Lunar Eclipse

39 - Temptations

Over the next few days, Rikka justifies her continued stay by walking around the territory and pointing at the odd tree while mumbling words that sound like gibberish. Personally, I think she's full of crap—she just doesn't have any other place to go that provides her with free food and shelter—but I have bigger fish to fry. Cassum insists on putting her plan into action, and preparing her to win the Trials and beat the Alpha of the Scopan Lake pack will require some serious training.

An hour after she went to bed, I wake her up. "Rise and shine, sis."

She tosses a pillow at me.

I mock pout. "Now, is this the way to treat your brother who only has your best interest at heart?"

"Fuck off, Kendrick."

"Sleep is a luxury you can't afford." I pull away her blanket. She's butt naked. Talk about awkward. "Trials can go on for days and you need to stay alert without your body's need for sleep. It's one of the reasons I beat your ass when you went against me in our Trials. Now get up before my wolf drags you outside."

"I hate you."

"Yeah, and you'll love me once you become an Alpha."

She finally sits up and rubs her eyes. Her gaze comes to rest on Allo's crib, who is fast asleep. "What about the pup?"

That might be a problem. Mother left with her weretoy for an extended hunt into the mountains and could be gone for weeks.

"Can't Kenna watch him?"

"She's seventeen and into all kinds of stuff that doesn't include a pup."

True. And Everest doesn't have a nurturing bone in her body, so she's out. "What about Raelyn?"

Cassum twitches under my stare. "I dunno. She isn't family. Besides, I thought she might want to train with us."

I arch a brow. "You want Raelyn to train as a warrior?"

"Why not? She's an Alpha born and suffered horribly under that old pack. It's not right to degrade a female like this. I think some training will be good for her."

My mother's warning rings in my ears. "Maybe I should get to know her first."

"That's exactly it. You and I will be spending most of our time in the woods, so what better way to make her part of the pack?"

My smile is slow. How do you argue with that? "Mother said—"

"Since when do you do anything Mom said." Her lips twist. "C'mon, Kendrick. It'll be so much more fun with a sparring partner who doesn't beat me all the time."

"But that doesn't solve the Allo problem."

"We'll ask Falcon. He's crazy about him."

"Seriously? You want a male to care for a pup."

"Why not?"

I suppose it's feasible, especially since he has enough time on his hands. "Okay, then let's drop Allo off in his room and get Raelyn."

Cassum rubs her hand. "This is gonna be great, don't you think?"

My mother's words sit like a heavy clump in my gut, but hey, I'm not a party pooper. "As long as you're prepared for a lot of pain."

~~~~

Heading into the dark days, frost leaves its breath on the needles of the evergreens and the grass in the large, still meadows. The temperatures are now so low that the frigid air stings my lungs. I love it. A few times, snow dust covers the ground, but it's gone again by lunch time. The pack's females are busy with canning fruit and curing meat and fish; the bustling in the large pack kitchen is a nice change to the solitude of the nights in the forest. I often stick around for an extra cup of coffee while Cassum and Raelyn are busy with weight training.