The Beta's Heart

Bonus- Posy's Babies - The Great Backyard Rodeo

This story takes place twenty years after Posy becomes luna of Five Fangs. (Ambrose, Bastian and Caspian are 14; Darius and Evander are 12; Felix, Gryphon, and Hadrian are 10; and Ivo and Jericho are 8.)

In the middle of the alpha house's large backyard sat a somewhat battered dummy calf affectionately known as Bessie.

Once a year, ol' Bessie left the Bel Aire farm to take part in the Everleigh Rodeo Championship, a competition that began one day four years ago when Posy desperately needed something new and fun thing to occupy her active, mischievous boys. Since then, it had become a much-anticipated event of skill, laughter, and a fair share of sibling rivalry for bragging rights - especially since Posy made the day bigger and better every year.

Before dawn that morning, Atticus Bel Aire dropped off Bessie, as well as several bales of hay, lots of rope, a pedal tractor, and several other supplies, then stayed to help her and four of the pack's five betas set up the events while the Beta Tyler James - who was the boys' uncle - supervised them getting up, dressed, and eating their breakfast.

"You know, Atticus, this might be the makings of a sweet side hustle," Beta Emerson del Vecchio pointed out. "Get yourself a little trailer and go to birthday parties and daycares with 'Rodeo on the Go.' I'd be your first customer. Joss is a huge horse fan, and Emrys and Ellie's seventh birthdays are coming up. Not to mention all of Kon and Lanie's little hatchlings. They would love something like this!"

"Well," Atticus shoved his ball cap back to scratch his forehead, "my sisters have been talking about adding an activity to the farm's profile. Mom's got the horse therapy program, and now they want to create something like that, too. I'll mention this to them and see what they think, but I like it."

"You wouldn't have to take it on the road," Beta Crew Myers said as he helped Beta Matthew Rose put the last haybale around the 'pig pen' to keep the pink balloons inside. "You could set up a semi-permanent area at the farm and groups could go there."

"If you did want to make it mobile, though, the old folks at the nursing home would love it," Beta Tristan Harrington added as he started to haul the air hose back to the garage now that all the balloons were filled. "Some of the activities, like this one, would have to be adapted, but Charlotte and Cherise could work with my mom to do that."

"Hmm, yes, I can see how elderly shifters would have trouble bending over to catch as many 'pigs' as they can in thirty seconds." Posy tapped her chin with her finger as she thought, then hopped up and down when she had a brainstorm. "But you could give them pink beanbags printed with little faces and play something like cornhole!"

"Hahaha! Call it Pig in a Poke!" Atticus laughed. "That's a good one!"

Once everything was set up, Posy went around and gave out thank-you hugs, and Atticus reminded her to link them all the highlights from the day.

"I will, although with this crew, everything's a highlight!" she laughed.

"Are you ready for your contestants, luna?" Beta Ty called from the porch.

"Bring on the little doggies!" she chirped, waving one arm, and he grinned as he led them outside, all ten of them resplendent in their jeans, chaps, cowboy hats, and boots. Atticus and the betas high-fived or fist-bumped them all before taking off, and the younger ones oohed and awwed over the set up with excited faces.

Meanwhile, fourteen-year-old Ambrose set up a camera on a tripod. His focus was intense as always, his brow furrowed in concentration as he adjusted the lens, fiddled with the settings, and gave the camera a slight nudge to make sure it was perfectly aimed at the dummy calf, which was always the first event.