Crescent (Tribes, Book 1) [completed]

Chapter 3

"Conner!"

Conner winced and lifted his gaze to the sky above him. Did his father have to shout every time he wanted an audience? Would it not be easier to seek him out when he came inside from the noonday heat?

The call came again, louder and more demanding. Conner knew better than to argue with him when he was in alpha mode. And this was alpha mode times ten.

"Alright, that's enough for today. We'll get back to it tomorrow." Conner easily dismissed the teenagers preparing for their first shift. By the time he finished with them, they would know what to expect and how to deal with it.

"Conner!" His father rounded the corner and paused to look over the class of young wolves. The boys all ducked their head in a show of submission. Many would think someone beat it into them, but Conner knew how instinctual it was. They couldn't help it when their alpha exuded such power.

Conner rose and waved them out the door before he turned to his father. "Good afternoon, alpha."

"Don't use that tone with me." Maccon, his father, growled softly.

Conner didn't flinch, no matter how badly he wanted to. One day he would be alpha, and his father wouldn't risk that title passing to someone else. "What's wrong?"

Maccon lifted a handful of wadded paper. "Were you going to tell me you turned in claiming papers to the WDA?"

"I didn't know that my love life was any concern of yours." Conner folded his hands neatly behind his back, trying to calm his wolf. One thing he knew his wolf wouldn't stand for was anyone trying to keep him from that female. The wolf begged to go to her every night.

Conner only appeased him by scouting her out and watching over her when it got too bad to endure. He couldn't wait much longer without being near her. She lived too far from him. He and the wolf, both, needed her closer.

"Everything around here is my concern, especially when it comes to my only son and his choice of mate." Maccon scowled and paced the floor, a habit Conner recognized as a way for his father to keep his wolf calmer.

Conner growled at him, something he never dared do before. "We have to have her. The laws are in place for this purpose."

"And as your father, you should have come to me first!" Maccon pointed an accusatory finger at his son. "Do I not have the right to know who this woman is that you intend to bring into our pack? You know alpha's mates always cause trouble. Shouldn't you have warned me?"

Conner sighed. His shoulders slumped in defeat. His dad was right. In the past, alpha's mates were the hardest to keep out of trouble. His mother had been fiery right up until her death at the hands of a rival alpha. Even among his own tribe, peace remained illusive.

But we need her, the wolf whined in his head.

"I'm sorry, alpha. I should have told you so you could prepare accordingly." Conner sighed. His mate wouldn't be like the others. She wouldn't rain trouble down on them. "I was afraid you wouldn't approve of my claiming."

A scuffling of feet outside the door told Conner the teens overheard all of it. The rumor mill would start now, and in an hour everyone belonging to his pack would know their future alpha claimed a female from among the humans.

Macon sighed back at him and stopped pacing. Apparently the simple apology calmed the alpha's wolf enough to clear his head. "It's done now. What's happened cannot be undone." He motioned for Conner to follow. "Come, tell me the schedule."

Conner brightened immediately. "They haven't given me the schedule yet, but they said it takes up to a week to process my claiming papers." He trailed his father out the door and toward the woods surrounding their village.

"Where did you meet her?"

Conner winced. "I didn't. Exactly. I smelled her and saw her across the square that day when I was shot. I wanted to bring her home, then, but..." he shrugged. Mating Laws.

"Two weeks." Macon arched a brow in understanding. "How is your wolf holding up?"

Conner shrugged noncommittally. "We do okay. He's preoccupied a lot lately, wanting me to go to her. We dream about her at night. We can't wait for the claim to process."

"And after your claim is processed?" Macon's voice held amusement, as did his eyes when he glanced his son's way.

Conner shrugged. "After it's processed, they'll have her sign the papers and a convoy will bring her to the reservation. Like all the other mates, except..." he paused. Would his father consent to his attempt to make peace?

"Except what, my son?" Macon stopped and rested a hand on Conner's shoulder.

Conner took a breath and kept his eyes lowered in submission. "I want to add two contributors to her convoy. I want to extend a hand of goodwill to the other tribes and invite a Bloodmoon alpha and a Rille alpha to accompany my female to my territory."

Macon paused. His eyes narrowed as he thought, and finally he spoke. "When your mother was brought to my territory, we celebrated for seven nights. There were parties and bonfires for everyone, and after there were rituals to accustom her to our ways and to secure our bond. To ensure one day we had a son to carry on our line of leadership." His fingers clamped on Conner's shoulder. "Is it not enough to celebrate with your pack and your tribe?"

"We used to be one tribe, all united under our Lyconian history." Conner glanced toward the trees. "Just for a day, I'd like all our people to know that peace between tribes is possible."

"It will not go unnoticed that you did not send an alpha from our tribe."

Conner sighed and shook his head. Leave it to his father to overlook the diplomacy of it all. "Because the other tribes would perceive it as a means to keep an eye on them. If I show complete trust in these two alphas, trust with my female—my mate—then surely the tribes will understand that I believe in the power of unity."

"Belief in the power of unity is not enough to unify us all, Conner." Macon patted a hand on Conner's head as though he reprimanded a child.

Conner shook off his touch and frowned. "But it's a start. I'm calling them whether you want me to or not."

He took a breath to calm his agitated wolf. A wolf that, no matter the situation, kept nudging him in the direction of town. If she couldn't come to him yet, he could go to her. But Conner knew he had other more pressing issues to attend on the reservation. He couldn't traipse off after some woman.

"Them." Macon growled and shoved Conner away from him. "And by them I suppose you mean those half-breeds you insist on keeping up with."

Conner growled back, his wolf's attention suddenly snapped to his father. "Blade Trueblood and Preston Stryker, dad. Not half-breeds. They're as much alphas you and I."

"You would entrust your female to a Bloodmoon?" Macon sneered. "You might as well sign her death sentence."

"Preston will temper him, and Blade can keep a cool head when he needs to. He wouldn't harm my female. I know it." Conner nodded. This was their opportunity to show werewolves across the globe that they could pull together and work as a team, at least on political and diplomatic missions.

Macon shook his head. "Since I can't talk you out of it, call your precious compatriots and request their help. I won't let them past the interior gates." He paced angrily. "I only hope you know what you're doing."

"I do." Conner hugged him quickly and grinned. "Thanks, dad. For trusting me to know what's best."

"You're our future, Conner. Don't mess this up." Macon nodded toward the village. "Go on. Do your duty to your people and prepare for your bride."

Conner and his wolf couldn't have been happier. Who cared that the rumor mill was tossing around names and dates? Soon enough, he would have his female. He could howl for joy.