Nothing Stays Buried (Lunar River Series)

13.5 The Gathering

Atlas

I watch over Cassius in the infirmary over at Kristofer's. No one feels safe at the pack house and with the allies already beginning to trickle in, it's our safest bet. My heart still hurts from all the crying I did. The thought of losing Cassius is not something I want to feel again. I don't wish that on anyone.

Cassius stirs in his sleep but he is breathing better than before.

"Hey, the others are here. Come greet everyone and let Luna sleep." Mom calls out to me from the door.

"Okay..." I kiss Cassius on the forehead and tuck him in before leaving him to rest.

.........................

"There ya are my boy. Looking more like ya father each time I see ya." Alpha Robert opens his big hairy arms to hug me.

"Hi, Uncle Robert." I give him a hug and chuckle at how big he has gotten. The man does not know how to put down his fork.

"Wow, ya haven't called me that in years." Alpha Robert smiles as he pulls away. Although not my uncle by blood, I always saw him as such. He was always the cool one during get-togethers. I remember how he always had my dad's back, whether it was, disputes between packs or my father cheating in a poker game. In fact, they were both runner-ups for the choice of Alpha for my pack. In the end, my father was voted in, and luckily enough another pack had an Alpha stepping down from old age and accepted Uncle Robert to be their leader.

"You know you love it," I reply with a light punch to the mans fluffy gut.

"Hey Alpha Atlas, long time!" Ithil walks in with a dorky smile.

"Wow, letting your hair grow?" I yank at the long ponytail Ithil is sporting. Now he definitely looks like an Elf.

"Ow, you boob. Don't yank it. It's still attached to my head you know."

"Boob?"

"Yeah, boob!" We hug each other while laughing. It has been too long since I have seen so many of these faces. I should make sure to do gatherings more often.

"Hey Alpha Kristofer, where's Iris?" I can smell her so I know she is in the house.

"Sleeping...." Kristofer fidgets. He probably doesn't want to really say what's going on.

Is she really sleeping?

No, she is hiding inside Nora in Cassius' old room. She doesn't want to see anyone.

Oh, okay. I'll check on her later then.

I walk into the kitchen to make something light for when Cassius wakes up. The fridge is already open and someone is wiggling their butt while digging for food.

"Hey Lenny," I pass him by and go to the pantry. He is the only one who is ever that excited when looking inside a refrigerator.

A bang and then a curse comes from the fridge, "hey Alpha Atlas." Lenny rubs his head.

"How are you not fat?" I ask while pushing him aside to grab some leftover chicken that Cecile had mentioned for me to eat. According to mom, Cecile's chicken is second to none. "Lenny, did you eat the chicken?"

"No, there was chicken? Ugh, Cecile makes some mean chicken." He opens the container in his hand and drools over the lasagna inside. For once I don't think he is lying.

"Great, I was looking forward to using it for Cass. Now what?!" I slump my shoulders and begin to look through the fridge for other leftovers that might have survived Lenny's stomach or the chicken culprit.