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  Gary motioned for someone to come over, and when I looked I saw the three wolves in question heading over.

  “What’s going on?” Jerry asked. He was a sweet man, a little older than most of our group at thirty years old, but was third warrior for the pack, meaning he was a very skilled fighter. I was honored that he was part of my detail.

  Billy walked up and slapped his back. “Well, Crystie here would like to go for a run, but doesn’t want to put you guys out if you don’t want to go.” He explained. My cheeks were burning with embarrassment. How had going for a nice quiet run turned into such big deal. “Becca, Aisling, me, and the boys want to go if you don’t. You’ll just start your shift when we get back.”

  “Nah, we would be taking turns running the perimeter anyway.” He answered looking at me and not Billy. “We’ll run with you.”

  I felt really bad for Jerry. He had never found his mate. Usually, if by the age twenty you don’t find your mate, you start traveling to different packs looking, though a lot of wolves go on the trips as soon as they graduate. We call it pack hopping, but from what I understood of Jerry, he’d been pack hopping four times and has yet to find his mate. He even went to Europe. He was such a good person; I hated to see him suffer.

  Not everyone found his or her mate, so they would live their life serving their pack faithfully. They sometimes went through depressions, with some even killing themselves. We had a suicide a year and a half ago. That’s what made me bring the mateless wolves in to help me with children. Besides my calming influence, being around kids made it difficult to contemplate killing oneself.

  Jerry had never seemed to me as a depressed man, but I could see the longing in his eyes sometimes, looking at the mated couples, when I’d see him around. He would look at an unmated she-wolf with everything in him, and you could tell he was scenting around, but nothing had ever come of it.

  “Alright, then.” I said tearing my eyes from him and turning to the group. “Why don’t we go change and meet back at my place in the back yard?”

  Unlike the movies I’ve seen and the books that I’ve read, the magic that’s in our DNA that makes us wolves took care of our clothes when we shifted, but we still wouldn’t want our party clothes getting dirty in the woods.

  “Mark, Ryan, and I have already moved some clothes in your house for emergencies since we will be there every night. Dustin and Carrie gave us one of the spare rooms to set as a kind of base camp.” Jerry informed me. “They did the same for his detail, so we will escort you home if that is suitable.”

  “That is fine, Jerry, thank you. And thanks to all of you that have agreed to guard me.”

  They all acknowledged me, but Ryan surprised me with what he said. “It is a true honor to guard you, Ms. Lake.” Ryan never spoke to anyone, at least that I had ever seen, outside of his family. He seemed more like me in the fact that he always looked to be observing everyone and everything around him, and he seemed content doing that. I wasn’t the only one surprised from the looks of the others in our little group.

  “Please call me Crystie. It seems we will be spending some time together, so there’s no use to be formal. I am just a person.” I told him.

  He nodded once and looked down, but not before I noticed a little blush heat his cheeks. I had never caused a guy to blush before, much less a man of twenty six. He had a mate at one time, but she had died in childbirth. Eddie was their son, and one of my favorite children, of course not counting Jazzy, but he was going to be a tough little boy. He only had his father’s influence, besides mine, and Ryan was a loyal, noble man.

  I was excited with the thought of Eddie moving in. “Is Eddie happy for the change?” I asked.

  He nodded a little and smiled. “It seems he very happy to be moving in with you, ma’am. I think you made a conquest there.” This time it was me who was the one blushing.

  Walking back to my house with the Billy, Jerry, Marc, Ryan, and Becca, I asked Becca and Billy when they would move their stuff in. My house was smaller than the pack house, but was still big. Alpha Parker had had it built for my mom and dad as a gift. It was to honor my father joining his pack. We had more than enough bedrooms and ample space.

  “I’ll just wear some of your clothes tonight, and then I’ll get our stuff moved tomorrow while you watch Jazzy.” She looked at me from the corner of her eyes. The guys were talking, but we knew they were keeping tabs on us also. “Are you alright?” She breathed next to my ear so no one but me could hear.

  I searched my feelings and thoughts for a moment, wondering if I’d let something leak through my guard, but I was actually alright. “I’m fine, why do you ask?”

  “I’ve known you for too long, Crystie. You are the sister I never had; I know something is up with you.”

  “I’m seriously alright. I think being at the party with everyone just got to me a little.” I replied honestly. “You know I really don’t like things like that.”

  “It’s not just the party.” She said shaking her head. “You have changed, Crys. I don’t know when it happened, or what happened, but I can see something has. I don’t know. I feel bad, like I should have seen it sooner, but the change has been so gradual that I didn’t catch it. It’s like you’re more…fragile or something. I can’t pin point it. I just wish you would talk to me about it.”

  “Becca, please don’t think like that. You know I feel the same for you; you’ll always be my sister and Billy my brother,” I paused, by this point we were talking normally, so I saw the delight in Billy’s eyes when I said that, but my main concentration remained with Becca. “I will tell you both in the morning,” Then leaning over again to speak in her ear. “But you’ll have to take a blood oath not to tell.”

