18. Shay

EIGHTEEN

Shay

B rielle jumped to her feet and hugged us when we arrived at the feast, and I knew then I'd made the right decision. Her face was flushed in the firelight, eyes glowing with her wolf. It was a rare sight, and I started to believe what they said about Inuksuk's people. They were closer to nature, to the powers that drove our shifter sides. My eyes skimmed the gathered crowd, and relief washed over me at not seeing Iaoin among those seated at the long, wooden tables. We feasted under the moon, on more dishes than I could count. Some familiar, some not. All delicious.

Ilana came to our table and personally apologized to me for her brother's actions. Apparently, they rarely saw female shifters outside their own pack, and Iaoin had been unable to attend the great pack gathering due to his training to take over Inuksuk's duties.

"He's getting older, feeling territorial, and a bit put out that he missed the opportunity to meet his mate. If you ask me, he's grasping at the wind, and father should send him to the city for a while. His mate is out there somewhere, but it's clearly not you," she said with an eye roll .

"Clearly not," I agreed, for lack of anything else to say to the fountain of information. I was often uncomfortable in conversation with new people and tongue-tied. Thankfully, Ilana held the conversation quite well on her own.

"I don't mean it offensively, of course, but you've already got a fated mate. Stealing you wouldn't fill the hole in his chest. Our males all face the same fate, though. Venture out into the wider world on hope, or stay here and grow old, never finding a she-wolf to bond with. It's a lonely life that stretches before him, but duty ties him here more than most. My father grows frail with the years, and he's insistent that I not be the one to carry on the family tradition." She frowned then, looking toward the endless, dark wood.

"That must be painful for you. To be passed over."

Her head snapped around to where I sat, the stiffness in her shoulders making me antsy. Had I overstepped? I cast around for Leigh or Brielle, but they'd been pulled into a deep conversation with an older couple, each dandling a giggling young pup on their knees.

"Most people don't see it that way," she finally admitted, finally letting her shoulders droop. "It's always been a male healer. A male tribal leader. A male Alpha . But Iaoin and I are twins. He's technically the same age that I am, save for a few minutes my junior. And yet, he's still green. I'm capable. I'm steady. I'm not hungering for a mate, despite my nearly five hundred years on this earth." She clenched her fist and dropped it angrily to the table. A sharp crack of wood splintering came from the table in response. She immediately flattened her palm over it, looking sheepish for the slip-up.

"My apologies. This is not your burden to bear. You are here for your friend's healing, not to hear my woes." She ducked her head and made to leave. I don't know why I did it, but I reached out, putting my hand over hers. It was a hundred percent out of my comfort zone, and I immediately second-guessed the physical touch with such a new—and important—acquaintance.

"It's okay. Sometimes you need to share a burden rather than hold it alone." I offered a small smile, which she returned, and then withdrew my hand.

"Thank you. Wine?" She waved at someone walking around with a pitcher, and her pack mate hurried over.

I blinked in surprise at the swift change of topic, and she laughed, the sound genuine despite the heavy conversation we'd just been having. "I know it's nearly impossible to get drunk, but my father has a special herbal blend he adds to the wine. Increases the potency at least tenfold."

I swallowed hard, then quickly checked to make sure Leigh wasn't drinking it—she could get herself drunk without a legendary shaman's assistance, thank you very much. To my surprise, though, her lovely crystal goblet held water and nothing else.

Maybe she didn't want to encourage a round two with Gael.

Wise.

I, however, had a semiferal, fully confusing fated mate who was waiting in my room, still howling. I could hear him from here, though I tried my hardest to ignore the plaintive notes.

I held out my goblet for the herb wine.

Some… many hours later

I stumbled into my room, ignoring the first rays of sun already peeking around the blackout blinds, and arrowing straight toward the double bed pushed against the wall. The blankets looked handmade, and I was determined not to vomit on them. That wine wouldn't make a great addition to the decor if it came back up .

Why did it want so badly to come back up?

Oh, yeah. We'd drunk a lot. Two whole pitchers between us. All specially blended. It was delicious. I burped and winced. It was less delicious this time around. Blech.

I fell face-first onto the bed, kicking off my second-favorite sneakers and falling straight into deep, blissful sleep.