Chapter Thirty-Seven

June

"You look gorgeous," Dom said.

I smoothed out my sweater in the mirror, turning to look at myself in as many angles as I could. "I didn't know I'd want to look nice for the pack until now. I thought practical clothes would do the job."

Dom sighed, walking over to me and turning me away from the bathroom mirror. "June, it doesn't matter what you look like, it matters how you act. How you treat the pack. And trust me, you're perfect."

"You shouldn't have let me just buy sports clothes," I grumbled. "And we need to do laundry, this is the best thing I had clean."

Dom leaned in and kissed my neck, right over where he'd bitten me yesterday. I shivered. "And who's fault is it we got flour all over the house?"

I turned red and moved away from the mirror. "Let's just go before we're late."

He chuckled but followed me out of the bathroom as I ran my fingers through my hair.

"Relax, June. The pack already likes you." Dom opened the front door. "You're brave, capable, kind, and you're even integrating into the pack as a tracker. You'll be a perfect luna."

"That's right, I'm really enjoying learning about tracking with Tanner and the others. If you become alpha, and I'm your mate, will I have to stop tracking?"

Dom shook his head. "I don't see why you would, you'd just have to cut back on it some so that you could perform your other duties as well."

I perked up at that. "Really?"

Dom entangled our fingers and lifted my hand for a kiss. "Really."

"All right, then, I'm ready. What exactly do you need me to do today?"

We walked to the usual picnic place. "Today, I'm going to reconnect with old pack members. They'll remember me as a kid who ran away, I want them to know me as a strong wolf who came back. A wolf who cares about the pack. You don't really need to do anything other than mingle and meet new people. If you think you're making a good impression on someone, though, it wouldn't hurt to bring up that we're mates. A good impression from one of us can be a good impression on both of us."

"Got it. Be charming. I can do that, I think. I'll channel my inner Kat, she's the people person."

Dom laced his warm hand in mine. "We aren't here to sew any seeds of displeasure with Evander, though. Today is just positive things, okay? There is enough unrest about his reign already."

"I won't," I said. "I'd rather enjoy myself than think about him anyway."

We crested the top of the hillside next to the village. Looking down on the festivities, I could see there were clusters again. Last month I didn't know any better, this month it felt . . . wrong. Packs shouldn't be this way. Where were the games? The groups talking about a shared interest? The children playing? Because even the children I saw playing were in small groups, and from what I could tell it was the same kind of groups their parents kept. Pack wolves with pack wolves, warriors playing with the children of warriors. It wasn't right.

"I'll start with some of the warriors," Dom said. "They'll be the hardest to win over, and I don't know a lot of them. They've come in while I was away, I need to correct that."

I glanced down at the picnic at a few familiar faces. Amelia and Bianca were talking with Carson, Jack, and Aaron. Carmine and Jerod were talking to Linda. Smokey was nowhere to be found, but if I had to wager a guess, he was on patrol. Then I spotted a mix of people I knew and people I didn't. Perfect.

"Doc's talking with some people by the fire pits. I'll start there, maybe Doc can introduce me," I said.

"Let me know if you need me," Dom said, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on my lips.

"I will," I said. Our hands with the entwined fingers fell apart as Dom walked in one direction and I walked another. I made my way to the delicious smell of the cooking food in hopes of getting into some polite conversation with new people.

The hill was a bit slick from overnight rain, the dew on the grass making the trek downward slippery. I watched my footing, keeping my sneakers on the flattest spots I could find.

Once I was at the bottom, I could focus better on where I was going. I was glad to look toward the pits and find Doc in conversation with Naomi. I froze. Was this the first time she'd been outside of the pack house? Her eyes were clear today, and she seemed alert enough.

Naomi's here! I opened a link with Dom and Amelia.

Where is she? Amelia demanded.

I'm near the food being cooked , I said.

Evander? Dom asked.

I don't see him, but there's a couple of big guys by her I haven't talked to before.

See if you can start a conversation, we'll head your way and see if there's an opening for us to get close , Dom said.

Right.

Watching Naomi as I got closer, I made note of Alice joining to talk to Doc. The big guys near them were silent. I built up a pleasant smile and approached. "Hello," I called. "Can I join you? This smell is pretty hard to resist."

They turned to face me. Alice smiled and winked. "You can come over, but no sneaking bites. I've been chasing the pups off of the meat all morning."

I gave a nervous laugh and came to a stop between Naomi and Alice. The two unknown males by them who stood at the pits nodded their welcome.

