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Authors: Claudia King
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leader
narrowed his eyes, taking a step forward and bending down on one
knee to meet the eyes of the other wolf. His hair was cropped
short, his gloves and trench coat lending him an almost military
air.
"Because you're the
only pack I haven't found yet. You're the Highland Pack, aren't
you? Hiding up in the mountains, hidden away from everyone."
The leader ignored his
question. "You're a loner?"
He nodded.
"How long?"
"Two years, give or
take."
"What happened to your
last pack? Did they drive you out?"
He glared at the
leader, and for a moment he almost gave in to the furious urges of
his wolf. "I left. There was no place for me there."
"The Highland Pack
doesn't take in strays."
"I never asked you to
take me in."
The leader stared at
him for a long moment before responding. "Two years is a long time
to be out there on your own. I'm surprised you didn't go
feral."
"Don't tempt me."
One of the other wolves
growled, baring his fangs as he inched forward until the leader
held up a hand to halt him. He regarded the stranger in silence
once more, then offered him his hand.
"Our elders will want
to talk with you, then we'll decide what to do. What's your
name?"
He managed to stifle
his sigh of relief as he took the leader's hand, rising to his feet
with a groan.
"Cyan."
* * * * *
April hugged her
bedsheets, clinging on to their lingering warmth as the fire in her
cabin's hearth died down and the icy chill from outside crept in
through the boards. Hail and sleet drummed against the windows, and
she knew the winter snow would be here before long. If there was
one thing she disliked about her home, it was the cold.
With a reluctant
grumble she dragged herself out of bed, the sheets still clutched
to her body, and shuffled over to the hearth to feed fresh logs
into the coals. She would need to chop fresh wood today to build up
her stocks for the winter. She'd put off replenishing the log pile
outside all summer, and now it was coming back to bite her. If the
weather got much colder she'd have to start sleeping in her wolf
form again, and she hated having to brush hairs out of the sheets
every morning when she did that.
A sharp rap on the
door made her jump, and she peeked out past the curtains hesitantly
before breathing a sigh of relief. It was only Harper. No need to
get dressed for him.
A
smile lit the corner of her lips. Probably every reason to stay undressed.
April drew back the
latch, wincing as a gush of icy air and rain blew in along with
Harper and his heavy boots, her mate-to-be dripping all over the
floorboards as he hunched his shoulders and shivered.
"You brought in all
the cold," she complained, latching the door shut again and
hurrying back to the warmth of her bed against the far wall.
"I needed you to warm
me up." He grinned, taking off his boots and hanging his jacket on
the back of the door without her even having to ask this time.
Good. At least he was learning.
"What are you doing up
this early, anyway?" she said. "You're not on hunting duty today,
are you?"
"No, but Blackthorn
and some of the others are out on patrol. He wanted me to keep an
eye on the camp, just in case."
April shook her head.
"He's too paranoid. And aren't you shirking your duties, coming in
to see me when you're supposed to be keeping our pack safe from the
terrors of the wilderness?" She rolled her eyes, blowing a tangle
of red hair out of her face as Harper eased off his damp trousers
and dropped to the bed beside her with a chuckle.
"Most girls would be
flattered by the attention."
"You've only known,
like, a couple of dozen girls in your whole life."
"Hey, that's not
true." He mock-frowned, sliding an arm around her waist. "I got to
know lots of girls when they sent us off to school with the regular
kids."
"Yeah, I guess so,"
she sighed. "I liked it when they let us do that. It was nice
seeing how people who aren't werewolves live. Their houses had
better heating than ours."
"But they don't get
all of
narrowed his eyes, taking a step forward and bending down on one
knee to meet the eyes of the other wolf. His hair was cropped
short, his gloves and trench coat lending him an almost military
air.
"Because you're the
only pack I haven't found yet. You're the Highland Pack, aren't
you? Hiding up in the mountains, hidden away from everyone."
The leader ignored his
question. "You're a loner?"
He nodded.
"How long?"
"Two years, give or
take."
"What happened to your
last pack? Did they drive you out?"
He glared at the
leader, and for a moment he almost gave in to the furious urges of
his wolf. "I left. There was no place for me there."
"The Highland Pack
doesn't take in strays."
"I never asked you to
take me in."
The leader stared at
him for a long moment before responding. "Two years is a long time
to be out there on your own. I'm surprised you didn't go
feral."
"Don't tempt me."
One of the other wolves
growled, baring his fangs as he inched forward until the leader
held up a hand to halt him. He regarded the stranger in silence
once more, then offered him his hand.
"Our elders will want
to talk with you, then we'll decide what to do. What's your
name?"
He managed to stifle
his sigh of relief as he took the leader's hand, rising to his feet
with a groan.
"Cyan."
* * * * *
April hugged her
bedsheets, clinging on to their lingering warmth as the fire in her
cabin's hearth died down and the icy chill from outside crept in
through the boards. Hail and sleet drummed against the windows, and
she knew the winter snow would be here before long. If there was
one thing she disliked about her home, it was the cold.
With a reluctant
grumble she dragged herself out of bed, the sheets still clutched
to her body, and shuffled over to the hearth to feed fresh logs
into the coals. She would need to chop fresh wood today to build up
her stocks for the winter. She'd put off replenishing the log pile
outside all summer, and now it was coming back to bite her. If the
weather got much colder she'd have to start sleeping in her wolf
form again, and she hated having to brush hairs out of the sheets
every morning when she did that.
A sharp rap on the
door made her jump, and she peeked out past the curtains hesitantly
before breathing a sigh of relief. It was only Harper. No need to
get dressed for him.
A
smile lit the corner of her lips. Probably every reason to stay undressed.
April drew back the
latch, wincing as a gush of icy air and rain blew in along with
Harper and his heavy boots, her mate-to-be dripping all over the
floorboards as he hunched his shoulders and shivered.
"You brought in all
the cold," she complained, latching the door shut again and
hurrying back to the warmth of her bed against the far wall.
"I needed you to warm
me up." He grinned, taking off his boots and hanging his jacket on
the back of the door without her even having to ask this time.
Good. At least he was learning.
"What are you doing up
this early, anyway?" she said. "You're not on hunting duty today,
are you?"
"No, but Blackthorn
and some of the others are out on patrol. He wanted me to keep an
eye on the camp, just in case."
April shook her head.
"He's too paranoid. And aren't you shirking your duties, coming in
to see me when you're supposed to be keeping our pack safe from the
terrors of the wilderness?" She rolled her eyes, blowing a tangle
of red hair out of her face as Harper eased off his damp trousers
and dropped to the bed beside her with a chuckle.
"Most girls would be
flattered by the attention."
"You've only known,
like, a couple of dozen girls in your whole life."
"Hey, that's not
true." He mock-frowned, sliding an arm around her waist. "I got to
know lots of girls when they sent us off to school with the regular
kids."
"Yeah, I guess so,"
she sighed. "I liked it when they let us do that. It was nice
seeing how people who aren't werewolves live. Their houses had
better heating than ours."
"But they don't get
all of
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