The Fenrir Saga - Part I

Chapter 29

Beonnie

It was the summer solstice day, and since this was a major holiday back in the Nordics, the guys had invited us to celebrate a traditional Midsummer. Nowadays, the holiday was a blend of ancient blots and modern parties, but Jack had made sure to cover the basics. A pole had been erected—the ancient version with a single shaft and one ring. We didn't have any offerings, but Jack mentioned that if we did, they would be for the Vanir gods Freyr and Freyja, who presided over the harvest. Or something like that.

The table was set with an array of peculiar foods: pickled herring prepared a thousand different ways, potatoes, sour cream (seriously?), meatballs, something called 'Janssons', and fresh strawberries. The strawberries eventually sparked the annual conflict between the whipped cream faction, the milk-and-sugar group, and the ice cream purists. Apparently, how you eat your strawberries is a legitimate casus belli in the Nordics.

Everything was ready; now we were just waiting for Hild and Zac. The tension was palpable. Everyone was dying to meet Zac, and when a knock finally sounded at the gate, you could have heard a needle drop. Vidar rushed toward the entrance, but the knocker clearly wasn't who he expected. An annoyed "Viiile!" echoed back a few seconds later. Vile, on the other hand, was delighted to see his guest, Trevor. The guys greeted Trevor heartily, having grown used to him dropping by to hang out while Vile and I trained. Still, their eyes never strayed far from the gate. 

Luckily, another knock came a few minutes later. This time, Vidar's shoulders didn't slump; instead, he greeted the guests with an almost amusing revere. Even Jack walked with uncharacteristic slowness toward them. I saw them share a quiet moment before Jack turned and, with Zac in tow, led the way to the table in the middle of the clearing. He introduced everyone in order, ending with the "three amigos": me, Vile, and Trevor.

"And here you have B, Vile, and this stray creature here is our adopted local, Trevor."

I hugged Zac, Vile both shook his hand and bowed. Trevor, who wasn't privy to Zac's relations with our pack, was struck speechless. The only thing he managed to stammer was a "yes" to Zac's "Nice to meet you." Hadn't it been for Zac's disarming smile, Trevor would have spent the rest of the evening mortified.

"Yes? YES?!" Trevor grabbed a beer - also traditional- and took a nervous sip. "Yes."

His yes-ranting was only interrupted when Zac took a seat right next to him, opposite me.

"All good with your pack, Trevor?"

"Yes, Beta Zac. All is good. Thanks." 

"Give my best to Henry too. I owe him a lot, it seems," Zac said, glancing at Hild and then at me with a smile. 

My uncle.

"How have you been, B? I haven't heard anything about any trouble for at least a week now. You feeling alright?"

I threw a strawberry at him and would have started the strawberry war prematurely if Jack hadn't suddenly stood up, calling for attention.

"B, the fighting doesn't start just yet. Judging by how many beers Gammal has had, I would say we have at least half an hour before the chaos begins. Let's spend that time on the pack ritual. We are to exchange blood, and after that, we can mind-link. That's the short version, anyway. Our dear guests, Zac and Trevor, won't be partaking, of course, but we're happy to have them here."

The ritual started with Jack cutting his hand, letting the blood surface. The rest of us followed suit, shaking Jack's hand to seal the bond. Then, as per protocol, everyone tested the mind-link. I don't think I've ever heard so many profanities in such a short span of time. It continued until Hild made her cut, shook hands, and connected to the link. She simply listened for a moment before projecting her own thoughts, which silenced everyone instantly. The Ironwood pack was now a reality; the others and I were no longer rogues.