"I don't think I've gotten to meet everyone yet," I said. "I'm Juniper, are you hunters?"

The pair looked like brothers. Sandy hair, the same gray eyes, and a dimple on the left cheek. But while their resemblance was uncanny, it was easy enough to tell them apart by an obvious height difference. I kept shooting glances at Naomi, who wasn't smiling as she stood by, but this was my best chance to assess who was here and if they were keeping an eye on her for Evander.

"Sure, we know you," the shorter one said. "Dom's mate, right? You made for a bit of a show on the full moon."

The taller one elbowed him. "Don't say it weird like that. He means your wolf is impressive. I promise he's not a creep, just awkward."

"I'm Franklin, this is my brother Danny," the tall one introduced them. "I hear you're with Tanner now?"

My face lit up. "Yes, I love tracking. It's really hard work, but it's challenging and it's important."

Doc nodded. "You're right, it is. I miss having a helping hand around the clinic, though."

"Sorry, Doc," I said.

He laughed and shook his head. "No, no. Smokey was right to show you to Tanner. But if you'd still be willing to help on occasion if I get more on my plate than I can handle . . ."

"Of course," I said. "I do have a passion for health care, and if I can help the pack please let me know."

Alice beamed at me. "I'll be right back, it's time to season those ducks."

"I'll let you know if I need the extra hands," Doc said. "And it might not hurt to keep a few of your supplies in a small case you can carry when you go tracking. You'll be the first on the scene if something happens."

"That's a really good idea, actually," I said. "Thanks, Doc. I'll have to make something."

"You'd be there before me. You're maybe the fastest thing on four legs that I've ever seen."

"Is she really?" Naomi asked, a polite smile on her face. "I'd love to see that some time."

I turned to her. "I don't know if I'm faster than the other trackers, but I'm enjoying it. Maybe we can go together sometime, I do love a good run."

Run!

Shh! Not right now.

"Do you run much, Naomi?" I asked. "I didn't see you on the full moon."

Naomi looked a bit uncomfortable. She coughed. "I was occupied elsewhere. Not feeling well."

Wolf!

Wolf? Yes, there are a lot of wolves around here.

Something was getting my wolf all worked up. Maybe it was the delicious-smelling food next to us. Maybe it was the picnic with our whole pack. I shrugged her off. I needed to focus here.

"I heard you were in a fight with those rogues," Danny half whispered. "I can't believe we're seeing those things again."

"Careful," Doc said with a nervous laugh. "Alpha's been putting a stop to that kind of talk. Says he's looking into it and not to stir up fear."

The group fell into an uncomfortable silence. Naomi's expression flashed with worry before falling back into her neutral mask.

"Still, June," Franklin said, "you must be pretty strong to make it through that fight before your shift. And you got paired with a wolf like Dominic. He was the beta's son, you know."

"He's pretty amazing. But I don't really know how strong I am, you might ask Smokey. He tested me on a few things, but he didn't comment much, so it's hard to know what he thinks."

Franklin elbowed Danny. "Do you think fast and strong make a good hunter? Maybe we should invite her when we go after the picnic game."

"Hold on you two." Alice came back over to the group, finished with the cooking for now. "She's got enough on her plate for this pack as it is, don't you go piling on more."

I chanced a look over my shoulder. Dom and Amelia were a distance away, but their eyes were trained on me and Naomi.

I'm working on it , I told them.

Wolf! I rolled my shoulders, trying to relax at whatever my wolf was trying to tell me.

Wolf? I wondered. What do you mean wolf?

Naomi stiffened, her eyes widening.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Naomi!" someone called from the other side of the picnic field. Alpha Evander was looking sternly at our group. "Naomi, come here now ."

Naomi froze and looked into the distance with a strange expression on her face. Evander's shout seemed to snap her out of it, and she turned slowly toward him, keeping her eyes turned off into the woods, where she had been looking a moment ago.

"Naomi!" Evander called.

A small whine came from her throat. Her look of conflict and confusion hurt me. She took another step toward Evander, and I reached out and grabbed her wrist to stop her.

Her eyes finally left the woods, flicking to meet mine with surprise.

"I—" I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what made me stop her from going to Evander, or why it bothered me this time.

"Stay, Naomi," Amelia ordered, walking past the both of us to put herself between us and Evander.

"Amelia." Naomi's voice wavered, and I nearly had to catch her as she swayed.