  I knew Becca well enough to know that she would never respect my decision, and neither would Billy. They both loved me, and would never betray me, but they would tell in the pretense of doing what was best for me, not considering all of the other facts. A blood oath was unbreakable for our kind, so they would not be able to tell no matter what. Mom and Dad understood my reasoning. They didn’t agree with it, but would never go against me in it since I had made up my mind.

  She nodded, and though she was even more curious now, she dropped it and we talked about her move. We went to my room and changed while Billy borrowed some of Mark’s clothes, them being the same size, and we headed outside.

  I regretted saying anything now as there were about fifteen others waiting for us. The word had spread about the run, so others decided to join us. The worst part was that Trent and Nikki were standing there in the group.

  Nikki came over to Becca, Billy, and I all excited. “This is the perfect end to the perfect party, thank you.” She gushed. “I never get to see you in wolf form anymore; you’re always busy watching the little ones during the monthly hunt.”

  I bowed my head to her and Trent, as he walked up behind her. “Thank you both Al…” I stopped myself before I used their formal title since they didn’t like it. “May I request that my guards and I go at a leisurely pace? I just want to enjoy the night in my wolf form.” I knew I would never be able to keep pace with the others. I only had a wolf speed, where the others had four times that and stamina I no longer had.

  Trent was the one that answered, and I had to fight to hide my response to his voice, especially since he was talking to me. “As long as you allow us the honor of running with you.”

  I nodded. I didn’t understand why everyone kept talking about it being an honor. It was just me. I had no position in the pack; I was no one special, but I knew not to contradict him.

  We all changed, and I actually felt relief in my body. I hadn’t changed in a good while because I didn’t want to be discovered, but I knew that no one would say anything tonight since it was not a hunt.

  I just jogged around enjoying the night air on my fur, but I kept catching wind of Trent. He was close, but luckily not right with me. Ryan was about twenty feet away on my left and Mark the same on my
right. I knew Jerry was around, but never saw him. We ended up at the pond about a mile from my house, in the clearing I would take the kids to. I ended up just lying there, basking in the crescent moon.

  I had to get away for a while, but I didn’t know how to do that without raising suspicion. It seemed that Trent was starting to have a reaction when he was close to me. I had noticed a little…something at the party. I couldn’t let myself slip up, but I knew I would have to be here for the wedding.

  Then it came to me. I hopped up and looked for Jerry. When I didn’t see him, I shifted back to call him.

  “Yes?” He asked coming up from behind me.

  “Do you think we could arrange a small party of unmated wolves for a pack hop until the wedding of the Alphas?”

  Chapter 4

  I was packing my things getting ready to leave. Alpha Parker had approved the trip as long as we were back two weeks before the wedding, so we basically had a little over three months. He also fixed our itinerary of which packs we’d visit, when, and for how long we’d stay there. His other condition was for me to take as many guards as I was comfortable with since there was a possibility that they would find their mate, and they would be unavailable for twenty four hours afterwards at least because of the mating process that normally follows finding ones mate.

  I had Billy, Becca, and Jazzy coming with me. They weren’t on the original list, but ever since I had told them about me losing my wolf, and what seems to be the consequence, Becca has become paranoid that something was going to happen to me. She didn’t speak to me for two days because she said I was killing myself. I didn’t see it that way, I mean humans lived without dying, and that’s basically what I was now; a human that could shift to wolf. Sure I could, and did sometimes, get sick, but I had always recovered. I had healed injuries, just as a human does. I would be alright.

  Becca finally talked to me again the day before letting me know that she was coming with ‘me and my stupid self’; her words, not mine. She said someone had to look after me since I wouldn’t. I talked to her for a while, begging her to understand, and with Billy’s help, she relented, so she stopped throwing those comments my way, and we were able to actually get excited about the trip. The three of us would be the only ones who knew that it would be impossible for me to find my mate. I was young for this trip, only being eighteen, so it wasn’t really expected anyway.

  Jerry, Gary, Mark, and Ryan, though he wouldn’t find a mate, were coming as my main guards. Ryan had gotten Daisy, one of the mateless wolves, to watch Eddie while we were gone. He said he would miss his son, but he wanted to be there for me, which flattered me beyond words.

  There were others on the trip that would take up the position if one of them found a mate, so my security was pretty good. I would miss Brent, but he had wanted to stay with Aisling. They weren’t mates, but really liked each other, so that was for them to work out. I was just happy that they were happy.

  “I’m worried about you, Tink.” My dad had been trying to talk me out of going. He was worried that something would slip out about my condition, putting me, and our pack, in jeopardy. The King would come down on Alpha Parker if he felt like I was not being properly cared for, but I would never let that happen.

  “I know Daddy, but don’t. I remember everything you have ever taught me.” I told him as I zipped up my last case and went to sit beside him on the sofa in front of my TV. I put my arms around him and squeezed. “I won’t let anything slip. I think it will actually help my control by being away from them for a bit.”

  “I don’t think you realize how hard it is to be far from your mate.” He said. I think he realized what he said, so he reiterated. “What I meant is that though you two are not together, and you are suffering effects from it, there is more than just the chest pain you normally feel. Your wolf starts to go crazy, and it can drive you crazy. That’s a proven fact.”

