Redeeming the Lost (A Comforter's Tale)

Chapter 34

"I don't want to get up," I complained, stuffing my head under my paws in an attempt to continue sleeping.

"It's noon, so it's about time you got up," Amber said kindly, picking me up despite my protests.

"But I stayed up late!"

"So did everyone else, and they are all up and about."

"Crazy morning people."

"In a short time, it will be the afternoon."

"Crazy people."

She chuckled and scratched me behind an ear. "The food will be ready shortly, and Vera said she was getting your chair out."

"How many found their mates anyway? My senses were pretty much kaput after the third."

"Six that I heard of. Possibly seven, but those two refuse to say if it is true or not, and the Omegas haven't been close enough to them to tell yet."

I did a quick tally of the mindsparks in my senses. "Everyone in our pack is still present. I assume they stayed the night?"

"Yes, the other guests slept in the forest or sheds in wolf form. Each pair is discussing which pack to join. Last I heard, four have already decided to go back to their mate's pack and help them gather their stuff before returning."

"It's a slow process and a big change considering they will have a hard time being apart for even a few hours during the next few weeks."

Amber nodded. "Yes, and with so many new-found mates, we need a bit of calming in the dining area to help keep their hormones and the matebond in check."

"Alright. Let's go. I can't torment them if I'm not present, and I'm about the only one who can tease them mercilessly until the bond settles."

She chuckled as she carried me out of the room.

~

       I blinked at Alpha Kiel. "I think I need to ask Jenna to clean my ears. Can you please repeat that?"

"The friendly rogues transporting the ferals are at the usual clearing with fourteen more ferals."

"How did they manage to find fourteen ferals and bring them back in a week and a half on carts? It took my original group weeks to find nine, and we were travelling at feral speed."

"They said that many packs they've talked to have started luring and trapping as many ferals as possible. Some packs are even paying other rogues to take the ferals to our liaison group."

"Wow. At this rate, there aren't going to be any more ferals around."

"Anabel and Josh talked with them for a while. They are spreading the news that Comforters can help most ferals, and a few packs are trying as well, but they aren't willing to accept more than a few until they see how things turn out. As we well know, they have a rather short temper and not much short of a Comforter, Enforcer, or Alpha can stop them if their temper flares."

"Are you hinting that some might want to join a pack mostly made up of former ferals as opposed to staying with whatever pack helped them?"

"Not really. A few might come if the pack isn't too welcoming, but I don't think we'll see many former ferals. However, I am paying the rogues for each feral, and they have to range farther to find them, but with the other packs suddenly helping them, I imagine we'll continue seeing an influx that way."