Amelia looked over her shoulder, glassy eyes brimming with worry pointed at her sister. "I love you, Naomi. I'm sorry I left you."

Naomi's face crumpled as a sob escaped her, and I pulled her into a hug.

"I know I've been gone a while," Amelia said, addressing Evander. "But in ten years of seeing other packs, I've never met an alpha who would demand a female at their heels like that."

That garnered a lot of attention, and the fields were silent with eavesdropping wolves. Evander's face twisted for a heartbeat before he regained his image. "They say the moon makes every pack different, I don't see why that can't pertain to Moonpeak."

Heat wrapped around my back as Dom joined me in the hug. I moved out of the way as Naomi sobbed into his arms. "Dom, I . . . I . . ."

"Shh." He rubbed her back as she sobbed. "We've got you, Naomi. Whatever's going on, we're getting you out of it. Right now."

"How are those rogues, Evander?" Amelia prodded. "Find out what's going on yet?"

A ripple of whispers followed her comment, and who knew how many private links had just opened.

Shouting. Growling. We all turned our heads to where Naomi had been looking. Some commotion was coming out of the trees.

"What is that?" someone asked.

Mate!

I frowned. We already had a mate.

No! Wolf mate!

Wolf mate? I looked at the trees, then back at Naomi, who had turned in Dom's arms to face the commotion with an expression of disbelief.

"Oh shit," I breathed. "Move! Move out of the way."

I pushed Alice and Doc off to the side, and the hunters took my lead and gave us space. Dom had barely released Naomi from the hug when I put her between us and the charging wolf that was now tearing across the field.

My wolf knew this giant wolf. I knew this giant wolf. His scent was familiar, and his huge size reminded me of Dom or Evander. This was an alpha wolf, charging at us with desperation in his eyes.

Dom pulled me off Naomi in time for the wolf to shift and scoop her into his arms. A big, naked Nathan held a shocked Naomi. He covered her in kisses, and my cheeks burned from grinning.

The whole pack was silent. I glanced at Evander just long enough to see his face turn beet-red in anger before he dropped it and regained his composure again. The other wolves around us gathered in a large ring around the newly found pair.

"Naomi!" Nathan said. "I can't believe it was you. How have we not seen each other since you shifted?"

Naomi was finally realizing what was happening to her. A smile spread across her face and she wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck. "I don't know! We went to high school in Salt Fur with you."

"But I left to train under my uncle in Labrador your senior year!" Nathan finished.

She gasped. "I was a late bloomer! I didn't shift until—"

Nathan grinned, leaning down and planting a deep kiss on Naomi's lips. She blushed but kissed him back just as hard.

An arm slipped around my waist. "Well, I'll be damned."

I looked up at Dom, who was smiling just as stupidly as Nathan was.

"I'm happy for them," I said. "But how in the last ten years have they not met up?"

Dom's expression grew dark, and he glanced over at Evander, who remained farther back in the field while the rest of the pack was gathering around the happy couple.

"I can think of a few reasons," he answered.

"What the absolute fuck is this?"

The outraged voice startled enough of us into turning to face Amelia. Bianca was beside her, amusement all over her face as Amelia fumed.

"It was you? You bastard!" Amelia came near them.

"Amelia!" Naomi managed to squeak.

She nudged her way out of Nathan's arms, throwing herself into Amelia's embrace. To her credit, I'd never seen Amelia's expression so gentle as when she wrapped her arms around her sister. After a moment, during which I suspect Naomi and Amelia linked for a few private words, Naomi pulled back. "Don't talk to Nathan that way anymore, Amelia," Naomi said. "He's my mate."

"Leave them alone, Amelia," Dom said. "Personally, I wouldn't trust anyone else with her."

Amelia growled, and Bianca reached over to grab her hand. Sighing, Amelia wiped a hand down her face. "So be it. But if you hurt her at all, I'm skinning you alive, from your dick to your eyeballs."

"If you'll excuse me, I'll be taking Naomi, as we have things to discuss," Nathan said.

He carried her away from the picnic, the whole of Moonpeak cheering them on and yelling lewd suggestions. Tears formed in my eyes, and I wiped them away as we watched them go. And I suddenly felt lighter as I realized one more worry was off our plate. Naomi was more than safe in Nathan's care.

Evander wore a blank expression as he watched the excitement.

"Not much left for him to hold on to," Dom said, low in my ear.

Not much left at all.

Two more weeks and the next full moon that rose over Moonpeak would be a full moon to remember.