  “You know my wolf left me, Dad,” I said sadly. “So I don’t think that will be a problem.” I got on the floor in front of him on my knees and laid my head in his lap like I used to do when I was little. “I promise to come straight back if anything happens.”

  “You’ll come home if you get sick?” He asked, running his hands through my hair.

  “Right away.” I promised. I looked up to see the tears in his eyes. The only other time I have seen him cry was when I got the flu last year and we realized what that implicated. “Please don’t cry for me, Dad.”

  “I’m sorry, but you are my Tinkerbell. I have not been away from you since you were born, and I have a very bad feeling about you leaving.”

  “Please don’t say that, Daddy.” Dad and I sometimes got feelings when something big was about to happen, good or bad.

  “Don’t let it bring you down, honey. Just make sure you are careful.” He said to try to calm me. “Now, Billy will be up in a few to get your bags, so go say goodbye to your mother. She hasn’t left our room all morning.”

  I felt really bad about leaving, but I really needed this. It was a feeling I had, that I had to get away for a bit; even though there was a sense of foreboding with it. I walked to my parents’ room and knocked on the frame since the door was open. Mom was by the window watching the activity outside as everyone was loading the cars that would take us to the airport.

  “Mom?” I said softly.

  She wiped her eyes before turning to me and trying to smile. She laughed a little, but it sounded brittle. “Don’t look at me like that. I can be sad that my baby is leaving.”

  I walked over to her and hugged her to me tightly. “I’m coming back, Mom. I’ll only be gone for a couple of months.”

  “I know, but I haven’t been away from you for more than a day since you were born.” She said defensively. “It’s a mother’s prerogative to be irrational about her children.” She backed up and looked me over. “Now, you have to swear that you will call every day, both when you wake up, and when you go to bed.”

  “You don’t think that’s a bit much, Mom?”

  “Never! So promise me and give me a kiss so I can cry in peace, then you go and try to have fun.”

  “I promise.” I said, with a lump in my throat. “I love you both so much.” I told them both, as Dad had just walked in the room. “I’ll be back in a couple of months, and then I won’t leave again for a while.”

  I made my way out to Billy’s Tahoe and sat in back with Jazzy. As we drove off I looked back at our house, waving even though I couldn’t see my parents. When I glanced at the pack house, I was shocked to see Trent standing at the door, watching our vehicle. I could feel his eyes trying to see inside, and he probably did with his enhanced sight, but I couldn’t acknowledge that I had seen him.

  This just enforced to me the fact that this trip was necessary.

  We landed in Beaumont, Indiana. There was a fair sized pack here called the Starlight Pack. Their Alpha, Alpha Burgess, was a cousin of Alpha Parker. He had come to meet us at the airport with several trucks and SUVs to transport us to the pack lands.

  “Welcome, Ms. Lake. It is an honor to have you here.” He said smiling at me.

  I bowed my head in respect. “And an honor to meet you, Mr. Burgess.” We couldn’t use titles in public. “Please allow me to introduce you to my family.” I used the universal word for pack and made the introductions.

  “We welcome you all here to have a good visit. Let us get packed up and back to the house. My family is preparing a barbeque in your honor. We need to clear out of the way here. We are in the loading zone.”

  Billy had decided that since none of us knew this pack, though they were a well-respected pack with a good reputation, I would have two guards with me at all times. Alpha Burgess knew of the kidnappings, and was glad to have me guarded, so Jerry and Ryan were in the same vehicle with the Alpha, one of his enforcers, and me.

  I had asked Jerry about this pack on the plane, but he said that Alpha Parker had picked all packs that he’d never visited before to give him anot
her chance to find his mate, though he said he’d given up on ever finding her a long time ago, so he didn’t know anyone in this pack.

  I really wasn’t looking forward to being at yet another party, but I reminded myself why I was doing this. It would be alright. I would just make sure Becca and Billy stayed with me while I had to meet all of the unmated males, as was protocol at these things.

  “Jeffery told me some of the programs you initiated in the Moon Beam Pack.” Alpha Burgess said, breaking the silence in the car. He was referring to Alpha Parker. “Would you mind terribly much if you and I went over some of the ones that I may be able to start in my pack? That is if you don’t find your mate tonight.”

  I knew I wouldn’t, but of course I couldn’t tell him that. “I would love to, sir. I will even help in the initial stages if you do decide to go with some of the things I have done.”

  “Of course that’s if you don’t find your mate. I would never come between mates.”

  “Sir, I’m only eighteen,” I told him. I couldn’t lie to him, so I stated the only truth I could. “It’s very rare for one as young as I am to find their mate, but even if I did, he should understand my passion for these things.”

  “Ah, but if you find your mate, young one, your passion will be for him.” He said with a smile.

  I turned to look out of the window, but I was in between Jerry and Ryan, so I ended up looking at Ryan. I didn’t understand the look of pity that had been there before he schooled his features.

  Chapter 5

  “I’ll have some of the pack members take your bags to your rooms.” Alpha Burgess said as we gathered around the vehicles after arriving at their pack house. “I’ll leave it to all of you as to whether you’d rather freshen up for a few minutes after your trip, or go on out to the back. Everyone is already gathered.”