

Aaron took on a serious face as he nodded sharply. "I'm going to join Smokey's morning border runs. Should we keep someone at the cabin while Amelia's still like this?"

"Yeah," I answered. "We leave in shifts. Speaking of which, I'm going back now to watch her. I only came for the announcement."

"And to give June back her phone, right?" Carson asked.

The moment June's name left his lips, my eyes shot over to where she was sitting in the field. Laughing on her blanket and talking to Carmine and Hannah.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm going now. Something out here is really distracting, it's putting me on edge."

Aaron's eyes followed my gaze. "I'll go back to the cabin, you run it off." A slow smile spread across his lips. "Try to keep your instincts coming from the right head."

Giving him a light shove, I walked away. "I'm going for a run."

I waved as I walked up the slope and to the edge of the village, then disappeared. It had been a long time, a very long time, since I'd had this kind of time to myself. I loved them, they were my brothers. My wolves. My pack. More than the rest of Moonpeak, they were my family.

But they had a way of driving me fucking nuts.

Slipping into the trees and around the bend to the cabin, I started taking off my clothes. Inside the cabin, I shifted as I walked back to Amelia's door, then poked my big gray head in.

I'm going for a run . I used the link. She looked up from the bed, exhausted, and nodded. Sweat-soaked clothes, tangled hair, bags under her eyes. I didn't know that I'd ever seen her like this before.

Take more of that melatonin , I told her, then left. I didn't believe for a second that she'd do it, but I had to try.

Fuck off, Dom , she said through the link as I left the cabin. We were so close to done with this bullshit warlock fuckup, and then hopefully we'd have the old Amelia back. Not the Amelia we grew hard with in Toronto, but the old Amelia. Moonpeak Amelia.

Out of the cabin and once my paws hit the dirt, I lifted my head and breathed in the fresh air. The beast inside me hummed, content and excited for what we were about to do. Run, it urged. And I did.

Grass under my feet. The scratch of low-hanging branches sweeping along my back as I raced into the trees. My paws, picking up the morning dew from the grass, were damp by the time the cabin was out of sight. The light smell of deer that had passed by recently, unaware of how lucky they were that I wasn't hungry right now.

I tore through the mountains, letting my muscles bunch then spring as each paw hit the ground. My heart lifted higher than it had in years, no other patch of dirt under the moon's light felt like home the way the Long Range Mountains did.

The wolf in me wanted to push faster. I was more than happy to let him. We chose a slope to run up, pushing hard and weaving through a few trees and boulders. After finally reaching the top of our goal, we turned sharply and went back down.

My nose twitched as I scented another wolf. A strong wolf. An old wolf.

I looked around, my eyes darting upwind as I spotted him. Smokey.

Smokey came up on me like a bat out of hell. Charging and rounding behind me to nip at my heels.

You want to race, do you, old man?

I want to see what living soft in the city did to you, boy .

So be it. I ran hard, shooting away and putting some distance between us. But he was fast. His wolf was about as big as mine, and I was a born beta. Then again, Smokey was impressive all on his own, that was why he was Master of Arms.

I ran, and Smokey caught up. I took a sharp turn, and Smokey mirrored it. I rushed up to a big tree, jumping high on its trunk and leaping off to land behind him, and he barked out a laugh.

Cute tricks. Now show me how you fight .

Okay, I could play this game.

We trotted to an open space and began to circle. Smokey didn't have any tells when he was about to attack. But I used to have a slight movement with my back left paw before springing forward, a habit I had since dropped. Smokey didn't know that yet .

I twitched my paw and waited for the split second it took Smokey to come at me before I moved sideways and lunged for his neck. But the old bastard was slippery, and he twisted away at the last second. He gave me no moment to recover before his counterattack.

Smokey lunged and nipped at my front leg, then slipped away as I tried to bite him back. I growled, huffing as we rounded each other again.

When Smokey lunged, I barely dodged him, but it let me rake my claws down his shoulder as I jumped off him to push him away and gain some distance.

Not bad, kid .

Not bad yourself, old man .

Smokey barked out a laugh and lay down on his belly. I lay down, too, though years of doing dirty work for Apollo had taught me not to drop my guard. I was still ready to spring up at a moment's notice.

You've got a few tricks, I'll give you that , Smokey said through the link. But you're weaker than you should be.

I'm working on it , I said. My wolf growled. We all are. Aaron wants to join you on morning patrol. I'll probably urge Jack and Carson to do the same.

A morning trot through the flowers isn't going to build those wolves back up , Smokey said.

I barked a laugh. Patrol with Smokey was hardly a trot through the flowers.

And while those boys are at least taking a leisurely stroll with me, what the hell will you be doing? Smokey asked.

I yawned, letting myself relax a bit. Smokey was obviously done testing whatever he wanted to see from me. Helping Amelia. She needs more of a challenge than the others can give her, so I'm putting my all into helping her.

Smokey nodded his shaggy gray head. She's an alpha, that's for sure. And with some mountain air and a few beatings, I could probably get the both of you into the shape you should be in.

We'd appreciate it , I said

What's your big plan then? Smokey asked.

We don't have any plans , I said.

Bullshit you don't , Smokey snapped. I know it, you know it, and if Alpha Evander is half as smart as a pissing squirrel then he knows it too.

We don't, at least not a finished one. We'll think it through when Amelia is better. Are you going to try to stop us? I asked.

Not if you do it by the code , Smokey said . You know that. But I'll be damned if I don't do my job the whole way, so you watch your step, you hear?

I'd expect nothing less from a formidable old bastard like you.

Smokey barked out laughing, his wolf throwing his head back and his fangs shining in the afternoon sun. It's good to have you kids back. About time we got some alpha blood running in these mountains again. It will do some of these cocky warriors good to get knocked on their asses by someone other than me.

Amelia would make a great alpha , I said. Liam's daughter, through and through.

She's not the only one with that potential around here , Smokey said.

Are you saying Amelia could have competition here? I growled. Who?

Smokey just watched me for a moment. I thought he wouldn't answer, but then he stood up and turned his head toward the pack. Alpha needs me for something.

He began walking, then, a short distance away, turned his shaggy gray head back to me. Funny thing, that alpha blood. It can spring from all sorts of unexpected places. Did you know Liam's father was a beta?

I shook my head, a chill running down my spine. Liam had been a giant of a wolf, wiser than anyone I'd ever known, and I had no idea he hadn't been anything but alpha-born from a long lineage. No, I didn't.

Liam worked his ass off to pull out what he had inside of him. But even if he hadn't, any real wolf could have seen what he was. It doesn't take a genius to smell an alpha.

He looked back at me over his shoulder. I didn't know what to say, or what he was trying to say. Or maybe I just didn't want to hear it.

I'll see you when you're ready for a good beating. Not one of these love taps like earlier. Take care, Dom.

Smokey left, leaving me and my wolf in the mountains with more than a few tasks ahead of us. Amelia was almost out of her nine days of this sickness, and I had to find Naomi. Then maybe we could get some damn answers.