Chapter Eighteen
Dean
I gathered a pack run was a big deal, and judging by all the giggling and preparations going on in the compound, it seemed I was right. I’d been very nervous about Jillian’s safety since the man came back looking for her, and I’d shown him the way off pack lands. Of course, I’d gone straight to the alpha to tell him about it, and he’d seemed remarkably unsurprised. However, he had also told me to stay near her as much as possible, so I’d gone back to full-time woodsman and did my job within sight and hearing of Jillian.
Excitement at being included in such a big event had me so excited, I rushed my work and hustled Jillian through hers, so we arrived home well before dark. I had dreamed of what it would be like to race through the forest in wolf form with everyone, baying and howling, leaping over logs and streams and doing everything I’d imagined wolves did when they went out to party. So far, most of my experience had been hard work...this would be the payoff.
But as I laid out a set of baggy sweats, which I’d been told would be a good choice to wear in case they got damaged, I noticed Jillian was heating up some leftover stew. Since I’d been informed the run would be preceded by a big BBQ dinner, this seemed odd.
“Jillian, don’t you like grilled meats?”
She looked over her shoulder at me and shrugged, which, despite my experience, learning to understand her body language couldn’t have been more vague.
“Jillian, you’re coming right?”
Standing, she turned to face me, and there was no more vagueness. Just raw pain. Could it be… “Did they not invite you?”
A slow headshake before she faced the pot again.
“Do we have any more stew?” I was steaming under the collar. How dare they leave her out of this fun time? What had she ever done to make them hate her? As far as I could tell, she was the best of them. “I think we should eat before we go out on our run.” Fortunately, I’d been told what direction the pack was going, and it was on the opposite side of the compound. “But let’s hurry. I want to get out there and shift so we can talk without any barriers.”
She turned toward me again and reached for her whiteboard, but I shook my head. “Don’t try to argue because I’m not backing down. I’m complicit in the way you are treated if I leave you here all alone with leftover stew. I’m just sorry I don’t have anything better for you to eat before we head out. Are you excited? I’m excited.”
Her face held so much expression, and her smile made my heart light even as I stuffed down my anger at the alpha for allowing, maybe even encouraging, his pack to keep Jillian alone in the woods instead of letting her participate in life.
What the heck.
When she brought the bowls to the table, I had schooled my own expression so I hoped she would not be able to see the pity and anger. If she did, she didn’t say anything about it. I dug into the bowl and chewed a big bite. “This is even better than last night,” I assured her.
Not as good as roasted pig.
“But the company is better. And when we’re wolves, it’s so nice to talk.”
We gobbled our dinners, and I realized I was even happier about this run just with Jillian. Leaving the dishes to soak, we were soon on our way.
In a cliche move, the pack had set their run for a full moon, so it was beautiful out there among the trees, and we did race along for a while but our desire to communicate was stronger, and when we found ourselves in a clearing with the moonlight pouring down over us, we flopped on our bellies to talk.
You know a lot more about me than I do about you.I was hoping to learn what made her status so unusual in the pack. I’d almost asked the alpha once, but it just didn’t seem right.Have you lived here your whole life?
No. But I was small when I arrived here.
I brushed up against her, loving the soft thickness of her fur.And where did you come from?
I don’t know because before that, it’s all dark, no memories at all. Well, just kind of a dark, bad feeling.
Does the alpha know your background? Does anyone?
I don’t know.She butted her head against me.Can’t we talk about something else? When I think of those early days, I get anxious.
Sure."I wanted to go deeper but not as much as I wanted her to be happy.What would you like to talk about?
Truth? I’m just happy lying here with you in the moonlight. And I don’t want to think too much.
Deal.Because I wanted her to be happy more than I wanted my next breath. A few times, as we lay there, just being together, I heard the others in the distance, but that run I’d looked so forward to could not compare to what we were doing.I’m happy, too.
I did want to know everything about her, and I suspected that she should know her own past, so I vowed I’d do my best to find out. This sweet wolf might have a whole family looking for her. Perhaps she’d just wandered off...could that happen with shifters?
I had the feeling different packs were connected, although I didn’t know the details of how that worked. So if a young girl got lost, wouldn’t they put the word out? Or maybe her folks weren’t part of a pack?
My lack of knowledge would do Jillian no favors.
I think we need to go back now, or we won’t be able to get up for work.She cut into my thoughts with hers. Could she hear what I was thinking when I wasn’t trying to have her do so?
I’ll race you.