Shadow Claw: The Life Story - The Third Chapter

Ch. 27 - Lifetime Celebration

After a long while of being in our cave, I finally emerged with a sore body - but it was a nice sore, since I knew what had just happened. A permanent blush rose to my cheeks.

Shade encircled my waist with his thick arms, nuzzling his nose into my hair. "You are the most beautiful." He whispered, like a wisp of air. I giggled girlishly, "You betcha." I kissed his bicep and ran my hands along his chest after turning in his arms, "I do believe we have a meeting to attend." He purred in my ear, and I giggled once more, "We do indeed."

We walked hand in hand to a large clearing beside the lake that held not only the whole pack, including the mothers and cubs, but every single Light Claw that had arrived in the area. They were separated by about a meter, but were still squabbling and insulting one another. Shade and I shifted, padding side by side onto a high rock opposite Alpha Lumo and Alpha Lila on their own rock. Shade and Lumo cleared their throats, but the packs did not quiet at all, if anything, they got louder.

"SILENCE!!" Lila and I roared at the same time, and we gave each other a satisfactory look as the clearing instantly silenced. Lumo and Shade praised us with a few words and licks to the cheek before speaking, "For decades, the Light Claws have not shown their faces, and while many would keep it that way, they do not want war. Their loyalty has changed - a new leader of their ultimate pack." Shade stated in his deep baritone that I loved so much.

Lumo spoke up, "The Lights no longer wish for the extinction of the Shadows. That is long past and was a terrible mistake. Alpha Shadow was the last, up until a few months ago, when Shadow Claws were spotted making a rebellion against us, still unaware of our new leadership. This group of Shadows has unknown numbers, but it has to be over thirty, according to recent information."

All of that information was new to me, and it scared me. I didn't know why, but it set my heart at unease. I retained my stern expression though, for the pack and the honour of Shade

"How do we know they're not lying, Alphas?" A Claw called from our pack. I raised my body and stared down at them, "If they were lying, they would be dead already." I growled, "Either that, or we'd be in a war at this very moment." Lila added. I smirked at her and she returned it before we turned back to our packs.

Shade and Lumo roared together and then Lila and I followed suit.

The afternoon was followed, naturally, by huge celebration and the mingling of the two packs. It took a while but they all relaxed and some even flirted, dancing and singing with the pack-grown beers and wines in their veins, some Claws even hooking up together, for those who were single and still not mated. It was not unusual for a male to move on from female to female if he did not settle down with one mate.

I danced with Shade, and as we circled round beside Lumo and Lila, we switched partners, if reluctantly. I held Lumo's hand as one of his arms circled my waist. "Alpha Lumo." I said with a smile. "Shadow Claw, come now, proprieties are not needed." He teased, our bodies moving fluently in time with the music that the Claws played and created. "Of course, Lumo." I responded, and time went by, our small talk not heading in any particular direction. He was a nice guy, well, for a Light Claw. He twirled me in time with Lila and Shade and us two females met in the middle, our grip of the males gone.

It was now the Female Dance-Off. It was a common Claw tradition.

Lila and I locked arms and spun, before we leaned back and let go, switching arms now and again, then completely disbanding. She tapped her heels and I spun in the air, she twirled about me while I tapped in time with the beat, and on and on we went, challenging one another with different moves every time. We heard the long melody coming to and end and we locked arms once more, but this time with our hands too, and raising our conjoined arms into the air as the beat stopped.

I panted, and she breathed heavily. We disconnected and bowed to each other, "Great moves." I grinned. "You too." We departed and headed back to our mates with a massive round of applause.

*

The celebration had dulled, and at that point it was just quietening down and people their drinks, sitting on logs in front of the big bonfire. Shade held me by the waist, his nose buried in my hair as we swayed ever so gently to the light breeze that followed the pale moonlight and the bright stars. Lumo and Lila sat beside us, them too in the same position.

The pack sat either to the left, right or opposite us, the mothers and cubs long gone to bed. Few teens hung around, but they didn't look like they could take much more, for their eyelids were drooping and their mouths were constantly widening in yawns. I placed my hand on Shade's knee and kissing his hand, "You okay?" I asked gently, my voice carried throughout the forest despite the crackling flames and my quiet tone. Shade placed his free hand over mine and nodded slowly, "I am, my love."

One of the teens slowly padded up to me, their eyes staring at me with hope. "Alpha Shadow?" She asked. She looked around seven human years, but that was thirty give in Claw years. She had a beautiful beige hue of fur, "Yes, little one?" I replied softly. "Would you tell us a story?" She whispered and I smiled, straightening my back. "Of course." I hummed with joy and everybody gathered round to listen to my story.

"There was a small family, a father, a mother and a young girl of about seven human years. The parents were heading out one night for a big party, and the girl was scared, but her father told her if she was afraid, she could put her hand under the bed and their dog would lick it..." And as I told the story of the Square Cutter, I seemed to feel the pack bond with me, and I suddenly felt like I knew them all personally.

We were all a family now. By blood or not.